I have previously read The Echo Man but somehow missed The 20 and debated whether I should read it first before this one but decided not to. Anyway, it didn't make much of a difference as the book briefly mentioned what had happened previously so I was able to catch up. I enjoyed this book, lots of shenanigans going on with the different characters and plenty of action. I also enoyed getting to know the characters back stories in more detail. A good plot too with plenty of gruesome bits which I thoroughly enjoyed! A great thriller, would definitely recommend.

This book is typically my genre, and I wanted to love it, especially as the reviews rate it so highly.

However, I felt lost reading it. I felt that I’d been invited to join a party halfway through where everyone else knows each other. There are inferences and references to Echo Man, a worn down, depressed and depleted team, but unless you’ve read the earlier two books, it’s tricky to pick up, despite this being a new story. It just felt like hard work reading it, I’ll give it another try after I’ve read the author’s books 1 and 2.

That aside, the author has a great writing style and I can see how it once you know where you are, you’ll love her books.

The Twenty was one of my top three reads of 2023! So, I was super excited to get my hands on an early copy of The Puppet Master and honestly it did not disappoint.

In fact, it delivered on every creepy and thrilling level. So much so, I'm now reading The Echo Man. Yes, even though I clearly know who the killer is.

But The Puppet Master starts with a bang or should I stay a splat!! As a young man falls into the path of an oncoming train and from the moment DCI Cara Elliot lets rip at a disgruntled and late commuter I was invested. And so was Cara as she decides to investigate the case even though everyone around her is sure it's just another suicide.

However, Cara is right to keep the case as the suicides keep happening and when the link between them ends up murdered Cara's worst fears are confirmed. There is another seriously sick serial killer on the loose.

But she and her depleted team are worn down and personal issues are clouding their judgement and now a puppet master is taking advantage and pushing them ever closer to the edge.

But who will fall?

And will any of the team be strong enough to survive another encounter with a killer determined to end as many lives as possible.

And with a killer I did not see coming. Edge of your seat moments and a level of graphic detail, I adored. The Puppet Master was a cracking read and that ending has left me wanting to know WTF is going to happen next!

I for one can't wait to find out. 😊

We are all familiar with the remote control of electronic equipment, but what would it be like to control another human being remotely. When DCI Cara Elliott and her Major Crimes team first learn of the death of Colin Jeffries, it seems to be an open and shut suicide case – loner and agoraphobic jumps in front of a train. However, there are some anomalies, the main one being that Jeffries had left home for the first time in years and gone to a really crowded place, which a severe agoraphobic wouldn’t, in fact couldn’t, do. Also he had travelled a distance without personal transport. But is this enough to have her team investigate? Cara’s boss doesn’t think so, nor do most of her team, who are all still traumatised by the woundings and deaths that occurred during the hunt for The Echo Man. However, when other suicides suddenly crop up, it begins to look someone may be directing the deaths, though it isn’t clear how or why? What is vital is that the team solve the mystery as quickly as possible; before another suicide occurs!
The story is obviously a police procedural, with more than the average number of troubled and damaged cops. Cara is separated and heading for divorce but continues to put the job before her children; her brother Griffin, whose wife was murdered during the previous case, is just back on duty but has lots of baggage; and the others have issues of their own as well as concerns about this case. The writing is fast paced and there is plenty of jeopardy and quite graphic detail about the deaths and other criminal actions. One concern I have is with the amount of detail about the Echo Man investigation which was the subject of the first book in the series. Those who haven’t read that might find the spoilers here a bit much. I have some questions about the plot so 4.5 rounded to 5 stars.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

4.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/04/30/the-puppet-master-by-sam-holland-major-crimes-3/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Fast Paced, Dark and Brutal

Another winning Major Crimes story from Sam Holland.

In this story we return to DCI Cara Elliott and her brother Griffin (Nate) after taking a spin with another DCi for the second in series, The Twenty. I’m loving this series so far. The pacing is good, the stories are always compelling and I like the character work. I would say that each novel in the series is a standalone and you don’t need to read the others (although you might miss a little character development if you jump in straight at this point). That being said, the author does a good job of explaining things in a smooth way that blends seamlessly into the story.

Cara and her brother first made their appearance for The Echo Man, a gruesome tale of a serial killer that was bloody and brutal. This story starts in a different fashion. The team are asked to take a look at what appears to be a suicide, but things don’t quite add up and Cara is concerned by some troubling niggles, which increase substantially when a couple more suicides occur in quick succession.

I don’t really want to give anything away for this one as it’s best read with as little knowledge as possible so instead let’s look at what I enjoyed.

The pacing. This series could be known as the ‘fast and furious’. The plot moves forward at a terrific pace and I sometimes wonder if this is part of a cunning plan by the author to give the reader little chance to sit and ponder. The storyline is also compelling. It’s one of those stories that I’d like to say I enjoyed but it doesn’t feel like the right word at all – given the nature of some of the deaths in this (and also beware – there are plenty of TWs amongst these pages) – I think I’d say unputdownable instead.

