The Christmas Carol Killer

Who won't wake from this silent night?

It’s December and Durham is bustling with shoppers and visitors, and a gruesome murder isn't on anyone's Christmas list. So when retired teacher Joseph Morley is found dead, sheet music crammed down his throat while the Coventry Carol plays on repeat in the background, the police want answers fast.

DI Tom Stonem and his partner, DS Lauren Rea, had hoped this would be a quiet Christmas – but soon they're plunged into a sinister investigation that quickly reveals Morley was formerly choirmaster at well-to-do local school, St. Bartholomew’s.

But Morley's corpse is not the only festive surprise and soon the body count rises, each with a link to the school and its mysterious past. When Tom discovers a cold case of a runaway chorister turns out to be far from closed, his investigations bring unwelcome attention: someone seems set on stopping Tom before he finds out who is behind the killing spree.

As Christmas Eve approaches, Tom must decipher the killer's chilling motives before the clock strikes for midnight mass. Will he unearth the truth behind the hidden messages in the carols – or become the next victim in a deadly performance?