This was just the most incredible read. I love crime/thrillers and festive fiction and this merged the two in a really interesting way especially when you add in the dark humour spread through the book and the absolutely jaw dropping moments as the reveals started to come!
This incredibly skilled author has written a book where I just didn't see in any way what was to come but once it had happened it made sense of everything that was happening and tied up all the loose ends in a very pretty bow.
I really hope that in future we meet up with these characters again as I would love to live through another journey like this with them again.

Thank You netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I noticed this book on netgalley, I selected it based on the 'angel of the north' on the cover as I do enjoy a book set in the North East - my home town. Thankfully, this didn't disappoint. It's a winter who dunnit and follows the rules with a DCI, a serial killer and an enjoyable plot with an original premise and some fabulous red herrings. I'm somewhere between a 3 1/2 to 4 star and so have rounded this up. I look forward to seeing more from Chris Frost and DCI Stonem and the rest of the group. Hopefully not just Christmas though.

I do love a good Christmas thriller and I’m pleased to say the killers Christmas list didn’t disappoint.

DI Tom Stonem is hoping for a quiet Christmas with his girlfriend, however when he gets a phone call asking him to start his new position early due to a dangerous killer being in the loose it soon becomes clear this isn’t going to happen.

A victim has been found stabbed to death and has a copy of a child’s Christmas list in his pocket. The first item is crossed off “no angel” soon a second victim is found and the second item on the list is crossed off “a red dress” Tom links the list to a serial killer and finds it’s a race against time to catch the killer before all the items on the list are crossed off and more dead bodies are found.

The whole way through this book I believed I knew who the killer was and at times I found myself thinking this is far to easy, but with a brilliant twist at the end my brain was thrown into chaos when the truth was revealed. I live a massive twist that I don’t see coming and I certainly didn’t expect this one.

The killers Christmas list was told from a then and now perspective and as the book progressed the two timelines came together really well and everything fell into place.

For anyone looking for a good Christmas thriller I’d certainly recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

DI Tom Stonem is about to start his new role in the North East and before his first day on the job he's pulled in to investigate a murder scene at the Angel of the North. Having to prove himself among his new colleagues, there's dark humour, grisly scenes and a lot of twists along the way. Thoroughly enjoyed this!

Another festive crime offering, The Killer’s Christmas List is a chilling, fast paced novel that will have you looking at family Christmas lists in a different light…

DI Tom Stonem has moved to a new area, and despite being keen to get stuck into his job with a new team, he wasn’t expecting to deal with the murder of an MP before he had even unpacked!

When a child’s Christmas list is found on the body, it doesn’t appear to be relevant. However, as a second body is found with a link to the second item on the list, can it be that a killer is fulfilling their own macabre wish list?

I really enjoyed this novel! Tom is a great lead, confident and competent but not without flaws; an anger problem often rears its ugly head. I feel for him when his commitment to the job affects his relationship, and I liked the understated comraderie he experiences with his new colleagues.

The narrative kept me on my toes throughout. I thought I had guessed the outcome, and though I got part of it correct there was still a huge reveal that had my gob sufficiently smacked!

Atmospheric and creepy, the idea of some sadistic killer ticking off his own bastardisation of a Christmas present list is quite disturbing, and yet it makes for a brilliant read!

Though the majority of the story is told from Tom’s perspective, with a few paragraphs from his partner Lauren’s viewpoint,
there is also another childlike narrative running alongside them; who it belongs to, we don’t find out until the end..

A truly enjoyable, easy read, a must for any crime fans! I hope Chris Frost returns with another novel in the near future!

DI Tom Stonem is hoping for a fresh start with a move to the North East, but his smooth transfer is halted when his new boss calls him in early to start work on a case straightaway. A body has been found in the shadow of The Angel of The North and Tom and his new partner DS Lauren Rae are tasked with working out what has happened in time to maybe have a peaceful Christmas!

This was a great read. I have read (and loved!) this authors previous police procedural series and this is up there with that one. Great characters and a very solid story that kept me guessing, to the point that I was utterly convinced I knew the who, but little did smug little me know the plot chicanes that were coming! An absolutely brilliant read that I highly recommend.

DI Tom Stonem is working his first case with a new team in the North East where a Christmas list is discovered with a murder victim. When a second victim seems to be connected by the mysterious list, Tom suspects that they are dealing with a very dangerous killer.

The very definition of a five star read, this book is truly outstanding.

A superb plot with excellent twists made this such a fantastic read. I was instantly hooked by the Christmas list concept as it was so intriguing and I couldn't wait to find out the truth of the mystery.

I adore Chris' style because his use of culture references make the writing so relatable. I immediately liked Tom as a character and was rooting for him from the very start. I particularly enjoyed the way that he had flaws that made him really genuine.

