Friends Nicola and Emily are found murdered in a hot tub. There are no signs of forced entry or robbery.
D.C.I James Walker and his team are baffled, who would want the two women dead. The list of suspects grow, but alibis check out.
Another great Christmas murder from Alex Pine.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without an Alex Pine DCI James Walker book!

Blood on the Snow sees two friends, Nicola and Emily, murdered in a hot-tub in the Lake District. DCI James Walker and his trusted team investigate.

Once again DCI James Walker and his team are working over the Christmas holidays as their investigations take them around the Lake District. The landscape and the weather are always significant in Pine’s books, with the ruggedness of the terrain and ever changing weather playing their part.

James’s wife Annie is incredibly understanding and ably holds down the fort and making their children’s Christmas as normal as possible.

The story moves along at pace. I’ve read this series of books over the years and James Walker, his team and family are very familiar to me now.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Avon Books, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and an honest review.

Another great instalment of this series although it can very much be read as a standalone. No surprise that there has been another horrific murder in Cumbria right before Xmas! You do wonder at times how Annie puts up with having her Xmas ruined each year! Good to see all the regular characters back, so its just the ones for this book you need to get used to . Another great storyline that keeps you guessing with the twists, turns and frustration [the officers feel] while you read on until the end of the book. Highly recommended.. and if you are new to the series, go read the rest too as they are excellent reads!

My thanks to Alex and Netgalley for allowing me to read Blood on the Snow in advance of the publication date.
I look forward to reading the latest in this series every year. The addition of a main character list provides just enough information to allow the book to be read as a standalone story.
The Walker family are looking forward to a Christmas together, but the criminals don’t seem to care, leaving Annie alone to shoulder the weight of the household.
On Xmas eve, Edward and Joan Fowler have travelled to spend Xmas with their daughter, Nicola, in Kendal. Finding the house empty, Edward ventures into the garden where he finds Nicola and her friend, Emily, dead in the hot tub.
DCI Walker and the team find that both Nicola and Emily have been in relationships which have not ended well. Was this a robbery which went wrong or was one of the women the target?
As the suspect list grows, pressure is brought to bear on an exhausted Walker to make an arrest.
The press are quick to write headlines about “The Hot Tub Killer” and suggest that there is a serial killer loose in Cumbria.
There are lots of twists, turns and red herrings before the truth will be revealed.

Yet another excellent detective James Walker novel. You feel
Part of the investigation, picturing the board and digging deep into thinking mode as clues come and go. Alex Pine makes you wish away the year for the next book to be released.
A great read… no hesitation in recommending this book.

Blood On The Snow is the new Christmas crime thriller, and Book 7 of the DI James Walker series, by Alex Pine. I had only read one other book in this series last year and loved it, so I was very excited to receive an early copy of this from @netgalley. I enjoyed this one immensely, it’s a suspenseful and captivating read.

D I Walker is facing a very complex case. In the opening pages two friends, Nicola and Emily, are found in a garden hot tub stabbed to death, and with no signs of a break-in the case has the detective stumped. This is the beginning of a lengthy murder case that takes us through numerous suspects and mazes before justice can be served.

Set in Cumbria, this has short chapters and plenty of misdirection, and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep the reader fully engaged, with nifty little cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. The characters are so well written you feel a connection to them, and are authentically portrayed through natural dialogue. In particular I enjoyed reading about D I Walker’s home life, and the way his backstory was subtly woven with the narrative.

The crimes at the start of the book are the worst they can be, yet the author keeps all the threads in balance and under control, keeping everything authentic and believable.
This is another pacy, tense murder mystery that turns into a race against the clock towards the end, as the team closes in on the killer. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think it will be a popular thriller this winter. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Many thanks to @netgalley and @avonbooksuk for the ARC.

Another amazing storyline and it always gets me into Christmas spirit early, always different plots and ideas in every book, looking forward to the next one AAA

I spent the summer thinking about this series and wondering when the ARC’s would be out for it and if I’d be lucky enough to get one. I was, and devoured it in 2 days. I love how fast paced it is, the short chapters really help. It’s so enjoyable with plenty of twists and turns, an abundance of suspects and three murders. It lived up to my hopes and I’m now going to have to be patient for the next instalment.

I do love this series but i do wish for a Christmas break for DCI James Walker and his team. Friends Nicola and Emily are looking forward to spending Christmas together, little do they realuse the bubbly in the hot tub will be the last drink they share as they're brutally murdered the night before Christmas Eve.
For DCI Walker and his colleagues they soon realise there are plenty of suspects as they delve deeply into the girls lives.
Its nice to be back with the familiar characters, to have an insight into Walker's homelife. Would be great to see behind the scenes of his colleagues in future books too. Its a fast paced police procedural novel with short chapter's that keep you reading

Thank you for my copy of this book to read and review.

