I am a huge fan of this series and couldn't wait to read The Killer in the Cold. It exceeded expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I cannot wait for the next installment.

The Killer in the Cold Alex Pine

5 stars

DCI James Walker, his wife Annie and their 2 small children have just spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together and James is looking forward to Boxing Day. For once it appears that nothing requiring his attention is going to happen this Christmas for the first time in many years and books!

How wrong can he be? He receives a telephone call regarding a body that has been found murdered very close to his house in Kirkby Abbey. When he investigates he discovers that it is his very good friend and ex-colleague, Nigel Booth, last seen taking part in the Santa Claus parade on Christmas Eve. He is still in his Santa outfit and concerned that his absence has not been called in by his wife Elizabeth, James goes to the Booth's house only to discover her body also brutally murdered. The couple have recently retired as police detectives and were very well regarded in the village.

The main suspect is their son, Liam, who has been arguing with his parents about their decision to retire to Spain and spend all his inheritance money. He has been bailed out many times by his parents but is still heavily in debt with a wife and small child to support,.Everything points to him especially when threatening messages to his father are found on his phone. However it could well be a previous criminal who had held a grudge against one or both of the Booths.

The fact that these brutal murders have taken place in the very community that James and his family live makes this case all the more difficult. There is no concrete proof to arrest Liam and the local people are getting more and more fearful and are demanding a solution to the crime.

There are various other characters that could be involved and James is under increasing pressure to find the killer. Of course, as in all good detective stories he does solve the case but I must admit the ending was totally unexpected. I look forward to next Christmas' murder!


Karen Deborah
Reviewer for Net Galley

DCI James Walker is looking forward to a quiet family Christmas this year with his family.
This, though, like the years prior is not to be. He finds himself leading an inquiry into the brutal murders of two retired police officers.
Living in small village everyone wants information from Walker and his wife and to pass on theories of what happened.
With not a lot of actual evidence though plenty of apparent suspects and motives the pressure to solve the case is on.
An enjoyable read throughout, enough twists and suspects to keep me guessing until the end.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon books for the advance copy.

This is book 5 in the DCI James Walker series. Winter is not the same with a festive offering from Alex with a DCI James Walker book. A body is found in a Santa Clause costume in the small village of Kirkby Abbey in Cumbria! DCI James Walker knew the him as a former police officer. It's a race against time James and his small team to find the killer, however, shortly afterwards, a second body is discovered and she is a former police officer too. I feel for James and Annie as they would love to spend time with their young family without something happening. The team dynamic is brilliant and the characters are well written. No spoilers but James and his team successfully found their person. All the sub plots tie up nicely to a Christmas wrapped conclusion with a few twists and turns and a handful of red herrings thrown in for good measure.

I look forward to the latest of this series every year. This is a Christmas murder mystery series but it's not a cosy one. In this book two retired police officers are brutally murdered and DI Walker and his team are tasked with finding the killer.

I really enjoy this series and find the characters very likable especially DI Walker. The setting is always beautifully written and has you transported to the winter Christmas village. The storylines in this series are always cleverly written with lots of red herrings, but the main attraction of this series is the beautiful scenery.

A Christmas themed thriller, but not quite the cozy story you would expect. I enjoyed this book. The characters were quite believable and the DCI was methodical in his quest to find the murderer. No real surprises but well written.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books for the advance copy of this book.

This is a very enjoyable read, packed full of suspense and mystery. It was well written and quite atmospheric as I could imagine myself right in Cumbria. I really like the characterisation, especially DCI Walker and his wife Annie. The team dynamics are spot on, especially as the plot unravels at a slow pace. I never guessed the killer, there were a few twists and turns and overall, this is a cosy mystery which I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Daughter 1 and I look forward to the new book in this series every Christmas ever since I bought her the first book when it came out. It's now tradition to buy it for her and she won't be disappointed in this years installment, because I wasn't. The characters are easy to like and there are plenty of twists to keep the guessing going. I did actually have suspicions about the killer and was right, but not until near the reveal. I recommend reading this book, then, if you enjoy it, start from the first book. They have a little background in each so I don't think it's necessary to read it as a series.

You know it is the start of the winter reads season when you see a new Alex Pine has landed on your Kindle.

For James Walker lives in the worst place to live in the UK at Christmas, as for now five years in a row there have been murders at Christmas in and around Kendal, and James has had to work to solve them instead of spending time with his young family.

