The Christmas Killer: The debut thriller in a gripping new British detective crime fiction series (DI James Walker series, Book 1)

Product Information

Author Alex Pine has successfully captured the essence of that cozy feeling of Christmas in a small town and, with such descriptive detail, makes readers want to live there to experience it for themselves. Pine’s career in journalism and television production in addition to his childhood summers spent in the Lake District no doubt contributes to his success as a writer. Pine’s storyline has all the essential ingredients for a great mystery - means, motive and opportunity – and doesn’t focus on sordid details, but rather allows his protagonist to focus on the detective work. I look forward to my next read about DI Walker. So a very general statement…I really liked this book. It was a good police procedural book with a lovely Christmas quaint feeling to it too. I don’t know how I’ve managed to put quaint and murder together but I have. Kirkby Abbey sounded like such a lovely place to live but definitely not boring. Murders aside, I loved all of the secrets that were being held by the residents and they helped to make the story more thrilling. In twelve days, twelve deserving people will die. DI James Walker is on the case. He is new to Cumbria. He moved to Kirkby Abbey from London with his wife, Annie for their own protection. The story drags out and the pace is slow. I had not idea who the killer was and this always makes a book a bit more interesting. The clues are cleverly hidden. There's a mixed bunch of characters and they all had secrets. This isna promising start to a new police procedural series and I look forward to reading the next installment.

This was an interesting take on the usual murder mystery, with the action taking place in a small rural village and focusing on basic policing rather than just hi-tech. James is torn between trying to protect his wife, and finding the killer, with few clues to the killers identity. Well written and plotted, this pulls you in from the start, although I didn’t warm to Annie. It also shows that small village life isn’t all cosy and idyllic. A good read, I did guess who the murderer was, but that didn’t spoil this satisfying who-dunnit. I look forward to reading more by this author, The side characters are a mix of good and bad and unreliable ones. They made the whole puzzle much more interesting and added character to the story. There were also some odd character changes in the book. The investigation begins with James being partnered up with a disgruntled officer by the name of DS Stevens, who was overlooked for promotion because of James’ transfer. But halfway through the investigation, DS Stevens suddenly became a desk officer and a new partner was brought on the scene to help James through the second half of the investigation. I’m not completely sure why this was done, and it didn’t feel necessary, but it didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the book itself. Sometimes there was a little too much description of the investigation and “police talk” that was repetitive But while The Winter Killer is a highly enjoyable book, what's let me down is the title, as it always annoys me when a thriller is promoted as being more sinister than it actually is. Because for me, there definitely wasn't enough winter or killing.

Creative Play

Special thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio, Avon, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

This novel is a marvellous read – the pacing is comfortable, it is well-plotted and the story is intriguing. James's wife Annie, grew up in Kirkby Abbey and has a secret of her own, unbeknown to her husband. There are twists and turns, murders, infidelity, revenge all the things you would expect from a murder mystery with Christmas thrown in!! The prologue itself explains that DI James Walker and his wife Annie are desperate to leave London and start a new life in the quite village of Kirkbu Abbey in Cumbria. The story moves along really well, and provided plenty of suspects to ponder on. The victims seemed randomly chosen, yet there had to be a link somewhere and it was fun trying to work out what that could have been. I honestly didn’t guess who the killer was and was pleasantly pleased that the identity was held off until very late into the book for maximum suspense!! The storyline certainly kept me hooked right to the end, although I did think the ending was a little rushed for my liking. There were a couple of parts of the storyline which I felt were forgotten about and whilst one was explained by the end of the book, I would have liked to have known more about the other one. However, this is the first book in the series, so hopefully future books will follow up this part of the storyline more! Wow! After reading the blurb, I just had to request this book. I was immersed from the beginning. DI James Walker is ready to spend some quality family time and this Christmas is the perfect time to do so. However, just as things start to settle in, he receives a present that is wrapped on his doorstep. When he opens it, he gets a gruesome surprise. There is also a note attached. Twelve days and twelve murders. Just like the note stated there was a body found in the snow. The quaint little town is now worried. Who will be the next victim? There are eleven more to go. This is a fast paced mystery that will have you guessing right along to the end. The writer does an amazing job with time sequencing and character involvement and keeping it to just what needs to be said. Not going off on tangents about things that only will confuse the reader. I love this book and will recommend it to anyone who is interested in this genre.In a village as quiet as Kirkby Abbey, the possibility of a serial killer is so outlandish it’s laughable … until the bodies start to pile up, one by one. In the run up to Christmas, James is pushed to find the killer, but must simultaneously deal with personal revelations and the onset of one of the worst snowstorms England has seen in years. I would recommend anyone that is a fan of murder mysteries or crime to get themselves a copy of this book when it is released in October 2020.