The Christmas Killer: The debut thriller in a gripping new British detective crime fiction series (DI James Walker series, Book 1)

I read this first book and then the 2nd one also. I liked the theme of both books, although both are quite predictable. The author does throw in a lot of red herrings though. It's a decent read if you are not wanting something very involved. The only issue I have with these books is that just about everyone drinks to excess. Every time someone is stressed or had a "hard day" they break out the booze. It would be refreshing to read a book where people didn't turn to alcohol for every little bump in the road. I would read other books from this author.

I was wary when I saw so many bad reviews, however having just finished the book I’m wondering if those reviewers were reading the same book? I couldn’t put this down, jolly good story & the end had a twist I wasn’t expecting. Can’t wait to read next in series. I plan to look up other books this author has written under other names..

Not a bad effort, but not a prize winner. Set in rural England, a former London detective fearing the job will be too dull finds it anything but. I did figure it out about half-way through, but there are plenty of red herrings thrown in to steer you off course. Ringing truest was perhaps lying to rest the myth of the idyllic, quiet, friendly town -- which when things get going turns out to be a full fledged Peyton Place where hardly anyone is as "pure" as the tourist promotions might want you to believe.

An ok book, but a bit wordy. The main character and his wife have just returned to the small town where she was raised to escape threats from a criminal that he captured. They receive a dead partridge with a card that promises twelve deaths -- one for each day of the Christmas season. The little village is cut off by a snowstorm. Some of the characters seem to behave in unlikely manners. The ending does come as a surprise.

Very anticlimactic, I called the killer from the beginning and am terribly disappointed to have been right.Detective James Walker annoyed the crap out of me- the way he spoke just didn’t seem genuine- I can’t imagine anyone actually speaking the way he does.There seemed to be a lot of empty chapters that weren’t really necessary- kind of in the sense of a bunch of people standing around twiddling their thumbs.I did really enjoy the victims POV chapters- that was a fun little detour in an otherwise bland book.Don’t recommend and will not likely read the following book.

This was a contemporary Agatha-Christie like book, which I quite enjoyed. "Clues" are dropped throughout the book, setting up multiple people to be the possible killer. My only negative is that it ended much quicker than I anticipated. Other than that, a great first start.

This book was kind of meh. I chose it for December, because of the Christmas theme. I did like the premise of the book -- "Twelve days. Twelve murders." The writing was decent (minus a few spelling and grammar mistakes). But my biggest problem was that there were places where it was slow and dragged out.It was also, unfortunately, predictable. The identity of the killer was supposed to be a secret, revealed at the end of the book, but I figured it out about halfway through the book, which was a bit of a letdown.

Do not expect a masterpiece here. I needed to read a holiday related book, was not in the mood for romance so I pick this one up quite cheap on kindle. It's predictable and ultimately forgettable but fast paced and served its purpose.

Normally I love police procedurals but this felt so amateurish it read like an essay by a teenager No depth to the characters and unimaginative use of languageWouldn’t recommend

It's never a good sign when you've copped the killer before you're one third of the way through the book, and when you're detective is a cypher, his wife a whinging basket case and none of the supporting characters of any colour or interest, it becomes a struggle to finish. The picture of the locale - one of the most beautiful areas of England, Cumbria - was so woefully inadequate that it could have been anywhere on the map and the American manner of addressing the protagonist, a British detective inspector, not an extra from The Wire as "Detective" by just about everyone he spoke to (once even by his DCI, for crying out loud) like an episode of Law and Order, was just ridiculously jarring. When one suspect, himself a former police detective, offered to take a lie detector, I just felt like throwing the book against the wall. Just simply unbelievable.SPOILER ALERT...SPOILER ALERT...SPOILER ALERT...DON'T READ ANY FURTHER UNLESS...You've given up at page six and want it to be over quickly....It was the local Catholic priest, and you KNEW it was going to be him because the victims had secrets which - yes, you've guessed it - he heard in confession, that arcane rite of the Catholic Church which so fascinates non-Catholics. This is, allegedly, the first in a series. It's the last for me. Don't waste your money.

Looked forward to reading this book, but stopped reading it part way through as I couldn't get into it. Apologies to the author, but the writing felt amateurish and flat with no real depth to the characters, who failed to capture my imagination and who I just didn't care about; Annie in particular irritated me immensely. I'm no stranger to the f word, but it seemed to be the stock comment for anything remotely upsetting that happened to these characters and felt overused; sometimes less really is more. Disappointed.

3-3.5* After moving from North London to Cumbria DI James Walker is settling in to what he feels will be a safer and quieter pace of life. Just what he and his wife need after crossing paths with a rather nasty criminal who made it clear he had unfinished business with James.He is settling into his new posting in Kendal and their new home in Kirkby Abbey. It is the house, the family home his wife, Annie, had inherited from her mother. James’ family are coming up for Christmas and Annie’s uncle is also joining them. Annie is a little apprehensive as she and her uncle had not parted on very good terms at her mother’s funeral.Still, she and James are looking forward to Christmas and family. Preparations are in full flow when her uncle turns up early and rather than staying with Annie and James he has booked himself into a local pub. Still, perhaps a good thing to reconnect with him and clear the air before the festivities begin.James is settling into his new posting and trying to smooth some ruffled feathers his appointment has made. All in all it seems like it’s been a good move. Although he does miss the job in London it’s seems all is for the best in this move. That is until he returns home one evening to find an parcel addressed to him on the doorstep. Once inside he opens it only to find a bloody bird and a Christmas card inside. The message sends chills through James – 12 days, 12 murders!It’s not long before a body turns up. Another card is received – this time by the local priest. Whilst wondering if it may be his old adversary from London he begins his investigation. Then another body and another card appear – this time by a local journalist. Not only that but the weather is getting worse and the forecast is not good. The village is accessed by one road it’s the only way in or out. So, unless the killer has gone without completing their mission which seems highly unlikely, James and his small team are set to be trapped in with the residents of Kirkby Abbey!This is in the main a police procedural with an interesting variation on the ‘locked room’ or Agatha Christie style mystery as the reader gets drawn into working out ‘whodunnit’. We follow James as he is investigating in very difficult conditions – both geographically with part of the team back in Kendal and weather-wise – and as each of his suspects are ruled out will he be able to get the killer before anyone else is killed?We also have an anonymous voice who surely is the killer which adds an interesting insight to what is happening – although I’m not sure it’ll help you work out who they are!With plenty of red herrings, a wonderful December snow storm and some crazy killings and threats that get closer and closer to home for James this book combines two of my favourite things – crime fiction and snow! What can I say? It’s a terrific read and I certainly enjoyed it.

I really liked this book to start with, good plot, but Annie, wife of the detective in charge started to dominate the story to such an extent that I gave up half way through. Her constant whining and moaning had me wishing she was the next victim. Why whole chapters were dedicated to her, in what otherwise was a reasonable story I could not understand. The problem with her Uncle was also fairly obvious.