I've read the first in this series, but not the middle two and although there were references to something that had happened (that I'd missed through not reading the others) it didn't really matter. The book starts really well, with the finding of three bodies, without obvious injuries, but the circumstances lead investigators to believe they've been murdered. When the reason for the deaths and other murders occur, Antonia and her team are faced with a race against time to find the murderer and prevent further deaths. Although the plot was good, I must admit I found Antonia to be a bit annoying in this book, her relationship with her fiancee Mike doesn't, for me, add to the story but, because of the ending, I can understand why so much is made of it. Also, she doesn't seem to have a particularly brilliant relationship with her team and I found her to be rather a wooden character. The story is good - but I felt there was something missing.

Oh. Oh, oh, oh. I'm not sure I liked the ending of this book. Not at all ... But that's the ending. You want to hear about the beginning first.

Faced with unexplained deaths of three young men, cause of death isn't the only thing which initially evades Hawkins and her team. Aside from how and where they are found there is no clear link between them or reason as to why they would have been in the abandoned apartment in which their bodies have been found. Chasing down that link puts Hawkins in direct conflict with her lover and former DI, Mike Maguire, as their two cases clash. But this is the least of her worries, at least as far as their relationship is concerned. Her focus is squarely on the case and a foe who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal, leaving Hawkins facing yet another bleak Christmas.

This book grabs you from the start. Focused on one of the first victims you realise he has got himself into something far worse than he had imagined, but his fate, and that of those with him, is currently unclear. Even by the end of that opening chapter, you are still not quite sure what has happened, and it will take nearly all of the book to uncover the true reason why. With possible connections to the drug world and organised crime, could one of the victims hold the clue to the murders, assuming they are murders, or is it a complete red herring? Certainly with no clear mode of death it's hard to know if there really is something untoward happening or of it has all been an unfortunate accident ...

But that wouldn't be any fun now would it? There are so many diversions in this investigation, so many distractions which put Hawkins and the team off their stride, that it was hard to see where the whole story was going. Until they uncover a vital clue. This is one twisted killer, their methods surprisingly and alarmingly simple. Completely and devastatingly effective but totally nuts. And there are so elements of tension in this book, so many moments which will have you holding your breath, and yet so very few clues as to who the perpetrator is that you will be guessing at their identity right up until the end.

Now this is only the second book I have read in the series. There are two others which fill in the twelve months that have passed since Hawkins first story, The Advent Killer. If I was her, I'd give up on Christmas completely as it has been nothing but a nightmare for her, and this one is certainly no exception. She is a damaged person, with clear trust issues and this spells trouble for her and Mike, a man who just wants her to commit. There is no doubting her love for him and she is frustrating in her reticence to tell him how much. So many times you just want to slap her. Mike is a solid guy, but only willing to bend so far and she is a woman with very little give. A perfect match but also a volatile one.

But oh ... that ending. What this means for Hawkins and co now I do not know. As I said before, despite this only being my second book, I'm not sure it's the ending I wanted to read. It will certainly shake things up, and there is something to be said in not allowing a crime series or couple to become too comfortable. But that? Really? Mr Gunn. What have you done? I've only read a few books which have made me go nooooooooo in quite the way this one did. A great sign and yay for the fact that I'm completely invested in the characters, but boo hiss in terms of what has happened. I still can't quite believe it. Cruel. Just cruel.

For a completely unfestive read with none of the joys of the season, but a compelling story which will have you on the edge of your seat, you should probably take a look at this one. However, read the other books first, at least the first one. It will make a lot more sense and the impact of that ending will be far greater too. Gah! Still angry.

Wow what a book it was amazing a brilliant read that I read long in to the night just to see what was coming next.
DCI Antonia Hawkins is organising her wedding. If that was not stressful enough with her to be in laws interfering, she has three bodies to solve the murders of.
Can Antoia manage to hold everything together and solve the murders with not much too go on? Can she cope with her own demons and PTSD.
Antonia is a strong female detective and her and her team really work well together. This book makes you feel good for being a woman and holding everything together.
A brilliant book, I can't wait to read the next one.

