This is an absolute corker of a debut, it grabs you by the throat, pulls you in and takes off at full throttle until the very last page.
Forget trying to cheat on this one with another book,it is a one hit wonder and a thrill a minute as you become part of the investigation into some absolutely brutal, and unforgettable murders.
You are completely on edge as you try to work out just what is going on, as one murder after another baffles and enrages public and police alike.
Beginning with a bathroom hookup after a school run for central character, Jessica Ambrose leading straight into a scene from Hell itself as her entire world crumbles thanks to a murderer who has targeted her family. Except, she is the only survivor and as such, is the main focus of the police investigation run by Cara Elliott and Noah Deakin.
There is one person, however, who is on her side and that is disgraced former detective Nate Griffin. He has a very personal connection to Jessica's case and between them, they work out just what is going on. Someone is emulating the most infamous serial killers of all time. A copycat killer? Or rather, a person showing the police just how incapable they are of meeting out justice in the name of social control.
What the killer ,who the papers label as 'The Echo Man' , has in his sights is legendary status-he will take all the tried and tested methods of Dahmer, Bundy and other household names, and will best them all by simply not getting caught.
But with an unexpected survivor gone to ground, a determined detective and an investigating duo leading their first major case, the Echo Man has possibly underestimated just how far those with nothing to lose will go to bring him to ground.
It is electric, and reminded me of the Sigourney Weaver/Holly Hunter film 'Copycat' which I absolutely loved,
It is a sign of a fresh new name in crime fiction which promises great things from Sam Holland, and I am very excited to see where he goes next. Highly recommended for lovers of police procedurals and thrillers alike, not for the faint hearted, however, as some of the scenes of death are harrowing.

This was an intriguing and gruesome murder mystery which did push credibility at times but certainly kept me on my toes, I had a fair idea who the Echo Man was around half way through but parts of it did have me questioning my theory. Told primarily from three viewpoints, those of DCI Cara Elliott, suspended police detective Nate Griffin and troubled murder suspect Jess this is a very dark police procedural read about serial killers. Overall I enjoyed it but parts of it puzzled me, mainly why was Nate obsessed with seemingly random crimes, admittedly they were linked but there was nothing obvious about that when he was telling Jess about them. If you can overlook things like that though this is a great read for those with a love of the macabre especially when they’re more interested in the detail than realism.

You know the way sometimes when you’re an eager thriller reader that occasionally you get a bit of thriller fatigue.
That is not going to happen with this book, it’s brilliant, a really good serial killer who is copying other serial killers. Whoa! There’s some body count in this book. And I loved it.
It kept me guessing as to the identity of the Echo man, brilliantly conceived!
And as for the ending - double wow!
I hope we see more of Detective Elliott in the future and Griffin too.
I felt the wee love (sex) thing between Jess and Griffin was unnecessary.
I am so looking forward to more by Sam Holland and if this is his/her debut novel then we have great things to look forward to!

Many thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the advance read.

This is a great read. Quite heavy in parts with a brutal plot. A number of great characters I’d like to read more about, and follow their stories.
Dark, harrowing, and just what you want from a crime thriller. Would recommend.

I did find the murder at the start somewhat graphic but it gives you a taste of what is to come! After that we meet Jess and I was intrigued. After an argument with her husband she is sleeping in a different room to him and wakes to find the house on fire. This is not one of those books that starts slowly. The police who are investigating the murder are led by DCI Cara Elliott. Her brother, Nate Griffin, and also a policeman albeit suspended, plays an important part in this story too.

The fire in Jess's house kills her husband and she is accused of killing him. Griffin, though disgraced, is less certain of that. He has been trying to find out more about a possible serial killer who has stayed under the radar so far. If you read the blurb about this book you will find out more about the nature of the serial killer. However I do prefer to give as little away as possible and find out about a book for myself. Suffice it to say there is no shortage of murders here.

This book is quite graphic and visceral at times and some readers might not like that. I can't say that bothered me greatly although there were more than enough murders for the police to get to grips with than I need. The book is written in the present tense and that was OK too. The pace and tension are generally well worked.

However I do have some real issues with the storylines and their believability. I know we need to suspend our beliefs in reality when we read a lot of police stories (& thrillers generally). There were times when I thought the story here was just too incredible. I actually really liked Jess's character and thought that she was mostly very credible as a person. However her behaviour at times was simply not credible. I found this a rather frustrating book. I never wanted to put it down but I was often annoyed by it. I guess I'd call it 3.5/5.

A copycat serial killer dubbed The Echo Man is on the loose and he isn't going to stop until his plan has ran full course. With 2 Detectives racing against the clock to find the killer, a woman on the run wrongly accused of murdering her Husband and a disgraced Detective with an axe to grind, will they manage to connect the dots in time and stop the bodies from piling up!? ...

I mean what a debut!! Sam Holland is definitely going to be a name to look out for next year. I absolutely love a good psychological thriller and believe me when I say that this is up there with the best! It is gruesome, dark, tense, and utterly gripping, I couldn't put it down. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if this gets made into a TV series. It really is that good!

