12 Days

by Chris Frank

Detective Jim Jovian has just completed the overnight shift for the West Covina Police Department on Christmas Eve when he receives an ominous call. A jogger has informed him that a man in a Santa Claus outfit is hanging from a tree on Pear Street. Upon investigation, Jovian notices that the number ‘1’ is carved into the tree from which Santa is hanging. A series of gruesome murders occur over the next week and a half, each one bearing an ascending number. Los Angeles has a serial murderer and the police are at a loss as to his pattern or how to stop him.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Holiday, Christmas, Ebooks

278 pages, Paperback

First published April 27, 2011

Reviews

[R.P. Rochford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually found this book more interesting than I had expected it from its title. As it is a crime novel, you expect the murders, however, the author managed to create such a "unique tale" around these murders that it makes you involved and makes you think together with the detectives trying to solve the mystery. The author doesn't focus on the victims' characters, therefore the reader won't become attached to them when they are killed, instead he directs our attention to the character development of the two main characters: Detective Jim Jovian and Marty Lord.

There is an unforeseen twist at the end of the novel, but I am not sure I liked the outcome. For me this twist ruined the otherwise good storyline.

Overall, it's a good novel. I recommend it to everyone who likes a fast paced thriller and a stirring storyline.

[Newbee (JoAnn) Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the book. It had all the important ingrediants... A cop/detective, news lady, traitor, romance, an interesting plot and of course a serial killer.

Tho I felt that the victims could have been made a bit more real to the reader and the same for the serial killer, the plot was a good one.

As the title implyed the story is more about the life of the detective then the victims or killer.

Thanks for writing this!

[Debra Barstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow what a ride great book

[Bette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I simply could not put this book down. The thrills, the chills and then the end.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a free Kindle book and I gave this 3 stars but just barely. I really liked "the idea" of the book and it was not full of typos or other editing problems that plague some of the freebies that you get but I just didn't much like the writing style of the author. It was not really written like a hard core police procedural but there was a lot of language used that I guess was to make the good guys seem tough or cool--I'm not sure which. The premise was that someone is killing people in order to duplicate the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. One of the police officers meets a television reporter who is doing a story on the first murder and we're off and running with an almost love at first sight situation which is great because she's really a better detective than he is. Anyway--overall I did not enjoy it--the ending really came out of left field. Either I missed something important or I was too stupid to understand because I didn't get it. I won't bother to read the next Jim Jovian novel.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, a decent read. I found the characters to be a little caricatured, but it's par for the course. Also, being from Los Angeles and reading a book from Los Angeles, it is jarring to me when details don't match up. I have to wonder if the author was lacking in his research, or if he deliberately tried to fictionalize some details.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this thriller about a serial killer who is terrorizing West Covina, CA at Christmas. The first victim is a lawyer dressed as Santa. The others are just as bizarre.
I liked the hero, Officer Jim Jovian and his new girlfriend, a witness in the first murder. The end was a shocker.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good story. Opens up with a jogger finding a Santa Claus hanging from a tree. Victim number 1. Later they find that the tree has a number 1 carved into it. Each day they find another victim with number 2 and so forth. We hear about the cop who is investigating and the reporter who discovered the first body (she was the jogger). We hear about the killer and the story moves pretty quick.

[Cynthia Rielley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can I give less???? Horrible, contrived, ridiculous, stupid, vapid, poorly written all around what could have been a decent concept

[Vykki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really twisted book but had to admit I really love it. This was one of those books you didn't see it coming. I recommend this book to everyone.

[Bill Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Excellent read, 8 hours with a few breaks. This book messes with your head. Even knowing who the killer is keeps you shouting at the cops. The ending will blow your mind.

[Betty Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book

This book was very good but I hated the ending ugh what did he do did he let her get away with it would recommend