A super strong crime thriller. This is the second book I have read by this author and I wouldn't hesitate to seek out more. Gripping and well written, I really enjoyed it.

Cold Christmas by Alastair Gunn
Gunn's detective Antonia Hawkins isn't having a great time of it in the run up to Christmas. With her recent engagement on the verge of collapse, her peace of mind in tatters and three dead bodies, all with a link to a place called Cold Christmas, the chances of her having a peaceful Christmas are degenerating by the minute. then, things get more intriguing as cults and paranormal mystic societies rear their heads in the investigation making it even more complicated than first thought . An absorbing read to snuggle up with whilst the Chestnuts are roasting.

A well plotted thriller with realistic characters. I think the police procedural aspects were well thought out and conveyed. I hope to see more of DI Antonia Hawkins. I also want to visit Cold Christmas church to see if it is as spooky as people say.

This review is written with thanks to Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin UK, and Netgalley for my copy of Cold Christmas.
Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Antonia Hawkins is looking forward to her day off when she is called to an unusual crime scene. The flat in London is where three dead bodies have been found, and they appear to have been there for some time. However, the pathologist is unable to find an obvious cause of death. As she investigates, Hawkins is directed to Cold Christmas Church, an old building which many believe to be haunted. Can Hawkins catch the dangerous killer?
Set in the weeks leading up to Christmas, the winter weather makes Cold Christmas a very atmospheric novel. This is enhanced by the descriptions of the haunted church. Although the setting and the spiritualist theme are unusual, I enjoyed the tension they created as I wanted to discover who was responsible for the deaths and what their motive could be. The spiritualist element did seem slightly far fetched at times, but I felt that the practices and beliefs of the victims and the use of symbolism and rituals was very well researched, and I enjoyed learning about them throughout the course of the novel.
I had not realised prior to reading that Cold Christmas is the fourth novel featuring DCI Antonia Hawkins. Although, for the most part, I was able to relate to her, I felt that I may have benefitted from reading the previous instalments, as at times Gunn referred to prior incidents and relationships, and knowledge of these aspects of her life would have helped me to become more familiar with her character and thus more invested in the storyline. Hawkins also works with a dedicated team. I was disappointed that Cold Christmas did not reveal more about them, although the background information surrounding them may have been shared in a previous novel.
I did not guess who the perpetrator was, although I had a hunch that there would be a twist towards the end. Although I did not find the twist spectacular, the race to catch the killer was thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat until it reached its conclusion.
​

Well, I had been saving this one to read during the holiday season, but I guess I should have read the description more carefully because this isn't about Christmas at all!

It's also book 4 in a series- a series in which I haven't read any of the other books- so it was hard to connect to the main characters. There seemed to be a lot of ongoing tension/arguments between characters that I assume will connect previous and future books, but for me just was a lot to slog through to get to the case they were trying to solve.

I love this author but sadly this book just wasn't for me. I had been so excited to see the book on here and looked forward to reading it. Just couldn't get into the book like i have done with this series in the past. It was structured very well but just sadly wasn't the one for me this time.

This is the fourth book in a series, I hadn't read the others but I don't think that really matters as it does work as a stand alone.

Antonia Hawkins is devoted to her job. Even though she is engaged to be married she finds she would far rather be investigating the murder of three seemingly unconnected young men than be investigating wedding venues!

I found the beginning of the book very slow going. I got very tired of witnessing the rows with her fiance! I think it was nearly 75% in before the pace really picked up & then it really became a great read.

It sounds a really niggly thing but something I found profoundly irritating was the author's use of the surname of the main character. I couldn't work out why. Other characters were referred to by their first name- why not Antonia? It could have been to single her out, but it added to my frustration as I plodded through the story.

