Name: The Christmas Killer
ISBN: 9780008402655

Alex Pine

As the snow begins to fall, the body count begins to climb...

The Christmas Killer

I did enjoy this book and find it easy to read. I think it’s useful to point out its one of the first books I’ve read in this genre so for someone who frequently reads this type of book it might not be as good as others, I have nothing to compare it to. 

The writing was a bit poor, certain references and phrases were repeated throughout the book despite being unnecessary to the story, for example the constant drinking of wine which seemed to be emphasised but had no connection to the story? As well as that, I did think about halfway through I think I know how this is ending and I was correct so maybe not the best suspense novel if you read into it, as you can work it out. 

Despite all this I did actually enjoy it, I did find myself picking it up often throughout the days, you got to know the characters well and did keep guessing yourself which was fun. I’ll be reading more books of this genre now. 

Jordan balding 

I did enjoy this book and find it easy to read. I think it’s useful to point out its one of the first books I’ve read in this genre so for someone who frequently reads this type of book it might not be as good as others, I have nothing to compare it to. 

The writing was a bit poor, certain references and phrases were repeated throughout the book despite being unnecessary to the story, for example the constant drinking of wine which seemed to be emphasised but had no connection to the story? As well as that, I did think about halfway through I think I know how this is ending and I was correct so maybe not the best suspense novel if you read into it, as you can work it out. 

Despite all this I did actually enjoy it, I did find myself picking it up often throughout the days, you got to know the characters well and did keep guessing yourself which was fun. I’ll be reading more books of this genre now. 

Pam Sartain

The Christmas Killer by Alex Pine is set in a small village which DI Walker, our main character, has recently moved into.  It's Christmas, there's snow predicated, which will isolate the village, and someone is posting Christmas cards threatening to kill 12 people. 

 I found the writing to be very basic, and written with little feeling.  It felt more like a first draft of a novel than of one that is being published.  The beginning was confusing.  It read as though it were book 3 in a series with a recap of what had happened in previous books, except it was trying to set the scene in a rushed manner. I read all of the book, hoping it would get better, but it didn't.

I had hope for the plot, but I found the identity of the murderer predictable, which is unusual for me! 

In short, not a book I would recommend, even though I've seen other reviewers giving it 4 and 5 stars.  I really didn't enjoy it.

 The Christmas Killer  was published on 29th October 2020, and is available from  Amazon ,  Waterstones , and your  local independent bookshop .

I'm afraid I couldn't find any links for you to follow Alex Pine!

I was given this book in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Avon Books UK .

Jordan Carrier

The Christmas Killer was so fun to read just as the weather was turning cooler! In this holiday thriller, Detective James Walker, a London transplant to the sleepy village of Kirkby Alley, is taunted by a serial killer who promises to kill twelve people over the course of twelve days in a gruesome spin on The Twelve Days of Christmas. To top it off, the village is in the midst of a massive snowstorm, cutting it off from the rest of the world. 

What I liked:
•The multiple POVs - The book shifts between James, his wife Annie, and the victims of the serial killer! I thought it was so cool how the victims’ weren’t identifiable from their POV, so you were left guessing about who was next!
•The cast of characters was large and everyone was a suspect. Unfortunately I guessed the identity of the killer about 20% in, but I did second-guess myself quite a few times as the story progressed. 
•James was such a vivid main character. I absolutely felt his mounting anxiety as the investigation dragged on and I enjoyed seeing the story through his eyes. 
•Not too much gore and it wasn’t too scary. I’m a wimp and was glad to be able to sleep soundly after finishing this one!

What I could have lived without:
•Sometimes there was a little too much description of the investigation and “police talk” that was repetitive
•I felt like some plotlines and characters didn’t lead anywhere. However, this is the first in a series, so I’m hoping those pan out in the future

Overall I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, cozy thriller to read this Winter!

The Christmas Killer

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