I liked Cold Christmas. It is a very well written police procedural. I have read a previous book in this series and found the characters rounded and their back story helps the story flow. The crime to be solved is good - no loose ends, plenty of drama and intrigue to grip you, no unbelievable plot twists. Nicely done.

They haven’t rang yet, I’m going to try and get some sleep or I’ll not be able to get up for work in the morning, if I miss them I’ll just have to ring the Doctors first thing tomorrow xxxxx

The fourth in the Antonia Hawkins series. I am pleased that I was invited to also read thr first in the series Advent Calendar as it sets the scene for this chapter in Antonia Story. If you enjoy a troubled female detective with social, personal and work issues matched against a very strange murder enquiry then this is the way forwRd for you the deaths are initially unfathomable but the investigation leads to a dabble in the paranormal, spiritual , ritualistic and demonic world before reaching its heart wrenching conclusion. Not for the faint hearted. My thanks to the publisher and a NetGalley for an Arc copy to review

This was a very good detective thriller. The main characters were believable, and the plot was interesting. I thought some of the other people were not as developed as they could have been, but nevertheless, I would recommend this for readers of this genre.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really really like this author and like DCI Antonia Hawkins. If you have not read the previous books it does not matter as this can be read as a standalone. Highly recommend

DCI Antonia Hawkins is investigating a series of murders where there is no sign of any external trauma on the bodies. On top of that, things are not going well in her relationship with fellow officer DI Mike Maguire.

How is the murderer killing their victims and what connects the victims?
This is my first Alastair Gunn novel and I enjoyed it.

Hawkins is a well-rounded dedicated police central character and determinedly tracks through the complicated case. The case takes some interesting twists and turns into spirituality and devil worship but Gunn keeps it penned to realistically sounding police procedures.

There is some backstory to an attack on Antonia in a previous novel so I'd recommend reading these books in order if possible if you want to get a full understanding of the lead character's full profile.

It was an enjoyable read, with a suitable amount of twists and turns but a large % of the plot is focused on the personal relationship between Antonia and Mike which does distract from the action repeatedly. I would happily read another one of Gunn's novels though.

Many thanks to Netgalley for providing this book for review in exchange for an honest review.

Another gripping case for DCI Antonia Hawkins, which used Christmas nominally as its backdrop, although not as obviously as in the excellent first novel in the series, 'The Advent Killer', which I loved. Maybe not quite as chilling as that first seasonal offering, this case gained momentum after the frustrations of an initial lack of evidence, which seems to dog all investigations, and gathered pace to a thrilling denouement and a genuinely shocking conclusion. An enjoyable and absorbing page-turner to settle down with at this chilly time of year.

Well well, here I am after playing catch up, finally up to date with this series. I have to say I have really enjoyed reading books 2, 3 and 4 back to back. It's been great spending some time with Antonia Hawkins and I really feel I have gotten to know her now.
I just can't believe how this book ended. Bad Alastiar Gunn. I didn't see that comming.
I could happily dive right into book 5 NOW, so please Mr Gunn, don't make me wait to long. lol
I felt throughout this book that your attention was really peaked, it's one of those just one more page, just one more chapter.
If you have seen any of my other reviews recently you will know I have really been enjoying getting to know Antonia Hawkins and just when I thought things could slowly slowly be getting on track for her, and her future looking a little better, BOOM. The author throws in something that totally took me by suprise. I guess in hindsight I could say, I saw this coming, buy by god, I didn't.
A brilliantly clever end to the book that leaves you gasping for more.
Antonia Hawkins and her team are off again on yet another new case, another case to drive them mad, another case to get stuck into and forget that the real world outside of the police doesn't exist, at least until the case is solved for Antonia there is no other world other than the police.
When the bodies of 3 men are found together, with no apparent cause of death it's a case that has got the whole team baffled. As more deaths follow it's a race against time to try and figure out what the hell is going on.

​A very well written book, this one I think is my favorite so far in this series.


Have yourself a Merry Killer Christmas and get stuck into this book.

I wonder what our fictional Simon Hunter, the resident psychological profiler would make of an author with a fascination for high voltage apparatus and a predilection for Yuletide? Maybe he would postulate that as a boy he may have received an electrical shock whilst trying to repair the Christmas tree lights and wrongly associates in adulthood, near death and the festive season? Alastair Gunn’s two successful novels, The Advent Killer and Cold Christmas certainly sets the pulse racing. Cold Christmas, in my opinion, is a better read, building the character of DI Antonia Hawkins in what appears to be a bizarre set of killings. The plot was really good for 90% of the novel but the rationale for the killings was very weak and frankly I felt cheated. The death or her partner was a good move by the author as it leaves Antonia with an even greater depth of character to write about.

This was a very intelligent murder, mystery. Lots of different threads which kept me totally involved. Some really good characters that were easy to relate to and a story line with lots of details about the dark side. The build up to the conclusion was nail biting and totally unexpected with a twist in the tail. Great read.

this is the first book i’ve read by this author but won’t be the last. Cold Christmas is the 4th book in this series and i hope more will follow.

the books are gritty police procedural following DCI Antonia Hawkins and her team. the bodies of 3 men are found in a disused flat on a large estate. no cause of death can be found or reason for their deaths. more deaths follow in similar circumstances and the race is on to find out who and why these deaths are occurring. the plot moves in a direction i hadn’t expected but thoroughly enjoyed.

