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?
Whether it's who to buy for, planning the timings for the big day or sending requests to the North Pole, it's the time of year when even the more disorganised among us are likely to write at least one list. DI Tom Stonem, however, has a far more ominous note to follow as he desperately tries to solve a gruesome Christmas countdown which seems to be linked to a child's wish list. The Killer's Christmas List has the tagline, 'All they want for Christmas is YOU...' which inevitably resulted in me having a Mariah earworm for the whole time I was reading the book. I'm not complaining though as Chris Frost made my wish come true with this thrillingly tense seasonal murder mystery.
The prologue introduces the killer evidently enjoying their first murder, but even as they smugly contemplate their work, they are already planning ahead. The discordant note struck between their sadistic glee and their drive down snow-lined roads, listening to The Ronettes singing I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus is thoroughly creepy but as Tom Stonem is soon to find out, far worse is to come. Having only just moved to the North East from Manchester, Tom could reasonably have expected a grace period before starting work but then his night out is disturbed by a call from his new boss, DCI Freeman.
This first look at Stonem gives us a glimpse into the sort of person he is; it's immediately clear that there's a guardedness to him and that he has a tendency to assume the worst. He is strangely relieved to learn there's been a stabbing but once at the crime scene, a different side to this intriguing character is revealed. Here, his personable disposition and sense of humour comes to the fore and throughout the book, the positive working relationship he fosters with his new colleagues is evident, even at the most strained moments. The supporting characters are excellent too; I particularly enjoyed his interactions with Natalie, his boss, his partner, DS Lauren Rea and his family. As the novel progresses and the body count rises in what becomes the grimmest of Christmas countdowns, Tom is put under increasing pressure, revealing further facets of his personality. He is a really well-developed character, brought to life through his complex emotions which render him entirely believable as his first case in his new job becomes more and more nightmarish.
The discovery of the first body, on a snow-covered hillside, with the Angel of the North looming over the grisly scene is certainly atmospheric and Chris Frost continues to utilise both the wintry conditions and the customary build-up to the festive period to really generate a vivid sense of place. The list, apparently written by a child, which is discovered with the body has the first item – no angel – crossed off and when the identity of this victim becomes known, it's definitely not difficult to accept that they were no angel. However, the other entries aren't as seemingly self-explanatory and as the killer continues to baffle the police, the gripping plot is addictively twisty as Stonem and his new colleagues try to figure out whether any connections between the deceased are relevant.
This macabre race against time is a compelling murder mystery but there's also a harrowing subplot narrated in the first person by an unknown child which is written with real empathy and is intensely moving. Chris Frost used to be a teacher and he uses his wealth of experience to create a poignant, deeply affecting storyline which explores difficult topics with sensitive insight and authenticity. As the book reaches its dramatic conclusion, the various strands of this cleverly plotted narrative are superbly drawn together and I ended up staying awake until 2am to finish the book with my pulse racing because I HAD to find out how it would end!
Nerve-shredding, heart-wrenching and utterly compulsive – if you're a crime fiction fan, add this brilliantly chilling festive mystery to your Christmas list! Very highly recommended.
The Killer's Christmas List is published by HarperNorth, purchasing links can be found here.
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