First in the series of the DI Tom Stonem series and wow what a great start !! The storyline had me gripped from the beginning and a BIG twist that I didn’t see coming! Looking forward to the next book to see how the main character develops.

This was the first book by this author that I've read but it won't be the last! Although this book is set around Christmas it's not your usual feel good festive book. A body is found with what looks to be a child's Christmas wish list. After that more bodies appear and it looks as though this killer is trying to fulfill this twisted gift list. A great page turner with some surprises along the way.

A great Christmas police procedure
A new author for me and this won’t be the last I read by this author
Had me hooked from the first page with plenty of twists
Thanks NetGalley

Great story, gripping and full of twists. A thriller set at Christmas time, the opposite of any heartwarming and cute story
I loved it and thoroughly enjoyed it as it kept me reading and guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was one of my top reads over Christmas! It had me jooked fron the start and didn't let up. The twists were sheer genius and the writing style flowed really well and just carried the reader through without ever feeling like the plot was dragging or it was getting g boring. The characters were original and well written and the tension was built so well that I was on the edge of my seat by the end of the book. Perfect for the season

DI Tom Stonem is about to start a new job in a new area but gets no time to settle in and is thrown straight in the deep end with a serial killer on the loose. The Murders are all based around a childs Christmas list.

I love a good Christmas Crime Thriller, and this did not disappoint. The twists in this book shocked 😲 the story very clever and made this that bit different from usual police crime thrillers. Would definitely recommend and hope that this will be a new series for me to follow.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper North, and Chris Frost for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've finally finished The Killers Christmas List by Chris McDonald aka Chris Frost. The most bitty read of a book ever. Totally worth it though. I can see why it's been included in peoples top reads of the year.

When a body is found at the foot of the Angel of the North, a murder enquiry begins for DI Tom Stonem. This is the first book for this character, and my first book by this author. I loved the beginning, the Angel of the North being a fantastic monument, and the idea of a body being left up there was exciting. I liked the main character, he was new to the job and obviously hoping his first Christmas in this role would be a quiet one. The location was stunning, with the wintery North East as a backdrop.

The book began well and I found myself hooked into the storyline. It does have a Christmas theme running through it, but is mainly all to do with the crimes and investigation rather than the season. For me, the storyline dropped a little mid way through the book and my interest in it slowed a little. It did however have lots of red herrings, twists and turns and kept me guessing as to who the killer was right to the end. The main characters were likeable and if DI Stonem features in another book, I'd be interested to read it.

In the picturesque village of Kibblesworth, DI Tom Stonem is dreaming of a quiet Christmas alone.
Why?
Why do detectives think they have a right to a quite, uneventful Christmas?.
It's not going to happen Tom. Trust me, i've read the book and I know all about it.

What a great read this was. A new author for me and a superb read, Win-win.

It does have a better feel when you read a seasonal book it the season it is set. Curled under a blanket with a cuppa this turned out to be how my weekend would stay. Once I started this book I knew it was going to be good, I just didn't know how good.

The body count builds, the clues mount up but what will it take for the penny to drop. To finally figure out the who and why. Tom Stonem is a DI, he's heading this case, he's a character that I can see really growing over time.

It's dark, twisty and exciting. The perfect Christmas read. The tension is just right, this book will have you hooked and not wanting it to end.

A hugely enjoyable seasonal crime thriller with enough twists to keep me guessing. A fast paced story, with likeable characters that have the potential to develop in the future. I enjoyed the Christmas advent countdown back story threaded through the main story and would recommend this read to anyone who loves a page turning thriller. Hopefully more Tom Stonem crimes to be solved..

DI Tom Stonem is a sad policeman who is looking forward to a quiet life but of course, in the run-up to Christmas, a killer is on the loose and with each body, a message is found that appears to be part of a list. A great read and excellent twists that I really didn’t anticipate. The perfect novel to read over the festive season – make sure you have no other plans because you won’t be able to put it down. Another masterpiece from Chris Whitaker.

I haven't read anything by Chris Frost before but after reading the blurb, it definitely sounded like something that would keep me glued to my Kindle for a while and I wasn't disappointed.

This is just what you want for a Christmas read but cozy it is not!! It's dark, full of suspense, twists and turns and has great characters that I certainly became invested in. The ending was cracking and certainly not what I anticipated and this is something I really like in a book.

Overall, a great read that I definitely recommend to those of you who enjoy something a bit darker than the usual Christmas stories and many thanks must go to the author, HarperNorthUK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this anti-cosy Christmas crime novel.

Compelling, Unexpected..
A series of grisly murders at Christmastime gives DI Tom Stonem and team great cause for consternation. There will be no quiet and peaceful Christmas period for them. As the blizzards worsen in the North - and the body count keeps rising - so the tension also rises. Amidst a festive and atmospheric backdrop comes a gruesome crime thriller with a well crafted cast of characters, a propulsive and compelling plot with twists aplenty and a, perhaps, unexpected denouement.

