A troubled police detective currented suspended from work becomes mixed up with a murder suspect after a house is set on fire and a man dies. Clues at the scene link this case to another brutal murder and assault, and the detective becomes convinced that the crimes, despite their differences, are the work of the same killer.

The characters are interesting if a little cliched (maverick detective suffering with chronic pain that requires him to take increasingly strong pain killers, troubled but innocent murder suspect with apparent mental health condition) although I couldn't say I liked them very much. The murders are brutal, cosy murder mystery this ain't, but I was gripped by the story and eager to find out who the killer was, and whether he would be brought to justice. My one (small) complaint is how the killer finds the time to murder as many people as he does without it being flagged up as the work of one or more serial killers, but ignoring that tiny plot point I thought it was a very good book.

*Audiobook review*
This was a dark, dark book, with triggers all over the pages. Had to warn you.
I am not put off by anything in thrillers these days, as I have come to expect it. From the premise, a copycat killer who replicates the murders of notorious killers, it was bound to have dark and gruesome deaths in it.
That said, even with the murders and suspense, I did struggle to stay engaged with the audio. I know my attention span is struggling at the moment, but some audios are gripping me. I can't even really put my finger on what it was.
I think there was so much content on the murders, some could have been saved for another book! But I loved the premise and the ending was fantastic.

This was such a fast paced intense thrilling ride of a read and definitely not for the faint hearted, I'm not one who minds it too much but even I was shocked at the level in here especially as it's a copycat killer so the graphic details in here are quite disturbing at times. But the actual plot is really gripping I could not put this book down, I just absolutely had to know how this was all going to play out, I definitely had my suspicious throughout this and I was right on most of them although not all.
The characters while not all likable are really easy to root for and I totally rooted for Griffin he's definitely a firm favourite in here.
For a debut this easily kept me entertained and flipping the pages, if you like your gruesome crime thrillers this one will definitely give you what you're looking for. My one and only complaint is the slightly open ending if you tend to like everything tied up in a bow just know going in that the echo man doesn't completely wrap up.

Thank you so much to the publishers at netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙢 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙

WOW. This was a solid five star read for me and a firm favorite of the year so far. I knew I’d love this one - the synopsis grabbed my attention straight away with the intriguing copycat serial killer appealing to my inner true crime nerd and I absolutely cannot believe this is Holland’s debut novel. I can’t describe how chilling and engaging this was and probably won’t do it justice with my review but I’m gonna try!

Dark, gritty, disturbing and brutal, this is not for the faint-hearted: filled to the brim with descriptive and brutal murders from start to finish, this is one of the most addictive books I’ve read for a while. (I will say I’m personally fine with graphic gore in books but there is quite descriptive hanging content which did throw me so be aware if this is also triggering for you.) Despite being a chunky 458 pages, I read this SO fast, starting it yesterday and finishing this morning, only putting it down to sleep. It was compelling, immersive, gripping, incredibly fast paced and I physically couldn’t tap my kindle fast enough to fly through the pages.
 
I’m a huge lover of police procedural books and loved the aspect of the reports interspersed throughout the plot. The characterization was brilliant – I especially felt a real connection to Griffin, who was flawed and emotionally broken but headstrong and feisty. Throughout I thought it was super obvious who the killer was but oh my god was I blindsided.. just when I thought I’d put my finger on it, another crazy twist is thrown in. And that KILLER ending (pun intended!) was a real jaw-dropper. I’d highly recommending reading this if you like these kind of thrillers - Holland is for sure an author I’ll be keeping my eye out for and immediately purchasing any of her future books.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (5/5)

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 + 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂!

This is a fast paced, tense and exciting thriller. It’s based on a series of gruesome murders and it’s a race against time to halt the killings for the team of detectives, led by DCI Cara Elliott. The characters are complex and so well described that it’s easy to relate to them and empathise with their situation.

The plot is well worked out and there are some twists and turns that shock. I must admit to nearly working it all out but couldn’t have imagined the final outcome.

For some, the descriptions of the attacks may be too unpleasant but overall, it’s a winner.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the complimentary copy.

