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Antonia Hawkins #1
The Advent Killer
Christmas is coming. One body at a time.
Three weeks before Christmas: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is drowned in her bathtub.
One week later: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is beaten savagely to death, every bone in her body broken.
Another week brings another victim.
As panic spreads across London, DCI Antonia Hawkins, leading her first murder investigation, must stop a cold, careful killer whose twisted motives can only be guessed at, before the next body is found. On Sunday.
When the clock strikes one . . .
Three weeks before Christmas: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is drowned in her bathtub.
One week later: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is beaten savagely to death, every bone in her body broken.
Another week brings another victim.
As panic spreads across London, DCI Antonia Hawkins, leading her first murder investigation, must stop a cold, careful killer whose twisted motives can only be guessed at, before the next body is found. On Sunday.
When the clock strikes one . . .
456 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2013
81 people are currently reading
757 people want to read
About the author
Alastair Gunn
52 books51 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Alastair Gunn is an experienced magazine journalist. The Advent Killer was his first novel in a series featuring DCI Antonia Hawkins, and My Bloody Valentine was his second bestselling thriller. Alastair's next DCI Antonia Hawkins thriller, The Keeper, will be published in October 2016.
Alastair lives in Hertfordshire with his fiancée, Anna.
Biography taken from author's Penguin profile.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Alastair Gunn is an experienced magazine journalist. The Advent Killer was his first novel in a series featuring DCI Antonia Hawkins, and My Bloody Valentine was his second bestselling thriller. Alastair's next DCI Antonia Hawkins thriller, The Keeper, will be published in October 2016.
Alastair lives in Hertfordshire with his fiancée, Anna.
Biography taken from author's Penguin profile.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
December 12, 2020
To be honest I’m not sure whether this was enjoyable or not. I enjoyed the story, but I was expecting a lot more. It just didn’t grab me and pull me in.
One problem was that I didn’t really connect with the main character, Antonia Hawkins. She seemed to be inept for someone who had risen as high in the ranks as she had.
When I was about halfway through the I managed to work out who was behind the murders. The idea of the crime was great, but sadly the book simply didn’t quite live up to what I was expecting I simply didn’t enjoy the book as much as I had hoped.
December 22, 2018
What a big pile of shite!
Ziemassvētku lampiņām, kas mirguļo manā logā, ir vairāk saprāta kā detektīvinspektorei Antonijai Hokinsai, jo lampiņām ir 6 darbības režīmi, bet Antonijai tikai viens - idiotes.
Principā viss jau bija skaidrs apmēram no grāmatas vidus, kad slepkavam gadījās pirmā laža. Un pēdējās 150 lpp. bija vnk nevajadzīga agonizēšana un gumijas stiepšana. Varbūt, ja nekad, nekad vēl nav lasīts neviens detektīvs, tad šis var šķist normāli un varbūt var nepamanīt visus tupizmus un izdomas nabadzīgo sižetu, bet pat tādā gadījumā šito neiesaku. “Kill it with fire!”
Ziemassvētku lampiņām, kas mirguļo manā logā, ir vairāk saprāta kā detektīvinspektorei Antonijai Hokinsai, jo lampiņām ir 6 darbības režīmi, bet Antonijai tikai viens - idiotes.
Principā viss jau bija skaidrs apmēram no grāmatas vidus, kad slepkavam gadījās pirmā laža. Un pēdējās 150 lpp. bija vnk nevajadzīga agonizēšana un gumijas stiepšana. Varbūt, ja nekad, nekad vēl nav lasīts neviens detektīvs, tad šis var šķist normāli un varbūt var nepamanīt visus tupizmus un izdomas nabadzīgo sižetu, bet pat tādā gadījumā šito neiesaku. “Kill it with fire!”
January 16, 2019
Somehow this murder mystery didn’t grab me the way some of them do. I started it in late December, but then had a long hiatus until finishing it in early January. It’s a solid enough story, with enough red herrings to keep me from being positive who dunnit until close to the end of the book.
My problem was that I didn’t really connect with the main character, Antonia Hawkins. She seemed to me to be rather thin-skinned and inept for someone who had risen as high in the ranks as she had. And I really disliked her tendency to mix her work and private life indiscriminately. I know that it can be hard to keep those lines from blurring, but Tonia seemed to just heave herself precipitously back into a work relationship with no self-reflection at all. And there’s far more snotty weeping that I care for in a main female character!
Nevertheless, it’s not a bad book and was certainly appropriate for the Christmas season. A few good murders keep the holiday from getting too saccharine sweet.
My problem was that I didn’t really connect with the main character, Antonia Hawkins. She seemed to me to be rather thin-skinned and inept for someone who had risen as high in the ranks as she had. And I really disliked her tendency to mix her work and private life indiscriminately. I know that it can be hard to keep those lines from blurring, but Tonia seemed to just heave herself precipitously back into a work relationship with no self-reflection at all. And there’s far more snotty weeping that I care for in a main female character!