This becomes a good read- if you can stick with it! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I didn't realise that this book was fourth in a series (I've since gone back to read from the beginning!) I loved this fast paced read with that twist I didn't see coming. Great characters and storylines. DCI Antonia Hawkins and her team are on the hunt of a killer who is targeting men and killing them all the same way. The bodies of three men were found in an abandoned flat, naked from the waist up. Confusingly they can't find a cause of death.

Her personal life has taken a nosedive, all her and DI Mike Maguire seem to do are argue. Will their wedding ever take place?

The police are unable to find a connection between the men and think drugs is the key. When eventually connections are made there have been more deaths which are linked to a church called Cold Christmas, which faces the wrong way and has links to the paranormal and satanic rituals. The book has an explosive twist which I didn't see coming and I'm still thinking about it and the book since finishing it.

As Christmas approaches three men are found dead in a flat, no obvious signs of injury. It's as if they just lay down and died. A suicide pact is a possibility but Antonia Hawkins thinks otherwise. When the cause of death is discovered her investigations lead her and her team to a mysterious church called Cold Christmas, a place with a dark history, and disturbing present.

This is the 4th part of Antonia Hawkins novel, something I must admit I didn't realise having only read the first part, The Advent Killer. But actually it didn't matter. Past events were alluded to but not so much that I felt confused nor enough to ruin those books, basically it works well as a standalone as well. I enjoyed the book, hated the ending. Not because it's a bad ending. Far from it. But I hated in. Enough said.

Not a festive tale in any sense of the word but really a very good crime thriller.

I enjoyed this but it took me a while to get into and I persevered more than rushed through it. I hadn't realised this was a few books into a series, and I don't like to read books in this way. Possibly my fault. Almost from the beginning it felt to me like there was some information missing - I needed to know what had happened in Antonia's life to bring her to this point. She had clearly been through a traumatic event which is mentioned several times. When you get to the end the significance of the previous event, linked to this one is clear. It's possibly a quirk of mine, but I would have read the previous books first had I known. In saying that, it can be read alone as the actual story is a strong one. I wasn't keen on how it ended, it didn't fit to me, and until Antonia was returning to the police station at the end I hadn't realised what had actually happened. The final big event I did hold my breath and was shouting at them to watch out. Overall a character I will try to get to know better by reading the previous books but as a stand alone it wasn't for me.

Shocking!! I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Written by Alastair Gunn, and published by Penguin Random House UK in 2017, this is a police procedural novel set in the vicinity of London, England in the present day. The protagonist is Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Antonia (Toni) Hawkins of the Metropolitan Police (Met). Her fiancé is an American, Mike Maguire, also a detective with the Met. Hawkins has arranged for the transfer of Detective Inspector (DI) Maguire from her unit to a narcotics task force in order to attempt a delay of their upcoming wedding. Maguire is happy with his new assignment because he does not realize that his fiancée arranged the transfer. Their relationship is on the verge of breaking up, and Hawkins is hiding her concerns about their relationship from Maguire.

A considerable amount of the story is devoted to details of their domestic relationship, which I found to be distracting more than contributing. If I wanted to read a Romance novel, I would not have acquired a Police Procedural book.

The title of the book is derived from the name of a hamlet and the ruins of an old church near London that got their names from a very cold winter centuries ago in which a number of the community’s children died, and whose remains were interred in the church cemetery. Both the church and the nearby hamlet were named Cold Christmas by the locals. The church is believed to be haunted, and believers and spiritualists from near and far travel to the site as tourists, much to the irritations of many of the locals. The author provides what I believe to be an excess of detailed description about the church, its cemetery, and its environs that amounted to a lot more than I really wanted to know about the place. In addition, there are several plot detours that appeared to me to be nothing more than red herrings designed to add pages to the book without materially contributing to the plot. I thought they could have been better handled by the author.