Not for the faint hearted.
A serial killer is on the loose and imitating famous serial killers from time gone by.
At one point I'm sure the body count was over thirty and includes mutilation and decapitation.
Few details are spared by Sam Holland.
Despite the gory nature of the narrative, this is a pretty decent read nonetheless and I'd have no hesitation in recommending to anyone who enjoys this genre of book, but be warned few details are spared along the way.

Wow what a joy to read from start to finish. A dark, dark thriller that pulls you in leaving you wanting to keep reading to see what happens next. I've given 4 stars to other authors knowing that there was something missing, but this book has got it all and is well deserved of 5 stars. I sincerely hope the author writes another one with the same characters, I would love to read what happened next.

Sam Holland has exploded onto the crime fiction scene with her debut novel, The Echo Man. If you enjoy fast paced, gritty and very dark crime thrillers, then you definitely need to check it out

Sam Holland certainly does not shy away from the darkness. she really delves deep here, and she has created a complex, well thought out plot.

Jess is plunged into a nightmare when her husband is killed following a fire at her house. She and her daughter escape by the skin of their teeth. But Jess immediately is considered a suspect by the police in her husband’s death. Without sticking around to clear her name, Jess decides to go on the run and seeks help from moody suspended detective Nate Griffin

Meanwhile Nates sister, Cara Elliot and her team are put in charge of a grisly murder investigation, and it isn’t long before they realise that they are chasing a copycat of the most sadistic serial killers of the last 50 years
Highly recommended if you like shocking, gory killings and a high body count.

This will leave you guessing until the very last page.

DNFd at 40%

Don't get me wrong – this started off well for me with the grisly murders and it is VERY GRAPHIC then the separate POVs but the relationship between Jess and Griffin seemed very unlikely and a few plot reveals at leading up to the 40% point just made me roll my eyes. It was going so well.

I'm obviously in the minority here which is fine but we all can't love the same books equally.

This book is not for the faint hearted or squeamish. It’s dark and scary and I couldn't stop reading. Brilliant! Love it!

What an exciting thriller! Jess Ambrose goes to sleep after a row with her husband, and wakes to a house ablaze. She and her daughter escape, with some injuries, but her husband dies. However, the police are looking to her to explain both the blaze and the fact her husband didn't die in the fire. She runs from hospital and is sheltered by Nate Griffin, who was suspended from the police force.

Nate's sister Cara is investigating the crime, but then evidence is placed which draws her into other crimes, some historic, some very close to home. The story is pacy, and the reader is drawn along as the clues mount as Cara realises that one person is imitating serial killers and staging the victims accordingly. The tension mounts as Nate and Cara try to determine who is guilty.

Really enjoyable, it gripped my attention and made me want to read more and more. Can't wait for more from this author! Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

https://lynns-books.com/2022/06/14/the-echo-man-by-sam-holland/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Read it if you dare

The Echo Man by Sam Holland is an impressive debut. The main concept of a copycat serial killer is chilling and horrifying to read and the pace and tension are ramped up as the police try to stop the killer before more lives are lost.

Jess Ambrose’s life is shattered when her house goes up in flames killing her husband and leaving her as the chief suspect. Determined to prove her innocence she runs from the hospital and the police and goes into hiding with the help of a renegade, and currently suspended, detective called Nate Griffin.

At the same time Cara Elliott is taking the lead on a number of recent and grisly murders. These cases are believed to be unconnected until one of the most recent murder scenes triggers a connection and the police become aware that these cases echo the MOs of previous serial killers. With this in mind, the manhunt is stepped up and at the same time the body count climbs ever higher as the murderer becomes over confident.

What I liked about the Echo Man is that the author manages to provide the characters with their own stories, background, family and tragedies. Both Jess and Nate have personal issues that they struggle with on a daily basis and are drawn to each other in an almost protective way. Cara is also struggling. She has a devoted police team but the surge in murders means that most of the time time she’s in work, missing her husband and daughter and the simple everyday things that they usually enjoy. On top of this Cara and Nate are brother and sister, which doesn’t necessarily make working together easy, particularly as Nate is liable to blow up, has a hate/hate relationship with one of the other detectives and doesn’t really follow orders.

