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Four friends fail to return home after a trail hike in the Lake District on Christmas Eve. As the weather closes in, DCI James Walker and his team work with the Mountain Rescue teams to find them. It’s a race against time to trace the men before harsh winter weather arrives.
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. If you're into mystery, crime and detailed police procedural story, then you can give this one a try. 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.
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It was hard not to feel frustrated by the pace at which things happened here. This is not a criticism. We follow each moment of the case and see in detail just how difficult the job can be. The dedication the police show to their cause shines through from start to finish, and the pressure they are under by the increasingly social-media focused world it’s hard. However, Pine introduces a cast of diverse and relatable characters that breathe new life into the narrative. Through clever storytelling, the book explores themes of friendship, family, and the spirit of giving, making it relevant and appealing to today's audience. DI James Walker is looking forward to seeing in the New year with his wife and baby daughter, when he gets a call from DC Jessica Abbott who is attending a wedding at ‘The Fells’ a prestigious Hotel in Cumbria with her fiancé. The owner of the chain of hotels is getting married to Libby Elliot. Her Maid of honour, her sister Rachel has gone missing, when the investigate they find evidence of foul play on the pier. They have a pretty good idea that they will find her body in the Lake. DI Walker heads the investigation to find Rachel’s killer. She was not liked much by others. So, who disliked her that much to killer her and what is the motive for her death? In this chilling Christmas thriller set in the fells of Cumbria, the usual hunters become the hunted. On Christmas Eve, four trail hunters mysteriously vanish, prompting a frantic race against time to locate them before nightfall, when the plummeting temperatures could prove fatal. The search efforts yield a grim discovery: the first body is not merely frozen in the snow but brutally murdered, signaling that a sinister hunt has begun. As a snowstorm descends, the lives of three individuals hang precariously in the balance. The pressing question remains: can the killer be apprehended before the trail goes cold?
Based in Kendal, forty-one-year-old DI James Walker is on his Christmas and New Year Break in the sleepy village of Kirkby Abbey, Cumbria but it comes to a swift close when he takes a call from his detective constable informing him there is a matter needing his attention at The Fells Hotel, Cumbria involving new bride-to-be, Libby Elliott, who is marrying Greg Murphy. DC Jessica Abbott is the fiancée of the groom's good golfing friend, Sean and she is looking forward to meeting the happy couple. The couple marries but directly afterward, the bride's sister, Rachel is nowhere to be found, however, items belonging to Rachel are found by the nearby jetty on Lake Windermere which is overlooked by the hotel. When Rachel left the wedding breakfast before her speech, newly-wed Libby was furious. But as the night went on with no sign of her maid-of-honour, Libby started to realise something was very, very wrong... The missing men were not just simple hikers. They were known to hunt foxes. The men were disliked by many. DCI James Walker and his team need to find the other missing men before it is too late and figure out who the killer is. 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. 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.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! With the forecast for a blizzard looming over Cumbria, the report that 4 trail hunters are missing raises concerns and makes it more difficult for the search and rescue teams to work. And, if it wasn't bad enough to be dealing with a situation like this so close to Christmas, the worsening weather situation isn't anything to feel merry about either. Full of twists and turns with everyone a suspect, the story takes an interesting look at family dynamics along with the complexities and intricacies of relationships between friends and lovers. Blame and guilt emerge as key issues in the search for the killer with resentments and distrust at the forefront. A digital ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and Avon Book UK. The opinions are my own and freely given.
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