This book was fun and quick. I thought the crime and setup was interesting, but it was also incredibly obvious. However, I don't mind if I guess the culprit correctly. I loved the snowy setting. It was also fun to read a Christmas book that wasn't a romance. I thought James' wife, Annie, was really annoying. Ultimately, this was just a fun little mystery to read.

Details and descriptive prose in this police procedural.

A lovely Christmas card gives the plan: “Twelve Days. Twelve murders. Twelve Victims. And they all deserve what’s coming to them.”

DI James Walker and his wife, Annie, have recently relocated from London to the small village of Kirkby Abbey. Annie’s mother had left them the house and they both agreed that there was danger to them staying in London. At first it’s quiet and a far cry from what James had been used to in his job at the Met, but as a huge snowstorm heads their way, the police are confronted with a serial killer who has the intent to rid the community of certain townspeople. First one body is found and then another as the killer begins by leaving a dead partridge on James and Annie’s doorstep.

This was rather slow moving with lots of red herrings as James and his fellow constables attempt to identify the killer and stop them from completing their mission. Although I liked him, Annie got on my nerves and for some reason their entire relationship seemed so blah. The investigation was plodding along and finally the identity of the villain is revealed. I have the second in the series to read, but might take awhile to circle back to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/HarperCollins Publishers for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Very anticlimactic, I called the killer from the beginning and am terribly disappointed to have been right.

Detective James Walker annoyed the crap out of me- the way he spoke just didn’t seem genuine- I can’t imagine anyone actually speaking the way he does.

There seemed to be a lot of empty chapters that weren’t really necessary- kind of in the sense of a bunch of people standing around twiddling their thumbs.

I did really enjoy the victims POV chapters- that was a fun little detour in an otherwise bland book.

Don’t recommend and will not likely read the following book.

I love a good seasonal mystery or thriller - especially when it's Christmas-themed because it makes such a stark contrast with the joy and holiday spirit that are all over TV and in the stores. That's why I was excited to find "The Christmas Killer" by Alex Pine. And it didn't disappoint.

A British police detective, DI James Walker, recently moved with his wife Annie to the quiet village of Kirkby Abbey. They're escaping the hectic London life, where a mob boss is eager for revenge because James put him in prison. Their expected quiet life is anything but when James's first case is a murder the comes with a Christmas card promising 12 deaths for the 12 days of Christmas.

A blizzard essentially shuts the village off from the outside world, and the killer is making good on the promise of multiple murders. James knows he needs to solve the case before more villagers are killed, but there are plenty of suspects and not many clues aside from the threatening Christmas cards. With an entire village essentially being under suspicion, it's a complex story with a fascinating and twisted reveal.

If you're looking for something Christmas themed but not overly sweet or sentimental, this is the book for you.

This book is thrilling and exciting. I was caught up in the story in the first chapter. The killer is quite bold and scary. This is definitely quite dark. I just could not stop reading. Every turn of the page just made me want more. This is definitely one of the holiday mysteries you do not want to miss. There are twelve days of Christmas and the killer promises to commit twelve murders. It was incredibly addicting.

This was an OK book … not earth-shaking, but a quick read with an interesting set of characters who could have all “done it”. The end was a bit predictable, but a good read nonetheless.

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

I have been reading a lot of Christmas books and I have to say it was fun to read something so unlike I have read before in regards to the holidays!
This is not the twelve days of Christmas you are used to. This is twelve days of Christmas and twelve murders.
This kept me on the edge of my seat with the backdrop of the Holidays!
Thank you #harper360 and #netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

2.5 Hearts Usually first books are slow but this one takes the cake. I had a hard time reading this story.

I was able to figure out the who-dun-it pretty easily and I will honestly say that I did a bit of skipping over parts because the writing was a bit boring.

I hope that the next in the series proves to be a bit more interesting since like I said sometimes the first can be slower as they introduce the character(s).

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

In between heartwarming Christmas novels, I like to mix it up. I found a Christmas thriller on @netgalley and I’m happy to report it already has a sequel out! I read the Christmas Killer this week and I really enjoyed it.

The Christmas Killer takes place in a small, quaint village in northern England called Kirkby Abbey. DI James Walker and his wife Annie have just moved from London to the country to get away from case James worked. They are looking forward to a quiet Christmas when James opens the door to a package and inside is a gruesome gift and a scary note promising 12 deaths for the 12 days of Christmas. After the first murder, the town is blanketed in snow making it much harder for evidence and to solve the crimes.

I really loved the location and the premise of this book! The small town in England is one of my favorite locations. The whodunnit mystery was perfectly revealed although in honestly could have done with a few more bodies being found!

Thank you to @avonuk and @jpcarterauthor for my gifted copy. I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series, the Killer in the Snow!

The Christmas Killer is the first book in the murder procedural by Alex Pine. Originally released in 2020, this reformat and re-release (coinciding with the publication of book two) is 416 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Despite the slow plotting and often lax tension, this was an entertaining read. It's holiday themed and the 12 days of Christmas plot was somewhat creepy and relevant. I personally had some trouble relating to main protagonist James' motivations and found him patronising and unsympathetic. The denouement and resolution were not unexpected and there was quite a long exposition which amounted roughly to "why I did it" from the killer.

There's very little subtlety in the writing, characterisations, or plotting. It's very simply written and the dialogue was often flat and unbelievable to me. I just didn't find much to grab or hold my attention.

