Title: THE COUNTDOWN KILLER
Author: Sam Holland
ISBN: 9780008615130
Publisher: Harper Collins / Hemlock Press
Pages: 448
Source: NetGalley
A MAN MURDERED, LIVE ON CAMERA
When a DVD is delivered in the dead of night, DCI Cara Elliott hits play on a horrifying showreel of violence… This is death, on demand.
A KILLER COUNTING DOWN
Avid viewers are paying for the killings, with twisted specifications. A request, an abduction, a murder. And always in a forty-eight-hour pattern.
A MISSING DETECTIVE
But when the killer finds out they’re being investigated, they reveal their next target. In forty-eight hours, a police officer will be the one in front of the camera. The hunters have become the hunted, and the clock is ticking…
Official Summary
29 April 2025
Dark, disturbing, and utterly addictive – The Countdown Killer by Sam Holland delivers a chilling ride from start to finish. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill police procedural. It’s gritty, graphic, and gloriously intense, and I couldn’t put it down. Naturally I have started the series with book number four, so now I have some more back list titles to add to my TBR.
DCI Cara Elliott is thrown into a waking nightmare when a DVD lands in her hands, showcasing a live murder. What follows is a twisted game orchestrated by a sadistic killer who’s not just methodical but horrifyingly interactive – accepting requests from viewers and broadcasting death like it’s entertainment. The concept is horrifyingly clever, and Holland doesn’t shy away from the psychological darkness at its core.
What really stood out to me was the pacing. The forty-eight-hour countdown for each kill creates this ever-present tension that had me racing through chapters, needing to know if the team would catch a break before the next victim met their fate. And when the killer turns their sights on the police? Game-changer. It amps everything up and suddenly, no one feels safe.
Cara Elliott is a fantastic lead – sharp, flawed, determined. I loved how the book didn’t just focus on the investigation but also gave us glimpses into her vulnerabilities and what drives her. The supporting cast was solid too, especially the dynamics within her team. You can feel the pressure they’re under, and it adds a real sense of urgency to the narrative.
This book does get dark – think serial killer thrillers with a seriously brutal edge – so it won’t be for the faint-hearted. But if you’re a fan of Chris Carter, M.W. Craven, or the more intense side of Karin Slaughter, this one’s absolutely in your wheelhouse.
The Countdown Killer is a tense, fast-paced thriller that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. It’s disturbing in all the right ways, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more from Sam Holland. (And add her previous three books to my TBR!)
Also By Sam Holland
THE ECHO MAN
Detectives Cara Elliott and Noah Deakin are on the case of a series of seemingly unconnected murders, each different in method, but each shocking and brutal. As the body count increases, they can’t ignore the details that echo famous cases of the past—Manson, Kemper, Dahmer, and more. As Elliott and Deakin get closer to unmasking the killer, the murders are moving closer to home.
Meanwhile, Jessica Ambrose is on the run. She’s been implicated as the arsonist who killed her neglectful husband and injured her young daughter. With the help of disgraced and suspended detective Nate Griffin, Jess discovers a shocking link between her case and that of the ultimate copycat killer working on his horrifying masterpiece.
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Having always been fascinated with the dark and macabre, Sam Holland exploded onto the crime thriller world in 2022 with her debut novel, The Echo Man, shocking and enthralling readers and reviewers alike with its sinister depiction of a serial killer copying notorious real-life murderers of the past. The Twenty followed the year after, garnering reviews such as ‘riveting reading… packed with suspense’ from the Daily Mail and ‘smart and brooding’ from bestselling author, AJ Finn.
Her books have been published in 15 countries worldwide, including the US, Germany and the Netherlands, where she became the first author to win the Bronze Bat for her debut and the Silver Bat for best thriller in consecutive years at the Nederland’s Thriller festival. She also writes as Louisa Scarr
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this review copy. I loved this book and could not finish it fast enough. Are you a Sam Holland fan? Which is your favourite book>? I would love to hear from you, please leave a comment below. Until next time…. Happy Reading!
