Book Synopsis:
The most chilling read of Christmas 2020.
As the snow begins to fall, the body count begins to climb…
DI James Walker is ready for a quiet family Christmas in the sleepy village of Kirkby Abbey.
But when he opens an early Christmas present left on his doorstep, he soon realises it is no gift. Inside is a gruesome surprise, and a promise – twelve days, twelve murders. Not long after, the first body is found, half frozen in the snow.
As the blizzards descend, panic spreads through the remote Cumbrian village – there’s a killer amongst them, and with eleven more victims to go, anyone could be next….
Can James stop the killer before they strike again?
The first in a new series, Alex Pine has written a dark, atmospheric crime novel, set in a snowed-in Cumbrian village, for fans of Val McDermid, Ross Greenwood and LJ Ross.
The Christmas killer is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently only 99p. You can purchase your copy using the link below or by visiting your local indie bookstore!
My Review:
Ooh I do like a thriller set at Christmas time. The expectation of it being a happy occasion always makes the book more atmospheric and the crimes extra chilling. This book was no exception and I liked the added twist that the snow falling created a locked room scenario where the killer was trapped in the village alongside everyone. The mention of 12 murders helps give an ominous countdown to Christmas and one that I’d prefer not to have. This did ensure I kept reading as I wanted to see when the next letter would show up and where.
The characters were all very interesting creations and I enjoyed following them throughout the book. The setting of a small, gossipy village was fantastically done and I did so enjoy finding out about all the residents little secrets. There were some characters who I warmed to instantly but others who I loved to hate which always makes a story more fun to read. I did like DI Walker and found his constant surprise about the snow quite amusing, however I found his wife very annoying. She seemed really needy and quite nosey as she always had to know everything that was happening in the investigation. I’m not sure if a DI would be able to discuss the case with his partner in real life but his recaps did help me keep up to date with everything that was going on.
The book does start off quite slowly and I did guess who the murderer was fairly early on However I did so enjoy trying to figure out their motives and who they were going to target next. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes their crime fiction with a bit of a slower pace so that it allows them to become more absorbed in the story. It will be great for curling up with this winter!
Huge thanks to Avon for my copy of this book via Netgalley.
About The Author:
Alex Pine was born and raised on a council estate in South London and left school at sixteen. Before long, he embarked on a career in journalism, which took him all over the world – many of the stories he covered were crime-related. Among his favourite hobbies are hiking and water-based activities, so he and his family have spent lots of holidays in the Lake District. He now lives with his wife on a marina close to the New Forest on the South Coast – providing him with the best of both worlds!
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