Book Description:
FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND AND IMPOSTOR
Christmas can be murder…
After a busy year fighting crime, DCI Ryan and his team of murder detectives are enjoying a festive season of goodwill, mulled wine and, in the case of DS Phillips, a stottie cake or two—that is, until a freak snowstorm forces their car off the main road and into the remote heart of Northumberland. Their Christmas spirit is soon tested when they’re forced to find shelter inside England’s most haunted castle, where they’re the uninvited guests at a ‘Candlelit Ghost Hunt’. It’s all fun and games—until one of the guests is murdered. It seems no mortal hand could have committed the crime, so Ryan and Co. must face the spectres living inside the castle walls to uncover the grisly truth, before another ghost joins their number…
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.
My Thoughts:
Whilst Christmas may have come and gone, as it is still the coldest time of the year, this was the perfect book to snuggle up with. With freezing temperatures outside, there is nothing like being snug and warm on the inside, enjoying a good book.
The story starts off with Ryan, Phillips and their partners all in good spirits until they get stranded due to the bad weather. I was quite envious of them to start with as they end up having to take shelter in a castle. The castle sounded fabulous and even the ghost stories about it being haunted, didn’t put me off in the slightest.
It wouldn’t be a crime book of course if there wasn’t a good old murder or two and there is no rest for poor Ryan and Phillips as they have to try and solve the case. Cut off from the outside world with no working phone lines, they really are up against it.
This is a proper whodunnit that reminisces of Agatha Christie. I love the sense of isolation and that the murderer must be one of the small cast of characters within the house. Whilst it’s set at Christmas time, the festive spirit doesn’t really come into it until the end, ensuring that this can be read at anytime of the year.
Ryan’s Christmas is an addictive read and one I was sad to see end. I was enjoying it that much that I had it read in no time at all. The story line was an addictive one and when the revelations started coming, they were thick and fast. Having me racing through the pages feeling a mixture of shock and excitement. The ending I absolutely loved and had me smiling for quite a while after. My only issue is, is that I am now desperate for the next book in the series.
Ryan’s Christmas is available to purchase from Amazon. (Please note that link used is an Amazon affiliate link).
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