DCI Hawkins has issues in her personal life and causes her to throw herself into her career.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy this rather dark and disturbing murder tale, I had no idea what was going on and what the motive was and I liked that.I didn't like the relationship between Antonia and Mike I found myself on Antonia's side although she was clearly troubled and needed help, but I didn't like Mike very much.I did think their relationship was annoying it I guess it painted a more realistic picture of the stresses that a police officer has to deal with its not just all about the current case .The pace of the book was good and I was clueless about what was going on , I enjoyed reading this book and would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC

A year after the first book in the series finds DCI Hawkins permanently promoted and living with her lover, Mike Macguire, who is now her fiance. Except for DCI Hawkins it feels suffocating and their relationship suffers from too much work and not enough communication. Meanwhile, three bodies show up dead but with no apparent reason. And somehow an odd church built at the wrong angle plays a part. Smartly written, while the puzzle pieces of the murder are slowly falling together, Hawkins and Macguire's relationship is quickly falling apart. DCI Hawkins is a well developed character and this lets her flaws shine through to the point where the reader might want to shake some sense in to her. I hope in future books, Mr. Gunn provides the same attention to some of the other characters.

Thanks to Net Galley & Penguin UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
DCI Antonia Hawkins has another killer to catch. There are 3 dead young men and very soon the number rises to 4 & then 5. She and her team are working around the clock, which leaves very little time for her fiancé Mike who is wanting to move forward with wedding plans. Their relationship is falling apart and Mike moves out.
There seems to be a cult connection linking the murders and the search takes them to a small village and Cold Christmas Church where there have been rumours of cult gatherings.
The story is dark, and has a surprising ending which I wasn’t expecting. I didn’t realise that this was the 4th book in this series. Good overall read well deserving of 4 stars.

This is a good solid book very well written with an interesting plot and lots of characters for you to get to know. DCI Antonia Hawkins is in charge and I did appreciate the well researched procedural elements of the story.
I just felt like I had to plough through it somehow and whilst I enjoyed it and could never have guessed the ending I just wasn't gripped. That said I would still strongly recommend it as I am sure very many people would enjoy it.

This is a police procedural, fourth in a series featuring DCI Antonia Hawkins. As well as chasing a serial killer, Hawkins has some relationship hiccups to resolve with her fiancé.
The events take place in the run-up to Christmas but the Cold Christmas of the title is the location of a ruined church linked to the murderer. This is not the first serial killer story that I have read which featured Satanic influences, although the actual method of murder and the motivation here were different. It was a gripping and fast-moving thriller, although quite dark.

Definitely one to read if you like insight into the perpetrators of this type of story. Would recommend this to fans of this type of book.

The book grabs you right from the start with Joel’s terrifying, claustrophobic fight for survival. You cannot see his assailant, but know that the assailant is there, hear him speak. Why Joel is in this situation (What situation? Where are they?), and what the assailant wants, come clear only near the end of the book.
So, a great start, an intriguing and escalating case involving unmarked corpses and the police, initially, clueless, with red herrings abounding.
The writing is very good at setting very atmospheric scenes: “Amala moved straight ahead into an unfurnished lounge, where the odour’s intensity kicked again, going from playful assault to brick-in-the-face”; “Layers of dirt encrusted every surface, damp slowly conquering ancient paper that hung off the walls, creeping in dirty curls towards the floor”. And later: “Rain had started falling in misty sheets, and now the wind picked up, sending it pattering against the crooked, decaying headstones lining the perimeter, and sweeping its icy spray against her cheek, drowning the stillness, as if the elements knew this place had something to hide”. There is an overwhelming feeling of cold and dread throughout the book – superb ambiance for a chilling crime novel.
Why only four stars? One problem I had was the title – “Cold Christmas”. Nothing to do with the festive season, it is the creepy church that plays a big part in the story. It should be a great title – only I could not get Mud’s “Lonely this Christmas” out of my head – which sort of spoilt the intended effect. A more serious (and less personal) problem I had, was the amount of time spent on the flagging relationship between the main protagonist, DCI Toni Hawkins, and her fiancé, Mike. It seems almost obligatory nowadays for the policeman running an enquiry to have a troubled home-life. But, I felt this threatened to overshadow the story.
In a crowded world of crime novels, this story manages to find a fresh approach. It is definitely worth reading, but for me, let down by the excessive focus on Toni’s romantic state, which did not add much to the story.

In the small village of Cold Christmas there's a church that faces the wrong way . . . What has it to do with the three dead men found in a London flat? DCI Antonia Hawkins has a killer to catch. Only she can't predict what is waiting for her at the end of the chase.

This is the first Alastair Gunn’s I’ve read but certainly won’t be the last. This is the fourth Antonia Hawkins novel & I’ll now be reading the first three. This is a powerful, well written novel. It gripped me from the start & the pace was very good & I was riveted throughout Like all good thrillers there are plenty of twists and turns & I was kept guessing right up to the end. If you like a good thriller then this will be for you as it’s a very good thriller & I’ve found a new author to enjoy.

Loved DCI Hawkins latest case. A gripping book as usual and keeps you engaged right to the end. High recommended.