The Winter Killer: The new and most chilling book yet in the gripping British detective crime fiction series you have to read this Christmas (DI James Walker series, Book 3)

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I really like this series and I hope that it doesn’t stop at this third instalment. I find myself looking forward to the new release every Christmas and I know I’ll be disappointed if there isn’t more. I thought that The Winter Killer was the perfect blend between chilling and Christmas. The crime was awful, but the characters, setting and general vibe of the book still kept an air of “small town at Christmas” and it’s what I loved about this book and the two before it. I raced through it this weekend. Such a smart twisty, warped, credible, brilliantly plotted and compelling. Deserves to be such a hit.’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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. In this chilling Christmas thriller set in the fells of Cumbria, the usual hunters become the hunted. On Christmas Eve, four trail hunters mysteriously vanish, prompting a frantic race against time to locate them before nightfall, when the plummeting temperatures could prove fatal. The search efforts yield a grim discovery: the first body is not merely frozen in the snow but brutally murdered, signaling that a sinister hunt has begun. As a snowstorm descends, the lives of three individuals hang precariously in the balance. The pressing question remains: can the killer be apprehended before the trail goes cold? Four friends fail to return home after a trail hike in the Lake District on Christmas Eve. As the weather closes in, DCI James Walker and his team work with the Mountain Rescue teams to find them. It’s a race against time to trace the men before harsh winter weather arrives. This is a crime thriller peppered with surprises, the first being when the crime team find the farmhouse of one of the missing men trashed, and the windows of the vehicles belonging to all four in the group smashed. Not long afterwards the first body is discovered. With a bullet hole in the chest, the police now have a murder investigation on their hands. Discovering the whereabouts of the other three men becomes even more urgent.Full of twists and turns with everyone a suspect, the story takes an interesting look at family dynamics along with the complexities and intricacies of relationships between friends and lovers. Blame and guilt emerge as key issues in the search for the killer with resentments and distrust at the forefront. A wedding couldn’t be more beautiful in an idyllic winter setting. But unfortunately, the ending is splashed by murder. I still think this book could be a good choice for readers looking for a light mystery which often has more questions than answers and is set at a captivating location. And it would be a nice way to spend a weekend reading.

Loved this festive crime thriller. Gorgeous Lake District setting but with a very dark storyline. Excellent characters and fast paced.’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rachel was maid of honour at her sister’s wedding and disappeared after the Wedding Breakfast and before she had made her planned speech. Inevitably, her sister is fuming, but when nobody can find Rachel, everyone soon realises that something is very very wrong. Before the end of the night, the lake is being searched for a dead body. Who would do such a thing on someone’s wedding day? DI James Walker will certainly find out.Thank you NetGalley and AVON/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. for a copy of "The Night Before Christmas" in exchange for my honest review. The most chilling crime thriller you'll read this winter, perfect for fans of Catherine Cooper's The Chalet and Simon McCleave's The Snowdonia Killings - and anyone who prefers their mince pies with a side of murder. Night Before Christmas" by Alex Pine is a delightful reimagining of the timeless holiday classic that captures the magic of the season while infusing it with a fresh and modern perspective. Pine's writing style effortlessly combines the charm of the original story with a contemporary twist, creating a heartwarming and engaging read for readers of all ages.The story follows the familiar structure of the original poem, with a visit from Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Alex Pine has a way of drawing his readers in and keeping them captivated right until the very end. I also loved how much more brutal and gruesome and twisted this book was compared to the others in this series. Anyone looking for a good series is in for a real treat with this one!

When one of DI Walker’s team is attending a wedding and one of the guest goes missing he is called in to handle the case. What starts as a simply missing person soon turns into a murder enquiry with many suspects. However, it's already too late for at least one of the men. His brutally murdered body is found staining the snow scarlet. Clearly, the men aren't the only ones out hunting on Christmas Eve... When Rachel left the wedding breakfast before her speech, newly-wed Libby was furious. But as the night went on with no sign of her maid-of-honour, Libby started to realise something was very, very wrong…* A fast paced storyline with plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing how it will all come together.’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐The night before Christmas by Alex One is the fourth book in the DI James Walker series but can be read as a standalone. While staying true to the essence of the original poem, "Night Before Christmas" also surprises readers with unexpected twists and turns that keep the story engaging and unpredictable. This reimagined version maintains the poetic rhythm and lyrical quality of the original while infusing it with a sense of modern sensibility. While I like most of the parts in the story with short chapters, great setting and likeable characters, I found the story a bit dragging during the middle part. But while The Winter Killer is a highly enjoyable book, what's let me down is the title, as it always annoys me when a thriller is promoted as being more sinister than it actually is. Because for me, there definitely wasn't enough winter or killing. When Rachel left the wedding breakfast before her speech, newly-wed Libby was furious. But as the night went on with no sign of her maid-of-honour, Libby started to realise something was very, very wrong…

Now, in a race against time, DI Walker and his colleagues must try to locate the remaining three missing men. The only problem is, few people seem inclined to help them do so. This is not a novel that will set the pulses racing as its tone mirrors the lead character, DCI James Walker. It is calm and methodical with no drama, except the final showdown, but even that has little tension. Much like the previous book, I enjoyed the police procedural aspect of this book and I found it entertaining without being so heavy that I had to concentrate too much. I liked this balance and I think that the author has definitely found their groove with the tone of this series now.The four missing men are all pro foxhunting and even though it has been banned for years it is suspected that this is what they have been doing. The anti- fox hunters are very vocal on social media and the whole argument had started when one of the four had deliberately run into a young female protester 5 years before, he had always denied this saying she had stepped out in front of him. She had subsequently died of her injuries. The Winter Killer is my first introduction to author Alex Pine. But it won't be my last. As this was such an enjoyable police procedural. That grabbed me from the start and never let go, and honestly, I felt like I was in the middle of a real-life investigation as the pace of it was so relentless. This novel is a marvellous read – the pacing is comfortable, it is well-plotted and the story is intriguing. And with tremendous pacing, appealing characters and lots of detail. This was a really enjoyable read and introduction to the series. Which I'm definitely going to read more from including the two books I've missed out on.