Three stars. It might make a good choice for picking up to read in 10 minute snatches during the holiday planning madness.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

12 days 12 murders- a perverse take on the twelve days of Christmas. But the killer says they all have it coming to them and are getting what they deserve.

I enjoyed reading this book and every character that was introduced I wondered if they were the killer, or if maybe this is just an entire town of killers! Is it? You’ll have to read to find out. Another book in this series is coming out and I have been approved for it will be starting it soon.

Great alternative to sappy romantic holiday reads!

This book took you step by step as the investigators tried to figure out who was committing these awful crimes. DI Walker and his wife moved to the small town after his wife inherited a house. They wanted to leave the big city and all of the crime behind, but when he first arrives he becomes embroiled in trying to solved the murders. A great book for those who like to read detective novels.

I'd categorize this as a step up from a cozy village mystery because the main character is in law enforcement (instead of a shopkeeper, writer or retiree!) but it isn't a thriller. The premise of a 12 Days of Christmas serial killer was intriguing but the book dragged a lot for me.

I didn't care for the change to first person in the moments leading up to the victims' demise. I get that it was a way to describe the crime so the reader gets the details without lengthy crime scenes. It just didn't work for me.

I'm curious to see how this book can evolve into a series. There aren't many villagers left to become recurring characters. Almost everyone in the book is murdered, elderly or a prime suspect, aside from DI Walker, his wife and her uncle.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

This was great. Suspense was high right from the beginning all the way through. I enjoyed the setting of Kirkby Village and the cast of characters - I'm already looking forward to the next installment in this new series and hoping we'll be seeing a few of the minor characters again as well as getting to know DCI Walker, his wife, Annie, and DI Abbott a bit better. The writing was good, and the element of a winter storm added to the sense of urgency in finding the murderer as well as the sense of isolation. There were only a few places I wished the backstory had been developed a bit more, but it didn't take away from the progression of the plot. I tried to guess who the killer was and was wrong several times before it was revealed. I did vaguely suspect the person at one point, but had quickly ruled them out, only to be surprised when they were caught. I like when an author is able to keep the secret until the reveal - and this was well-done. Alex Pine has a new fan and I'll be watching for more of their books in future!

This is a Christmas Suspense Mystery, and this is the first book in the DI James Walker Series. I have to say I did enjoyed reading this book after I got pulled into the story, but It took me awhile to get pulled into the story. I also felt the book was slow moving, and I did not felt there was a lot of suspense in this book. I did not guess the person that did it. I wish the characters where more developed because I feel I really did not get a full picture of the characters. Overall, This mystery is just ok. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Avon) or author (Alex Pine) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

“The Christmas Killer” by Alex Pine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Netgalley ebook
Release Date: 10/12/2020

This book released last year, but the 2nd in the series comes out next month. Netgalley had it available, which was perfect so I can catch the new one!
I really enjoyed this one! It’s set in a small town in the UK!

DI James Walker and his wife Annie move from London to her small hometown Kirkby Abbey after he received threats from a mob boss he tried to put away. For the last month his job has been non eventful and this small town was proving to be sleepy. When Walker gets a 12 Days or Christmas card claiming that 12 murder will take place over the Christmas holiday he isn’t sure what to think. Is this the mob boss Andrew Sullivan that is trying to scare him or is there a killer in town?

When James and Annie moved to a small village in rural England to escape a dangerous past, they never guessed that small town life could be just as dangerous. At the start of the holiday season James receives a card stating that there is a killer in Kirkby Abbey and they intend to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas by murdering 12 townspeople. Is the killer really out to kill 12 villagers' or is this a hoax? Has James and Annie's dark past followed them to their new home? Will James be able to stop the killer before all 12 murders are finished?
The Christmas Killer is a lovely book that sucks you in from the first page. It is very easy to get in to the characters and feel wrapped up in their small town worries and life. With a couple of twists and turns along the way the reader is left questioning who the murder is till the last page. This is the perfect story if you like mystery and murder during the holiday season.

Thank you so much to Harper 360 and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

A crime procedural with a interesting plot.
Intriguing family drama....
Suspenseful mysteries....
“Twelve days, Twelve murders, Twelve victims. And they all deserve to die.
Sounds very intriguing doesn’t it?
Detective James Walker and his wife, Annie, decide to move to a smaller town hoping for a safer environment then they had in a big city. It doesn’t take long for things to become tense.
The characters were ok and the overall plot was interesting.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

Twelve days. Twelve murders. Fearing for their safety, Annie and James decided to move out of London after Andrew Sullivan (James was instrumental in his conviction) was paroled. Moving to Annie’s family home in Cumbria, James thought that leaving the Met and joining the Cumbrian force would be far different than the “murder and mayhem” that he was accustomed to. Christmas should have been a season of joy for the village of Kirkby Abbey, but instead everyone was in total fear. A serial killer was on the loose and none of them were safe. As a winter storm rages, one of the worst in years, Kirkby Abbey is totally cut off from the outside and the storm has seriously impacted the investigation. Will James and his skeleton crew be able to stop the killer or will the body count continue to rise until all twelve are dead? This was a cozy type mystery (although there was some language) with enough red herrings to keep the reader on their toes until the very end making this an enjoyable read. Annie and James were characters that I would love to see in future books❣️