4.5 rounded up

To say I’ve been eagerly anticipating Sam Holland’s second novel is an understatement as the first The Echo Man was a huge hit with me. Indeed, The Echo Man is referred to as DCI Cara Elliott appears in this one too but The Twenty can very easily be read as a stand-alone.

‘Hell is empty and all the devils are here’ (Shakespeare) is certainly true here as ‘here be wickedness’ that beggars belief.

An anonymous watcher stands at the back of a crowded bar but worry not, it’s DCI Adam Bishop having a drink or two and trying to have a night off until DS Jamie Hoxton interrupts his reverie. They make their way gingerly to an empty construction site, more wasteland than anything, a fly tippers dream. There a horrifying sight awaits and shortly after all the appropriate agencies arrive at the scene. Adam notices an XII, then two further Roman numerals and multiple bodies are subsequently discovered. The killer is counting down and this is merely the start as the perpetrator is sending a message. What is to come? Adam and Jamie have no choice but to step into the nightmare.

This is a buckle up, strap yourself in rollercoaster read from the get go. Sam Holland sure knows how to create an atmosphere, it positively exudes fear and evil. To describe it as chilling is an understatement, it’s gritty, dark, violent, horrifying, perplexing and yes, of course, I can’t put it down. It’s a fast, fast paced shocker, gut puncher, eye popper, jaw dropper, brain freezer intense novel with a terrifying manipulator at its epicentre controlling the narrative. All the plot strands connect well with some revelations being body jolts. The tension at times is so taut and there are some scenes that are Hollywood worthy. I think some are permanently burned on my retina!

The characterisation is excellent, they’re all well fleshed out. Jamie and Adam are such a good contrast to each other, the latter being complex and complicated. Adam's ex-wife Romilly adds an extra dimension with her multitude of feelings coming across strongly.

Overall, the fortnight this is told over are all days to remember. OTT? Probably but I enjoy every word of it!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, Harper Fiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Geez, this book... It's just such a good thriller!! Super fast-paced with short chapters no sooner have you opened it, you're on the last page.

I thoroughly loved The Echo Man and Sam Holland didn't disappoint following up with this one as it was just as good if not, maybe better!!

The characters were on point with their real-life flaws, which completely adds to their persona.

Ya know, there were so many twists and turns. I literally thought yeah I know who the serial killer is, then boom plot twist and its not them. And that ending, like yeah, I did not see that coming at all.

Totally addictive, gory, and has you hooked from the start. I highly recommend for any crime thriller lovers to get their hands on this one when it's released in May!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy 🙏

‘You could almost taste their fear, it was visceral. Thick, claggy, something in the air.’

I was so excited to read this after loving The Echo Man and I was not disappointed - it was unreal!! It was another incredibly gruesome, serial killer thriller that was a rollercoaster ride, full of action the whole way through.

I was hooked from the first sentence and it never let up. It was fast paced, exciting and leaves you needing more constantly. Twists and turns at every corner, leaving you guessing and questioning everything. I never wanted to put it down because I just needed more all the way through.

The twists were unreal, everything fell into place so well. How every part came together was amazing, totally shocking and I could not guess a thing no matter how hard I tried. The best part was that everything made sense, there wasn’t bits added for the ‘shock factor’, everything was cleverly planned out and made perfect sense to the plot - which I think made it even more shocking.

Fully fledged Sam Holland fangirl now, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. Massive recommendation to any thriller lovers - huge 5 star read for me!!

After reading the authors debut novel ‘The Echo Man’ I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this.
DCI Adam Bishop and his partner DS Jamie Hoxton arrive at a scene in the middle of the night of a body, where Roman numerals spray above. When further investigation in the area there is four more bodies are found in different stages of decomposition, with also roman numerals above them. counting down to something.
When the murder is announced, it reminds Doctor Romilly Cole of a serial killer of decades ago. The only problem is that the killer was caught and is now incarcerated in prison. Is this a case of a copycat killer?
When DI Adam Bishop delves further, links to The Echo Man resurface and his own personal life regarding his ex -wife comes into question.
Thank you, Harper Collins for Sam Holland’s latest offering. This is dark, spine-tingling grisly police procedural that sometimes had my hairs stand up on end. In some parts this is not for the faint hearted. Be warned. The story line is gripping I couldn’t get enough of it. I think this fab. Can’t wait for more. 5 stars from me.

