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Alex Pine

Teoksen The Christmas Killer tekijä

6 teosta 141 jäsentä 9 arvostelua

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A family is found murdered in an isolated farmhouse where similar killings had happened over twenty years beforehand.

A police-procedural, with plenty of suspects & a couple of interesting mysteries, to keep the reader guessing . The investigator was very competent & professional, but I do like a fictional detective to be quirky & battling personal demons!
 
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LARA335 | Dec 23, 2023 |
Yikes! I thought I would try one of the many 'Christmas murder' style novels, as an antidote to Christmas romances, and this was free on Prime Reading - but I obviously picked the wrong author as an introduction to the sub-sub-genre. Alex Pine is a dreadful writer, and I have no idea (a) how he persuaded a well-known publisher to take on his debut novel, and (b) why he's receiving so many positive reviews and being encouraged to churn out sequels! From the clunky narrative and the stilted dialogue - brought to you by the abbreviations 'hon' and 'guv' - I thought I was reading teenage fiction on Wattpad.

The plot is supposed to be a violent, if not altogether original, murder mystery set in a claustrophobically small village during a blizzard, but Pine has sucked all of the personality, pacing and tension out of his own narrative. James Walker, the hotshot detective from the Met who moves to Cumbria with his whining wife, is both bland and useless. It's a good job that various other characters regularly comment on his professional prowess, because Walker acts like every day is his first day on the job. I had to laugh when the killer, while standing over the detective's wife with the murder weapon in hand, took the time to feed his ego one last time: ‘I underestimated you, Detective,’ he said. ‘And that was a mistake.' Meanwhile, Annie, Walker's non-entity of a wife, seems to spend her time either crying or drinking. She has a bit of a backstory, but she is just so flat and one dimensional that I didn't care. And that goes for the murders too.

The whole twelve murders for the twelve days of Christmas schtick, which Pine exposits like a Wikipedia summary, if handled by Agatha Christie or an American author like Jeffrey Deaver, could have been really disturbing - I was imagining each murder connected to a line in the song, like the gold rings could have represented the first victim - but no. Walker receives a dead partridge and a Christmas card warning that twelve people in the village 'deserve' to die - but we only get the first three victims, and they all die the same way. I had my fingers crossed that Annie would the fourth, however! And oh my word, but the investigation is plodding and repetitive, with lots of aimless wandering - or wondering, as Pine's editor would have it - and harassing the same handful of suspects. Walker also asks the postman to guard one murder scene and needs a junior officer to suggest covering another body with a tarpaulin, not so clever dick that he is.

Nothing about the characters or the story worked for me. The only other string to Annie's bow is that she's desperate to have a baby and feels guilty about 'her inability to conceive' (is she the Virgin Mary?) She waltzes into town and offers her services as a supply teacher - of course women who don't have children must work with them instead - and the mothers ask her advice about how to tell their children about the murders, like she's some kind of expert. She also frets over her estranged uncle, the giant red herring, who comes across as slightly sinister but don't worry, folks, he just has dementia. And then there are the italic chapters, told in first person from the victim's perspective, which drove me mad - 'Oh no, now there is a knife in my stomach, I am in so much pain'.

Needless to say, I won't be moving onto the second or third books in the series, and I'm glad I didn't pay for this honour, but I hope for the sake of other readers that Pine improves with practice.
… (lisätietoja)
 
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AdonisGuilfoyle | 4 muuta kirja-arvostelua | Nov 29, 2023 |
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book to review.

A Charming Twist on Tradition

Night Before Christmas" by Alex Pine is a delightful reimagining of the timeless holiday classic that captures the magic of the season while infusing it with a fresh and modern perspective. Pine's writing style effortlessly combines the charm of the original story with a contemporary twist, creating a heartwarming and engaging read for readers of all ages.The story follows the familiar structure of the original poem, with a visit from Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

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.

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.

While staying true to the essence of the original poem, "Night Before Christmas" also surprises readers with unexpected twists and turns that keep the story engaging and unpredictable. This reimagined version maintains the poetic rhythm and lyrical quality of the original while infusing it with a sense of modern sensibility.

In conclusion, "Night Before Christmas" by Alex Pine is a delightful and heartwarming holiday read that successfully pays homage to the classic while adding its own unique flavor. With its captivating storytelling and fresh interpretation, this book is sure to become a new seasonal favorite for readers looking to experience the joy and magic of Christmas in a whole new way.
… (lisätietoja)
 
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BenM2023 | 1 muu arvostelu | Nov 22, 2023 |
Lake District, crime-fiction, thriller, suspense, vandalism, blizzards, snow-season, detective, mystery, animal-rights-activism, animosity, procedural, Cumbria, local-law-enforcement, colleagues, friends, tense, lies, secrets, protests, paparazzi, multiple-murder, hunters, body-dump*****

It starts out messy enough with a blizzard and four men gone missing on Christmas eve. It ramps up with the discovery of the house of a man involved in their activities. Then the suspects keep adding up and the motives get more and more murky. DCI James Walker and his crew are in for some extreme but necessary due diligence assisted by the Mountain Rescue Team and hindered by the ever present press. The pressure to find the men and the perpetrators keeps mounting until the astounding ending. Tense read!
I requested and received an EARC from Avon Books UK/Avon via NetGalley. Thank you
… (lisätietoja)
 
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jetangen4571 | 1 muu arvostelu | Sep 23, 2023 |

Tilastot

Teokset
6
Jäseniä
141
Suosituimmuussija
#145,671
Arvio (tähdet)
½ 3.4
Kirja-arvosteluja
9
ISBN:t
13

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