The Countdown Killer

The Countdown Killer

Paperback Published on: 05/06/2025
Price: £9.99
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Bookseller Reviews

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The Countdown Killer
A brilliant sequel
An absolutely cracking sequel to The Echo Man. It would have been 5 stars had I not guessed who the murderer was. It's a grim, unrelenting, horrendous sto... READ MORE
Sally Boocock

Synopsis

‘I’ve fallen in love with the characters in this series’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Her books are like magnets: one page turns into five, turns into fifty, and suddenly it’s 2 a.m.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

He's tracking people down one by oneAnd you're next on the list…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…

Praise for Sam Holland's thrillers‘Smart and brooding, icepick-sharp and shadow-dark; best of all, though, it’s scary as hell. Think you’re tough? Pick up this novel and prove it’ A. J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window

‘Really disturbing and gripping but with a trademark sexy cop at the heart to offset the serial killer gore. Lots of fun in a very nightmarish way’ Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange

‘Fierce, frightening, twisted and addictive.’ Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End

‘Fast and furious, Sam Holland doesn’t take her foot off the pedal for a second’ Victoria Selman, author of Truly Darkly Deeply

‘If you like crime that’s dark, twisted, and keeps you up all night, Holland is the author for you’ Jack Jordan, author of Do No Harm

‘I raced through this page-turner and slept with the light on after finishing it!’ Elle Croft, author of The Guilty Wife

‘Fascinating, complex characters, whose relationships are every bit as humanly messy as the crime scenes they face’ Dominic Nolan, author of Vine Street

Readers love The Countdown Killer…‘I’ve fallen in love with the characters in this series’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Her books are like magnets: one page turns into five, turns into fifty, and suddenly it’s 2 a.m.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An unputdownable read and I read most of it in 24 hours’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Captured me from the first page and didn’t let go’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Gripping, disturbing, and timely’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Honestly, my favourite so far – which says a lot as I was obsessed with The Echo Man!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘One of my most anticipated reads, and it did not disappoint!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A must-read for fans of gritty police procedurals and serial killer fiction’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A compelling crime thriller with interestingly flawed characters you hope come out the other side intact’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The pacing is electric, with tension that never lets up and twists that genuinely surprised me’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘More than just a police procedural thriller’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The writing is immersive and addictive – I completely binged the second half in one sitting’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This series is one of my all-time favourite thrillers, and The Countdown Killer totally lived up to the hype. Actually, scratch that—it might be my favourite one yet’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Words cannot explain how much I loved this book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher information

