The Killer’s Christmas List: The instant bestseller: a gripping new festive detective crime thriller novel with a chilling twist (DI Tom Stonem)

by Chris Frost

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

Genres: Christmas, Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Holiday, Fiction, Audiobook

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 2023

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed police procedural set in the North East on the lead upto Christmas.

I loved the notion that the first victim had a list of items with the first 'No Angel' bring crossed out.
The whole idea of a list initially seems simplistic but as the body of the dead man being a Tory politician adds a double meaning to the clue too...

As five items are listed, there's a real race against time to try and discover the culprit whilst some of the clues seem more confusing than helpful (Alien egg toy!).

Plenty of twists and a nice core of main characters fronted by Detective Inspector Tom Stonem.
This was a first time read from this author and the last line of the epilogue hints at a follow-up which would definitely be added to my reading list!

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

this felt like a GCSE english language paper 1 question 5

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas and murder what else could you want?
The Killer's Christmas List is a gritty, menacing police procedural with some surprising plot twists that kept my attention throughout and is definitely worth reading.
Really good.

[myreadingescapism · Rating 4 out of 5]

"An anti-cosy Christmas crime novel for fans of The Killer in the Snow and One by One."

Always sign me up for anything anti-cosy 😂

[Ceecee · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

[Auđur · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new author for me, and my oh my, did I enjoy this holiday-themed read!! Full RTC!

[Mike Finn]

Set aside at 25%

I bought 'The Killer's Christmas List' partly because it was promoted as "An anti-cosy Christmas crime novel". Given that it's about a serial killer, my only concern was that it might be one of those books that gets a little too fascinated with the killer's violence. It turned out I needn't have worried about that. My problem with the book was quite different.

It's been ages since I've read a British police procedural. Entering this one, I was struck by how ritualistic they are. I felt I was treading a familiar, pre-ordained path with only the travellers and the location changing. That laid a burden on the quality of the prose and the characterisa tion that 'The Killer's Christmas List' didn't rise to, in my opinion.

The storytelling was functional, unhurried and focused on acknowledging the emotional impact of each step of the investigation on the people involved. Even so, from the start, I struggled to become engaged with the people.

A quarter of the way through the book, I decided to put it aside. It was too 'afternoon TV' for me. The storytelling was realistic but plodding. The characters were believable without being interesting. The writing was functional except when it tried too hard and threw me out of the story with phrases like: "The Mill was huge and hewn from redbrick" How can something be hewn and be made of bricks? I wasn't bored but I wasn't engaged either. If this had been a TV show, I'd happily have made a cuppa without pressing pause because I was unlikely to miss anything vital.

I was mildly intrigued by the child's narrative that was sprinkled between the chapters detailing the investigation and I'm sure the plot had a good twist or two to deliver but I was too restless to stick around and find out what they'd be.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ | Very suspenseful holiday thriller. I enjoyed the concept, a serial killer crossing names off a deadly list during what should be the most wonderful time of year. The tension builds steadily, keeping you hooked as the story unfolds. Overall a good read, great year round, but perfect for your December TBR!

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. Excellent Start. While I think this is a pseudonym, it was a series starter, at least I hope it was. Great mystery. It is the second UK Christmas series I have found and it’s fun to read these books at this time of year.

Frost created great characters with plenty of issues. Definitely hoping there is a second in the DI Stonem series and that it is another Christmas mystery. Give this a shot!

[Surjit Parekh · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thoughts about Chris Frost’s The Killer’s Christmas List has a mix of suspense, grit and complex, compelling characters that has us coming back for more. Chris Frost’s The Killer’s Christmas List is a wonderful police procedural serial killer thriller series, blended with full suspense and thrill. It will bind you from start to finish that you will definitely enjoy each and every chapter. The story concept is new and open a new era of serial killing related book’s that have been written. Story is unique and make you think. Hats off for the writer Chris Frost for the story’s perfect execution, with its excellent writing, captivating characters, and an engrossing storyline will keep you hooked from start to finish. Chris Frost’s The Killer’s Christmas List story begins with 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. Overall Chris Frost’s The Killer’s Christmas List Is a fantastic crime thriller, truly staggering in depth and complexity and is a readable crime police procedural thriller that boasts of some great characters. It has an interesting storyline, and there are some fine moments. The police investigative angle is handled well.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should have DNF’d after the first chapter! The writing style just didn’t do it for me! Far too many characters to try and remember!

[Vasilis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, fast read with a decent twist at the end.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️

[Cynth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.75⭐️

Honestly, this is probably the best Christmas thriller I read, they are normally so disappointing but this one was a good police procedural with a Christmas element. It started a bit slow but then the story picked up and the pace was more thriller like. I would recommend

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's Christmas 2023 done.

[Chloe Layton · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This had me hooked !! that twist at the end :O

[Cassidy Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a murder mystery! At times I thought I’d predict the plot, the ending especially but it was completely unexpected. I really liked this book.

The only thing is that it ended on a cliffhanger 😫

[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-4.5*

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper North for a digital review copy of "The Killer's Christmas List" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Christmas is rapidly approaching and DI Tom Stonem is hoping for a quiet Christmas as he settles into his new home in the North East. Unfortunately for him a dangerous and deranged killer has left a present at the feet of the Angel of the North, the body of a man, stabbed to death with a cryptic Christmas wish list in his coat pocket. With a number of items on the list and No 1. "No Angel" crossed off, Stonem and his team are racing against time to to find a killer before Christmas.