This book grabbed my attention from the start and kept it right til the end.

Although part of a series, this works perfectly fine as a stand-alone. I have previously only read book number 4 and I didn’t have any issues with following the story or feel I was missing anything. I do usually read books in order though, so I am going to go back and read them from the start now.

A great detective series.

Nicola and Emily are stabbed to death in their hot tub over the Christmas holidays in Cumbria and DCI James Walker was hoping to spend his Christmas with his wife Anne and children and possibly an unexpected child on the way.
Nicola and Emily's past relationships are all very dodgy so lots of suspects and twists.
A great series but can be read alone.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review

I like his crime thrillers especially as they are set at christmas.The sh9rt chapters make it a,very easy read and the storyline kept me hooked. Definitely worth a read this Christmas!

Poor DCI Walker ends up with another Christmas season investigating a murder. With very few clues to help, him and his team have their work cut out to catch the murderer. Another great book from Alex.

This is #7 in the DCI James Walker series. It can easily be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the whole series, it’s one of my favourites.

Christmas is always interrupted for DCI James Walker. This year, once again, he’s really looking forward to spending Christmas Day with his wife and two young children, but ‘the best laid plans…’ etc.

Two young women, best friends Nicola and Emily, are starting their Christmas celebrations with a glass of bubbly in Nicola’s garden hot tub. The next morning, Nicola’s parents arrive and find the house empty. Her dad then ventures into the garden, lifts the lid on the hot tub and discovers a really gruesome scene: both ladies have been brutally murdered.

James and his team start searching for anyone likely to have a grudge against either one of the friends. There are then lots of twists, turns, and red herrings.

A brilliantly written, gripping read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Christmas isn’t Christmas without a murder, or that’s how it is for DCI James Walker and his young family. This years is a particularly gruesome one, with numerous suspects, theories and threads. I like the closeness of James’ team, and how real the investigations feel; as it would be in real life, there are a lot of tedious jobs that need doing, sometimes over and over again until that elusive clue is spotted. Another well written and researched novel, that keeps the reader hooked until the last page. Looking forward to the next in the series, but here’s hoping Santa might be a bit kinder this year.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

Another great book in this series, I have read them all and never been disappointed. always a great storyline with good characters.

I enjoy reading about DI Walker and all his team they are all good additions to the storyline and I have no hesitation in recommending this book and all the series.

The only negative point for me personally is that we have to wait another twelve months to catch up with them all again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for yet another brilliant read.

This is another one in the Christmas Series of murders that DCI James Walker and his team have to solve. It is easy to read as a stand alone book , especially as all the characters are described at the start in case the reader is a first timer in the series. Christmas starts with the murder of 2 women in the garden hot tub with no clues as to who was responsible or why they were targetted. It is fast paced with short chapters which meant that I read it in one day as I kept on saying just one more chapter! There are so many red herrings throughout and all the possible clues all just appear to disappear.
If this is a first book to read about the christmas murders then I would recommend getting all the others as they are just as enjoyable.

I was delighted to be offered a copy of Alex Pine’s seventh book about DCI Walker and his colleagues and family. I have read 5 of his previous books and each one has been excellent. All the books are set in Cumbria around Christmas time with lots of snow. This one was no different. The book begins with two friends, Nicola and Emily about to spend Christmas together. They decide to have a celebration drink in Nicola’s hot tub to start the festivities. However someone else has other plans and the two are found stabbed to death the following morning.
The story follows the investigation by James Walker and the police to try and find the murderer. There are lots of twist and turns to keep you guessing, and another murder is uncovered. Of course the snowy weather doesn’t help them with the investigation which seems to be dragging and the Press are getting impatient. We also get involved with James’ private life, His wife Annie is waiting to find out if she is pregnant again. They already have 2 children and hadn’t planned to have any more. What decision will they make if she is pregnant again? The chapters are short and keep you wanting to read just one more chapter!
My thanks go to NetGalley , Alex Pine and Avon publishers for an arc of this exciting book.

It's Christmas again and DCI James Walker is hoping the run of Christmas murders he has had to deal with since his move to Cumbria will be broken this year. Unfortunately he's mistaken. The day before he's due for a week long holiday two young women are found brutely murdered in a hot tub. The case proves complicated and the DCI and his team miss yet another Christmas season. I don't often read 'Christmas' books but this series by Alex Pine are the exception. Although the subject matter is serious, and could put one off living in Cumbria forever, they are written in such a way that the reader knows right will out. Despite all the twists and false leads I did guess the culprit early on in this book but it didn't spoil it one iota as I had no proof, just a feeling. Roll on next Christmas and another Cumbrian murder.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

It was great to be back with DCI James Walker and his team. I look forward to a new instalment from this series each year.