  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • ISBN: 9780008615154
  • Number of pages: 448
  • Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 34 mm
  • Weight: 300g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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The Countdown Killer
Twisted, Addictive Thriller
DCI Cara Elliott is at work when a DVD is handed into the station showing a murder on demand. It becomes clear that viewers are paying for these killings w... READ MORE
Hannah Reviews
The Countdown Killer
Prepare to board a rollercoaster!
As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew I would like it. Like is an understatement!! This is a fast-paced, full of action, get-ready-to-roll kind o... READ MORE
Magali Prégardien
The Countdown Killer
Unexpected events
The Echo Man was a fantastic start to this series and whilst you can read this without having read it you’ll appreciate this all the more if you do and the... READ MORE
Sarah Goldthorpe
The Countdown Killer
The Countdown Killer.
This is the fourth book in the Major crimes series and it didn’t disappoint. DCI Cara Elliott is given a DVD of a man being killed. It looks like a reve... READ MORE
Pauline S
The Countdown Killer
Another great read by Sam Holland!
This is the fourth book in the Major Crimes series and links back significantly to the first book, The Echo Man. This can be read as a standalone, but the... READ MORE
Lynsey (To read or not to read)
The Countdown Killer
The best in the series so far!
The Countdown Killer is no.4 in Sam Holland’s Major Crimes series, and I think it’s the best one yet! I just could not get it into my face quickly enough –... READ MORE
Carrie Beth
The Countdown Killer
Brilliant
A sure-fire 5 star read for me and another excellent addition to this brilliant series. This is the fourth in the Major Crimes Series and the fourth I h... READ MORE
readingstuffnthings.blogspot.co.uk
The Countdown Killer
Dark but thrilling!
This was completely enthralling! I am slightly sad that I did not realize that this was the fourth book in the series (though I already have the first book... READ MORE
K. Bickmore
The Countdown Killer
The count down killer
Sam Holland has done it again with this utterly amazing and outstanding book. Wow my review won’t cover how good it is, it’s fast paced and has some gre... READ MORE
Nicky  Lennon
The Countdown Killer
Brilliant
This thriller grabs from the first line and never lets go. A DVD arriving in the dead of night. A brutal killing caught on film. A detective staring down ... READ MORE
Sandie McCormack
The Countdown Killer
A compelling crime thriller with interestingly flawed characters
Another dark wild ride from Sam Holland as she wraps up loose threads in her Major Crimes series. At times this series has required a bit of a suspense of ... READ MORE
Natalie
The Countdown Killer
An amazing read that I highly recommend
It's an amazing read just what I've come to expect from Sam Holland, one of my favourite authors. It was deliciously gruesome and disturbing. This one had... READ MORE
Lovetoread2023
The Countdown Killer
Fantastic read
Wow Sam Holland has done another fantastic job with ‘The Countdown killer’. The fourth book in the Major Crime series. DCI Cara Elliot is at work when she... READ MORE
Michelle De Alwis
The Countdown Killer
A must read!
The Countdown Killer is a brilliant addition to Sam Holland’s Major Crimes series — honestly, my favourite so far - which says a lot as I was obsessed with... READ MORE
Kay RhysEvans
The Countdown Killer
Excellent read!
I’m new to the books of Sam Holland and just wish I’d done my research, realised this was the fourth book in a series and read the previous books first as ... READ MORE
Joanne Gillick
The Countdown Killer
Countdown Killer
This is book 4 of the Major Crimes series and, as per usual, to get the best from it, you do need to start from the beginning and read in order. If you hav... READ MORE
Ashrae
The Countdown Killer
Dark and gritty thriller
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 deal... READ MORE
D Hart
The Countdown Killer
Exciting and tense
This is the fourth book in the Major Crimes series, and it relates back to The Echo Man, so I’d definitely recommend reading that (and the other two excell... READ MORE
Laura W
The Countdown Killer
Truly gripping thriller!
An elderly lady drops off a DVD at Southampton Police Station’s Major Crimes Unit and as DCI Cara Elliott and her team watch it they realise it shows a par... READ MORE
Joan Clapham
The Countdown Killer
Cracking read
DCI Cara Elliot receives a dvd delivered to the police station on it is a snuff film. As Cara and her team investigates, the killer targets people she love... READ MORE
The Countdown Killer
Absolutely unputdownable!
OH. MY. GOD. This book?? It was absolutely BRILLIANT. Sam Holland has officially mastered the art of the serial killer thriller, and The Countdown Killer m... READ MORE
Alex Hutchinson
The Countdown Killer
Wow just Wow
Thank you NetGalley for the Arc The Countdown Killer by Sam Holland in return for my honest review. This is the forth book in the series and I would highl... READ MORE
wendy lane
The Countdown Killer
The Countdown Killer by Sam Holland
Wow! Just…wow! I need a lie-down after finishing The Countdown Killer. I have so much to say about this book but where do I start? How about here? This is ... READ MORE
@damppebbles
The Countdown Killer
Great series so far
I’ve been waiting with anticipation for the next instalment from Sam Holland & featuring DCI Cara Elliott especially since the cliff hanger ending from boo... READ MORE
Michelle  Heal
The Countdown Killer
Best book yet!!
Yaaaaayyyyy!!! Justice at last, I have been grumbling away to myself about a certain character but today, it was, take that you ar@ewipe!! This is my fa... READ MORE
Mrsbookburnee
The Countdown Killer
Tense and thrilling
This is the fourth book in the Major Crimes series, and it relates back to The Echo Man, so I’d definitely recommend reading that (and the other two excell... READ MORE
Laura W
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Countdown Killer
Mindblowing!
With thanks to the author, publishers HarperCollins UK and NetGalley, for providing me with a DRC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I thoro... READ MORE
Rob O'Driscoll
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Countdown Killer
The Countdown Killer
⭐️ 5 ⭐️ This is the fourth book in the Major Crimes series. I’ve read and loved the previous three. I wouldn’t recommend reading The Countdown Killer as a... READ MORE
Dee