I thought the Echo Man was good but the Twenty steps up a gear. Sam Holland will take Val McDermid's crown as Britain's queen of serial killer writing. This one opens with gruesomely mutilated bodies being found dumped on a builders yard tip.. Adam is the the DCI in charge, himself a troubled being after divorce from Romilly - whose father is a convicted murderer locked up in Belmarsh. The murders are going to get closer and closer to home but even after the killer is arrested a terrifying final twist is coming. Unputdownable.

What’s the significance of ‘The Twenty’ – the title of this formidable new novel from Sam Holland? To tell would be to strip you from the (gruesome) discovery, a hook which this crime thriller novel plays on throughout to exemplary effect.

DCI Adam Bishop knows at the outset of a new case, where multiple bodies are found on a tipping site, this could be the success which takes him ever further up the career ladder. Already known for being the detective who works the hardest, pushes furthest, and never gives up, underneath the undeniable horror, he’s excited to have the chance to prove his worth on a major profile serial killer case. But as the case rages out of his control with more victims coming thick and fast, he begins to doubt his ability; and when the killer begins to focus their efforts ever closer to home, the lines between his personal life and career become increasingly blurred.

#TheTwenty is an absorbing and gripping novel, absolutely taut with tension at each step, entirely edifying and wholly satisfying. Holland delivers an exemplary job at building pace, faultlessly weaving complex plot threads together. It’s an utterly convincing read;- the police procedural aspects are superb and never threaten to overwhelm the plot (as can sometimes happen); the characterisation engaging and believable; and the novel never rushes to tie up the various plot threads nicely. Instead, as in real life, not all protagonists get their happy ending. Holland writes boldly, unafraid to dispense with characters who we’ve already made emotional ties to.
This is a really assured piece of writing which delivers on its promises. Holland writes confidently, precisely, intensely, and above all, authentically, sucking you into the storyline. I am a HUGE fan of this book; it reads like an author on their tenth novel, not their second, which sets huge expectations and excitement for what Sam Holland will be bringing us next.

It’s out this week, so grab yourselves a copy! Thanks to #netgalley.

A definite 5 star read for me and one of my books of 2023 so far ... an absolute cracker!!

I read a lot of crime and psychological thrillers and the odd horror book and it takes a lot to get me going but Sam Holland most definitely got me going with The Twenty. Oh my word!! Why? I hear you ask.

Excellent and interesting characters ... check.
Excellent serial killer ... check.
Gripping story line ... check.
Fast pace ... check.
Twists and turns ... check.
Gruesome scenes that give you the chills ... check.
Tension and suspense in spades ... check.

What more is there to be said? Oh yes, this might be book 2 but don't let that put you off, it can easily be read as a standalone but I would strongly suggest you read book 1, The Echo Man, it's also a cracker!!

Highly recommended to those of you who enjoy a dark, gritty and grisly crime thriller ... you won't go far wrong with Sam Holland and I must thank HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of the brilliant The Twenty.

I can't wait to see what comes next.

This book was absolutely brilliant! Very grisly and gruesome in parts and definitely the stuff of nightmares. Very clever plot and I certainly didn't guess the 'perp'. Every bit as good as The Echo Man if not better.

DCI Adam Bishop is a troubled man, personally and professionally. His life becomes even more complicated when the two collide in a gruesome murder investigation. There are two epic twists in this novel that absolutely floored me making it one of the best reads in a while. There were some quite gory bits that made me pull a face but I’ll forgive that for a story of this calibre.

The Twenty" is its fast-paced and engaging plot, which keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Holland's writing is crisp and efficient, and he does an excellent job of building tension and suspense throughout the story.

Another notable aspect of the novel is its exploration of the themes of ambition, greed, and morality. As the characters are pushed to their limits, they must grapple with difficult ethical questions and confront the consequences of their actions.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

I think I was expecting too much from this book as the last book The Echo Man was so good but saying that I still enjoyed the storyline and meeting the new characters and an appearance of one from the Echo Man would definitely recommend and eagerly await the next book

This book was, at times, quite disturbing and scary! An enormously thrilling book by Sam Holland called The Twenty which I received from Harper Collins UK via Netgalley and it will be published on the 11th of May.

DCI Adam Bishop is called in when a body is discovered. While in scene, they stumble across more bodies - and more disturbingly, Roman numbers which count down. It can only mean one thing, there will be more...
His ex-wife hears about these murders and gets flashbacks to her traumatic past. She apparently holds the key to solving this horrible case.
They have to hurry otherwise there will be more bodies.

This book was quite the rollercoaster ride of suspense and action. The story is great - well worked out and so interesting I couldn't stop reading at all. The characters are also relatable and you feel their emotions with them.
The ending is also brilliant and I, for one, did not see that coming and that's a major plus!

5/5⭐!

I finished the Echo Man and moved straight on to The Twenty and what a read.
One of the things that Holland so successfully does, is she makes you so invested in the characters by drip feeding you snippets and clues to their backstory that you're continually turning the pages trying to find out more.
Of course, the serial killer element is chillingly frightening and is a fabulous hook in itself and by giving insight into the kilelrs backstory and motivations, we become even mor invested in identifying the killer living among our characters.
A thoroughly nailbiting and definitely scary read

Wow, I loved this book. It raced and weaved & bobbed so that just when you think you have the answer, you find yourself at a dead end. Lots of red herrings - I was certain I knew who the killer was, but I was wrong. The puppet master is a returning character, a very sinister & brutal killer, but you don't need to have read the first book to enjoy this - it works well as a stand alone too. If you like your thrillers pacy & gripping, you need to read this.