I love the setting after having holidaying near the Lake District several times, a lot of the place names are familiar. Being set over Christmas the books also mention a fair amount of snow, which definitely helps towards the festive feel.

This book can be read as a standalone, however I recommend reading the earlier books as they are all gripping reads too.

Blood on the snow got straight into the action and had me gripped. It was very twisty and it was almost impossible to put down. I read the book in a few large chunks.

There were a whole host of suspects and I hadn't a clue who had committed the murders.

I love the back story too of James Walkers home life and really enjoy the chapters from his wife Annie's POV.

This is the perfect Christmas thriller series and I can't wait for the next one.

When best friends Nicola and Emily step into Nicola’s hot tub the night before Christmas Eve, they are both looking forward to a relaxing Christmas. The next morning the two women are discovered dead still in the hot tub having been stabbed to death.
DCI James Walker is assigned the case and quickly realises that the quiet family Christmas he had planned will not happen.
As James and his team dig into the victims’ lives they uncover a number of people who could have wanted at least one of the women dead. But with each seemingly promising lead becoming a dead end James knows they are against the clock to solve the case.
This fast paced, tense, twisty thriller will keep you guessing until the end. It’s well plotted, well written and exactly what I would expect of a writer of this calibre.

Nicola and Emily are planning on spending Christmas at Nicola’s house, they are enjoying the hot tub when they are interrupted by an intruder. Next day Nicola’s parents discover their dead bodies in the hot tub. DCI James Walker and his team face yet another Christmas in Cumbria investigating a brutal murder rather than celebrating with their families.
The clues are few and the suspects all appear to have good alibis, what will crack this case.
Another great book in this series, my thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

The latest in Alex Pine's somewhat dark Christmas stories follows it's usual Premise. James and his family are planning a relaxing yuletide when up pops his good friends Murder and Mahem.

I've read these, in order since the publication of the first book and always enjoy them. There is a procedural police crime drama coupled with the family back story.

If I have one piece of constructive criticism it is that so many books on we don't really know the other characters. There is a finite amount of times we can be told how kind and understanding James's wife is every time their plans are thwarted without feeling de ja vu.

This can be read as a standalone quite happily but I reccomend also picking up the earlier books in the series.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was very much appreciated.

Another fantastic installment in this series. I’ve enjoyed every book, and this one was no different. Poor James might get a break one Christmas, but every year without fail, a murder happens on Christmas Eve, leaving his long-suffering wife Annie to handle the holiday without him. With plenty of twists and turns, DCI Walker has to dig deep to uncover the culprit.

Hopefully not the last we see of DCI Walker

Another brilliant addition to this series. I have read and loved every one and this was no exception. Poor James may get a break one of these christmases but every year without fail a murder occurs around Christmas Eve and his long suffering wife Annie has to manage Christmas without him. Plenty of twists and turns and with everyone seeming to have an alibi DCI Walker has to dig deep to find the culprit. I highly recommend this book/ series and author.

A bit of a gruesome, Cumbria set, Christmas read but a very good plot line! DI Walker is investigating the murder of two women in a hot tub in this fast paced and well written crime thriller. The characterisation is good, the setting is good and the pace is fast. Buckle up and enjoy the tale! Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

❄️Spoiler Free Review❄️

Thanks to @netgalley @avonbooksuk and the author for the ARC in return for my honest review.

You know the winter/festive season is upon us when Alex Pine releases their book, and once again this one didnt disappoint.
This is book 7 in the DCI Walker series but can be read as a standalone. A police procedural/murder thriller with a great storyline and really great characters. I would never have guessed who the murderer was, the book was full of intrigue! Would definitely recommend this!

DCI Walker is back and investigating the death of two friends Emily and Nicola.
They are found dead in a hot tub seemingly from a savage attack .
Walker and the team are finding the case difficult , suspects are found and soon eliminated .
Who is the perpetrator?
Is this a targeted attack or will the killer kill again?
Alex Pine is really at the top of his game , and it’s not Christmas without a DCI Walker case .
The characters are relatable and realistic and along with the calibre of writing it makes for an excellent and entertaining read.
Looking forward to Walker’s next case .
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK.

Another brilliant addition to the series. Poor James may one day get a Christmas with his family. 3 murders, 2 killers but who done it. I wouldn’t have thought it was who it was

Blood on the Snow Alex Pine

5 stars

Another crime at Xmas for DCI Walker

As soon as I saw that this book was available I was hoping for permission to read it as I love this series of books and I think each one gets better.

This time, as in all the previous books, a murder occurs on the day before Christmas and yet again, DI James Walker's long-suffering wife,Annie, is left alone with her two young children.