Nevertheless, it’s not a bad book and was certainly appropriate for the Christmas season. A few good murders keep the holiday from getting too saccharine sweet.
January 28, 2014
Enjoyed reading this book tryed to win this book on goodreads ended up getting this book as a xmas gift.wanting to find out the killer.read this book if you like a good crime book.the writer was good in this book hope to read more of his books.
December 12, 2024
Gada nogale, tuvojoties Ziemassvētkiem un Vecgada vakaram un Jaunā sagaidīšanai, būtu jāpiepilda ar pēc iespējas vairāk pozitīvām emocijām, kad svētku rotājumi palīdz izkliedēt tumšo vakaru uzdzenošo negativitāti. Diemžēl Antonia Hawkins detektīves pirmajā sērijas grāmatā tās galvenais ļaundaris izvēlējies tieši šo laika periodu, lai sāktu savu teroru.
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https://poseidons99.com/2024/12/12/al...
September 14, 2015
If the truth is to be known I’m not entirely sure where I sit with this one. On the one hand I enjoyed the story yet on the other hand I really was expecting more and was quite disappointed by a number of the reveals.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas bodies are being found regularly, the victims all having died at one o’clock Sunday morning. It’s a gripping story as we try and understand the motives behind the killer, trying to find a reason for why they are doing what they are doing. With a great pace we follow the police as they work towards finding and catching the killer, trying to find the connection between the victims in time to stop the next murder and calm the nerves of those living in the city of London to allow them the panic-free Christmas they desire.
Now whilst that may be the case, from the start quite a lot is clear. I will admit that within a couple of chapters I thought I had it worked out only to be wrong. However, before I was halfway through the book I realised the error in my thinking and managed to work out who was behind the murders. Due to this I was more than a little bit disappointed, having really hoped I was wrong and that it was simply a case of red herrings. Sadly, however, with much being obvious I simply didn’t enjoy the book as much as I had hoped.
The idea of the crime was great, but sadly the book simply didn’t quite live up to what I was expecting.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas bodies are being found regularly, the victims all having died at one o’clock Sunday morning. It’s a gripping story as we try and understand the motives behind the killer, trying to find a reason for why they are doing what they are doing. With a great pace we follow the police as they work towards finding and catching the killer, trying to find the connection between the victims in time to stop the next murder and calm the nerves of those living in the city of London to allow them the panic-free Christmas they desire.
Now whilst that may be the case, from the start quite a lot is clear. I will admit that within a couple of chapters I thought I had it worked out only to be wrong. However, before I was halfway through the book I realised the error in my thinking and managed to work out who was behind the murders. Due to this I was more than a little bit disappointed, having really hoped I was wrong and that it was simply a case of red herrings. Sadly, however, with much being obvious I simply didn’t enjoy the book as much as I had hoped.
The idea of the crime was great, but sadly the book simply didn’t quite live up to what I was expecting.
December 24, 2016
The final 50 pages were quite good: tense and exciting! I also appreciated that Alistair Gunn mostly avoids all the tropes commonly found in the British police procedural. Well done! Journalism plays a (too big) factor, but at least there isn't some venomous reporter out there writing a character assassination piece about Antonia Hawkins just because they can. Seriously, this subplot has been in just about every bloody police procedural I've ever read up until this point!
Also, Gunn doesn't head hop to the ridiculous degree other procedurals do, or introduce characters and give them an entire life history when they're only around to discover a dead body before never being heard from again. And, so far, no underling or colleague out to undermine Antonia and steal her job! (Although I suspect that's to be found in the sequel, judging by its plot summary).
However, despite these positives, it can't overcome the book's biggest flaw - it's boring! 50 good pages out of 450 isn't quite good enough! It took me five days to finish what would have otherwise been a pretty quick read. It was too easy to spot the identity of the killer. There was too much worrying about what journalists were writing. There was too much internal police politics. Too many sidetracks with characters that clearly weren't the guilty party. I want more suspense and twists and turns! The worst thing a book can be is boring, and that's the direct charge that can be laid here!
Also, Gunn doesn't head hop to the ridiculous degree other procedurals do, or introduce characters and give them an entire life history when they're only around to discover a dead body before never being heard from again. And, so far, no underling or colleague out to undermine Antonia and steal her job! (Although I suspect that's to be found in the sequel, judging by its plot summary).