There's a killer on the loose and he/she is apparently working to order off a 30-year-old Christmas list. But who's and why? Find that out and surely DI Tom Stonem, can stop this sicko. But the pressures of being a police officer are hard, constantly scrutinised, relationships taking the hit as the job takes precedent, especially at Christmas when you just want to spend time with your family who don’t want to feel abandoned, yet again.
30 years is a long time to hold a grudge, but then again, sometimes it is hard to escape our past.
Chris Frost has a great knack of hooking you in with gruesome violence from the most troubled and complex minds from the ‘goodies’ and the ‘badies’. Ho Ho Ho!

An absolute belter of a book.

Despite reading this when I had a newborn baby, I stayed up way longer than I should have reading ‘The Killer’s Christmas List’ because the narrative was so compelling.

Being from the NE, it was a joy to read a crime novel featuring so many familiar locations. Chris Frost captures the essence of each place perfectly.

I was totally invested in the characters and desperately wanted to find out who was responsible for the imaginative killings.

I did think I knew how it was going to end but I was wrong! Job done, Mr Frost!

The Killer's Christmas List is a fantastic read. Great setting, characters I actually cared about and plenty of twists and turns that led to the extremely satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperNorth for my ARC.

In the shadow of the Angel of the North, as Christmas approaches, a dead body is awaiting DI Tom Stonem, posed with a child’s Christmas list in his pocket with the first item crossed off. Stonem has just been transferred to the area, but has to hit the ground running due to the victim being a local politician. And then a second victim is found, stabbed while wearing the second item on the list, a red party dress.
With a list of five items on the list, the killer clearly has three more victims in their sights – but soon it becomes clear that this is no simple serial killer…
Oops, running really short of time, so this’ll have to be a quick review. It’s the first book by Chris Frost, although Chris McDonald has written quite a few and they seem to be very similar people… No idea why the assumption of a pseudonym, but no reason why not, I guess.
It’s the first book featuring Stonem, and I was a little disappointed with the character. He starts off being incredibly normal with an incredibly normal team… and I really liked that. So many lead characters have major personality flaws, it made a really pleasant change. And then the cracks start to appear… it does work in the service of the book, but I was enjoying the “normal” vibe.
So, it’s a serial killer novel with decent characters, a slightly odd theme for the killer which does have a sensible reason behind it, but this is a police procedural, not a clued mystery. There’s a lot of telling – the killer is cornered when they strike, not because they’ve been deduced – but that’s the nature of the style of book. There’s a couple of decent twists, but the main one I felt was a little too telegraphed – but do bear in mind apparently I tend to spot these things… you might not.
Unfortunately, my main disappointment with the book wasn’t the book’s (or the author’s) fault. The ending reminded me of one of my favourite thrillers – and it made me want to read that book instead.
All in all, if you like police procedurals and serial killer books, this is worth checking out.

I planned to start my Christmassy thrillers once in December but the pull was too strong. Labelled an “anticosy Christmas Crime Novel” - this had to be book one.

It’s an enjoyable dark and twisty thriller with some red herrings and killer plot twists. It’s one part police procedural, two parts thriller, with just a dash of grit.

A body is found by the Angel of the North. In the pocket of the corpse is a Christmas list, written by a child. The first item ‘No Angel’ is crossed out. Ruh roh, as Scooby would say.

A second body is found which appears to be linked to item two on the list - that can’t be a coincidence.

Poor DI Stonem, he just wanted a quiet Christmas.

I loved the setting - a bloody cold and snowy Newcastle and surrounding area. I’m familiar with many of the locations which made visualisation effortless. It played out in my mind like a movie.

Well written and likeable characters. DI Stonem is a likeable chap but not without flaws - only adding to his relatability. After getting to know him and his merry band of colleagues I’m thinking this would make a great series. Mr
Frost .. ?

If you’re looking for a fast paced and engaging Christmas thriller, I’d recommend picking this up. Just be careful what else you add to your Christmas list!

A huge thanks to the Chris Frost, HarperNorth, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for review consideration.  All opinions are my own.

I really wasn’t sure about this at first, I found it slow to get into and there were a couple of Geordie phrases added in that didn’t make sense in the context of what was being said.
However for the second half, I could not put this down. I swear I spent 3 hours not moving, hardly blinking as the story amped up and up and up before everything was finally resolved in the end. I did not guess the ending - though I do sometimes question my critical thinking when it comes to mysteries at the moment. There was a clue to where some of the plot was going that I just kept questioning as an odd addition. There are some dark themes that I wasn’t expecting (TW: child abandonment, death of a child, drug abuse) but overall a fine read.
3.5*

I really enjoyed this book; it had me gripped from the start.
The characters were so believable that I was right there with them. It was such an interesting concept and I was dying to know how it was going to end.
I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next from this author.