This took me a while to get into, and by the time I did and things started to happen, I found that I wasn’t that invested in the story. It’s 453 pages long, but I felt like it could’ve been shorter, and the story would’ve still been the same.

There are lots of twists and surprises in the story, i think that if i got into the story quicker I would have really enjoyed the book. Looking at other reviews many enjoyed the book and I can see why. I always enjoy an author that isn’t afraid to upset the reader, and Holland does this.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. I am a massive fan of the first book The Echo Man so I was hoping that this book lived up to the brilliance of its predecessor. I can honestly say that it was all I was hoping for and much more. An exciting, gripping, edgy thriller that I devoured in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down. I am hoping for another book in this series, which is fast becoming one of my favourites. Amazing author. Definitely will be recommending to everyone. A massive 5 stars from me.

I thought that this was an absolutely BRILLIANT story

It was fast paced, and I loved the author’s writing style, she brought the characters and the scenes to life with the descriptions used, you could almost feel at times as you were with them living the story.

I loved the interaction between the different characters and the inner thoughts that were shared too and the mix of past and present as well to bring the ties together.

There were some twists and turns I guessed, and some I didn’t see coming and that for me made it even more enjoyable, it kept my brain active thinking and wondering about what could and would happen next.

I loved the punchy style of the chapters and that kept the pace and the intrigue for me, I read the book over a couple of evenings (sadly I had to work in between…) or I would very easily have just carried on, I was very addicted!

I love police procedural books and crime thrillers so books like this where they are darker too are right up my street – I do love a good serial killer story and this was definitely one of those!!

I have no hesitation in giving this book 5 stars at all, VERY highly recommended!

Loved this!! For me potentially better than the Echo Man. I’ve seen mixed reviews about the love for the characters and Jamie being the only positive one in the book but I loved Adam and Rom, Marsh…they all help make the story what it is.
The story itself is fast paced and everything you want a ‘who dunnit’ to be. There were twists and turns, unexpected deaths and a race against time.
I am definitely a fan of Sam Holland’s writing and I can’t wait for the next now.

A dark disturbing story of a serial killer who is leaving numbers next to each victim.
A fast paced thriller with lots of twist and turns that kept me guessing until the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an advance copy of The Twenty, the second thriller in the Major Crimes series, featuring DCI Adam Bishop of Hampshire Police.

A murder victim left at a fly tipping area leads to the discovery of four more victims and spray painted numerals beside them suggest the killer is counting down. There will be more victims. Dr Romilly Cole sees links to an old case, DCI Adam Bishop isn’t so sure, he knows Romilly and her fears.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Twenty, which is a tense, event filled read with plenty of twists and turns. There is only so much an author can do with the serial killer genre, so, while there is nothing new in the motivation in this novel, the author has produced a great read through her writing, plotting and characterisation.

As one would expect in a serial killer novel there is a high body count, much more interesting is who the victims are. The author doesn’t pull any punches and discards characters, who, in other novels, might appear sacrosanct. It adds to the chill and shock factor in a big way. The novel is high octane all the way, offering a mix of shock, tension and heartbreak. The twists keep coming, right to the very end, although I must admit that I found the final one very contrived and a bit of a letdown after all the previous excitement, tension etc..

The characters aren’t particularly likeable in this novel. Adam Bishop is a lost soul with nothing in his life except work and meaningless sexual encounters. Still, he is excellent as lead investigator and the reader can’t help but root for him and share the highs and lows. Romilly Cole is neurotic and the reader has to live with it for a good while until her history is gradually revealed. Again, though, the reader can’t help but appreciate her good intentions and root for her. They are flawed, but still the fictional good guys.

The Twenty is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Woah, what a ride! By the time you finish reading Sam Holland's The Twenty, you'll be as battered and bruised as the investigating officers.

When DCI Adam Bishop arrives at a crime scene in the dead of the night he doesn't expect to find the site of a serial killer's body dump site. Let alone does he expect to find a connection to murders involving his ex-wife, Dr Romilly Cole.

Adam soon finds his skills tested as the killer gets closer to the team. With his personal life in freefall since his divorce, Adam is living in a hovel, resorting to anonymous bathroom sex in dive bars, which is starting to bleed into his professional life.