However, despite these positives, it can't overcome the book's biggest flaw - it's boring! 50 good pages out of 450 isn't quite good enough! It took me five days to finish what would have otherwise been a pretty quick read. It was too easy to spot the identity of the killer. There was too much worrying about what journalists were writing. There was too much internal police politics. Too many sidetracks with characters that clearly weren't the guilty party. I want more suspense and twists and turns! The worst thing a book can be is boring, and that's the direct charge that can be laid here!
January 2, 2022
I'm really not sure where to begin with this one? Did i enjoy it? Would i recommend it? I'm not sure 😕 🤔
It was super easy to read and follow and great for this time of year if you aren't into the usual fluffy romance teashop books!
However.. it took a lot to get going. At over 100 pages in I felt we hadn't been shown any evidence or suspects. Dropped into the middle of the investigation, I wasn't even sure how the first two woman died. It seemed to talk more about Antonia worrying about failing and her love life than it did the actual crimes. There was no one to suspect and not many additional characters to Antonia and her team so it wasn't hard to work out who was behind it all. Having said that, the killer was revealed with over 100 pages to go which left the latter part of the book feeling a bit pointless.
The writing was descriptive and I do think it would have made a great story but I needed to hear more about the crimes/the clues/evidence etc rather than just skimming through it. It didn't grip me and took me weeks to finally finish but it wasn't bad.
It was super easy to read and follow and great for this time of year if you aren't into the usual fluffy romance teashop books!
However.. it took a lot to get going. At over 100 pages in I felt we hadn't been shown any evidence or suspects. Dropped into the middle of the investigation, I wasn't even sure how the first two woman died. It seemed to talk more about Antonia worrying about failing and her love life than it did the actual crimes. There was no one to suspect and not many additional characters to Antonia and her team so it wasn't hard to work out who was behind it all. Having said that, the killer was revealed with over 100 pages to go which left the latter part of the book feeling a bit pointless.
The writing was descriptive and I do think it would have made a great story but I needed to hear more about the crimes/the clues/evidence etc rather than just skimming through it. It didn't grip me and took me weeks to finally finish but it wasn't bad.
December 4, 2018
Ich hab die letzten 100 Seiten nur noch durchgeblättert.
Der Schreibstil war langweilig, die Charaktere waren langweilig und die Story war auch nicht sehr spannend aufgebaut.
Schade, hatte mir mehr erhofft.
Der Schreibstil war langweilig, die Charaktere waren langweilig und die Story war auch nicht sehr spannend aufgebaut.
Schade, hatte mir mehr erhofft.
January 5, 2021
Time taken to read - 4 days
Pages - 456
Publisher - Penguin Books
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Christmas is coming. One body at a time.
Three weeks before Christmas: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is drowned in her bathtub.
One week later: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is beaten savagely to death, every bone in her body broken.
Another week brings another victim.
As panic spreads across London, DCI Antonia Hawkins, leading her first murder investigation, must stop a cold, careful killer whose twisted motives can only be guessed at, before the next body is found. On Sunday.
When the clock strikes one . . .
My Review
It is the run up to Christmas and a killer strikes, Sunday 1 a.m. Initially thought to be an accident, then another body, the next Sunday, 1.a.m, coincidence? Then another and the police know they have a killer on their hands, brutal, intelligent and seemingly no motive? What connects these victims? Who is next? And can the police stop them before they strike again?
DCI Antonia Hawkins is leading the investigation, it is her first so you can imagine the pressure, stress and throw into the mix some personal issues. A relationship breakdown, a blast from the past and mixing business with pleasure, that always works well. We get chapters with the killer and a wee bit of insight into what they are feeling/doing and thinking which you don't always get in murder/crime mystery books.
It is the first in a series, it was ok, I didn't love any of the characters and to be honest at times I wanted to shake Antonia for some of her choices/behaviours. I have book two, I will get to it at some point. Set before Christmas and killings on a Sunday is all the festive really you get, I can't even remember if it snowed whoops, 3/5 for me.
Pages - 456
Publisher - Penguin Books
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Christmas is coming. One body at a time.
Three weeks before Christmas: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is drowned in her bathtub.
One week later: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is beaten savagely to death, every bone in her body broken.
Another week brings another victim.
As panic spreads across London, DCI Antonia Hawkins, leading her first murder investigation, must stop a cold, careful killer whose twisted motives can only be guessed at, before the next body is found. On Sunday.
When the clock strikes one . . .
My Review
It is the run up to Christmas and a killer strikes, Sunday 1 a.m. Initially thought to be an accident, then another body, the next Sunday, 1.a.m, coincidence? Then another and the police know they have a killer on their hands, brutal, intelligent and seemingly no motive? What connects these victims? Who is next? And can the police stop them before they strike again?
DCI Antonia Hawkins is leading the investigation, it is her first so you can imagine the pressure, stress and throw into the mix some personal issues. A relationship breakdown, a blast from the past and mixing business with pleasure, that always works well. We get chapters with the killer and a wee bit of insight into what they are feeling/doing and thinking which you don't always get in murder/crime mystery books.