This crime thriller really did live up to its billing of being a gripping anti-cosy festive novel. It's dark, bleak and compelling from page one. The writing is appealing and it reads quickly and easily. The plot is generally well paced and the case is instantly intriguing and holds your attention throughout without being implausible or overly complicated. There are also several plot points woven throughout which add to the story and provide some plausible red herrings along the way.

I really enjoyed Frost's dark twisted take on a child's Christmas list, using it to include some suitably gory scenes, including one that harks right back to the Jack the Ripper case. I liked the ticking clock aspect as we count down to Christmas and how the weather, instead of being the idyllic snowy scene we expect for a novel set during this time of year, is instead dark, bleak and treacherous. This was further enhanced by the settings, especially the Angel which is such an iconic monument but given a murderous overhaul in this case.

I didn't make it a 4.5-5* as I felt some of the characters were a little lacking in characterisation and could have been more rounded out (I liked them so wanted to get to know them more!), and I felt that a few areas of the plot could have been fleshed out a little further. This was especially the case as we came towards the end which for me felt like it wrapped up a little too quickly which is something I don't normally feel with thrillers (most tend to go on too long).

The Killer's Christmas List definitely had me wrapped round it's little finger from the opening and left me wanting to read more in the future. If it's a standalone I'll be happy but if we get more cases from this team and setting then I'll also be happy as the case was unique and interesting and the characters were eminently likeable, hitting enough police procedural tropes to be familiar and fun to read without becoming tired stereotypes and caricatures.

A recommended read to all fans of crime thrillers especially those looking for a Christmas twist during the holiday season.

The Killer's Christmas List is out on 23 November.

[Lisa Last · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! A good thriller to read at Christmas not a bad story at all but just didn't wow me like I had hoped!

[Amanda Borys · Rating 2 out of 5]

THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS, INCLUDING WHO THE MURDERER IS!!!

I was really enjoying this murder mystery. I liked the Detective Inspector, who was an introvert and preferred to stay in with a takeaway to going out at night. I can totally relate. I was happy when the relationship with his new girlfriend, Anne, didn't work out. (That's not a spoiler, it was clearly indicated in the book.) What kind of silly git thinks police work 9-5 or that an serious crime investigator will stop investigating murders to go and have a cuddle on the couch with his girl friend.

The Christmas list was interesting and I was very curious to see how it tied together, as the people's relationships seemed to have been very tenuous at best. There were lots of red herrings and the thought the killer was a female serial killer was interesting, as they are rare.

Then, in the last quarter of the book, the brother Seth arrives. Apparently out of the blue, as he was supposed to be in Asia studying Buddhism. But no, he was in England the whole time, setting up this elaborate hoax (that involved killing three people and trying to kill three more, including himself). And the DI suddenly has this tragic Christmas-based backstory that caused serious mental illness in his brother that was never diagnosed or treated. No warning or anything. And not only does the logic of the killings go straight out the chimney (windows are more traditional, but it is a Christmas book), but our intrepid DI becomes a weepy mass of hysteria and crying fits.

Overall, there were too many red herrings (is there a Christmas fish?) that don't add to the story or the suspense. How does a woman not recognize her mother-in-law, even if they lost contact after the divorce? And the ending felt like the author had a great idea, but didn't know how to wrap it up. So he wrote as far as he could and then just slapped an ending on it.

Originally, I would have been keen to keep reading in this series, but won't now.

Also, a minor point, but it threw me off. Distances were related in miles, even though the book took place in England. It distracted me from the story and set me off on a search to find out if the author was British or American. As I said, a minor thing, but distracting to the story line. (FYI - he was born in England, but had an American grandmother. Which still doesn't explain the sudden deviations into imperial).

[ReadWithRyan]

DNF @ 28%

Was struggling to read this weekly as part of a book club. The first section had too many characters to remember and some of the conclusions they were drawing were baseless and random.

May pick it up at some point and read it from start to finish.

[Sofie Beijer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
Brotherly love

[Mickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

DI Tom Stonem has just moved to Gateshead, and before he even has a chance to get himself situated, his pulled in to investigate a murder. A Tory MP has been found murdered and places at the bottom of the Angel of the North. Followed swiftly by another murder. Each victim seems to relate in some way to a Christmas list found on the first victim. Tom and his team are desperate to find the murderer before he or she gets to the end of the list.

This was a great Christmas police procedural. There were plenty of red herrings and a few twists that kept me from guessing who was behind the murders. I loved the connection between the murders and the list, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. The way it ended made it seem like this may be the start of a series. I hope this is the case, because I'd definitely like to read more.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice fast paced easy to follow thriller but at Christmas. Following a Christmas list which a killer seems to be following but who could this be?
This book has you guessing and trying to figure out who it could be or what’s going on with a mysterious diary/letter entry dotted throughout the book in a countdown to Christmas.
A nice short read to tick off the box for a Christmas books for those that don’t want the fluffy romances

[Lisa Whittaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by this author and it won’t be my last that’s for sure!

Twice I said out loud “oh my God!” Two twists that I didn’t expect at all! Very cleverly done. A cliffhanger ending too! There had better be a follow on!

Really looking forward to reading more by this author.

[Rovin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not an inch of detective, sleuthing work involved. Just some guy who takes things as they come given to him and barely moves a muscle to solve this out of order crime story. From the perpetrator to the detectives, you couldn't have asked for a more lackluster, bland and cry-baby lot in a murder mystery novel. Thanks, I will stick with Jeffery Deaver, Chris Carter and Michael Connelly types.

[Jane Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy a book with a great ending and this had just that!

[Leeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good plot twists. Easy reading.

[Shelly Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading this author's work. Great twists and the morally grey elements in the characterisation were perfection. I'm off to look for more of Chris Frost.