The heavy snowfall hampers the search efforts, but eventually one of the dogs is found hiding, cold, and covered in blood.

A fast-paced gripping read with plenty of twists and turns . This series just gets better and better!�� NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐��⭐⭐ There are plenty of suspects due to the nature of the subject. I had my suspicions , but again, Alex Pine manages to trip me up. The topic of trail hunting is contentious and divisive. Both the pro-hunt and the anti-hunt activists have been known to fabricate details of incidents and there is a degree of enjoyment by both sides from the confrontations. Book four in Alex Pine's excellent Detective James Walker mystery series is, to my mind, the best yet, and I've loved them all! The investigation is detailed and difficult with a cast of characters who cover all aspects on both sides of the case, and my only criticism would be that there are an awful lot of people in this story! The book is deceptive in that it seems to be a slow burner, but actually something is happening all the time with hints and red herrings both helping and hindering in equal measure! Although this can be read as a standalone, all four are definitely worth reading on a cold night, maybe as the snow falls outside.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. Although the third book in the series, the book can easily be read as a standalone and there's even a character list at the start of the book to introduce you to who's who which I always find very useful. And as DI Walker arrives on the scene and the investigation begins startling revelations come to light. Not only about the victim, but the family too. A wedding couldn’t be more beautiful in an idyllic winter setting. But unfortunately, the ending is splashed by murder.

A fast-paced gripping read with plenty of twists and turns . This series just gets better and better!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I had no idea what trail hunting is and if I’d known it’s what fox hunters do now after chasing a fox became illegal I might have had second thoughts about reading the novel. Fox hunting is an English hobby often enjoyed by the rich, while the saboteurs tend to be less well off. The standoff between the two sides has a hint of class warfare, but mostly it’s toxic and violent. It’s not a subject I can get excited about, even after a thorough examination in the novel.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.

They had set off for a trial hunt the day before but none of them have returned. They are all seasoned hunters but the weather has turned foul and their families are worried. James is hopeful that they will turn up safe and well having taken shelter but when he discovers one of the missing men has had his house trashed and the word Murderer daubed on the wall he soon realises that yet again he is going to miss his family Xmas for the 4th year in a row. A fast-paced gripping read with plenty of twists and turns. This series just gets better and better!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is book #4 in the DI James Walker series. Whilst it is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone book. DI Walker is now DCI Walker, and the Christmas season is once again approaching. Walker hasn't had a crime free Christmas since he moved from London to Cumbria, so why would this year be any different! With a worsening storm on the horizon, Walker and his team are investigating the disappearance of 4 friends who have gone out for a Christmas Eve hike. Mountain rescue are called out but when one of the men's bodies is found, it's not as clear cut an investigation as it would seem as it appears he has been brutally murdered. This is book four in the DI James Walker series. The author starts off the book by introducing DI Walker and his team for those readers that may not be familiar with the previous books. Since DI Walker has moved to Cumbria there has been a murder every Christmas for him and his team to solve. This Christmas Eve is no different when he receives a call from Maria Payne that her husband Dylan and 3 friends have not returned from a hike they went on earlier that morning. She is not able to reach him and fears that he may be in trouble. The men have been friends for years. One of the book's strengths is Pine's ability to evoke vivid imagery, painting scenes that transport readers to a winter wonderland filled with twinkling lights and festive decorations. The author's attention to detail adds depth to the story, making it easy for readers to immerse themselves in the enchanting atmosphere.DI James Walker and his team return in The Winter Killer, third in this excellent police procedural series by talented author Alex Pine. DC Jessica Abbott and her fiancé Sean are attending the glamorous New Year’s Eve wedding of Libby Elliott and Greg Murphy, owner of the luxury lakefront hotel where the wedding takes place. When Rachel, Libby’s sister and maid of honor, disappears during the the reception, a search begins. DC Abbott is in charge, joined by DI Walker when clues leading to a grim discovery are found. Rachel has drowned in the lake after receiving a head injury. Abbott and Walker must deal with the grieving family, over-served wedding guests, and the bleak and snowy Cumbrian winter.

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. 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! Good points: I enjoyed the crime element of this book and the ever changing plot and new developments. It certainly keeps you guessing. The plot was really gripping and interesting and unusual. I haven't read a thriller based around a wedding before. I would definitely still recommend this book, especially if you want an easy thriller to read over the colder months. But if Pine intends to write a fourth book, I just hope he gets a little more daring.I needed more. The story was often repetitive with the reader constantly reminded of the progression of events. And several of the twists, including the final reveal, were quite predictable. I also didn't see the point of the detective being so uncharacteristically worrying as it served no real purpose in the story. Let this trait hinder or compromise his investigation or, better yet, let it be an asset in solving the case. Thanks to Alex and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Night before Christmas prior to the publication date. This is the 4th book in the series and I have enjoyed each of them although this book is a little bit darker than the previous ones. Following the ceremony, Libby notices that Rachel, her sister and maid of honour, has vanished into thin air. Shortly before her disappearance Jessica saw Rachel and a man storm out of her room in a heated argument. Afterwards Rachel tried to drown her sorrows in alcohol and was lastseen in the garden with her sister and an ex-boyfriend, Ethan Prescott. Overview: This was a great festive read with my reading buddy. I read the first two books in this series last December so was excited to see that this came out last month. As usual I didn't guess the killer. I never do with these books because the author is very clever at throwing numerous red herrings and constantly throwing new suspects into the mix.