And this was a particularly tricky case for him as the dead bodies are former colleagues of the police. Which adds an even more personal dimension to the whole investigation. Add in they are in a small village where everyone knows James and wants more info from his (or his long suffering wife), and it makes for a really tricky case.

There is very little to go on, plenty of suspects, various potential motives, but a lack of cold hard evidence, which means the pressure is on for the team.

As interesting as this case was, I found it wasn't as gripping to me as previous books in the series. It's a really good book still, just didn't quite capture my imagination in the same way, which is probably on me and not the author.

Regardless I did really enjoy it, and I totally gobsmacked by the final third of the book where things suddenly ramp up and get a whole lot more compelling and I had never suspected the actual murderer.

it's another very readable book in this series. But please never let me move to a small village in Cumbria, it sounds rather dangerous and I like Christmas!

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

The killer in the cold was my first James Walker Christmas based detective novel and it has certainly made me want to read the others. Not quite in the 'cosy' category the story was compelling enough to keep me interested. I didn't guess who dun it until almost the end, when to be honest there was no one else left! The characters seem well established and relate well to each other. If you're looking for a nice not too challenging mystery novel you can't go far wrong.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I was VERY happy with this book! A winter themed thriller is just what I needed and Alex pine never disappoints so this was just what I needed. The pacing was great, the writing was good and the overall story was good too and I really wanted to know who the killer was so I’d say that’s a job well done

Great thriller kept me hooked the whole way through. Great writing and plot. Love this authors work and unpredictable till the ending

I love this series from Alex Pine, great storytelling with well described characters that always keep me involved in the storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for this great ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Alex Pine did it again.
I was finding myself in a bit of a slump until I picked up this book.
I found myself getting lost in the story. Wanting to figure it out. The pacing works for me. Not too fast or too slow. But you constantly feel like you are discovering more pieces to fit to the puzzle.
I have loved every book in this series so far. I hope there's more to come.

Cumbria’s answer to Surrey’s Midsummer Murders. A great, quick read and I will be looking out for other books in the series.

To the publisher (not included in Goodreads review-there are repeat chapters between 60-70.

DCI James Walker has spent a quiet Christmas Day with his family, thankfully that his Christmas has not been interrupted by work and murder. However, then his phone rings a body dressed in a Santa Claus suit has been discovered in the snow just outside his village. DCI James Walker is hoping that after what happened just the year before it will be an accidental death.

But when he sees the body it is that of retired police officer Nigel Booth, and soon they discover a second body. Is another serial killer on the loose or are the killings connected to something in the dead man’s past. James and his team have their work cut out as the m snow destroys any evidence and the villages are fearful and demanding answers.

Very well written and a thrilling follow up to the previous Christmas murders for James Walker to solve.

When another book in this series comes up, I just have to read it. This could be read as a standalone but so much better as part of the series.

The pacing worked well as you are really drawn into the atmosphere of the village.
I snuggled down on a cold Sunday afternoon and read it in one session as I really wanted to find out who the killer was, and I wasn't disappointed.

"The Killer in the Cold," the fifth installment in the DI James Walker series, is a remarkable addition to an already phenomenal series. Having read all the books, I can attest that the series continues to improve with each book. The picturesque village setting in Cumbria is captivating, though it's so eventful I might consider moving if I resided there. The regular characters, particularly James and his wife Annie, are endearing. The plot's unexpected twists and the revelation of the murderer, whom I had not suspected, were complete surprises. I eagerly anticipate more books in the series and hope that James and Annie won't opt for a quieter life elsewhere.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my ARC.

This is my first book by the author but the 5th in the series. The characters grew on me, the story was ok and the chapters are short - bonus! I love a Christmas murder book so I was in my element…

However - this just fell a little flat for me. I felt it was slow and I wanted a fast and twist and turn book.

I will read the others in the series over Christmas in case I’m missing stuff from the other books though.

I’ve read one earlier book in this series and there seems to be a bit of a chiller killer theme going on. It’s basically a police procedural set in a small Cumbrian village in winter. A firmer police officer and his wife are murdered and the story follows the investigation. I’m a little disappointed that more isn’t made of the setting. It’s a beautiful area, but there’s little detail and it could almost be anywhere.

It’s fairly slow in pace and some of the dialogue is unrealistic and I have to say that my attention started to wander more than once during reading. It seems to run out of steam at times which is a pity as the premise is sound. For me, it’s an OK read, but I wasn’t blown away.