I hadn’t read the previous 2 books but was easily able to read as a standalone. What’s was great was a brief summary of the characters at the beginning of the book.

Great whodunnit crime book. Thoroughly enjoyed this and now off to read the previous 2!

Sooo I didn’t know this book was part of a series when I requested the arc, but I think it could be a stand alone too. The cover intrigued me. New Year, New Bride, New Murder. Sounds like the perfect wedding on New Years Eve until someone gets murdered. The cops have been investigating and are trying to solve what happened. It kept me guessing and I was accusing everyone as there are lies that have been hidden. I enjoyed the story and definitely gave me winter vibes.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for my advanced ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

Publish Date: October 13, 2022

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Winter Killer. This is my first read by this author. It is a series and that did put me at a disadvantage. All in all it is a murder mystery with interesting characters and solid plot
3 stars

The 3rd novel in the DI James Walker series, but can be read as a standalone.

My favourite part of this series is the imagery. I loved reading about the luxury hotel during New Years Eve where the murder took place. I could picture the scenes perfectly.

I'm different to other reviewers where I don't really like the main character James Walker. He just seems like the average guy with the perfect wife (who is ready at the drop of a hat with a home cooked meal for James as soon as he walks in the door) and beautiful daughter (who never cries or fusses even when sick!). I was so bored reading about his perfect home life. I want a main character that is different and has some challenges to their personal life.

The murder was good, although the lack of characters did make the murderer somewhat easy to guess.

Thank you to Netgallery and Avon Books UK, Avon for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another excellent thriller, featuring DI Walker, from Alex Pine. Filled with tension, a great plot and interesting characters. New year's Eve finds the team investigating the murder at a wedding of the bride's sister. How do they find the killer from the wedding guests and staff at the hotel? I must admit, I sort of guessed about halfway through but the writing is clever and kept me interested until the end, which all wrapped up just a bit too neatly for me. The book can be read as a stand alone and it's an easy read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Another exciting read in this D.I. James Walker Series, I have read them all now and have thoroughly enjoyed all three of them.

The storyline is excellent and just kept me reading, a real page turner and I didn't guess who the culprit was, not who I thought. The characters were all good and I felt I had got to know each of them by the end of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for this brilliant ARC and to the author Alex Pine who I now am a firm follower of D.I. James Walker.

I have to thank NetGalley for this review copy. In order to read this latest installment, I sped through Alex Pine's second book 'The killer in the snow ' first because I wanted to read all the books in the series in sequence. I read his 1st book 'The Christmas killer' 2 years ago and have decided that I will follow this series. I just love Alex Pine's journalist style of writing which is very simplistic and straight to the point without burdening the sentence and paragraph with too much of unnecessary words and expressions. I love to read mysteries set during wintertime with lots of snow and this series does just that and so it was right up my alley.

Each book gets better and better. And Alex pine's knowledge of the police procedural in a murder investigation really shines through just like his 1st and 2nd book. I have to say that even though I like the second book better than this one, I still enjoy 'The winter killer' very much because the plot covers a much wider depth - a murder in a hotel even though it was less creepy and sinister than his second book. This one is more like a typical Agatha Christie story with less creepy vibes.

For this review, I won't touch on the synopsis because you can read it from Amazon or fantastic fiction.

The beginning part hooked me and kept me engrossed till the end. But I have to say the ending was a bit too convenient when the killer was revealed as if it was the right time to end it and have the big reveal.

Towards the end, I kind of knew who the killer was but I have to say that from the beginning to almost the last part I could not guess who the killer was because everyone seems to be a suspect but intuition kind of let me know who were the only few potential ones.

I gave his second book a 4 star and would still give this one a 4 star though it wasn't as sinister and creepy as his second book but still very enjoyable to read and a page-turner nevertheless. I finished it in 2 days. And I am already looking forward to his next book which would probably be a year after the publication of this one. I would highly recommend this series.

Detective Jessica Abbott is enjoying her New Years Eve. She’s at the posh wedding of a friend of her partner, looking forward to the evening disco and letting her hair down. When the bride’s sister Rachel goes missing before the wedding breakfast, the bride Libby, is initially annoyed. As the meal progresses and there is still no sign of Rachel people begin to worry and soon begin to search for her. When Rachels purse and glasses are found on the jetty by the hotel lake, Jessica knows it’s time to call her boss, DI James Walker. As Walker and Abbott begin to question the guests it’s clear that this is a family with many secrets.
The problem is going to be working out which of the secrets could be enough to make someone want to harm Rachel.
This fast paced, twisty, imaginative thriller will keep you guessing until the end.