It's hard to believe this is Sam Holland's second book (I need to go back and read The Echo Man), it's confidentally written with fleshed out characters, delivering twist and turn after twist and turn. At no time did I feel I could put this book down and go to sleep, so I stayed up until the wee hours to finish.

If you love a crime thriller that not only delivers an insight into police procedure, but provides twists, interestingly flawed characters, and an ending that has your heart in your mouth, then get yourself a copy. I know I will be.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC.

Really enjoyed the echo man
So couldn't wait to start the twenty
This keeps you completely gripped
So many twists and turns
You think you know what is going to come next
But no, with this expect the unexpected

Thank you netgalley, Sam Holland and Harper Collins

I loved the echo man and couldn't wait to start this one and omg, I was not disappointed! It's a but dark in places but it's not done in a shock factor way and gory buts aren't just thrown in for the sake of it so it works really well!

I did find it really distracting that one of the main characters "Ellie Quinn" kept being refered to by her full name though.... if anyone knows what that about then please please please let me know lol. All the other regulars were just DS whoever, or Christian name but the entire book she goes back to being Ellie Quinn for some weird reason. It got to the point where I was as focused on finding mentions of her character to see if she'd be Ellie, DS Quinn or back to her full government name once again lol. Maybe it's a word count thing

There are so many twists and turns and the entire book goes at such a fast pace that you're just kept guessing right until the end. I loved the characters and getting to know them a bit deeper after the 1st book. They're really well written and not jus the usual cliches or stereotypes. They are celreated with a lot of individuality and I also love that they're made to be complex and intelligent, not bumbling idiots or flat 2d cut outs. This is easily one of the best serial killer/ police procedural I've come across recently. I would definitely shut the curtains, switch off your phone and allow yourself to get completely lost in this amazing story for a few hrs

A really good read, definitely my kind of book and one to read again, I throughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more books in the future

If you haven’t read Sam Holland’s first book The Echo Man then I highly recommend that you do before reading this one. Not only is it a brilliant, addictive read, easily as good as this one, but this book does refer back to its plot and the recurring characters, as well as a plot line running between the two, making this one make more enjoyable and creates a deeper connection to the characters and storyline.
But…. saying that, if you can’t wait to jump straight into this one, and I can’t blame you if you do!, then there is enough of a bit of back story to throughly enjoy this one. It will work as a standalone, but you will really be missing out on an amazing book, and with any luck there will be another book coming with the same recurring characters 🤞
Taking place over the span of 14 days, this is a fast paced, action packed, gruesome serial killer thriller that just goes from strength to strength in plot line and further character development.
Now a DCI, Adam Bishop is back and heading the investigation. An investigation that begins with a call out to a body dumped on some wasteland that soon becomes the last resting place of five bodies, and all pointing to the same killer. And that’s just the beginning!
From there the plot just keeps on hurtling you forward as another body is found and the investigation leaving a team of detectives scrambling to connect the cases and motive of a very clever, methodical killer who’s showing no signs of slowing down or stopping any time soon.
The Echo Man was a seriously compulsive serial killer thriller, but with this follow up book The Twenty, this is one of the best ever serial killer thrillers I’ve ever read, honestly, and I’ve read my fair share!
The Twenty by Sam Holland is due out on the 11 May 2023 and is available to be preordered now from your local bookshop or from the link below.

A massive thank you to the author Sam Holland, publishers Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and NetGalley for my digital arc in exchange for an honest, independent review.

Excellent book. Lots of twists and turns and surprises along the way.
Well worth reading. I enjoyed it a lot.

Your heart races a mile a minute. You become so involved in the lives of the investigating officers. The investigation and outcome becomes so personal. Your really drawn in to this book you really cannot put it down. Waiting with bated breath for the finale. Can DCI Adam Bishop catch his serial killer or is it already too late.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher, Harper Collins) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is a tricky one to review.
It's fast paced, and throws in lots of twists.
A little bit dark when it needs to be. A little bit graphic when required.
All of these are good things, but I just find it so hard to believe so many of the plot lines.
I wish I'd just embraced it for its over the topness and be done with.
Sadly I didn't.
Next time, I fully know know what to expect, and I'm just going yo enjoy the ride.