It is the first in a series, it was ok, I didn't love any of the characters and to be honest at times I wanted to shake Antonia for some of her choices/behaviours. I have book two, I will get to it at some point. Set before Christmas and killings on a Sunday is all the festive really you get, I can't even remember if it snowed whoops, 3/5 for me.
April 22, 2021
Andra advent hittas en kvinna drunknad i badkaret i sitt hem. Tredje advent hittas en kvinna fullständigt sönderslagen. Först ser det ut som att de två fallen inte har några kopplingar, men när det dyker upp en tredje kropp är det tydligt för polisen att det rör sig om en seriemördare. En mördare som tycks trappa upp det för varje mord han begår...
Jag var så sugen på att läsa en klassisk deckare, så när det gick upp för mig att PÅSKEKRIM var en grej anammade jag det på direkten! Valet föll på den här hyllvärmaren som stått i bokhyllan sedan en resa till London för många år sen. Och egentligen gjorde den mig inte besviken, rent deckarmässigt. Det här var tvättäkta och klassisk krim, till och med så klassisk att det blev en ren klyscha, och därför på tok för lätt att lista ut hur det skulle sluta.
Förutom förutsägbarheten var det dessutom långa perioder där polisen famlade i blindo och det blev till sist långdraget att de inte kom någonvart med fallet. Boken tappade i driv och den riktigt horribla mördaren kunde inte ensam hålla spänningen uppe. För en riktigt bra deckare krävs det att mördaren och poliserna ”tar varannat steg” tycker jag, med mördaren alltid steget före in i det sista: men om polisen står och stampar blir det till sist rätt trist?
Utöver segheten har jag också svårt för när man får följa mördaren. När mördaren får egna kapitel och man parallellt med utredningen får glimtar in i dennes liv och som en ”förklaring” till det som sker, nja det är något med det som inte faller mig i smaken.
Å ena sidan fick jag alltså det jag var ute efter: en klassisk deckare med allt vad det innebär, men å andra sidan var det lite för schablonartat och klyschigt för att på riktigt glimra till. Pluspoäng dock till att det var en kvinnlig kriminalare!
Jag var så sugen på att läsa en klassisk deckare, så när det gick upp för mig att PÅSKEKRIM var en grej anammade jag det på direkten! Valet föll på den här hyllvärmaren som stått i bokhyllan sedan en resa till London för många år sen. Och egentligen gjorde den mig inte besviken, rent deckarmässigt. Det här var tvättäkta och klassisk krim, till och med så klassisk att det blev en ren klyscha, och därför på tok för lätt att lista ut hur det skulle sluta.
Förutom förutsägbarheten var det dessutom långa perioder där polisen famlade i blindo och det blev till sist långdraget att de inte kom någonvart med fallet. Boken tappade i driv och den riktigt horribla mördaren kunde inte ensam hålla spänningen uppe. För en riktigt bra deckare krävs det att mördaren och poliserna ”tar varannat steg” tycker jag, med mördaren alltid steget före in i det sista: men om polisen står och stampar blir det till sist rätt trist?
Utöver segheten har jag också svårt för när man får följa mördaren. När mördaren får egna kapitel och man parallellt med utredningen får glimtar in i dennes liv och som en ”förklaring” till det som sker, nja det är något med det som inte faller mig i smaken.
Å ena sidan fick jag alltså det jag var ute efter: en klassisk deckare med allt vad det innebär, men å andra sidan var det lite för schablonartat och klyschigt för att på riktigt glimra till. Pluspoäng dock till att det var en kvinnlig kriminalare!
January 1, 2021
It was good but the ending let it down a little
December 16, 2025
Though a little long, this was a good and well-written psychological thriller. I do intend to read the next in the series.
November 29, 2013
I received this book as a giveaway through Goodreads First Reads.
This book contains the bare bones of a good thriller, but, sadly those bones are not fleshed out.There are many characters but only 2 of them are of any consequence. The heroine is London Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Antonia Hawkins and the baddie is a twisted serial murderer known as The Advent Killer.
However, while this crazed killer is portrayed as being highly focused and a near genius in his methods, the reader is also supposed to believe that this same person makes ridiculous mistakes which might lead to his eventual capture.
DCI Antonia Hawkins spends a large part of this thriller worrying about two things. One is her extremely tangled love life and the other is the continual feeling that she's not good enough to lead a major murder investigation - her first. Would a highly capable professional woman really think that way?
I have to admit, given the amount of time she spends in pointless meetings - most of them with her own murder team - I began to share her doubts. While I'm aware that, for the most part, police procedures can be mundane, parts of this story on the hunt for a serial killer are close to being boring.