4.5 stars rounded up

DI James Walker Series #3

As the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, DI James Walker receives a phone call that puts paid to his Christmas break. During the wedding of the year at a lakeside hotel, the bride's sister has vanished. When Rachel left the wedding breakfast before her speech, newly-wed Libby was furious. But as the night went on with no sight of her maid-of-honor, Libby started to realise something was very, very wrong. Before the wedding night is out, the lake is being searched for a body.

This is another great thriller by the author. What should have been the best day of her life, Libby's wedding turns into a murder investigation. All the potential suspects are her wedding guests. This is a fast paced, gripping read with plenty of twist and turns. DI James Walker and his team know they won't be spending the New Year holidays the way they had planned. I was pulled into this story at the beginning, and it held my attention throughout. This series gets better with each new book. This book could be read as a standalone.

I would like to thank #Netgalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #AlexPine for my ARC of #TheWinterKiller in exchange for an honest review.

New Year's Eve, Cumbria. A good police procedural book set in an idyllic setting during a wedding. The bride's sister has been murdered. The police find out a lot of suspicious people and activity, and many secrets are revealed.

I enjoyed this book and it gave me the feel of old time detectives even though it is a modern times book, and this is one of the strengths. Even though there is (naturally) social media in the book, it is still mostly about the people, their reactions, lies, dirty secrets, and the interaction between these people and the police.

I could feel the cold, not only due to the weather in the UK, but also from the people in the book trying to hide their true selves. Recommended!

This is the third book in the DI James Walker series taking place in Cumbria and it's the first one I've read. It's The Winter Killer and I got it from Avonbooksuk via Netgalley.

The story starts on New Years' Eve when a murder takes place during a wedding. The sister of the bride goes missing and they start a search. Event after event unfolds and that happens all in only a few days.

This book is quite the fast-paced thriller with some twists that keeps you glued to the pages. The characters are all well-worked out and quite likeable. The story is also a fun one! I definitely would like to read the first two books.

4,5/5⭐

I was so excited to read this book as I'd heard good reviews about Alex Pine's previous novels and I wasn't disappointed. This is the first of his books I've read, and though it is part of a series, it worked extremely well as a standalone. I particularly liked the character profiles at the start which were a really good introduction to the book.

I finished this book in a day. It was fast paced and moved along quickly so it kept me really engaged. There were some unexpected twists and turns which I loved. It was an absolute delight to read!

I managed to figure out the murderer correctly though the red herrings and amount of suspects did keep me guessing until about 3/4 of the way through.

The only criticism I have is that there were some parts that were repetitive - mainly when the team was briefed or James was on the phone to his colleagues updating them on the situation though this did serve as almost a summary of where the book was at so far.

The Winter Killer follows Libby who was murdered at her sisters wedding. Detective James Walker is tasked with solving the murder. Will he find out who the murder is?

​I don't usually read crime thrillers. Just because they all have the same overall plot to me. Someone goes missing, gets killed, then they find who the killer is, and then justice is served. ​And this book was just like that. This book is part of a series and I did not read the other books in the series. But I felt like I did not need to read that in order to read this one. I did not dislike this book, I wanted to keep reading to see what happened. But I just thought this was an average book. But if you are a fan of crime thriller books then this book would be the one for you.

Thank you NetGalley, Alex Pine, and Avon books for the ARC of this book.

This is the third in the detective series but the first one I've read. It can be read as a standalone.
I read this in two sittings as it was very hard to put down. I found it pacy which keeps the momentum going. It flowed well making it easy to read.
DC Jessica Abbott is at a wedding with her paramedic fiancé Sean in a posh hotel in Cumbria.
The groom Greg owns the hotel and is marrying Libby.
Not long after the ceremony Libby's sister Rachel goes missing and it's not long before her body is found in the lake.
I loved that there was plenty of suspects and didn't guess who did it. Each suspect seemed to have secrets and were hiding the truth from DI James Walker and his team.
I also liked that Alex introduced the team at the beginning for those of us that hadn't read the previous books.
I've been to Cumbria so I know how stunning the scenery is but not when it's snowing.
Will definitely be reading more by Alex.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This is book #3 in the DI James Walker series. Whilst it’s part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone book. We are back in the cold Cumbria landscape where DI James Walker is hoping for a quiet Christmas. Whilst he may have made it through Christmas, he hasn’t been so lucky with New Year when there are reports of the bride’s sister going missing during a New Year’s Eve wedding, and he and his team are sent to investigate what has happened.

