The most chillingread 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.

My review

The Christmas Killer is the first of a new series which I have enjoyed over the last few days.

Set in a small, usually quiet village, DI James Walker receives a parcel, hand delivered to his doorstep, with gruesome contents and an odd message which he assumes must be a prank. That is until a man’s body is found in the snow. He has been stabbed. This inevitably triggers a murder investigation and makes James wonder if there might be more to the message he received not so long ago. He sincerely hopes not.

Before long the village is far from the peaceful place to live it once was. It will be no ordinary Christmas for the residents of Kirkby Abbey.

This is an easy read murder mystery, not particularly fast paced but with plenty going on along the way and many interesting characters. It very much held my interest, and I changed my mind several times throughout the story who I thought the killer might be. This was an easy book to enjoy at this time of year, although I think it would be an enjoyable read at any time of the year. I have enjoyed Alex Pine’s writing style and look forward to book 2 in this series.

happy reading 🙂