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Title: The Christmas KillerAuthor: Alex PineFormat reviewed: EbookSource: NetgalleyPublisher: AvonPublication Date: 29th October 2020Rating: 5 Stars
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.
I was hooked from the first few pages, and as the story proceeds, I was more and more intrigued, and just couldn't work out who the killer was.
With hindsight it seems rather obvious, but that is the beauty of hindsight but as I went through, it never occurred to me once.
What we know is that there is the possibility of 12 murders in 12 days, that the police were warned in advance, that there was about to be a serial killer, although was hard to know whether to take the threat seriously or not, and that given they are in a small village, in December, the snow is about to make things so much harder for the rather small police team.
I loved this rather unlikely setting for a thriller and am delighted to see this is the fist in a new series, as I have a feeling there is someone rather unpleasant from this book that may reappear further down the line.
I enjoyed getting to know DI James Walker and his family, and seeing how he would approach this case, and whether or not he would be able to relax for Christmas for not.
It's a really gripping book and excellent debut novel. Bring on book 2!
Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,
Sounds tempting will have to check this one out!
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