When multiple bodies are found on a waste site with Roman numerals carved above them, DCI Bishop has a horrific serial killer investigation on his hands. Soon more bodies turn up and it’s a race in time to try and find the killer and prevent even more murders. However as the title suggests, the killer is possibly aiming for twenty.

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of gore and suspense and twists and turns. I certainly didn’t guess the ending and it kept me hooked.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Harper Collins for this advanced copy

A horrific murder scene - five bodies in a landfill - bring back memories of a killer tucked away in a maximum-security prison. DCI Adam Bishop takes on the case, but his ex-wife seems to think that they could be connected to trauma from her past. As the killer counts down, the bodies pile up and it appears that they are sending a message - one which is particularly close to home.

As someone who enjoyed The Echo Man (despite its flaws) I was intrigued to read The Twenty - whilst it is a standalone book, there is a small amount of crossover for those who have read the first one. Unfortunately this book does suffer the same sort of flaws as The Echo Man - and yet again I'm not sure the ending sticks the landing. A solid 3* book for me.

DCI Adam Bishop has been called to a crime scene, and one of horrific proportions. A patch of wasteland used by flytippers is where five bodies have been discovered, each of them murdered and all have a number spray painted above their bodies, from sixteen to twelve in Roman numerals, the killer is counting down. Dr Romilly Cole is convinced they are linked to an old case that she is all too familiar with, getting Bishop on board with her theory is proving difficult though, but the bodies are increasing and getting closer to home with each passing day. Can Adam find the killer before the number hits zero?

The Twenty is an action packed thriller which is told over the course of two weeks about a serial killer who is committing the most heinous crimes, it's a fast paced read which is very graphic in places and definitely not one for the faint hearted. I was drawn in from the very first page and, when real life got in the way, I found myself desperate to get back to my kindle to see what the perpetrator did next. It is a dark, atmospheric, but at the same time, emotional story and Holland definitely knows how to capture her audience. This latest book makes a lot of references to her debut, The Echo Man, which I am yet to read and, although I have it on good authority that The Twenty can be read as a standalone, I think I definitely need to bump The Echo Man up my tbr list!

I'd like to thank HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

This is a great crime thriller.
When DCI Adam Bishop is faced with several dead bodies and numbers nearby each one, he knows this is going to be a hard case to work on.
When his ex wife Romilly hears about the murders she knows deep down that they relate to some murders in the past that she was very close to.
This is a complex crime thriller and I can’t say too much as quite a few aspects of the story are linked together.
There’s a few shocks in store and like her previous book, The Echo Man the murders are described in gruesome detail.
You can read this as a stand alone but I’d also highly recommend The Echo Man.
A great read.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Seriously this book is brilliant. I stayed up to finish it! I had 3 possible suspects in my head and it did keep me guessing. Fabulous!

What a roller coaster this book was! The chapters were short; the characters were flawed but interesting. As in the Echo Man there were quite a few dead bodies but it didn't feel so random. I felt far more invested in this book than the first one and would thoroughly recommend as a good, edge of the seat read.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Sam Holland/HarperCollins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Huge thank you to @harpercollinsuk and @netgalley for this copy of The Twenty, Sam Holland's follow up to The Echo Man.

This was fantastic and exactly what I expected; dark, graphic and captivating! I loved The Echo Man, so I'm not overly surprised that I also adored this one!The story had me in its grasp throughout and Holland's writing is beyond gripping. This made for a top-level page turner and I need more!

The Twenty had depth, twists, emotion and gruesome serial murders. Obsessed. Definitely pick this up if you're a fan of a thriller!

Out May 11!

* Please look up trigger warnings before reading *

Another cracking psychological thriller from Sam Holland. Following on from his debut The Echo Man, this also features a notorious serial killer. However, this one is safely tucked up in prison so just who is continuing his evil killing spree? At first DCI Adam Bishop refuses to believe his ex-wife Romilly that the new wave of killings is connected to this monster but as the previously undisclosed evidence comes to the fore, he finds it impossible to overlook. With the escalation of murders and danger getting a little too personal Adam’s whole life seems to be spiralling out of control. Can he catch the killer before they reach a body count of 20? A fast paced book with several twists that send the investigation in different directions. With tension and fear aplenty this horrific story will not disappoint.

This is an excellent read. Original, gripping, full of surprises. A serial killer who aimed at creating twenty ( thus the title) murders is in gaol. So who is trying to complete the twenty? His daughter was married to a senior detective involved in solving this case and she offers insights from her past. He is also close to a colleague who is about to be closely involved in the case. The book is totally unpredictable with the murders coming too close to,home for the detectives. There are endless surprises and a very thoughtful conclusion This is an unusual and very rewarding read. I recommend it.

DCI Adam Bishop is having a night off when his DS Jamie Hoxton finds him in a club and tells him he is needed at a murder scene. What awaits them there is something out of Adam’s worst nightmares. Multiple bodies in various states of decomposition. They are clearly looking for a serial killer, but is this the start or the end of the spree.
When Dr Romilly Cole hears about the killings, they trigger a terrifying reaction and bring to the fore memories she has spent years trying to bury. Romilly thinks she can help but her history with Adam means he is reluctant to listen to her.
Adam and his team need to find the killer and quickly, the bodies are mounting and the killer is getting closer to home.
Dark and disturbing, this is a book you won’t want to put down once you pick it up. It’s full of twists and turns that you won’t see coming. One of the best books I’ve read this year. 5 stars isn’t enough.