#BookReview ‘The Twenty’ by Sam Holland

About the book..

A nail-biting new thriller from the author of The Echo Man!

A shocking crime scene…
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…

A case that twists and turns…
When Dr Romilly Cole learns of the murders, they trigger memories of a traumatic past she has tried hard to forget. But getting involved with the case is a bad idea. She and Bishop have history – and working together could never end well.

A race against time to stop a killer…
Adam and Romilly soon realise the truth lies in a decades-old case, and only Romilly holds the key. But they must act quickly, because with every passing day, there are more victims. And as the numbers edge toward zero, the murders get closer to home…

My thanks to publishers Harper Collins for approving my Netgalley request to read ‘The Twenty’ by Sam Holland which is out in e book from May 11th.

This is the second in the Major Crimes series which began with ‘The Echo Man’ -review for this fab debut can be found here

Shocking, gripping and thrilling…these are just some of the words I would use to describe this novel, I whipped through it at white hot speed from the gruesome opener which leaves you as wrong footed as the detectives, to the  knell of that final page…wow!

With characters overlapping from The Echo Man, it is clear that the world and lore of Major Crimes, as wel as the relationships between the individual characters are growing and being established-who couldn’t love huge bear of a man, Jamie, in the honeymoon period with new wife , Pippa? And the awkwardness of Pippa being best friends with his best friend’s ex, Romilly?

The underlying tension simmers and broils as Romilly recognises something all too familiar about the body dump which begins The Twenty, for the Roman numerals left above them , and on them, is the only linking factor between very, very different individuals.

As Adam Bishop fights to keep the fear rising that there will be 20 dead bodies by the end of this serial killer’s reign, he has to analyse and predict what the next move will be. And there is no waiting to find out, the serial killer is clearly on a mission from the very beginning, the only thing in the air is whether or not they will complete their gruesome countdown…

Both Adam and Romilly have to face very dark, very personal secrets in order to work out what parts they play in this macabre dance, and it threatens the uneasy post divorce peace that they have established.

It’s a gruesome and macabre set of murders which, I have to be honest, really struck home in a way that other authors cannot make stick. The individuals who were killed weren’t deeply delved into, the focus is on the team in the Major Crimes division , they are the ones you really care about as flawed, and as disparate as they may appear. The justice for the murder victims is paramount as well as stopping any more, and this elite team are up against a truly evil genius who has one body after another waiting to topple like dominoes, crushing spirits and morale as they look for one , vital, linking factor.

This is an engaging mystery, I had to stop and go back to re-read various passages as I felt like I was missing something on occasion, because it is so involved and intense. It’s also not for the faint of heart , as it explores several issues which may trigger distress, especially the notion of nature versus nurture in the formation of evil in human form. Abuse, torture, murder and kidnapping are all blended skilfully into a mix which never feels gratuitous- there is a great sense of balance between driving the plot forward and also staying true to the m.o of a truly vile serial killer. I loved it!

About the author…

Having always been fascinated with the dark and macabre, Sam Holland’s love of reading was forged in the library through Stephen King, Dean Koontz and James Herbert.

A self-confessed serial killer nerd, Holland studied psychology at university then spent the next few years working in HR, before quitting for a full-time career in writing. The Echo Man is the result.

Twitter @SamHollandBooks @HarperCollinsUK