The story begins as the bodies of three young men are found in an abandoned building, and there is no obvious sign of the cause of death. It turns out that the murder weapon will be uniquely new to crime fiction. It is quite creative. Before the case is solved, there will be additional murders. DCI Hawkins will chase empty leads a couple of times before she homes in on the trail of the killer, but she eventually finds him (of course). Unfortunately, her lead investigative detective, DS Frank Todd, is skeptical of her theories of the case, and seems to disrespect her role as the chief investigator on the case. He is not there when she needs him most.

Some parts of the story are worded and structured in such a way as to make it a bit confusing at times, especially near the beginning, but the intent is usually decipherable. Even though the novel was probably intended for a British audience, Americans should have no problems with the British slang and idioms, and shouldn’t have any problems following the story line.

The story could benefit from additional character development. Aside from DCI Hawkins, the other characters all seem two-dimensional, at best. At the end of the story, we are left wondering about some of the members of her team of detectives — especially those who seem to have performance and attitude issues. To me, the ending of the story was quite unsatisfying, but others might not agree. Still, the book is a quick, easy read with a good deal of entertainment value to those who like British police procedurals. I can certainly provide a qualified recommendation to aficionados of the genre.

When a book grips you from the very first page and doesn't let go until the last you know it is a winner.
This is book four in the DCI Antonia Hawkins series but could be read as a standalone.
It is a well written, compelling crime thriller.
4*****

Just like the other books in this series, "Cold Christmas" is a dark story. Antonia Hawkins is not all cuddle and fluff. She has mental problems and is driven to the extreme to not be seen as less than her male colleagues. The story starts off with Joey being confined and not knowing what happened and where he is. Antonia throws herself into the investigation and is slowly making progress. Everything is a little bit overshadowed of the problems mounting in the relationship between Mike and Antonia. There is a lot of focus on the falling apart of the planned wedding and that it's almost impossible to have a functioning home life for policeman/woman. But I was unable to stop reading and can't wait to read more about Antonia Hawkins. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK!

I loved Cold Christmas for its gripping storyline, the messy emotional subplot, and the tense and unexpected ending. It is a mesmerising page-turner and a thoroughly enjoyable read! I would highly recommend it!

DCI Antonia Hawkins (known just as Hawkins throughout most of the novel) has been handed the investigation into the deaths of three young men found lying side by side, naked from the waist up, decomposing in a derelict London flat. Although not totally every day of the occurrence, the case is made more unusual as the cause of death takes quite a while to establish. Even when it’s known it is not a great help, to begin with.

Hawkins is a single-minded copper hellbent on getting to the truth and solving the case in hand. She is romantically linked to DI Mike McGuire and it’s not long before her investigations lead to their paths crossing and Mike is not at all happy about it.

This is the fourth in the series. Usually, all these types of serial crime thrillers can be read as standalones. Although this one is no exception I felt that the reader would definitely benefit from knowing the background history of the at least the first of the previous three.

The characters are well fleshed-out and their failings are on display for all to see. As a result, they felt much more like real people to whom the reader could relate. Hawkins and McGuire clearly have strong feelings for each other but something always gets in the way. Maybe it’s the job; maybe it’s Hawkins’ inability to commit. Much like real life then.

The changes of pace and the twists and turns come thick and fast but the strongest feature of the plot was just not knowing what was going on and why young men were being murdered with the same MO. The reader is placed in exactly the same position as the investigating officer and has to sift through the events and clues as they arise in order to reach sensible conclusions. This style of writing makes the novel quite gritty and true to life.

There were, of course, issues which could be criticised but overall these were minor and can be readily pardoned given the explosive ending which will leave any reader feeling totally stunned.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Full of twists and turns, captivating from start to finish. The only problem with this book is putting it down..I never managed that, I enjoyed it so much I read it in one go. Brilliant

I enjoyed this book. I was more interested in in the murder storey line rather than the relationship.