The Twenty, Sam Holland
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Thanks to @instabooktours, @harperfictionpr and @samholland for my place on the tour.

A killer is counting down, five victims found with Roman numerals daubed above their finding place. Dci Bishop is in charge, his ex-wife Romilly seems to think that a killer from the past is back… as the numbers edge towards zero, can they find a way to stop the countdown?

✅ Snappy chapters
✅ Disturbingly gory thriller
✅ Complex characters
✅ Keeps you guessing

➖ Seems a little far-fetched towards the end and I wasn’t fully satisfied with the conclusion.

Sam Holland is a master of the dark, gory thriller! This is book 2 in the Major Crimes series and does mention elements of The Echo Man, although you don’t need to have read it before this one.

Having loved Sam Hollands first book i had high hopes for this one, this did not love up to my high hopes. Dont get me wrong it was a good book but no echo man for me

Thank you HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, HarperCollins and Netgalley for this arc. I was really glad to read this book as a buddy read. Thank you girls. I have really respect of the author couse the previous book was not so interesting for me. But this one was crazy and this in a good way. I liked the complex story and most of the characters were or crazy and I usually not like this. But again this was done well so I get to know everyone well piece by piece. A detective investigation was mixed with some personal of the detectives. More I read faster the reading was. I finished in a record time, so good that was. Maybe the ending was not what ai wanted but was really well done and twists were a surprise. So perfectvat the end.

A gritty and exciting book where five bodies are found, each with Roman numerals painted above them. They have been tortured before death and appear to link to the work of another serial killer - but he's behind bars. Does he have a copycat or is he somehow orchestrating the deaths from prison? DI Adam Bishop is given the case, and realises the killer is counting down from 20, which means more murders to follow. Dr Romilly Cole has traumatic memories of previous events that draw her to the case, but affect her severely as she tries to help. Her memories become key to solving this before more people are killed.

Its a rollercoaster of a read, and certainly doesn't pull its punches. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The countdown has begun. Who will die next?
DCI Adam Bishop has never seen anything like it. Five murder victims – all with numbers written above. And the spray-painted daubs reveal a horrific truth: the killer is counting down…
💬 This is a race against time to find a gruesome serial killer. But not just a serial killer. The most brutal and twisted one you've ever known
The Twenty is so dark that I had to look away at times trying not to faint at the scenes. The multiple POV made me turn page after page and the parts when I could read the killer's thoughts without knowing who it was, were definitely the ones I enjoyed the most
This book is shadow-dark and scary as hell but oh, so bloody good! It is hands down the best thriller of this year and one of my all time favourite books now. It is fierce and frightening, gory and totally addictive

Hugely entertaining follow up to The Echo Man, The Twenty is a serial killer romp with plenty of torture and murder but plenty of story too.

Well plotted and well paced, it packs a lot in to its story. Serious vibes of Silence Of The Lambs in parts, part drama and a lot of torture and murder, this second in the series is a more confident and well rounded book than the first. I was really looking forward to this one having enjoyed The Echo Man despite some of its flaws, and this one didn’t let me down.

If you enjoy serial killer stories with interesting and well rounded characters then this one’s for you.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

A really gripping thriller by Sam Holland. A number of bodies discovered and the clues at the scene all seem to harp back to a sadistic murderer who has been doing time for many years and he is still inside Belmarsh! Is there a copycat killer on the loose? But our jailbird seems to be very well informed of what's going on outside, could he be masterminding the latest killings? DCI Adam Bishop is the man in charge to crack the case but with very little in the way of evidence to go on, will the case crack him?
I found it a very entertaining thriller but I have read other thrillers with almost identical plot lines so I am deducting a star from an otherwise perfect five.

After reading the echo man I was so excited to be allowed to read Sam Hollands new novel The Twenty and it doesn't disapoint, it is a bit of a slow burner and quite graphic in places, but what would you expect in a book that deals with serial killers, The characters are so well written and you will slove them, shudder with them and cry for them.
Sam Holland has definitely made it worth the wait for the second novel and i can not wait to see what she comes up with next.

Wow another fantastic read from Sam Holland . These books are page turners I couldn't put it down . I really hope I don't have to wait for too long before the next book .

So many words to describe the storyline of this book! Horrific, thrilling, compelling, bloody, chilling...the list is almost endless. The main thing is it's totally gripping from beginning to end. Twenty murders are required that are taking place over many years but as the murderer is in prison who is continuing the spree? An absolutely immersive story that kept me changing my theory throughout. I was satisfied with what I thought was the final twist but the story continued with further twists and revelations which to my mind were unnecessary but I still give it 5 stars.