Antonia also has a bit of a chip on her shoulder that the London Metropolitan Police (aka "The Met") is divided into 2 camps - those for her and those against her. The former are mostly younger and sharper (in dress as well as mind) while the latter are older, set in their ways and determined to stop Antonia's career in its tracks.
Meanwhile, by means of a combination of his thoughts as he goes about his evil work and the nightmares of his childhood, we are given glimpses into the mind of the relentless Advent Killer. Despite this, the terror that one would expect from a story about a cold, calculating devious murderer wasn't there.
Ultmately, the book left me feeling disatisfied. It is a fast, easy read but even though it's set in London at Christmas, I got no sense of atmosphere, no matter how many times there were mentions of taxis tube trains or the building that is New Scotland Yard.
In his defence, I will say that 1st time author Alastair Gunn does provide the murderer with a very credible tortured childhood and I wished he had developed that.
In conclusion, I'd like to point out that, half way through the book, I believed I knew who the killer was but thought the idea preposterous. To my amazement, it turned out I'd guessed right.
This book contains the bare bones of a good thriller, but, sadly those bones are not fleshed out.There are many characters but only 2 of them are of any consequence. The heroine is London Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Antonia Hawkins and the baddie is a twisted serial murderer known as The Advent Killer.
However, while this crazed killer is portrayed as being highly focused and a near genius in his methods, the reader is also supposed to believe that this same person makes ridiculous mistakes which might lead to his eventual capture.
DCI Antonia Hawkins spends a large part of this thriller worrying about two things. One is her extremely tangled love life and the other is the continual feeling that she's not good enough to lead a major murder investigation - her first. Would a highly capable professional woman really think that way?
I have to admit, given the amount of time she spends in pointless meetings - most of them with her own murder team - I began to share her doubts. While I'm aware that, for the most part, police procedures can be mundane, parts of this story on the hunt for a serial killer are close to being boring.
Antonia also has a bit of a chip on her shoulder that the London Metropolitan Police (aka "The Met") is divided into 2 camps - those for her and those against her. The former are mostly younger and sharper (in dress as well as mind) while the latter are older, set in their ways and determined to stop Antonia's career in its tracks.
Meanwhile, by means of a combination of his thoughts as he goes about his evil work and the nightmares of his childhood, we are given glimpses into the mind of the relentless Advent Killer. Despite this, the terror that one would expect from a story about a cold, calculating devious murderer wasn't there.
Ultmately, the book left me feeling disatisfied. It is a fast, easy read but even though it's set in London at Christmas, I got no sense of atmosphere, no matter how many times there were mentions of taxis tube trains or the building that is New Scotland Yard.
In his defence, I will say that 1st time author Alastair Gunn does provide the murderer with a very credible tortured childhood and I wished he had developed that.
In conclusion, I'd like to point out that, half way through the book, I believed I knew who the killer was but thought the idea preposterous. To my amazement, it turned out I'd guessed right.
April 25, 2014
DCI Antonia Hawkins of the Metropolitan Police is leading her first murder investigation.
But can she solve this case, or are things just proving to much for her.
An ex lover comes to work the case with her, can they rekindle what they had before he left for her to sort her relationship out with her now ex. And can they solve the murder case together.
The run up to Christmas and the killer is on the loose in London. Killing women but the only link between them seems to be a tasar gun. Can Antonia find him and get him locked up before any more bodies are found.
A very good debut crime novel and I think we are going to see more of DCI Hawkins and her team. I would defianatly read the next one.
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway, but because at the time i was struggling to hold a book, I ended up also buying it for my kindle so i could finish it off.
Product Description
The Advent Killer is the electrifying debut thriller from British author, Alastair Gunn.
Christmas is coming. One body at a time.
Three weeks before Christmas: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is drowned in her bathtub.
One week later: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is beaten savagely to death, every bone in her body broken.
Another week brings another victim.
As panic spreads across London, DCI Antonia Hawkins, leading her first murder investigation, must stop a cold, careful killer whose twisted motives can only be guessed at, before the next body is found. On Sunday.
But can she solve this case, or are things just proving to much for her.
An ex lover comes to work the case with her, can they rekindle what they had before he left for her to sort her relationship out with her now ex. And can they solve the murder case together.
The run up to Christmas and the killer is on the loose in London. Killing women but the only link between them seems to be a tasar gun. Can Antonia find him and get him locked up before any more bodies are found.
A very good debut crime novel and I think we are going to see more of DCI Hawkins and her team. I would defianatly read the next one.
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway, but because at the time i was struggling to hold a book, I ended up also buying it for my kindle so i could finish it off.
Product Description
The Advent Killer is the electrifying debut thriller from British author, Alastair Gunn.
Christmas is coming. One body at a time.