Now, I’m just going to point out that this book makes for some shocking, vivid and almost nightmarish descriptions of murder. This is not for the faint hearted. I’m not saying the blood and death here is gratuitous because that certainly isn’t the case. The murderer is mimicking famous serial killers and posing his death scenarios in a way that is almost like a tribute to them – the fact that these are real murderers is probably what gives this the real shock value.

In terms of criticisms. Well, I had to suspend my disbelief in relation to certain things. I found myself reading and at first harboring niggles about the unlikelihood of certain elements that took place. Then I gave my head a wobble and decided that regardless of a few plot holes here and there I was going to read this for the murder mystery/chiller element that I thought was really well done. I must say that the one thing that really struck me though was the timeframe at the end – the murders were stacking up with almost indecent haste and it felt too frantic.

Overall, I think this is an impressive debut. It’s chilling, bloody and fast paced. I practically whipped though this one with indecent haste because I was desperate to know the who/what/why element and in spite of the grim bloodfest I barely put this down and in fact found myself missing the characters when everything came to an end.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Wow what a debut . If this book is a sign of things to come from Sam Holland I can’t wait for the next one.
I love a good book about a serial killer but a serial killer who’s copying previous famous serial killers has all the makings of a brilliant book.
This was a great read and had me gripped from the first page. So many twists and turns and at times the suspense was almost palpable. It kept me up late into the night as I just couldn’t put it down, especially towards the end.
I loved all the main characters and their relationships with each other.
Hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next book from Sam.

Lots of twists and turns, just as you think you have it all figured out - think again - and then again. Definitely worth a read

Read it in a day

OMG this is not for the faint hearted
What a debut - one of the best books I have read all year
Plenty of tension, twists, turns and dark
If you want a fast paced extremely grisly nail biting read then this is for you

Thank you netgalley, Sam Holland and Harper Collins UK

This book is grey especially for someone like me who is fascinated by serial killers
. I was guessing the killers as they wete described.
Great writing with twists and turns all over the shop. Cannot wait for the next one.

The Echo Man was an indeed a gripping page turner. Shocking, dark, disturbing, gory, brutal....even offensive I'm sure to some....I literally couldn't sleep after reading a few chapters the first night before bed. The darkness creeps into your soul.... So just be warned, any trigger warning you can think of will apply to this book!

Jessica's husband is killed when their house burns down, and Jessica is then accused of his murder. Fearful of the police, she goes on the run when a damaged ex-cop, Griffin, takes her under his wing. Griffin is searching for a killer....and looking for a connection between Jess's house being burned down and a recent spate of seemingly unrelated murders. Griffin's sister, Cara, is a cop and also looking for a killer....and coincidentally she's on the hunt for Jessica too, when all of their paths and theories collide...... I know, already a lot said and 3 characters mentioned.....there's still a whole lot more in The Echo Man!

I did enjoy most of the characters and I do love the author's writing style. That being said though, I think there was so much gore...it seemed like it was to shock more than anything. I also felt the one romantic connection in the book was a bit unbelievable with the timing of it, but I am sure the relationship was for character development, so I didn't mind it too much.

Everybody was a suspect at some stage....and the author definitely was out to make us question absolutely everybody. Some confusion for me, because sometimes we'd be using first names, then in the next sentence a surname and I'd be wondering.....was there another person in the room that I missed? So I just wish there was consistency with using the same name for a character.

Also, the end was plenty twisty, maybe one twist too many for me....maybe a sequel is coming....I'd love to get to know these characters a bit more, so that would be kind of interesting.

The Echo Man was really un-put-downable, entertaining and a thrilling debut from Sam Holland!

Thanks to Netgalley for the digital review copy.

This is quite graphic and gruesome- not for the squeamish, but I enjoyed reading it. There are some twist and turns, I thought I had it sussed but no.

This book had me gripped from the first chapter!

The Echo Man is a serial killer with a twist… he’s mimicking several infamous serial killers. The race is on to find out who is behind this and why. You have the congenital cops, the dangerous maverick cop who doesn’t play by the rules and several suspects. Just when you think you have it worked out, there’s another twist thrown in.

5 star read!

WOW 🤩 loved this book ! A really original storyline. Although quite dark in places, it keep you guessing right to the very end. As a debut novel it’s top class!