It was really good to return to Cara and Griffin. I liked the way they worked together tbh and hope that we see them in action again in future episodes. Both of them are struggling with their own demons but at the same time are coming to understand that they can trust each other – it was a nice element to the story that worked well. The team are under enormous strain. The unit is depleted and everyone is stressed out. It’s difficult to recruit to the team (for reasons that could be spoilery for previous books so I won’t mention) and the full situation feels like an accident waiting to happen. As it is, they all manage to hold it together as they’re pulled from pillar to post following the strangest trail of breadcrumbs.

The setting is fairly small scale – which I liked. The deaths here, whilst they initially feel unconnected, it soon appears that there are small similarities that begin to occur and although some of the characters are unknown to each other they move in very similar circles.

In terms of criticisms. Well, not really a criticism but these stories are all a little over the top in some ways, I don’t think they always stick to reality and there are always plenty of twists. I don’t mind this at all to be honest but thought it worth mentioning.

Also, as stated above this book can feel disturbingly brutal. These murders are unapologetically grim so bear that in mind.

To round up, I thoroughly enjoyed The Puppet Master in fact I’d say it was my favourite of the series so far.

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

Sam Holland has quickly become an auto-buy author for me since I flew through THE ECHO MAN a couple of years back— it was my top 2022 read + still a firm favourite. This is the third book in the series + although Holland describes this as a standalone with characters from the previous books— do yourself a favour and read the series. You’ll thank me!

Dark, twisted, tense + brilliantly disturbing, this had me hooked from the first page and kept me guessing till the very end. Holland has a way of crafting a plot that lures you into thinking you know the exact who, where and why, when in reality I am always stumbling along, jaw on the floor, that-makes-so-much-sense-ing when the twist is revealed.

Not for the faint of heart, there are some extremely chilling aspects to the plot and some very graphic descriptions.. but if you like your thrillers dark and twisted, you need to read this series!

The characters in this book are INCREDIBLE (I really enjoyed the continued development of the team + getting to know more about Cara + Griffin), the tension and suspense is 10/10, the pacing never lets up and as always, there’s a trail of gruesome murders/suicides.. it ticks all the boxes of a perfect police procedural thriller 🙌🏽

DCI Cara Elliot is back in the 3rd installment of the Major Crimes series by Sam Holland.
*can be read as a stand alone*

Cara and her team are investigating what appears to be a string of suicides. Cara tells her team they need to delve deeper into these cases and uncover that it appears to be the work of a serial killer! They are in a race against time to find the killer before another body shows up.

A fast paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat, and not expecting the twist at the end!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great crime thriller.
DCI Cara Elliott is called to investigate the death of a man who fell in front of a train. It seems to be a suicide but Cara is not so sure.
Another person is soon reported dead and again it seems like suicide but Cara and the team need to dig deeper.
Cara’s brother Griffin comes back to the team when someone he knows dies, as again, he doesn’t believe it was suicide.
A few of the team are having personal problems and things go from bad to worse as the story progresses.
There was a bit of a lull half way through the book but the last part of the story certainly ramps up the pace.
This is a great series.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book follows DCI Cara Elliot's team - Major Crimes - in trying to figure out if all the recent suicides are just that or is there something or someone behind them all.
This book definitely should come with Trigger Warnings that may upset some people. Very heavy descriptions of suicides and mentions of rape and pedophilia!!!!
This is my first book by this author. I didn't realise it was the 3rd in a series, which didn't effect my reading experience. It does reference to previous books in the series. Although i enjoyed the book and especially the relationship between Cara and her brother Nate I won't be rushing out to read the others. I didn't care much for the characters love life. The story was fairly good and quite descriptive but I felt it just went on and on, it probably could have been 100 pages shorter.
Saying this, if you enjoy a detective thriller series and are not affected by gory details I would recommend this book.

Thank yiu to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK and Sam Holland for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first of Sam Holland's books that I've read, and I will definitely be going back to read their previous titles - although it must be said that THE PUPPET MASTER contains spoilers for the previous titles in the series, but I'll still read them anyway! The characters are easy to read, believable, and really hook you into their world and wanting to know what will happen next. The mystery of the killer and the crimes is extremely gritty and very violent at times, which I can imagine will be a bit much for some readers. (There is one particular line in the book that has stayed with me for being so hauntingly brutal - I actually wish I could scrub it out of my brain.) That being said, this was a very well-paced plot, with vivid characterisation, a team you care about with subplots of their own, and a real page-turning quality.

I LOVED The Echo Man and did not love The Twenty, so I was a little nervous going into The Puppet Master, even though I was also dying to see wtf kind of mess Cara gets herself into this time. Happy to say this was closer to Echo Man in tone and went a bit less off the rails, while also being completely bonkers in all the ways I love and hope for from a Sam Holland book.

