The Countdown Killer by Sam Holland

 

DCI Cara Elliott and her team are still recovering from the harrowing events caused by the serial killer, The Puppet Master, when they find themselves dealing with a new foe, a killer who is exacting retribution on individuals who seem to have evaded punishment for crimes they committed.

The Countdown Killer by Sam Holland is book 4 in the Major Crimes series. This book draws together lots of threads from previous books, if you're new to the series I'd recommend reading the previous three books first to get a full understanding of the dynamics between the characters. The Countdown Killer also contains lots of spoilers for the earlier books.

The opening pages, the murder of a man held captive, are gritty and give an idea of what is to follow in the rest of the book. The level of violence is brutal, enough to shock the members of the Major Crimes team who end up investigating the crime. Cara and her team are at a relatively good point in their lives, although they are still coming to terms with past events. Cara knows that realistically they don't have the capacity, emotionally and in terms of numbers, to deal with another possible serial killer but she fights for the case.

Investigations lead to the shocking discovery that a killer has been operating in the area for years. The motive is revenge against people who have either gotten away with a crime or it was felt they were dealt with too leniently. The form of punishment follows 48 hours of captivity and is a more horrific and twisted version of the crime they committed. During the investigation, Cara soon discovers links to a previous case, one that had devastating consequences for her team.

You can understand Cara's turmoil, wondering how the two cases are connected. Doubts begin to arise as she questions if they caught the right man previously. Cara becomes obsessed with the case, causing problems in her personal relationships. Other members of the team are also adjusting to normality after everything they suffered and the rise of a new killer brings difficult memories to the surface. If you've read the previous books this is a group of characters you care about, people who have suffered unimaginable horrors, individuals who you don't want to have to deal with any more sorrow.

As I read I felt one of those niggles, a feeling that something major was about to be revealed. Sam Holland keeps you dangling, with lots of tantalising hints. When the reveal happens it's not one but two big shocks and I wanted to punch myself for not spotting them earlier. I do hope that this isn't the end for the Major Crimes team.

The Countdown Killer by Sam Holland will be published on 5th June 2025 in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Hemlock Press for a review copy.

Author Details

Sam Holland is the award-winning author of the Major Crimes series, following detectives as they investigate murders committed by brutal serial killers in the south of England. Her debut, The Echo Man, shocked and enthralled readers and reviewers alike with its sinister depiction of a serial killer copying notorious real-life murderers of the past.

Her books have been published in 11 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 Nederlands Thrillerfestival.