The Killer in the Snow: The new and most chilling British detective crime fiction book you’ll read this year: Book 2 (DI James Walker series) Paperback – 11 Nov. 2021

Couldn’t put this down. All the suspense and intrigue of book 1. Can’t wait to start the 3rd one. Very well written.

It’s that time between Christmas and New Year when it’s generally very quite as we recover from our Christmas celebrations and await the coming of a New Year. James is not expecting much to be happening and is glad that Christmas went without incident unlike the previous year, which we read about in the first book of this series The Christmas Killer. Unfortunately, he soon finds out that three bodies have been found – Robert and Mary Bateman and their daughter Charlotte – on a farm a few miles outside the village, Kirkby Abbey, where he and his wife live. When he gets to the scene it becomes very clear that there is something not quite right. Is this what it appears to be – a murder suicide – or is there a killer abroad in Kirkby Abbey once more?James is stationed at Kendal and that is where the investigation HQ is. As the scene is devoid of much evidence it is necessary to get as much information about what happened prior to the killings as possible and evidence is gathered around the movement of Robert Bateman, who has been seen in Kendal on the day of his death, of Charlotte Bateman who lived in Kendal with her boyfriend who is now missing. Mary Bateman who it seems had mental health issues rarely left the farm.There is a small possibility that Robert Bateman killed his wife and daughter because of the financial problems he was having, made worse with his gambling. James doesn’t think so and the autopsy confirms it. What happened at the farm or, more accurately, who else was there that could have committed such an horrific crime?Initially focus is on the missing boyfriend – did he kill Charlotte, after a row, and then her parents? It seems possible but a number of other suspects also come to light. As does a very similar crime over two decades ago which also happened at the Bateman’s farm. James realises he needs to find out what happened over two decades ago in order to understand if there could be a connection.On top of his investigation into this awful crime James is told that his arch enemy is on the run. Wanted by the Met Police for a crime committed on James’ old turf in London. There is a real concern that he’s heading north to reap his revenge on James for getting him put in prison for a previous crime. This is very unsettling not only for James, who left London in order to put distance between him and the threats on his life, but for his wife Annie too. The concern is such that a 24hr watch is put on James’ home to ensure Annie’s safety. There is a very dramatic scene that wraps this element of the story up!As information and evidence is gathered we follow a very thorough murder investigation. It seems that there had been someone else at the farm watching the family for days or weeks – why were they watching, are they the murderer? There had been a problem regarding a former employee who becomes another possible suspect, as does an ex boyfriend of Charlotte.As the evidence is gathered and various suspects and witnesses are found and brought in to be interviewed what happened to the Bateman family becomes clear as does what happened to the cold case from two decades ago.This is a really good story. Whilst it is quite dark there are no overly graphic scenes even when it’s absolutely necessary that some of the events are described. We are getting to know James and his team who, along with Annie, are the core characters in the books. The setting is a favourite of mine – the Lake District, Cumbria – and feels like an old friend although I’m glad to say that being simply a visitor I only ever get to see the beauty of this landscape!Well plotted, written and with good characterisation this is a terrific book and given that it’s set during the festive season a great read for Christmas.

Loved this read, great story, would certainly recommend

Really enjoyed the first book, this one was fairly obvious from early on what had happened. I am sorry to say I just lost interest, but did finish it, the Sullivan story seemed irrelevant.

This is the second book in the series that I've read and I really enjoyed them both. I like the lead detective and his wife character's. The plot had twists and turns which kept me guessing to the end with an intriguing plot. I shall look forward to the next book.

If you ever get invited to spend Christmas in Cumbria, you may want to think twice before saying yes, especially if you live in the world of DI James Walker. Talk about a bad new magnet … In fairness, it’s not his fault, but the village he lives in, and its surrounds, seem to be a pretty deadly place. In some respects, this latest festive tragedy does seem to be a fairly straightforward case of murder suicide – perhaps a family pushed to the edge by the pressure of the festive season and a business in ruins. But if it was as simple as that, it would be a very short book, and Walker and his team don’t know what readers know, having been treated to a very ominous opening chapter that sets up a sense of threat and mystery that will lead us through the snow covered trails of the story.I won’t lie. There was a particular thread in this story which was pretty easy to work out quite early on. I’m not going to post a spoiler here, but I think. most savvy readers will guess where that particular element of the story is leading and probably won’t be wrong. But that is only part of the mystery and really doesn’t answer the question of what happened up at the Bateman farm on that fateful – and very deadly – night. There are a lot of suspects and quite a bit of misdirection, as well as a few disturbing revelations that are enough to keep readers hooked and entertained top the very end. There is a kind of tragic inevitability about what came to pass, and a certain amount of melancholy over one aspect of the case, but this is offset by some great characters and a wonderful relationship between Walker and both his team and his wife.There is an additional element of threat that infuses the narrative, one that readers of book one would be aware of. There is a reason why a seasoned former Met Police Detective is now working up in Cumbria, and after two winters of absolute carnage, it’s clearly not for the easy life! That history comes back to haunt in this book, bringing the thread to what I presume to be its natural conclusion. I would like to have seen it play out a little bit more, it feeling like a bit more of an irritant than a definite threat to life, and the confrontation was not quite as expected, but I am sure readers will be happy it played out as it did.Overall an entertaining read, one with quite a few questions to be explored and answered and that kept me engaged to the end. I like the characters and the setting, and whilst not quite sitting in the cosy crime genre due to the dark themes contained within, it’s certainly an accessible read for those who like their crime novels on the shady side, character driven, without any kind of gratuitous brutality attached. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Very gripping

The second book in the series has Walker investigating the brutal murder of a family in their home on Christmas Eve. They were about to lose their farm due to financial problems but even though there are a few suspects, the team struggle to find anyone with a motive strong enough to do this. There is also a second story in this book which started in the first.I enjoyed this more than the first one, mainly due to Walker's wife not being as annoying this time round! I found it easy to read and quite riveting all the way through. The reveal at the end was a shock though and there was time for a nice twist just when I thought everything was cleared up. Looking forward to the next one now.

Wow! This book was riveting. I couldn't put it down. It had twists and turns that kept you guessing. There was a story within a story . Can't wait for the next book

The book is good reading, but it was surprising thatJames didn’t question the decade’s ago possibilities more than he did. His preoccupation with the crimes almost resulted in his own demise. Small towns often have dark secrets!

I don't think I have read a book with such an intricate tangle of motives for the very nasty murders that occurred on Christmas Eve.D.I. James Walker and his crew are really pushed with this one and I don't think any of them, even given their experience with crime and murder, could have come up with something so evil.All I can say is don't think you have solved it before the end of the book, the chances are you, like James Walker, don't have a clue.The plots are good but there are cracks showing in the author's use of grammar and sentence structure that I hope vanish very soon.

A tale of murder at the holidays with a connection to the past that adds intrigue making it a better read for all.

The first book had a good plot, unbelievably predictable end (the whole time I thought this must be a red herring, nope, it really was the solution) and seriously annoying characters. Like, everyone but the clever investigator, who was seasoned in MET saw that the murders were connecting to the anonymous letter. Seriously? Anyway, since it was only the first book and the plot was good, I gave it a second chance and bought the second one. I did not finish the book yet, but so far the main hero got even dumber. The plot is again good, but the characters are two dimensional, no depth, like cardboard characters which makes the book boring. So I'm out!