I'm not going to give any details about anything in the plot, but will say that the final chapter made me even MORE excited for the next book because there are SOME BIG THINGS TO BE RESOLVED OMG.

PSA: If you have any intention of reading Echo/Twenty, PLEEEEEEASE do it BEFORE you read this book because there are big spoilers for both in this one.

Additional PSA: I usually don't give trigger warnings, but feel like I should this time because this book is very, very much about death by suicide, and there's a sexual assault scene that made me feel ill (and usually not much gets to me other than animal stuff), so tread lightly if those are bad things for you to read about.

Omg omg omg !!

You are incredible … can I join your police force …
Sam I put the same on your Instagram .. I love all thing thrillers and have silent the last 8 days after reading and loving echo man down your rabbit hole !
I went straight onto 20 and then this beauty … when’s the next one ?? Love how you just slip characters in from previous books .. ending with Cara seeing Noah genius I mean the fact that the real killer from echo man is still out there …. Anyhow this was superb I felt like I was part of the team and your books are so worthy of being a tv show 🫶🫶 TEN stars from me 🧡🧡🧡

This is the third book featuring DCI Cara Elliott and her Major Crime team. Having previously read 'The Echo Man' and 'The Twenty' I looked forward to The Puppet Master and I was not disappointed. A fast paced thriller but definitely not one for the faint hearted. It ticks all the right boxes - great characters, human interest, tension and suspense. It's a book I'm happy to recommend. Thank you to the publisher, netgalley and the author for an advance copy.

Wow - Sam Holland has done it again!
Ever since reading the Echo Man this series has had me in a chokehold and the third installment doesn't disappoint.
Deliciously dark and disturbingly brutal storytelling at its finest - it's a heart pounding read I didn't want to put down - and much like the two before I'm sure this one will stay with me for a long time.
I'm already eagerly awaiting the next one - and this still hasn't been released yet!
Huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.

A most unusual angle on the serial killer genre and as such, quite a refreshing change.
Extremely well written with an engaging plot and it also adds content to the back story of the main characters without detracting from it's 'stand alone' status.
A great read and one by an author I will definitely look out for from now on.

I was very excited (and a little nervous..) to get stuck into Sam Holland’s third book in the Major Crimes series, after really enjoying the first two. The Puppet Master did not disappoint!

We join Cara Elliott and her team as they’re called to the scene of an apparent suicide, where a man has jumped in front of a train. But some things are not adding up about the scene. Then as more suicide cases appear in the same small area, Cara begins to think that the victims are being coerced in some way…

As ever with Sam Holland, this is not your average crime/detective/thriller novel. There are some extremely dark and twisted parts to this story, and some that are really not very pleasant to read and quite upsetting and disturbing. That aside, it is told brilliantly and is so very gripping and hard to put down. I could not wait to find out who was behind it all.. and could not have predicted how it turned out!

The characters continue to develop and we learn a lot more about what motivates Cara and Griffin – the sub-plot about their father was as compelling as the main storyline!

Another excellent addition to this series, and I will be looking forward to the next instalment!

From GoodReads:
As a bit of a serial killer nerd this was right up my street. A real page turner with mounting tension along the way in the attempt to solve a very unique crime.
My own fault, but I haven't read the first 2 and probably won't now as some fairly hefty spoilers (I think I would have loved #1)

This book carries on from the first one Echo Man and the second book The 20, I really enjoyed the characters development and how they are coping with past events. This story follows Cara and her team as they investigate some suspicious deaths. They must find the mastermind behind all these deaths and put a stop to it. The book is gripping and thrilling and I couldn’t put it down

To me this book was a definite page turner. At times I had tears in my eyes, but the plot wouldn't let me stop reading. I didn't suspect the person responsible until that person was revealed. I enjoyed the whole range of characters involved. Admittedly I had other plans for my day, but I started reading with breakfast and have now finished the whole book. I can't wait to see what happens next

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I WISH I READ THE PREVIOUS TWO BOOKS BECAUSE THEY SOUND EPIC. This is my first Sam Holland book and my first book in this series, it absolutely could read as a standalone so that isn't an issue - it just sounds like they'd be RIGHT UP MY STREET.

I loved this book, it was smart, tense, twisty. IT WAS HORRIBLY graphic, but it added SO MUCH to the story. I started this book on my lunch break at work and quickly had to stop until I'd eaten ha!, however I was itching to pick it straight back up.

I liked how the characters were all scarred, had their own issues going on - but were still committed. I liked the development. I liked the side storylines in the main storyline. I liked how everything linked. I just LIKED IT ALL.

This is definitely an author I'd read again, I'll be going back over the other books and I'm already ITCHING to read the next one too.

AMAZING!