WOW! Gory, gruesome, addictive, wonderful and just the best book ever. As you can tell I enjoyed this one very much. I felt like I was watching a movie, and I had envisioned every single character in my head, and at times I felt like I was drowning in the book (in a good way, if there’s a good way to drown?) Sam Holland is a phenomenal writer, and if you like thrillers with a good amount of mystery and death then this will be right up your street. If I had to liken it to anything it would be Karen Slaughters way of writing and storytelling. This has become my favourite book of the year, 5 big fat serial killer stars!! ☆☆☆☆☆

I would like more please.

What a brilliant thriller I thought nothing would be as good as Echo Man but how wrong could I be. DCI Adam Bishop is having a late night drink in a bar when he gets the phone call which turns into a nightmare as he goes to investigate a murder but finds numerous bodies which have suffered catastrophic injuries. Your in for a lot of sleepless nights as you can’t wait to read the next page as the horror unfolds which makes you gasp with terror can’t wait for the next one.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for an ARC

Having read The Echo Man and loved it I was delighted to be given the chance to read The Twenty and what a rollercoaster of a ride it was .Gripping ,dark, twisty ,so hard to put down.A serial killer is out there leaving numbers by their victims and time is running out for DCI Adam Bishop and his team to catch the killer .Such a great read I didn't guess the killer so it was a big surprise .Can't wait to read the next book by this brilliant Author .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Murder mystery, with a serial killer seemingly calling the shots from prison. The killer has connections to Adam, the SIO for the murders. The crimes are extremely violent, and the plot quite convoluted.

Tense, grisly and gory from the very first page to the last, but at the same time a great crime procedure novel. I loved The Echo Man and I loved this one.
More than your usual bog standard serial killer novel, this book delves deeper. Its dark, its horrific, its a read behind your fingers book but it's so good, the writing just flows off the page. I'd advise not to read before bedtime but definitely read it. Sam Holland, you're a marvel

I’m number 18…3 down, 17 to go. I was very excited to be on the tour for The Twenty, especially after The Echo Man being one of my favourite reads so far this year! So thanks to Vic at InstaBookTours for letting me join in.

The Twenty is another massive 5 star read from Sam Holland, I wasn’t sure how good it would be compared to The Echo Man, but it was so good. Another book full of twists, and honestly I thought I had it sussed, but I didn’t. I love the way you hear from the killer without it giving anything away, and the gruesomeness of this one had my mouth wide open at some points! Gory and grotesque indeed, and I bloody loved it haha!! The countdown of victims was an interesting one, I kept thinking there’s no way the killer can get to 1 without being caught is there? Well one thing for sure is it keeps you guessing and wondering.

Just as good as Major Crimes Book 1, and I can’t wait for book number 3 to make its appearance. I’d love to know what goes on in Sams mind.

Thanks again to @instabooktours for letting me join in with this one!

The previous book was so addictive so jumped at the change to read this one. This one for me started off slow but about an eighth of the way through things really started happening and then it became a real page turner (or kindle swiping) and I couldnt put it down. I just had to finish how it ended. The characters were flawed which made them interesting and loved the ending.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

This was another corker of a crime thriller by Sam Holland and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat!

With short,sharp chapters and flash backs from the killer’s POV this isn’t one for the faint hearted.

The crime scenes were described in all their gory detail - I’m sure I could smell that distinctive metallic tang of blood 🩸

Fast paced and with complex characters this is one you wouldn’t want to miss. Easily devoured in one sitting and an author I really can’t get enough of.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this gritty, gory and extremely dark book. Wow! I was hooked from the first page and totally invested in DCI Adam Bishop and his team in their hunt for the killer. Highly recommend 'The Twenty' if you like well written thriller/police procedurals. There are references within the book to Sam Holland's first novel 'The Echo Man' but this one can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.... and then you can have the pleasure of reading it too! Can't wait for the next book.

Oh my word, what a terrifying and gory thriller! The Echo Man was one of my favourite books of last year, so I was super excited to be given the opportunity to read The Twenty (thank you NetGalley and the publishers). I put everything else on hold while I read it, and only had a few short breaks when my heart was hammering so fast I just had to go for a cuppa and a calm down! This was exceptional writing, a gruesome and gripping story, and twists that left me completely breathless. Sam Holland is definitely one of my favourite authors. How the heck does she even think up stuff like this, never mind put it all into words? Just amazing.