Book #4 in the DCI Cara Elliott series and wow, just wow! I can hand on heart admit that this is easily one of my favourite series EVER and this is my favourite in the series.

A seriously twisted, brilliantly descriptive tale that leaves you salivating for more. If you like me, love the real dark, properly twisted serial killer books, this is most definitely for you.

First off, if you haven’t read the previous installments,  stop right there! Go back and start from the beginning because you need to read them, firstly to understand the whole story, it won’t make sense otherwise and secondly just because they are so damn good!

DCI Cara Elliott is chasing the tale of one hell of a sick individual.  After a DVD is delivered in the dead of night, showing the brutal murder of a man, Cara and the team soon realise it’s a real life ‘snuff’ movie. When tracking it down and finding a whole load more, they realise they have a major challenge on their hands. Why these people, why these methods and who is behind it all.

When Cara finds a photo at the home of where the DVDs were kept, her world, once again, implodes. The photo is connected to the case that changed her life forever, the Echo Man. But what is the connection between the cases? The Echo Man, her ex partner Noah, is securely looked away for life, but something in Cara’s gut tells her there is more to the story than what Noah confessed to.

As always, the pacing of this tale is spot on. High octane, full speed, and breathtaking,  I had to keep telling myself to take a breath and slow down, scared that I’d not only miss something but finish it too fast.

The character execution was pure perfection. I love that Cara is a strong willed, independent detective who struggles with vulnerability, as is her brother and colleague Griffin, who I have a real soft spot for.

I adored the unsettling feelings it elicited, creeping up my spine when Sam Holland weaves the past and present together. The tension is relentless and all consuming, with its twists placed perfectly throughout.

Dark, disturbing, chilling, atmospheric, relentless, and outstanding. So much more could be said, but not without ruining it for anybody.

I truly hope that this is not the last in the series!

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

4.5 stars rounded up!

The Countdown Killer is no.4 in Sam Holland’s Major Crimes series, and I think it’s the best one yet! I just could not get it into my face quickly enough – I literally had to keep telling myself to slow down because I was in danger of missing words!

In true Sam Holland style, this is a pretty scary and gruesome serial killer/detective story, that does loop back to the first book, The Echo Man, quite a lot, but also explains enough that I think you could enjoy it perfectly well without having read the rest of the series. Although I would probably recommend that you do read them in order as they’re so good and reading this one first would spoil the first one!

In The Countdown Killer, things start off quietly in the Major Crimes team headed up by DCI Cara Elliott. Until an anonymous person drops off a dvd to the station. When Cara watches it, she sees a man violently killed on camera. And when they find where the dvd came from, it becomes apparent that it’s not a one-off incident. People are being killed on demand for money – always after exactly 48 hours - and filmed as proof.

And when Cara finds a photo at the scene that links to the Echo Man, new information about that case comes to light – and one of her team is targeted as the next victim of the Countdown Killer.

This was not for the feint-hearted, with some very graphic descriptions in parts – but extremely suspenseful and tense! An absolute must-read if you’ve enjoyed the series so far!

The Countdown Killer by Sam Holland is a tense and chilling thriller that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. With a clever premise and relentless pacing, Holland crafts a gripping cat-and-mouse game that blends psychological depth with fast-moving suspense. The atmosphere is dark and unsettling, making every chapter feel urgent and compelling.

The characters are well-drawn, particularly the investigator, whose determination and personal stakes add weight to the case. Holland weaves together past and present seamlessly, revealing unsettling details at just the right moments. While some twists are expected, the execution keeps them engaging, and the tension never lets up.

The pacing is strong, with a few slower moments that allow for character development before the story hurtles toward a thrilling conclusion. The Countdown Killer is a gripping and well-crafted thriller—an easy 4-star read for fans of dark, serial killer mysteries.

Easily the best boom I'll read all year! I don't even know where to start, it's just everything you could want from a thriller/ police procedural. It's well written, so easy to get sucked into and it's one of those books you just can not stop reading. I was up through the night, 1st thing when I woke up and whenever I've had a chance at work. The characters are brought to life, the twists and turns just keep on coming and it's all just so perfectly plotted out. It's dark but jit in pointless shock value way. It's just a must read, I can't speak highly enough about it

I want to start of by saying I loved this book so what I am about to say first should not be taken as a criticism.

When requesting this book, I did not realise it was the fourth instalment in the Major Crimes series. Not normally an issue - I personally prefer to read all books in a series, in order, rather than jumping in part of the way through but most of these types of series can be read as standalones so not usually an issue.

Here, however, I would caution people to read at least the first novel in this series The Echo Man. I hadn't read it and I really feel like I missed out on a big part of this novel because I hadn't done so. Its not a deal breaker, as I say I thoroughly enjoyed this one, but I do feel it will add to your reading experience of this book.

Due to the overlap with The Echo Man, it is difficult for me to talk too much about the storyline here as to do so would reveal spoilers for The Echo Man however I will just say this is a really impressive, twisty, sometimes gruesome, story which is expertly told.