Three weeks before Christmas: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is drowned in her bathtub.
One week later: Sunday, one a.m. A woman is beaten savagely to death, every bone in her body broken.
Another week brings another victim.
As panic spreads across London, DCI Antonia Hawkins, leading her first murder investigation, must stop a cold, careful killer whose twisted motives can only be guessed at, before the next body is found. On Sunday.
December 6, 2013
(Ok, apparently I need to declare that I won this book as part of a Goodreads Giveaway. So, well, there you go!)
I really enjoyed this book, and thought it was very well-written. It featured (mostly) believable characters and a very compelling plot.
I actually found myself racing through to find out what was going to happen next, and thought that the author built tension very effectively. I especially liked the use of flashback in giving the reader a glimpse into the mind of the killer too.
As much as I enjoyed the book, I have to say that I didn't find the identity of the killer/killers particularly believable for a number of reasons (which I won't go into so as to avoid spoilers). But that being said, it was still a very entertaining and compelling book, and I enjoyed reading it so much that I immediately looked to see if the author had written anything else.
I'd definitely recommend this book.
I really enjoyed this book, and thought it was very well-written. It featured (mostly) believable characters and a very compelling plot.
I actually found myself racing through to find out what was going to happen next, and thought that the author built tension very effectively. I especially liked the use of flashback in giving the reader a glimpse into the mind of the killer too.
As much as I enjoyed the book, I have to say that I didn't find the identity of the killer/killers particularly believable for a number of reasons (which I won't go into so as to avoid spoilers). But that being said, it was still a very entertaining and compelling book, and I enjoyed reading it so much that I immediately looked to see if the author had written anything else.
I'd definitely recommend this book.
January 20, 2014
3 1/2 stars
My View:
Don’t be mistaken, this is NOT a cozy crime read!
The opening sequences are ghoulish and breathtaking! The voice of the villain in this narrative is particular loathsome and malignant, his rationale making sense only to himself.
This is an excellent debut crime novel and I think we are going to see more of DCI Hawkins and her team. There were elements in this book that reminded me of the early DCI Tennison character in the Prime Suspect series - Hawkins is another female detective fighting crime whilst simultaneously struggling to survive in a male dominated profession that is at constant odds with her position of power; sexism in the workplace is a strong subplot in this narrative. I wish her luck!
My View:
Don’t be mistaken, this is NOT a cozy crime read!
The opening sequences are ghoulish and breathtaking! The voice of the villain in this narrative is particular loathsome and malignant, his rationale making sense only to himself.
This is an excellent debut crime novel and I think we are going to see more of DCI Hawkins and her team. There were elements in this book that reminded me of the early DCI Tennison character in the Prime Suspect series - Hawkins is another female detective fighting crime whilst simultaneously struggling to survive in a male dominated profession that is at constant odds with her position of power; sexism in the workplace is a strong subplot in this narrative. I wish her luck!
January 13, 2014
Firstly thanks to Goodreads giveaway for a copy of this book, and I am glad for that, I really enjoyed from the opening prologue I was hooked.
On the run to Christmas someone is killing each advent and Christmas day is also on a Sunday.
This is fast paced well plotted police procedural, written with an easy pace which all makes for a highly enjoyable read, this does not read like a debut novel as it is so well written. DCI Hawkins is a great protagonist, yes she has flaws and professional and personal relationships to deal with as she leads the hunt for a serial killer.
This book has all the elements of a great crime novel.
Look forward to reading more by the author.
On the run to Christmas someone is killing each advent and Christmas day is also on a Sunday.
This is fast paced well plotted police procedural, written with an easy pace which all makes for a highly enjoyable read, this does not read like a debut novel as it is so well written. DCI Hawkins is a great protagonist, yes she has flaws and professional and personal relationships to deal with as she leads the hunt for a serial killer.
This book has all the elements of a great crime novel.
Look forward to reading more by the author.
January 1, 2014
I picked this up in a hurry as was away from home & had left my e- reader at home.
I was very very pleasantly surprised by this book. The characters are complex & well written - almost coming alive in my mind.
I had a few suspects as I read the book- and I was right but really was kept guessing right up to the end.
Whilst set a Christmas/advent it's just a backdrop & certainly not a Christmassy book.
I was hooked- reading late at night untill my eyes hurt. Very few books would I read again, but this one possibly.
Can't wait for his next book :)
I was very very pleasantly surprised by this book. The characters are complex & well written - almost coming alive in my mind.
I had a few suspects as I read the book- and I was right but really was kept guessing right up to the end.
Whilst set a Christmas/advent it's just a backdrop & certainly not a Christmassy book.
I was hooked- reading late at night untill my eyes hurt. Very few books would I read again, but this one possibly.