Nicola Cullen, not long widowed and her best friend Emily Radcliff just recovering from two bad relationships decide to get together at Emily's family house and have a pre-Christmas drink in the hot tub. When Nicola's parents arrive for the festivities they discover both girls stabbed to death in the hot tub.

DCI Walker and his team start to investigate the gruesome murders but in this case there appear to be too many suspects. In Nicola's case her ex-father-in-law who thought she had caused the death of his son and her friend, Simone Morgan, who has disappeared after having lunch with Nicola, who was seen crying after the event. In Emily's case two of her ex' boyfriends both with form for violence and assault.

As the case unfolds the only problem is that each suspect seems to have an unbreakable alibi and the pressure is mounting from the press and local media to catch the killer. DCI and his team work long and methodically to solve this case and we are with them all the way hoping for success. This is written in a very readable style and I raced through the book wanting to know the outcome. The author makes the characters so real and I only wish that I didn't have to wait another year for the next instalment!!

Karen Deborah
NetGalley

Some authors books simply jump to the top of your reading pile and Alex Pine is just one of those authors.
Blood on the Snow is book 7 in the DCI James Walker series, and it is hands down the best series of books I have ever read.
DCI Walker and his team are back this festive period to investigate the brutal murders of two women in a hot tub. There are plenty of suspects for them to investigate and plenty of twists and turns throughout the investigation. Unfortunately for James this means he, Annie and the children spend their Christmas apart as usual and with a complicated personal event happening, they could have done with some family time.
Any of the books in this series could be read as standalone books but don't read them as standalones, read the whole series! Start at book one and read them all in order as they are all fantastic!
I look forward to spending next Christmas with DCI Walker, Annie and the team.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my ARC.

I always look forward to the next Alex Pine 'Christmas Story' - so much more fun than the seasonal romances that saturate the shelves!
This one didn't disappoint, with plenty of great twists and turns, and it was a very satisfying read.
Roll on next year!

Another fantastic festive murder mystery with DI Walker

As someone who looks forward to getting my DI Walker fix every year, I was thrilled to dive into Blood on the Snow. Having read and reviewed every book from book two right up to book six, I had high expectations for this seventh instalment and it certainly did not disappoint.

The story drops you right back into the familiar, atmospheric surroundings, bringing all the festive tension and clever plotting that Alex Pine does so well. The mystery keeps you hooked right from the start with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing as the team works to untangle the case. I love the characters and the dynamics within the team, which make returning to this series feel like catching up with old friends every winter.

And just to reassure people, the murder rate in Cumbria is exceptionally low especially around the area covered by DI Walker and his team so you don't need to worry if you're thinking of coming to my neck of the woods for Christmas!!

It's a brilliant, fast-paced and thoroughly entertaining festive crime read that I couldn't put down. If you enjoy a great Christmas police procedural, this series is an absolute must.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts.

Two female friends are brutally murdered in a hot tub, and of course it happens over the Christmas period. Honestly, this is exactly the sort of premise that keeps drawing me back to this series.

I love the Christmas setting and the way these books feel like pure escapism.

I also really enjoyed the chapters told in Annie's voice. Alex Pine used this technique in his previous book too, and I think it works really well. Those chapters add something extra to the storyline and give us another perspective without taking away from the main investigation.

Another thoroughly enjoyable Christmas mystery from Alex Pine. If you like your festive season with a healthy dose of murder, snow and mayhem, this series is definitely worth picking up

❤️ Absolutely will be recommending this book! ❤️

What a great story and storyline! The character development throughout and the introduction of characters literally had me like Who done it? Theres a motive! It was this person. Those are exactly the kind of books that keep me intrigued and in the edge of my seat throughout. This was a very well written book that I will be recommending!

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC to read and give my honest opinion about!

I believe anyone who picks this book up will enjoy it!

Blood on the Snow by Alex Pine is book 7 in the DCI James Walker Series. This christmas crime thriller is published by Avon Books UK.
2 women become victims of a crime and DCI James Walker gets his latest case.
Intriguing, twisty, suspenseful and fast paced and complex in the best way.
The book is literally unputdownable, 5 stars.

It’s difficult to believe this is book seven in the DCI James Walker series – but here are again, finding ourselves at Christmas and visiting the crime scene of a grizzly murder. This time, James and his team are met with two friends, who are found in a hot tub, the victims of an attack that showed little mercy. Two families are affected by the loss, as well as a host of friends and acquaintances, some of whom pique the interest of the police. Meanwhile, James has a personal issue with which to get his head around… and it’s Christmas! The season for festive merriment! Well, not this year. Again. This is a fantastic series and well worth a read.