Book Review - The Night Before Christmas by Alex Pine

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Title: The Night Before Christmas

Author: Alex Pine

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 26th October 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

This Christmas, the hunters become the hunted…

When four trail hunters go missing in the fells of Cumbria on Christmas Eve, the race is on to find them before nightfall – when the temperature plummets.

After hours of searching, the first body is found… Not frozen in the snow, but brutally murdered and bearing a warning: the real hunt has begun.

As a snowstorm descends, three lives hang in the balance. But can the killer be caught before the trail goes cold?

From the master of Christmas crime comes a thriller that will chill you to the bone this Winter, perfect for fans of James Patterson, Clare Mackintosh and anyone who prefers their mince pies with a side of murder.

I'm starting to think that DI James Walker is cursed when it comes to the Christmas period.  For the 4th year in a row he has a major murder case to work on, this one kicking off on Christmas Eve. 

Although initially it looks like it could just be a missing persons case, with a group of 4 men who had gone out for trail hunt, in the fells of Cumbria on Christmas Eve and hadn't returned when expected. And the weather forecast is shocking. 

As the investigation proceeds, it becomes fairly clear that hunting is a big key part of this book, and whatever side of the fence you fall on, there are people in this story that will reflect your viewpoint.

What is clear is that this is a very controversial topic, and I don't think I liked a single person that we came across in the investigation. 

And what a case this is for DI James and his team, there are large numbers of possible suspects, and although at one point my mind did hit on the correct answer, I was completely stumped when it came to motivation.  Although i did sort of guess the motivation but still not quite correctly. 

So hard to guess, and I was entranced by every step, and highly curious to see just how the police team would solve it. 

It's another fabulous instalment in this series, and I loved reading it, and will be keen to see what will happen next in this great series. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.