Huge thank you to @netgalley @harperfiction and @samhollandbooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review, The Echo Man is out April 2022. This is not one to be missed!

A stunning, original and emotional serial killer thriller. I was fully drawn to the brilliant premise, and it delivered on all counts. This book is seriously dark and uncompromising, hugely gripping, and also has believable characters who you care about and empathise with. I loved Griffin and Jess, especially. The ending is so good: shocking and harrowing, and made me feel all the feelings. One of the best crime books I’ve read in a long time, and surely destined to be HUGE in 2022. So glad I read this book.

4.5 rounded up

A killer who sets horrific tableaux as a perverted homage and DCI Cara Elliott and DS Noah Deakin investigate. An arson attack in which a man dies, his wife Jess Ambrose on the run as police believe she is responsible. She teams up with suspended detective Nate Griffin who doesn’t believe she committed the crime and she makes a mind blowing link between the cases and thus is born ‘The Echo Man’.

Wow. Some debut authors enter the fiction ring with a whimper, Sam Holland enters with one heck of a bang. Follow that! This is one of those jaw dropping, eye popping, spine tingling, hair raising reads that grips me from beginning to end. It’s jet black dark and not for the faint hearted that’s for sure as there’s brutality that shocks to the core as the investigators are on the hunt for someone who is so cruel and barbaric but so clever your heart sinks at the seeming impossibility of the task. The characterisation is excellent, there’s a good mixture from Cara torn between the needs of family and the demands of her job to some damaged souls bent on self destruction some of which is so tragically heartbreaking it takes your breath away. The dynamics are very good and you see the push and pulls, likes and dislikes all too clearly. It’s well written, the pace is excellent, speeding up and down appropriately. There’s so much tension and suspense you might need oxygen supplies and the twists, yes, the twists. Talk about fool me once, fool me twice with clever red herrings. The end is similarly twisty but do I like it? I’m not sure ... but overall this is an incredible read. I’d say this is a sure fire best seller and kudos to Sam Holland.

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

Anyone who knows me, knows I love true crime, my perfect evening is cuddling up in a nice warm blanket with a true crime documentary or book. So, it is not surprise that Sam Holland's 'The Echo Man' screamed out to me.

Here is what I thought...

What a debut!!! I can already see this being an instant hit, number one bestseller, and a movie being planned as I speak!

I was blown away with 'The Echo Man', such a clever concept which was executed to perfection with a plot that keeps you guessing and guessing! I completely fell in love with the complicated characters, especially Nate Griffin - disgraced cop, and Jessica Ambrose, a fierce woman dedicated to clearing her name.

Whilst it is definitely not for the faint of heart, if you are looking for a crime thriller with plenty of twists, well written characters and more murders than I can count then this is the book for you!

After a night in which she argued with her husband, Jess Ambrose wakes up to her worst nightmare - her house is on fire and she needs to save herself and her daughter. She is pulled into an investigation in which everyone suspects her of doing the deed, but when evidence comes to light that she may not be culpable and it may have been the work of someone far more sinister, the police are drawn into the world of someone who is emulating any and all famous serial killer - with a plan to top them all.

Unsurprisingly, this book is quite dark - the Echo Man's kills are not for the faint of heart! There is so much to like about this book - the characters are very well fleshed-out and the story does rattle on at a fair pace. Why am I only giving it three stars? Sadly, there is a "but" to my statement! My main quibble is that I found it very predictable. I had two characters pegged as the potential Echo Man by about 40% of the way through the book, and sadly I was right. The ending also left a lot to be desired - it felt like there probably should have been a chapter or two more to tie up the loose ends.

All-in-all, a reluctant three-star book for me.

Rating: 2.5/5

"The Echo Man" is Samantha Holland's debut and she has chosen to make her entrance with a variation on the police procedural theme that has a particularly gruesome edge. Some of the scenes depict very graphic violence, so if that is not your idea of an enjoyable read, then this book will certainly not be the one for you.

I often have misgivings about reading police procedurals - especially ones that revolve around yet another serial killer. There are numerous run of the mill examples already out there that are melodramatic in the extreme, hackneyed, stereotypical and invariably feature a two-dimensional maverick lead detective with an all too predictable character flaw. On the whole, Sam Holland manages to negotiate most of these potential pitfalls, while still fulfilling the brief and the expectations that this genre demands - but there are also aspects that are handled far less convincingly.

The overall structure and format of "The Echo Man" is certainly not unique. In common with other police procedurals the author needs to establish a lead protagonist with a tainted backstory and flawed, but engaging, character traits - so nothing new there. Likewise, the core premise of the serial killer plotline is not particularly original either and borrows heavily from well-known, real-life serial killers. However, Sam Holland's writing is intelligent, the dialogue is mostly well handled and the characterisation is better and more rounded than is often found in books of this genre.

The author has sought to circumnavigate the potential issue of having a stereotypical flawed central character by having several flawed protagonists at the heart of the story instead! The narrative is provided from a variety of viewpoints, but always written in the present tense and from a first person perspective. This mechanic works okay, but it does make for slightly confusing reading at times, as the change of narrator is not signposted and it isn't always immediately apparent whose point of view we are seeing. The pace of the story is generally good, though things did get a little stymied in the middle section.

