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This book is a must-have on your Christmas reading list! You’ll never sing ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ nor sing another Christmas card again without thinking about Kirkby Abbey. Like a lot of readers I enjoy playing detective, trying to decipher the red herrings from the real clues and seeing if I can work out who the murderer is. Usually I am way off with my predictions and completely blindsided by the final reveal. That wasn’t the case with this one though. When I reached the half way point I had my thoughts on who was the murderer and couldn’t believe I was right when I got to the end. 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. The minute I saw this book and its cover, I knew I had to read this one! I love holiday mystery & thrillers, and this book didn't disappoint me at all.
Really looking forward to the next book in the series and catching-up on the previous two! Happy listening / reading! Despite my criticisms, this is a good candidate for a Christmas read. Aside from the obvious, it is not too gory or gritty to make you feel uncomfortable at such a festive time of year. Indeed, it almost felt like a cosy mystery because I could not fathom any danger and was not gripped by the plot development. Instead, it was a gentle read that eventually provided dead bodies and, finally, a killer at the end.In a village as quiet as Kirkby Abbey, the possibility of a serial killer is so outlandish it’s laughable … until the bodies start to pile up, one by one. In the run up to Christmas, James is pushed to find the killer, but must simultaneously deal with personal revelations and the onset of one of the worst snowstorms England has seen in years.
Sometimes there was a little too much description of the investigation and “police talk” that was repetitive DI James Walker is ready for a quaint family Christmas with his wife and extended family in their quiet village of Kirkby Abbey. But those plans are soon scuppered by the arrival of an unexpected gift on the Walker’s doorstop; a gruesome surprise and a promise in the form of a note – twelve days, twelve murders. Shortly after, the first body turns up half frozen in the snow. It begins with a present and a Christmas card; a dead and bloody partridge and a card featuring the well known carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas; inside is a threat - Twelve Days, Twelve Murders, Twelve Victims and they all deserve what's coming to them. With a snow storm on they way and likely to cut the village off from civilisation, it is a race against time for DI Walker to catch the killer, before the body count mounts up and panic in the village overwhelms him. Gripping and utterly entertaining, this is a mystery that is very well crafted, like an artfully decorated gingerbread house. For those who rely heavily on those terrifying and grotesque corpses showing up one after another to get through a crime novel, you may find this one doesn't satisfy those needs. Yet, if there is a desire to seek out a different perspective on crime and serial killers with an emphasis on the "whodunnit," then this is going to be one hell of a ride.Special thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio, Avon, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review. Using the twelve days of christmas was a creative way to keep the novel at a steady pace and hints at a dramatic ending, the book did not disappoint! At times I was second guessing who the murder might have been as there are plenty of red herrings and clues throughout. If you're into mystery, crime and detailed police procedural story, then you can give this one a try. I certainly couldn't predict who the killer was and I enjoyed how the story concluded, but I was just expecting more blood and more snow, so it just wasn't as exciting as the previous two instalments in the series.
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