I really enjoyed the book because it combines two of my favorite
Horror and holiday
Alex pine also has a great way of making you feel trapped with everyone in there really bringing you into the world.

The story unfolds with a tantalising mix of suspense and holiday ambiance. As the first body is discovered, half-frozen in the snow, the village is gripped by panic, and the countdown to uncover the killer begins. Pine skilfully crafts a narrative that keeps readers guessing, with cleverly hidden clues and a diverse cast of characters who are harbouring secrets.

DI James Walker, new to Cumbria and seeking refuge from a past threat, takes centre stage in the investigation. Personal stakes for Walker are woven in, adding depth to his character and providing a compelling backdrop to the murder spree. The slow pace of the story may be a downside for some, but I felt it allowed for exploration of the characters and their backgrounds.

I found myself immersed in the intricate web of the plot. The dynamics of the murder investigation, mixed with the atmospheric setting of a snow-covered village, added layers of tension to the narrative.

Overall this novel has a refreshing setting and a well-executed twist. The winter landscape and the Christmas theme contribute to the overall atmosphere, making it an ideal read for those who enjoy a festive blend of mystery and suspense.

DI James Walker and his wife have moved from London to the country after a serious case. He is looking forward to a quieter life in his wifes home village. However it is not to be. A present is left on his doorstep warning of 12 murders on the 12 days of Christmas. Add in some bad weather and under resourcing and it becomes a race against time to catch the killer. Everyone is a suspect and a possible victim, for various reasons!
I enjoyed this book, it is tension filled and you suspect everyone as the it goes on! DI Walker is an interesting character and I would like to see more of him and the people of Kirkby Abbey
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for granting me an advance copy.

The opening of this book is so good. I did guess the ending which spoilt it a little
I enjoyed the quick pace and found it easy to read.
An average read

The Christmas Killer. This was a slow start for me but ending up being good! I thought the premise was interesting and I didn’t expect the killer until closer to the end. I would definitely suggest this to anyone who Ike murder mystery/ crime novels. Thank you to the author Alex Pine, netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Title: The Christmas Killer (DI James Walker #1)
Author: Alex Pine
Publisher: Avon Books UK
Original Publication Date: October 29th, 2020
Source: Ebook – NetGalley
Genre: Mystery/ Crime/ Christmas Fiction
Recommend For: Fans of Msytery/ Crime/ Holiday Crime

DI (Detective Inspector) James Walker is ready to settle down for a nice Christmas with his wife and family. He has moved from the chaos of big city London to a small village known as Kirkby Abbey. He was an investigator for a henious crime, and after receiving threats from a notorious criminal, his wife is terrified for their lives, and convinces Walker to move to her hometown for a quieter, simpler, and hopefully safer life.

They have only been living in the town for a few weeks, when the Walkers suddenly receive a package with something bloody, gruesome, and a threatening note inspired by the 12 days of Christmas. 12 people are going to die, one each day, up until Christmas Eve. They all deserve it, according to the killer, and the first body is already found the next morning, half frozen and buried in the snow.

I found myself captivated by the book at the beginning, especially since the premise seemed promising and intriguing. However, when I found that I was only halfway through and only 2 victims had appeared, I started to feel the story begin to drag on. I felt almost like the author had come across writer’s block, since it seemed many sentences were repeating itself, and even DI Walker was completing the same tasks and interviewing the same suspects. The killer was somewhat predictable to myself, and I could not believe Walker did not consider the person a suspect. I will have to see if I am willing to give this author another try by reading the next book in the series.

Rating: 2/5

The Christmas Killer is de first book in the DI James Walker Series. The story is set in Cumbria, were James and his wife moved to after they were confronted with the dangerous aftermath of James' work. When they settle down in Cumbria, James is confronted with threats that he has to deal with while a murder takes place. The threat claims twelve murders in twelve days.

The murders intrigued me. I was curious to find out who did it, but the same clues kept being repeated over and over and after some time I just wanted to move on from them. Towards the end of the book I started to get an idea of what was going on and I turned out to be right. I wish the book was less predictable, because the murderer did end up being someone I didn't expect in the beginning and it would've been great to have kept that going throughout the entirety of the book.

The pace is also something that didn't work for me. The beginning was quite slow and repetitive, which isn't a good way to start a book. As the story progresses there's more pace, but you need to get into that after the slow beginning. Also further into the book there's some repetition that could've been filled with something new to keep the reader's focus.

I did find it interesting to read about DI James Walker's past, and wonder if that's something that the author can get more into in the next books in the series. I was curious about the details of why he moved away and who he has caught for work in the past he now has to worry about.

Overall the book was okay. For a Christmas mystery read it's good. It's set in a small village and a lot of the same characters we get to know throughout the book. It's an easy read for a relaxing evening.

The Christmas Killer is a gripping mystery with a festive twist! Written by Alex Pine, the book brings a spine-tingling murder mystery set in a remote village during the festive season. DI James Walker is thrown head-first into the search for a sadistic serial killer as the body count continues to rise.

