‘Cold Blooded Killer’ by Alex Pine

Published by Avon,
23 October 2025.
ISBN: 978-0-00-870684-5 (PB)

It’s Christmas Eve in the Cumbrian village of Kirkby Abbey, and DCI James Walker is settling down with his wife Annie after getting their three-year-old daughter Bella and baby brother Theo to bed.  They are both hoping that this year will be different from previous Christmases when James had been called out to investigate a murder, which had blighted their last five Christmases. Just as they started to wrap the children’s Christmas present’s they heard James’s phone ringing from the kitchen.

After receiving the good Christmas wishes from his boss, Superintendent Tanner, James notices a missed call from journalist Gordon Carver, one of the few hacks James trusted and curiosity compels him to return the call, but there was no reply. He makes a mental note to check in with the journalist the next day. 

Christmas morning there was lots of squealing, fun and present opening, until DI Stevens, telephoned to say, there’s been a murder here in Kendal. It’s Gorden Carver, the journalist at the gazette. It appears that he was attacked going home from the pub using a shortcut from the town centre to his house and received a fatal blow to the back of his head.

When James attends the crime scene, Chief Forensic Officer Tony Coppell is there and reckons he was attacked between nine and midnight, but he says Dr. Pam Flint, the Forensic Pathologist is on her way and will give us a more accurate assessment.  There are no witnesses, just Vincent and Erika Lynch, Gordon’s neighbours who found his body. Erika recalled that she had been looking out of the window at about 3pm on Christmas Eve and saw Gordon and a woman step out of his front door, and kiss quite passionately before she got into a car that was parked at the curb and drove away.

Why would Gordon call him Christmas Eve, muses James.  What did Gordon want to tell him?  What vital information was Gordon about to reveal, and who silenced him?  Who is the mystery woman? As far as James knew he was not in a relationship.

When they check out Gordon’s house, they find the third bedroom is set up like a police incident room. And James recalls Gordon telling him some weeks ago that he was putting together another story on missing Chloe Walsh. This suggests he was pursuing his own investigation, including possible suspect Daniel Porter her ex-boyfriend. Did Gordon learn something that got him killed?

An exciting entry in this excellent series. Alex Pine has again woven a fascinating tale.  Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
Other books by this author:  The Christmas Killer, The Killer in the Snow, The Winter Killer, The Night before Christmas, The Killer in the Cold. 

Alex Pine is the pseudonym of a bestselling author who has also written books under the names Jaime Raven, James Raven and JP Carter. He was born and raised on a council estate in South London and left school at sixteen. Before becoming a full-time writer, he spent a career in journalism as a newspaper reporter and television producer. He was, for a number of years, director of a major UK news division and co-owned a TV production company. He now splits his time between homes in Hampshire and Spain with his wife. 

http://www.james-raven.com/