I’ve read the previous two books of the series and they have felt strangely festive despite being crime books! This one is set on New Year’s Eve, so whilst we miss the Christmas festivities, we do get to see in the New Year with Walker and his team! The wedding is held in a fancy hotel chain run by the groom, and luckily for Walker, one of his team is already there as a guest. The storyline was well paced, with plenty of suspense as to what had happened to the bride’s missing sister. I’ve liked Walker throughout the series and that continues to happen in this book. I must admit to feeling sorry for his poor wife who always seemed to be left at home holding the baby throughout New Year whilst Walker was out investigating!

The storyline was gripping, and I found myself very quickly engrossed in the mystery of what was happening! There were plenty of people to suspect and my opinion of who was involved swapped and changed as the chapters moved on. Of course, there were also plenty of red herrings and dead ends, which added to the suspense and tension of the story! This was a nice, easy to read crime/murder book, not as gruesome as the previous one, but still plenty of intrigue and wonder in trying to work it all out! Would recommend!

The Winter Killer by Alex Pike
#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview#goodreads #Alex Pine #The Winter Killer #crime

A hotel chain and a murder investigation on News Year's eve no less. Di James Walker is setting the new year under an investigation instead of with his family. Who has murdered this woman and why?
The hotel is full of guests due to the prenuptial that had been happening each a potential suspect in the case. I was shocked at how this book ended it was unexpected and overall, this was a fast-paced thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Gripping, thrilling and paced perfectly, I loved this book and I want to read the rest.
Recommended this to anyone who wants a new take on procedurals.

The Winter Killer
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 10/13/22
Author: Alex Pine
Publisher: Avon
GR: 4.56

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Avon and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Christmas has arrived in Cumbria, and wedding bells are ringing. But an ice-cold killer is waiting in the fells. As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, DI James Walker receives a phone call that puts paid to his Christmas break. During the wedding of the year at a lakeside hotel, the bride’s sister has vanished. When Rachel left the wedding breakfast before her speech, newly-wed Libby was furious. But as the night went on with no sign of her maid-of-honour, Libby started to realise something was very, very wrong. Before the wedding night is out, the lake is being searched for a body. Something old, something new. One guest is a killer. The question is: who?


My Thoughts: This is the third book in the DI James Walker series. While, it is nice reading all 3 novels in order, as you become acquainted with the characters, it is possible to read this as a standalone as the author does a great job at recapping the characters so you can follow along with no issues. Christmas + a dead body + a detective who stops at nothing to solve a crime + twisty twists = a great Christmas thriller! The characters are developed well with depth, mystery, intriguing, evolved from prior books, and creatively written. The author’s writing style is complex, suspenseful, twisty, and just done very well. I really enjoyed this story, it was fast paced and hard to put down. The protagonist is very well liked, which is a little different for a mystery/thriller, I loved that aspect. My only con would be the ending, while it was a great ending, it just came out of nowhere, again not bad. If you love police procedurals/thrillers, you will love this!

#ThewinterKiller
Another sensational novel by Alex Pine.

This is he third book by this author and they keep getting better and better.

Where I had figured out the direction this novel was going and worked it all out, I still found it a superb novel.

And would like to thank #NetGalley and the publisher #Avon for my advance e-arc copy for this third book in the series. I hope there are more to come.

Another easy five stars awarded from myself.

Pub Date 10/13/22

A digital ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and Avon Book UK. The opinions are my own and freely given.

The Winter Killer is the 3rd in the DI James Walker series. At a New Years Eve wedding the sister of the bride has gone missing and all available police are called to search the grounds of the hotel, the scene of the wedding. When her body is discovered it is up to the team to find out how, why and who killed her.

The wedding takes place at The Fells Hotel on the banks of Lake Windermere. The weather is getting bad earlier than expected so all evidence (what little there is to find) must be collected before the snow starts to fall. Although this was a minor part of the story and the backdrop, it set a beautiful scene in my mind while reading.

I have read the previous 2 books in this series and they seem to get better. This was a relatively quick read, there aren't any "bedroom" scenes and the curse words are at a minimum. The killer surprised me as did the reasoning. This was a great "whodunit" mystery. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Alex Pine.