Can't wait for his next book :)
October 13, 2017
The Advent killer by Alister Gunn
An excellent debut novel that held me despite problems in the formatting. The lead character is a dedicated female cop with a colourful history. The plot is good and unusual enough for me to enjoy the many blind allies. I was disappointed that there is yet another senior who dislikes TGE lead character and hope this doesn't become a major feature in future books..... But I will certainly read the next in the series and hope it lives up to the potential of this first novel
An excellent debut novel that held me despite problems in the formatting. The lead character is a dedicated female cop with a colourful history. The plot is good and unusual enough for me to enjoy the many blind allies. I was disappointed that there is yet another senior who dislikes TGE lead character and hope this doesn't become a major feature in future books..... But I will certainly read the next in the series and hope it lives up to the potential of this first novel
October 8, 2017
This is the first book I have read in the Antonia Hawkins series by Alastair Gunn and it won't be the last. I love a good crime thriller with characters I can get behind. Great read!
October 12, 2017
This was the first Alastair Gunn that I have read. I loved the two main characters as well as their history with each other. Towards the middle of the book I started having my suspicions regarding the killer and who his next target was. This is a great start to a new series and I look forward to reading more of Alastair Gunn in the future.
I would recommend this book if you are into Detective novels.
Thank you to Penquin Random House via Netgalley for the copy.
I would recommend this book if you are into Detective novels.
Thank you to Penquin Random House via Netgalley for the copy.
November 24, 2013
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I do tend to like thriller books and this one was quite entertaining and well-written.
There is, however, a trend I've noticed with a lot of things dealing with police detectives. The fact that, when a task force isn't able to move fast, they're threatened with being taken off the case. Because dealing with the threat of being fired as well as the stress of working on a serial killer case is going to get results.
Having said that, most of the characters were interesting and well-written, though there were one or two I was getting confused about. The relationships Hawkins had with her fellow teammates were pretty interesting as well, though not all of them were that well-defined.
I did realise who the serial killer was, though even after it was revealed, there were some questions that were left unanswered. And there were some loose ends that I found weren't really cleared up.
I did like Hawkins and Mike together. Their relationship made sense, even though this book presumably wasn't the first in the series and there were some plots that were explored earlier.
The book, on the whole, was quite well-written and I only spotted one error. I do have to say, though, there was a scene that could have been foreshadowed earlier - with the whole text message, that had, 'Character A never did this' - it could have easily been foreshadowed earlier in the book with other text messages.
I would probably be interested in reading other books in this series and by this author eventually. I found it, on the whole, fairly well-written and an entertaining read.
(This review may contain spoilers).
I do tend to like thriller books and this one was quite entertaining and well-written.
There is, however, a trend I've noticed with a lot of things dealing with police detectives. The fact that, when a task force isn't able to move fast, they're threatened with being taken off the case. Because dealing with the threat of being fired as well as the stress of working on a serial killer case is going to get results.
Having said that, most of the characters were interesting and well-written, though there were one or two I was getting confused about. The relationships Hawkins had with her fellow teammates were pretty interesting as well, though not all of them were that well-defined.
I did realise who the serial killer was, though even after it was revealed, there were some questions that were left unanswered. And there were some loose ends that I found weren't really cleared up.
I did like Hawkins and Mike together. Their relationship made sense, even though this book presumably wasn't the first in the series and there were some plots that were explored earlier.
The book, on the whole, was quite well-written and I only spotted one error. I do have to say, though, there was a scene that could have been foreshadowed earlier - with the whole text message, that had, 'Character A never did this' - it could have easily been foreshadowed earlier in the book with other text messages.
I would probably be interested in reading other books in this series and by this author eventually. I found it, on the whole, fairly well-written and an entertaining read.
December 25, 2016
A killer taunts the police in London after murdering three women at 1 am on consecutive Sundays. Dubbed The Advent Killer by the media can acting DCI Antonia Hawkins stop the death toll mounting before tarnishing her promising career?
There are reasons why I tend to be less enthusiastic than I used to be about crime thrillers. Unless it's really something out of the ordinary these serial killer crime fiction books become much of muchness. In this case I had successfully guessed who the killer was quite early on and found the journey to his detention meandering and laboured rather than gripping and suspenseful.
Even DCI Hawkins political power play with her bosses failed to intrigue but I kept reading anyway hoping there would be something that turned the tide for me in the book, which unfortunately didn't happen.
The Advent Killer for me was not a bad read but was not a particularly memorable one in its genre.
There are reasons why I tend to be less enthusiastic than I used to be about crime thrillers. Unless it's really something out of the ordinary these serial killer crime fiction books become much of muchness. In this case I had successfully guessed who the killer was quite early on and found the journey to his detention meandering and laboured rather than gripping and suspenseful.
