I do love a good Alex Pine book and again this one didn't disappoint. With a body dressed as Santa found just outside a small village DCI James Walker is on the case. But when more bodies appear Walker must find the killer and he must find them quickly. Set in a small village in the dead of winter this certainly is a chilling read which had me on the edge of my seat.

Alex Pine is a master of suspense and thrills and I just couldn't turn the pages fast enough. A well written novel that has it all and more. I couldn't put it down. The writing just reels you in and takes you on a wintery, chilling ride with a great setting and great characters. I enjoyed every minute of this book and look forward to seeing what comes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

A festive thriller full of twists and turns. A great read that keeps you hooked from the very first page.

In the fifth instalment of the DI James Walker series and is this the year he is finally going to get to have a peaceful Christmas with his family? Of course not!

When a dog walker finds a body dressed as Father Christmas, James finds himself at the middle of a double murder investigation. Not only are the victims neighbours and friends of James, they are also both retired police officers, so the investigation is extra personal for the team. With a long list of suspects, will they work out the who and why before someone else gets hurt?

Loved the character list at the front of the book! I am a regular to this series, but still as handy for me as to those who are reading as a standalone. Looking g forward to another one next Christmas, but will James and his family still be in Cumbria?!

If you want a change from the chick lit, romance, Christmassy kind of book. This is it.
Why not treat yourself to a whodunnit instead?

Set in a quiet town in Cumbria with scene setting Christmas and cosy vibes. Who knew a killer would be in the midst?!

On the other hand there is also the seriousness of detailed police procedures and suspense to make a great story.

This book is fifth in the series but can be read as a standalone with no problem too.
I now find myself wanting to read the others.

I would recommend.

I was really disappointed by this book, I am struggling to find a good Christmas thriller that keeps me hooked, it was enjoyable but just didn’t satisfy as much as I thought it would.

This is the fifth instalment in this DI James Walker series set in the picturesque village of Kirkby Abbey in Cumbria. James has enjoyed a peaceful Christmas with his family, but of course, it is not going to last, and when a dog walker stumbles upon a body dressed as Santa, the family plans are put on hold. James is drawn into an investigation involving a double murder that leaves the whole village reeling.

Whilst I found the snowy atmosphere of the village perfect for a Christmas read, I did find this book to be a little slower than the others in the series. I felt the investigation, lack of suspects, and red herrings dragged on a bit and was a little disappointed that nothing really happened until the 90% mark. The repetition of certain themes circled back time and time again, and this didn't help with the lack of momentum.

I enjoyed the writing as usual and did feel I was investigating with James and the team, but I wish a little more had happened to keep me dying to get back to the book.

Will James and Annie stay in Kirkby Abbey or will they leave the fated village? Will they ever get a peaceful Christmas?

I enjoyed revisiting DCI walker and the village and did enjoy the story overall, I just found this one to be quite repetitive. I guessed the whodunnit very early on too. I feel like this series has become a Christmas tradition though and I will look forward to the next one.

The Killer in the Cold is part of a series by Alex Pine but works equally well as a standalone novel. It's a Midsummer Murders type of story, an interesting narrative detailing the murders of two former police officers in a village that is no stranger to this type of crime. It doesn't dwell on too much gory detail, just the interesting and often relatable characters both in the investigating police force and the villagers attempting to come to terms with yet more violence in their residential area.
An easy and enjoyable read which allows the reader to solve the murder pretty easily I'd say.

The 5th in the series - Another year later and another murder case for James to solve!

Lots of suspects to keep you guessing but somehow I wasnt shocked by this one so it isn't my favourite in the series. Still a great read with lots to keep you interested

With this beautiful snowy festive cover it came as a shock to discover that the dog walker found the dead body of...Father Christmas. As it turns out, it was actually the retired Inspector in fancy dress, Still sad of course.

This is the latest seasonal book by this author and fifth following Detective Chief Inspector James Walker. In case the reader has just dropped into the series there is a cast list at the start of the book complete with name, job title and a brief history. Very thoughtful. Set in a village in Cumbria, Christmas is an unusual but deserved break this year so the DCI can spend some time with his young family. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work out that way when the victim is a neighbour and friend.

This is a detailed police procedural that includes press conferences and interviews with friends and family, made even more difficult because they are all known tho the DCI. There are the usual search for suspects, weapons and so on, but it is carried out in a slow, gentle manner, with everything found out repeated often while the police try to decipher the pattern of events and possible reasons for the crime. This is undoubtedly very realistic and the pace will be in keeping with the rural aspects as well, but often this is a tad drawn out as we wait for the next discovery. However, the chapters are short and thus keep the tempo.