Definitely a series I will be returning to.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | Hemlock Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, I would give this one 10 🌟 if I could,
I read The Echo Man, and I'm glad I read that one first. I think it's a must! It does refer to the previous book, but I did read it and wow, what a great read was this one. Sam Holland did it again. It's a great thriller!

It was a fast-paced thriller and I really wanted to know what was going to happen. The book is full of surprises and guesses.
Well, in the end, I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat, and what an end, I never see that one coming. I was so pulled into this one. The author has a gift of pulling you onto one side but is it the right one...

If you have read the Echo Man, you NEED to read this one!

Thanks, @netgalley and @harpercollins, for my review copy! Pub Date 5 June 2025

After Southampton was terrorised by a serial killer who replicated famous murders known only as The Echo Man, the police discovered it was one of their own. Now, a few years later another killer has emerged - abducting people and then, 48 hours later, murdering them on camera. DCI Cara Elliott receives one of these videos and sets out to stop the perpetrator, but in doing so she may have put her nearest and dearest in danger as the Countdown Killer knows she is on the hunt.

I've read all of Sam Holland's previous books and hands down this is by far the best - I would say it's probably the best book I've read this year so far! All the strands in previous books that she has left come together in this one to make an absolutely brilliant book. 5*

The major crimes team are back on their next case when a dvd is dropped off at the office and the film is now what they expected. A film of the worst depravity they have seen when someone is killed in front of their eyes. The investigation leads to clues on the elusive Echo Man killer and who could really be pulling the strings while the bodies are piling up. Soon the case turns personal and Cara is fighting for everything she loves.
As always Sam’s books leave you gasping at the shock moments and the hurt when your favourite characters are in peril!

The Echo Man was a fantastic start to this series and whilst you can read this without having read it you’ll appreciate this all the more if you do and the rest of the series also adds context to the characters. The dynamics in the team are great and the crimes are horrifying when a series of murders are uncovered thanks to a DVD which was dropped into the station. The retribution of these crimes was gruesome and the details aren’t spared. It was really fascinating to see how this case affected Cara as it progressed and even her colleagues were questioning her mental health. The twists in this were fantastic and I love the direction it took as it was incredibly unexpected and fans of this series will love it.

It's an amazing read just what I've come to expect from Sam Holland, one of my favourite authors.
It was deliciously gruesome and disturbing. This one had me up till the early hours racing to finish.
The tension unfolds perfectly, and the revels along the way are unexpected. At times, emotional such is the writing that you feel for the characters each who are facing their own personal struggles.
Love Cara, a strong female lead and her team, and I've a soft spot for Griffin, who is a great character.
The twists in this one are outstanding,this, for me, is my favourite of the 4 books.
I'm hoping this isn't the last we read about Cara and her team.
Readers of the series are in for a ride, and if you've not read the books, I highly recommend you do.
BRILLIANT.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the Arc.

Ever since I read The Echo Man, the first book in the Major Crime series, I’ve been a HUGE fan of Sam Holland. She has a rare talent for crafting dark and deeply unsettling plots that grip you from the very start. I love my crime fiction brutal, chilling, and intense (definitely not for the faint-hearted) and Sam Holland never fails to deliver. The Countdown Killer is no exception. With its disturbing premise and relentless tension, I was hooked from the first chapter.

When a mysterious DVD arrives in the dead of night, DCI Cara Elliott presses play, only to witness a montage of brutal crimes. This is murder as entertainment, real-time executions streamed to an audience willing to pay for blood. Each murder is ruthlessly executed like clockwork every forty-eight hours. But when the killer realises they’re under investigation, they issue a terrifying warning: the next victim will be a police officer. In just forty-eight hours, the camera will turn on one of their own. The hunters have become the hunted, and time is running out…

While the plot may feel familiar to seasoned crime thriller readers, Sam Holland makes The Countdown Killer her own by masterfully building tension as each chapter leaves just enough unanswered questions to make it impossible to put down. The killer’s methodical approach, combined with the brutality of the crimes, create a chilling sense of malevolence that makes the danger feel imminent.I absolutely loved the gripping finale as it ties together intricate plot threads in the most shocking way.

With razor sharp writing, deeply layered characters, and jaw-dropping twists, Sam Holland delivers a dark, atmospheric thriller where every second feels like a ticking bomb. The Countdown Killer is relentlessly intense, brilliantly disturbing, and utterly unmissable.

With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily

Woa! Let me get my breath back - that was one hell of a rollercoaster ride. Sam Holland once again completely blows my mind in this 4th instalment of the Major Crimes series. Straightaway I got back into the lives of Cara Elliot and co as they find themselves immersed in a dark and disturbing case of retribution. The pace is frantic, the plot exceptional and with fantastically written characters that come to life out of the pages this is an outstanding book. I waited until I had a day off work to read this as I knew I needed to devour it in one sitting! Some truly cracking twists that take the reader back to where it all started in the Echo Man. All the stars and then some for this Ms Holland - flawless.