In the picturesque village of Kibblesworth, DI Tom Stonem is dreaming of a quiet Christmas alone.
But in the shadow of the Angel of the North, a body lies waiting. The dead man is posed with a child’s Christmas list in his pocket, and the first mysterious item – 1. No angel – is crossed off.
When a second body is found – a woman, stabbed in the abdomen after her work Christmas do – Stonem is convinced there’s a grim connection between the crime scenes and the seemingly innocent list. 2. Red partee dress. Could this be a murderer’s twisted code?
As a blizzard rages in the Tyne & Wear countryside, the body count is snowballing. Can Stonem stop the killer before they get everyone on their Christmas list?
An anti-cosy Christmas crime novel for fans of The Killer in the Snow and One by One.
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The Killer's Christmas List by Chris Frost was published on 23 November 2023 by HarperNorth.
My husband read this one a few weeks ago and raved about it, he only reads digitally though and I'm a physical copy reader. I was delighted to buy a copy signed by the author at the Newcastle Noir Crime Fiction Festival at the beginning of the month.
I've read a couple of this author's early books; published by Red Dog Press, as Chris McDonald, and really enjoyed them. I was interested to see how he would progress from the cosier end of the crime fiction genre, to a more psychological thriller type story. He hasn't disappointed at all! Just like my husband, I was gripped from the eerily tense prologue, right through to the explosive ending.
This is a cold story! Set in the North East, around Newcastle and Gateshead, it's just a few days before Christmas and the weather is bleak. Constant rain, wind, snow. The feeling of the creeping cold infiltrating both the characters and the plot line adds such substance and depth to the narrative. I'm not sure that it would work quite so well if it were set in the Summer months.
DI Tom Stonem has recently moved from the Manchester force to take up a post in the North East. He's due a couple of days to get his new home in order, and to try to rescue the remnants of his relationship with girlfriend Anna. However, things don't go to plan, and Tom is called out early. The body of a well-known local figure has been found in a pit alongside the iconic Angel of the North statue. Not only are Tom and his team expected to find the killer quickly, after all, the victim is a local MP, they are thrown another curve ball when a child's Christmas list is found on the body. The first item has been marked off. What on earth does it mean?
My husband read this one a few weeks ago and raved about it, he only reads digitally though and I'm a physical copy reader. I was delighted to buy a copy signed by the author at the Newcastle Noir Crime Fiction Festival at the beginning of the month.
I've read a couple of this author's early books; published by Red Dog Press, as Chris McDonald, and really enjoyed them. I was interested to see how he would progress from the cosier end of the crime fiction genre, to a more psychological thriller type story. He hasn't disappointed at all! Just like my husband, I was gripped from the eerily tense prologue, right through to the explosive ending.
This is a cold story! Set in the North East, around Newcastle and Gateshead, it's just a few days before Christmas and the weather is bleak. Constant rain, wind, snow. The feeling of the creeping cold infiltrating both the characters and the plot line adds such substance and depth to the narrative. I'm not sure that it would work quite so well if it were set in the Summer months.
DI Tom Stonem has recently moved from the Manchester force to take up a post in the North East. He's due a couple of days to get his new home in order, and to try to rescue the remnants of his relationship with girlfriend Anna. However, things don't go to plan, and Tom is called out early. The body of a well-known local figure has been found in a pit alongside the iconic Angel of the North statue. Not only are Tom and his team expected to find the killer quickly, after all, the victim is a local MP, they are thrown another curve ball when a child's Christmas list is found on the body. The first item has been marked off. What on earth does it mean?
A second body, this time a young woman, is found. Again, that same Christmas list is found on her body. It's obvious that there's some link between the deaths, but finding that link, and the killer is not an easy job at all.
Woven between the story of the numerous bodies that are found, and the ongoing police investigation are snippets from a child's diary. These really gave me the chills, the reader has no idea who wrote them, but the despair, and anger that is expressed in the words are frightening. There has to be a link, but what on earth is it?
Frost expertly creates characters who are both relatable and very flawed. Tom has his own burdens to bear which are slowly revealed to the reader. His past history is shocking and he struggles to contain his anger at times. A damaged man, but one who wants to find justice for those who've been killed so violently.
I was totally hooked by the plot, it races along at various places, allowing the reader time to reflect and try to make their own guesses at the ending.
Woven between the story of the numerous bodies that are found, and the ongoing police investigation are snippets from a child's diary. These really gave me the chills, the reader has no idea who wrote them, but the despair, and anger that is expressed in the words are frightening. There has to be a link, but what on earth is it?
Frost expertly creates characters who are both relatable and very flawed. Tom has his own burdens to bear which are slowly revealed to the reader. His past history is shocking and he struggles to contain his anger at times. A damaged man, but one who wants to find justice for those who've been killed so violently.
I was totally hooked by the plot, it races along at various places, allowing the reader time to reflect and try to make their own guesses at the ending.
An absolutely chilling read for this time of the year. The clever plotting and the complex mystery are genius. I loved it.
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Chris Frost grew up in Northern Ireland and now lives in the appropriately-named Marple.
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He is the author of ten crime books, including the Erika Piper trilogy and The Stonebridge Mysteries.
He is a scriptwriter, and a regular voice on The Blood Brothers Podcast and Friends Of The North.
He is a fan of football, heavy metal and dogs.
Instagram @cmacwritescrime
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