In the main, this investigation is from the viewpoint of DCI Walker, but there are some chapters from his wife as she rearranges family plans and puts a more local and domestic element to the story. Interesting characters from the past increase the suspects list making a real whodunnit. I had no idea who the culprit was until the very end.

A story about family, entitlement and accountability, this is a good read for the time of year - who needs high action when that's what the build up to Christmas is in real life? There is a good sense of place here, with real areas interwoven into the tale including Lake Windermere and Kendal for example, as the landscape and seasonal snow makes the whole thing feel Christmassy.

Another great Christmas read from Alex Pine. Once again we return to Cumbria for a festive whodunnit. It is great to meet the characters we have met in previous books. The storyline was very good with plenty of twists and turns. A real page turner and highly recommended. Can't wait for the next one.

I've followed this series since the beginning and have thoroughly enjoyed all of the books - this is the fifth. I was delighted to be granted a review copy by NetGalley and couldn't wait to read about DI James Walker's latest terrible Christmas.

Because DI James Walker always has a horrific festive season! All the books take place over the Christmas/New Year period and it seems the only time of year that serial killers appear in (usually sleepy, small-town) Cumbria.

This latest book takes place in DI Walker's home village, making him the first on the scene as the snow starts to pile up. The deceased - dressed as Santa Claus - is someone he knows and someone who oddly hasn't been reported as missing, even though he's been in the snow a while. When another body is found, Walker and his team have to face up to the fact that there is another killer loose in Cumbria - and the villagers aren't at all happy with the fact. Walker needs to keep his neighbours happy while finding the killer among them...

This series is always entertaining and engaging - there's always lots of twists but also really solid police procedural elements that keep the story moving forward. I did guess the killer slightly ahead of DI Walker, but I'm quite a seasoned armchair detective these days! I liked the village setting as it put the crime scene/possible suspects/police team all in close proximity - something that made the setting quite claustrophobic as the snow fell and the village was isolated from the outside world.

If you've enjoyed the previous books in the series, there's lots to like here - I think this was one of my favourites. If you haven't discovered DI Walker, these are perfect winter reads and you've got 5 to enjoy!

This is a well-written, character-driven police procedural, cosy crime thriller.
When the body of a man dressed as Santa is found in a lane in the small village of Kirby Abbey in Cumbria, DCI James Walker and his team are called in to investigate. I read this as a stand alone thriller and was pleasantly surprised to find that this is the 5th installment of the James Walker series. Full of twists and turns and a snowy Christmas setting I will definitely read the previous novels in this series.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

This is my first book by the author but the 5th in the series. The characters grew on me, the story was fun and the chapters are short - bonus! I love a Christmas murder book so I was in my element…

However - this just fell a little flat for me. I felt it was slow and I wanted a fast and twist and turn book.

EDIT - (Definitely a cozy crime for me) BUT ADDICTIVE so I now find myself reading book 1! Which is a good thing because it means I have found more to read!

Think i have read most of these bar one i like james and annie and the rest of the team. Tgis was a very interesting story, i think it started of well and then got a bit slow in the middle unfortunately did sort of guess where it was leading towards the end and though it doesnt take away from the story and its still interesting to see they whys and the hows i do get more excited for a book when i didnt see it coming... So i wouldnt say this was my favourite in the series..

Another Christmas another murder. A body is discovered which turn out to be a former policeman. James and is team investgate soon another murder is committed can they find the killer before more bodies turn up. Plenty of twists along the way in this well plotted book. . Can James ever have a peaceful Christmas. Thanks to Avon Books and Netgalley for this review ARC.

I love this series of books and always look forward to finding out what's next for James Walker and his team. This is another murder at Christmas which takes the village by storm. This had me reading late in to the night to find out who did it. Plenty of twist and turns which leave you guessing till the end. Thanks Netgalley

I’ve read all of the DI James Walker books and they just keep getting better and better. I can’t wait for December to come when I know a new book will be published but then disappointed when I have a whole year to wait for the next. This is the 5th book in the series but could be read as a standalone although i would recommend reading them all in order. Love it.

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

This is the next instalment in the Detective Walker series, and as usual when winter and Christmas arrives, someone dies. And it's up to Walker and his team to catch the killer, and bring them to justice.

I really do enjoy this series. Every time a new book is released it is just like catching up with old friends. It is nice that we have a knowing of Walker, and his family, and how it has grown over the series of books. This book was superbly written, as usual from this author. This author always packs a punch with his storylines, and they are never short of twists, turns, and red herrings. The characters are all well written and very well established. I would highly recommend this book, and the whole series of books.

Having read all of the books in this series, I can honestly say that they are all enjoyable. However I would not like to plan a Christmas in that village.
I always love the setting as I know the area well and can relate to it.
Roll on next Christmas to see where the story goes.
Very goid book