I cannot recommend this enough if you love crime fiction then it is definitely a book you won't want to miss out on.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperNorth for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Perfect for (depraved fans of crime thrillers) this time of year! I loved this chiller thriller set in the days leading up to Christmas. The lead DI Tom Stonem is a great character and I really enjoyed following him on his quest to solve this case before the killer's list was completed.

In addition to being a great crime thriller, I loved the imagery conjured up too - Chris Frost has included some apt descriptive writing in among the murder and crime scene nastiness.

For me, it had a great ending too and I really look forward to reading the next in the series.

This is a police procedure crime thriller with twists aplenty. It's cleverly written to fool the reader with the twists and from guessing the end. Well done Mr Frost.

I did not see that ending coming!! The killer has a list, the detective in charge has his own problems but together they make a page turner of a book. There were several red herring suspects in the mix, but the actual ending (I won't spoil it here).
The characters seemed real and believable and the plot moved along quite fast. There were some childhood flashbacks, but they helped shape character, rather than annoy me ( some jumping back and forth has been known to irritate me). I enjoyed this book

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Tom has transferred ready to start his new role in the police force. He’s enjoying some downtime, when he receives a call. A dead body has been found and he’s needed to start early to help with the investigation. Tom can’t wait to get stuck in, but the case goes downhill when another dead body shows, along with a “Christmas List”, meaning Tom needs to get ahead of the killer before more blood is spilled.

What a brilliant book!! I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could. The story was cleverly woven, and very character driven. Tom was a great character, with many flaws, and he was perfect for his role. I enjoyed the dynamic between him and Lauren, his fellow detective. I really hope the author starts a series with Tom, as I’d really love to read more about him and more cases. There were many twists and turns, and I couldn’t wait to finish. An excellent read, perfect for this time of year.

If you love dark, twisted thrillers then get this on your list. I was hooked from start to finish. Absolutely brilliant book that I'm hoping is the start of a new series.

Thank you to Harper North for the invitation to have an early read of a digital proof copy of The Killer’s Christmas List by Chris Frost. This is the first book by Chris published by Harper North but I previously enjoyed reading his Stonebridge Mysteries novellas published as Chris McDonald by Red Dog Press. This book will be published on Thursday 23 November.

This is a non spoiler review so I need to be very careful not to give away any clues to the identity of the killer. Poor DI Tom Stonem doesn’t get chance to unpack his belongings after moving from Manchester to Tyneside, before being called to a murder scene close to the iconic Angel of the North sculpture.

Interspersed with Tom’s investigation is a story of a young person who is struggling to deal with parents who don’t care for their children. Could this be the killer who left a list on the first body?

I’m happy to confirm that this was a book that quickly hooked me into the story and I didn’t want to put it down. Thankfully I started it on a quiet day off work, so I abandoned the housework and curled up with my kindle. A cracking thriller with DI Tom Stonem at the centre of the drama.

Please add this book to your own Christmas list if you enjoy crime thrillers. I look forward to reading more by Chris Frost in the future.

When DI Tom Stonem gets a transfer up north just before Christmas all he wants is to spend some time getting settled and enjoy Christmas, but seemingly someone has other plans for him. When he is called to attend the murder at the foot of The Angel of the North, he discovers that this won’t be the quiet Christmas he had hoped for. The murder victim has a child’s Christmas list in his pocket, with the first item ‘No Angel’ crossed out. This has Tom and his new partner DS Lauren Rea confused. When the body of a lady turns up shortly after wearing a ‘red partee dress’ Tom is in no doubt that they are dealing with a serial killer who is working through this Christmas list. But why? It’s up to the team to catch the killer before they can finish the list, who is it? And what’s the connection to the list?

This book was absolutely fantastic! I enjoyed every second of it! It’s gripping, and there are a few twists thrown in there that just jump out when you don’t expect it! I really like Chris’s writing style, his descriptions are both clever and original and really make the book come alive on the pages. The plot was well executed and it’s obvious that Chris thought through this in great detail. A cracking read, I hope it’s going to be a series! Loved it! Thank you for letting me pre read it!

This book had me hooked from the first page as it was excellent. It was fast paced, gritty and had plenty of red herrings to keep me engaged.

The story is based around DI Tom Stonem as he begins a new job in the North East at Christmas. With a new house and new girlfriend his life is full of change while also dealing with a serious murder,


There are lots of other sub plots alongside the main story which I enjoyed and thought really added to the story and kept my interest.


