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.