However, my biggest issue with "The Echo Man" is that there were just too many aspects of the plot and the developments that were simply unbelievable. Even allowing for the author's use of dramatic licence, credulity was stretched too far, too often. This made the content difficult to take seriously and had a negative effect on the overall impact of the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is one of the best serial killer thrillers I’ve read in a really long time!
I really hope there will be a follow up book as I would love to see more from this cast of characters.
Dark, gritty and as disturbing as it is engrossing!
Brilliant
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My first introduction to Sam Holland’s stories and it was great. A crazed blood thirsty killer on the loose who is copying past serial killers’ murder’s themes. The police are on a race against time to stop anymore killings before they happen.

Absolutely dark, graphic and gory what more can you ask for? It was right up my street!

OH MY GOSH this book. It was dark, disturbing, creepy and unpredictable. It was gripping and it hooked me and just would not let go until I finished it. It was unpredictable twisty and relentless and I could not get enough of it. I loved it

I have been going through a bit of a slump and was really struggling to find a thriller type book that actually engaged me and kept me interested enough to even just get to the 3rd chapter....... and then I was lucky enough to be allowed a pre release copy of this! From the 1st page, I was hooked. This book went everywhere with me and took up every spare second I had. The overall premise was so simple but also something I'd never come across before and it didn't have any of the cliche character types you can often find in these police/ murder/ who dunnit types. The writing keeps the book flowing at such a good pace, nothing is rushed but there's also no filler paragraphs or droning on just to get the word count up! I was just obsessed with this and possibly even more so because, like many others atm, I do love true crime!! So that little nod to the true crime world was really appreciated and enjoyed. What else can I say? It's everything a thriller should aspire to be. Completely unique and original, this is a whole new level of thriller and be prepared to clear your schedule so you can focus on reading more of this book. It will be your priority over your job, kids and housework. And you won't regret a second if it. My only complaint was that on finishing the book, I rushed to amazon to download everything the author has ever wrote, only to find that this is a debut novel?! I don't even know how someone can launch their writing career from such a high starting point. All I can hope is that they continue to produce many more books in the years to come! The name Sam Holland deserves to be up there with the Koontz, Slaughter, Connolly, Deaver and so on. I'm so greatful for this book, it has reminded exactly why I love reading so much

Wow!! Sam Holland is going to be one to watch! This is a book that will consume you, hook you as a hostage and keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

Holland has made my heart pound, I’ve felt uneasy, tense and completely breathless reading this gripping masterpiece. Wow!! I need more!!

This is a book that has intrigued me from just the title. Anyone who likes true crime should read this book, although fiction it draws on many well known cases and is just brilliant from start to end. I cannot coherently put into words how much I have adored this book.

This is a book with everything- a strong and tense plot, an array of different characters who you will have differing opinions of and a whole lot of tense moments. This is written in such a way, you feel as though you are watching it play out in front of you.

I adore Jess and Nate, my heart has been rooting for them from the very beginning. They are a great pair each with their own issues and troubles which are portrayed effortlessly into the plot by the author.

The ending of this has left me with an “OMG” is there more to come? Will we revisit characters? I am so excited. This is just fantastic and I can’t wait for more.

A definite five star read and one that I will be telling EVERYONE TO READ!

The Echo Man - Sam Holland

I enjoy a good dark crime or serial killer novel so was looking forwards to this.

A novel serial killer, on a mission to replicate the murders of notorious serial killers.
There is an interesting combination of characters, particularly a brother and sister on the investigation, one a respected DCI, the other a loose cannon.

It is mainly written in the present tense, while it works for me for the snippets from the killer's perspective, it really didn't flow for me in the rest of the book. After an impactful opening it takes a good while before the characters start to be developed more fully.

The killer is meticulous, always two steps ahead, the Police left to follow the clues he has deliberately left to be found, leading them to his next body drop, or identifying the next victim.

I found the reveal and identity of the killer completely unbelievable. I liked the epilogue though.

Fans of Daniel Cole or M J Aldridge might enjoy it, but it is mainly about the concept.


Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK

#TheEchoMan #NetGalley
Awesome thriller.
Jess Ambrose is plunged into the investigation when her house is set ablaze. With her husband dead and the police pointing at her, she runs. Her only hope is disgraced detective Nate Griffin, who is convinced Jess is innocent.
And he’s going to shock the world…
Soon, Jess and Griffin discover the unthinkable; this murderer is copying the world’s most notorious serial killers. And now, imitation isn’t enough. The killer dubbed The Echo Man is ready to create his own masterpiece, and it will be more terrifying than anything that has come before.
This is a fantastic novel. Adored it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy of this book.

As a huge true crime fan I really enjoyed this one, especially trying to identify what serial killers were being copied by the initial crime scene. Hugely enjoyable.

Quite possibly the best book I’ve read in years. It’s dark, really dark, it has plot twists, it has murder, serial killers, grit, gruesome details, sickening details and is a book I just couldn’t put down!