Even DCI Hawkins political power play with her bosses failed to intrigue but I kept reading anyway hoping there would be something that turned the tide for me in the book, which unfortunately didn't happen.
The Advent Killer for me was not a bad read but was not a particularly memorable one in its genre.
January 10, 2016
Good story, fairly easy read, but there were two streams of differing quality. The protagonist, DCI Antonia Hawkins, is relatively one dimensional and despite considerable career success, comes across as an immature teenage girl for much of the novel. However, the snippets that build the picture of the serial killer and their motives were at times gripping and perhaps more focus should have remained on that rather than a fairly loose and disinteresting love life of the DCI.
The last 100 pages were actually quite strong in terms of page-turning enticement, but unfortunately it took some effort to get to that. As the author’s first effort, it’s a good attempt - I’m perhaps spoiled by the other writers of considerably more experience that I have recently read. There is certainly enough there to give the writer another go!
The last 100 pages were actually quite strong in terms of page-turning enticement, but unfortunately it took some effort to get to that. As the author’s first effort, it’s a good attempt - I’m perhaps spoiled by the other writers of considerably more experience that I have recently read. There is certainly enough there to give the writer another go!
February 20, 2015
When I got this book a while ago, I thought I would read it for Christmas. Well that never came lol.
This was recommended by a friend to read as I also have the 2nd book in the series. It starts off really good and you think you're getting into the mind of a killer. No idea why the 1st 2 people was killed originally. As the story unfolds, you begin to understand part of the killer's mind (but no idea who he/she is). Acting DCI Antonia Hawkins is only just been made a DCI through the previous DCI passing away. This is her 1st major case and boy has she landed one hell of a case. How she solves it, you'll have to read, who is the killer and how does he/she always get 1 step ahead of DCI Hawkins.
All will be revealed in this gripping book.
This was recommended by a friend to read as I also have the 2nd book in the series. It starts off really good and you think you're getting into the mind of a killer. No idea why the 1st 2 people was killed originally. As the story unfolds, you begin to understand part of the killer's mind (but no idea who he/she is). Acting DCI Antonia Hawkins is only just been made a DCI through the previous DCI passing away. This is her 1st major case and boy has she landed one hell of a case. How she solves it, you'll have to read, who is the killer and how does he/she always get 1 step ahead of DCI Hawkins.
All will be revealed in this gripping book.
April 1, 2015
One of my ridiculous 'buy three for £5' purchases and I don't know why I keep bothering. Mostly because I find one book I really want and therefore have to buy two more to save money, even though I'm not...
Advent Killer was okay but I wasn't drawn in like I have been with other books of this type. I didn't particularly warm to the main character and after reading a throwaway line I guessed who the killer was. A quick flip to the end confirmed my guess and after that I lost interest. There is a sequel coming out some time soon but I don't think I'll be buying a copy. As for my copy of Advent Killer? It's in the 'donate to library' box.
Advent Killer was okay but I wasn't drawn in like I have been with other books of this type. I didn't particularly warm to the main character and after reading a throwaway line I guessed who the killer was. A quick flip to the end confirmed my guess and after that I lost interest. There is a sequel coming out some time soon but I don't think I'll be buying a copy. As for my copy of Advent Killer? It's in the 'donate to library' box.
November 4, 2015
I do love myself a good crime thriller. Especially when set in the UK.
My heart lies with Roy Grace (from the Peter James novels) and Carol Jordan (from the Val McDermid novels) so with this, I can't help but always compare a crime novel to these two.
Which is exactly what I did with this novel. Alastair Gunn did a very good job and the story was great - but for me it lacked that real punch that McDermid so often delivers.
It would be interesting to see if Gunn continues writing with Hawkins and Maguire as the leads as this has the potential of becoming really great.
My heart lies with Roy Grace (from the Peter James novels) and Carol Jordan (from the Val McDermid novels) so with this, I can't help but always compare a crime novel to these two.
Which is exactly what I did with this novel. Alastair Gunn did a very good job and the story was great - but for me it lacked that real punch that McDermid so often delivers.
It would be interesting to see if Gunn continues writing with Hawkins and Maguire as the leads as this has the potential of becoming really great.
June 19, 2015
I got through this book fairly quickly but I'm afraid was incredibly predictable (for me anyway - I hate it when I don't get something then someone rubs it in my face by saying 'it was so predictable, how did you not see that coming?!'), the story itself was fairly generic, some guy gets ignored by a woman therefore results in killing women, it's not very original and there's hundreds of stories out there like this. It was a good try though, I will say that.
March 12, 2014
Fab debut book. Really enjoyed having a female lead character for a change. There were a few annoyances throughout the book and it was pretty easy to guess who the killer was early on. Having said that for a first book it was a damn good effort. Fast paced and an easy read.
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