I loved the complexity of Tom and loved his work partnership with Lauren. Im really hoping this is the beginning of a series and can’t wait to find out how Toms life progresses,


Thanks to Netgalley, HarperNorth and Chris Frost for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

The Killers Christmas Wish List is set in the North East (where I went to University) and features Tom Stoneham, a DI in a new job, in a new town with a new love (maybe). A gruesome and very staged murder is committed, the victim, the Conservative MP for Gateshead, and this is where I started to have a problem. A Conservative MP in Gateshead, is incredible, never in Boris Johnson’s wildest dreams of the 2019, Tory landslide would they take Gateshead. They don’t even have any Conservative Councillors and the last time a Conservative was the sitting MP was 1931 under the National Government and I suspect that was more to do with them being National Government candidates than Conservatives, I digress, sorry. This is my only complaint.
There is a serial killer on the loose, the only clue a Christmas wish list found on the first victim, and with a high profile victim, the body count mounting and Christmas just around the corner the pressure is on to solve the murders and some people crack under pressure.
A mysterious diarist details a violent childhood but are they a victim or a perpetrator or both. So many questions, so many false trails and clues and so many suspects meant I stayed up long past my bedtime to finish this book. It was compelling and addictive, revelations only complicated matters further and I dare you to put this book down for the night.
You need to put this on your Christmas Wish List, hope you’ve not been naughty and fingers crossed Santa is kind to you this year

A book that is right up my street and perfect at this time of year as the evenings are darker and colder. Great book, couldn't put it down!

4-4.5*

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperNorth for a digital review copy of "The Killer's Christmas List" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Christmas is rapidly approaching and DI Tom Stonem is hoping for a quiet Christmas as he settles into his new home in the North East. Unfortunately for him a dangerous and deranged killer has left a present at the feet of the Angel of the North, the body of a man, stabbed to death with a cryptic Christmas wish list in his coat pocket. With a number of items on the list and No 1. "No Angel" crossed off, Stonem and his team are racing against time to to find a killer before Christmas.

This crime thriller really did live up to its billing of being a gripping anti-cosy festive novel. It's dark, bleak and compelling from page one. The writing is appealing and it reads quickly and easily. The plot is generally well paced and the case is instantly intriguing and holds your attention throughout without being implausible or overly complicated. There are also several plot points woven throughout which add to the story and provide some plausible red herrings along the way.

I really enjoyed Frost's dark twisted take on a child's Christmas list, using it to include some suitably gory scenes, including one that harks right back to the Jack the Ripper case. I liked the ticking clock aspect as we count down to Christmas and how the weather, instead of being the idyllic snowy scene we expect for a novel set during this time of year, is instead dark, bleak and treacherous. This was further enhanced by the settings, especially the Angel which is such an iconic monument but given a murderous overhaul in this case.

I didn't make it a 4.5-5* as I felt some of the characters were a little lacking in characterisation and could have been more rounded out (I liked them so wanted to get to know them more!), and I felt that a few areas of the plot could have been fleshed out a little further. This was especially the case as we came towards the end which for me felt like it wrapped up a little too quickly which is something I don't normally feel with thrillers (most tend to go on too long).

The Killer's Christmas List definitely had me wrapped round it's little finger from the opening and left me wanting to read more in the future. If it's a standalone I'll be happy but if we get more cases from this team and setting then I'll also be happy as the case was unique and interesting and the characters were eminently likeable, hitting enough police procedural tropes to be familiar and fun to read without becoming tired stereotypes and caricatures.

A recommended read to all fans of crime thrillers especially those looking for a Christmas twist during the holiday season.

The Killer's Christmas List is out on 23 November.

4.75🌟
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book, every time I thought I'd properly guessed it, there was another twist and I really hadn't got it at all.

Written as a bit of a crime thriller, towards the latter chapters and the culmination of the book I actually felt like I stopped breathing as much while I was waiting to see what would happen. I was so engrossed in it that I didn't even hear people come into the room and got the fright of my life!

Detective Tom is starting a new job in a new area, which comes with challenges at the best of times with a new team, new places and a new girlfriend. Add that to the fact that there's a serial killer on the loose, and he's off to a bit of a rocky start, even more when it feels like he's being teased.

This is a book I would definitely recommend and the cliffhanger it ended on hooked me in even more!!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

DI Tom Stonem starts a new job in Gateshead and he is thrown in at the deep end with a series of murders based on a Christmas List. He works alongside his boss DCI Natalie Freeman and DS Lauren Rea. This book is very strong on the police procedurals, it's well written and the characters are very well described. The story revolves around the police and the killer, which is full of plot twists and turns with a few red herrings thrown in for good measure. The story starts off with a body found at The Angel of the North! Tom and the team must found out why this is linked to the list. The ending came as a surprise to me and it is one that I never saw coming. I hope there will be a second book as I feel that Tom is a likeable police officer and has plenty of room to develop! I will be recommend this book to everyone that reads crime.