The gripping narrative, full of chilling twists and turns, leaves you guessing as to who the murderer is and is certain to keep you on the edge of your seat. You’ll be kept in suspense with an unforgettable ending, in this must-read book for all mystery lovers.

After a harrowing experience in London, DI James Walker and his wife Annie have the opportunity to move to rural Cumbria and start afresh however it is not such a quiet place as they expect due to murders occurring around their village with no obvious suspect. Add to that it's the week before Christmas and a snow storm looms.

I had seen this book all over bookstagram and was eager to read it. The descriptions you cant but feel cold and see the snow in the way that the author describes it. Look forward to reading more.

New type of Christmas book- a Christmas thriller! This was a very good debut novel, and I will be looking to read the rest in the series. Kept me guessing most of the way. Good read.

Started off quite confusing with quite a few characters introduced at once, however once you get into it it’s a good easy read

The review copy for this debut novel had been on my TBR for far too long. I have heard a lot of good about this series and am glad that I actually got to it.

The ARC was a rather tough read. There were grammar errors and the prose and dialogues sounded very clunky and stilted at times. I hope this has been edited out before the book went public.

What rankled me most, though, was how easy it was to sniff out who the murderer was and what their motive was. I was fairly certain early on that I had the right person and then only kept on skimming the text to find out whether I was right. I was.

As I said above, the series has a lot of fans and I hope the sequels improved in quality compared to the first book.

At first, there were so many characters introduced with no real context. It was a confusing start to this novel. However, I was quickly drawn into the crime. I had a suspect pretty early on and I will say I was correct. Probably because of how many crime novels I actually read. I do really like the James Walker character and I’m happy this is a series. I’m going to check out the next one!

When I saw The Christmas Killer book on Netgalley, I will admit that the thing which drew me to the book was the snow globe on the front of the book. As anyone who knows me will know, I love snow globes. Have too many of them and not a lot of space, so when I saw the front cover I had to have a look as a book which had a snow globe on the front would be perfect to add to my collection.

Having read the blurb I thought I would try to be approved for the book as it seems like an amazing debut novel from a up and coming author in the crime fiction genre. When I got the email to say I had been approved I was more than thrilling, I started to read it and got entralled in the story before the first chapter was finished.

DCI James Walker has had an amazing career working on high profile cases and dealing with dangerous criminals so when he has to move to a small town to protect himself and his family, he isn't sure what to make of the new pace but figures he just needs time to adjust. Though he never expected what happened next.

When the first victim is found and he recieves a Christmas card, he didn't anticapate the events which would unfold over the course of the investigation or how much it would change him as a person. Being an outsider it hard enough, add in the fact that he has to chase a killer in his new town added more pressure.

Living in a small town in Cumbria, everyone seems to know everyone's business, so it is harder to tell who is telling the truth and what is gossip from people who have nothing better to do. Through the twists and turns as well as shocking revelations and drama it had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. As soon as I finished it I couldn't wait to read the next one in the series.

There is so many things I loved about The Christmas Killer, I loved the little town from the description I could picture it in my head which made for the reading about it even more enjoyable. The relationship between James and Anne, it is was so sweet and heartwarming to read. Plus the take on the 12 days of Christmas was brilliant in regards to how the victims were chosen was unique.

I can't wait to read what Alex writes next as I know I will be adding it to my TBR list.

If I had to sum up this book in three words, they would be Thrilling, Exciting and Amazing!

Going from the title and synopsis of this book, I was expecting something a little darker, and was really disappointed to find out that it was more like a cosy mystery.

12 days of Christmas, 12 murders.

It’s a slow going book that follows a repetitive formula, and I just struggled to maintain my focus on this book.

I’m really sad because I wanted to love this. I think for the right audience, this could be an amazing book, but unfortunately it’s not for me.

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. After finishing this book I let it sit with me for a while to decide if it was just me, or if this book just wasn't what I expected and I just can't rate it higher than 2 stars. It was ok, given how dark and twisty I usually like my thrillers I would say this one gave me more of a cosy mystery vibe, which isn't really my thing. I was hoping for more isolated edge of my seat thriller and whilst I admit, I do go into a book with some pretty high expectations, this just didn't hit any of my markers. I wasn't invested in any of the characters or even how it was all going to end. I am sure there will be a lot of readers that this book hits the spot for, unfortunately, that just wasn't me. ⭐⭐ #alexpine #thechristmaskiller #netgalley #goodreads #litsy #thestorygraph #amazonkindle #amazonaustralia #bookstagram #bookqueen

Always love a good Christmas book in July and I am so glad I finally decided to give this one a shot. If you’re looking for a holiday book with murder? This one is for you. I wanted to know what’s happening, who did it and where is it going and I was not disappointed! I can’t wait to put up other works from this author. Thank you to netgalley for letting me review this!

The first in a new series, Christmas Killer is set in a blizzard where the twelve days of Christmas are deadly. Very eerie and perfect for those looking for a little less jolly and more edge-of-your-seat holiday fare.

I thoroughly enjoyed it

Great thriller which kept me turning the pages well into the night. Great characters and plot. Highly recommend to others!!

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.