Having always been fascinated with the dark and macabre, Sam Holland’s love of reading was forged in the library through Stephen King, Dean Koontz and James Herbert. A self-confessed serial killer nerd, Holland studied psychology at university then spent the next few years working in HR, before quitting for a full-time career in writing. The Echo Man is the result.
Sam can be found on Twitter and Instagram at @samhollandbooks.
The Hollow Boys (2026) Tariq Ashkanani "A chilling, razor-sharp novel that creeps under your skin and refuses to let go. A carefully crafted portrait of small-town America, thick with dread and humidity, where the worst has happened. Unforgettable, beautiful and bleak."
Guilt Trip (2025) Jo Furniss "Secrets and lies, double crossing and treachery - nothing is as it seems when a mini bus of kids goes missing from a posh private school. More than living up to its compelling premise, Guilt Trip takes you on a journey where even the kids are duplicitous. Twisty and tantalising!"
The Red Shore (2025) (DS Eden Driscoll, book 1) William Shaw "A welcome introduction to our newest crime hero: Eden Driscoll. Haunted with childhood trauma of his own, Eden is summoned to Devon where he discovers his estranged sister missing, and a nephew he never knew he had. Wonderfully evocative of the West Country, The Red Shore is full of suspense and mystery. A triumph!"
Kill Them with Kindness (2025) Will Carver "Brilliantly original ... an alternative reality of the pandemic that's both terrifyingly plausible, relevant and timely."
Sun Trap (2025) Rachel Wolf "Death and drama in the desert! A rollercoaster ride of duplicity and double takes, Sun Trap is perfect for balmy summer days and chilling by the pool. Great escapist fun!"
The Man Made of Smoke (2025) Alex North "Balancing his trademark hint of the supernatural with very real fears, this is a book full of regret and grief, but most of all heart. I loved Dan - I was swept up in his story, riding the wave of his uncertainty and worry."
The Cliffhanger (2025) Emily Freud "Dastardly deeds, double crossing, a marriage on the rocks and a remote villa in France. What could possibly go wrong? True to the title, The Cliffhanger kept me reading chapter after chapter desperate to see the characters get their just deserts. So much fun!"
Paperboy (2025) (Ally McCoist, book 2) Callum McSorley "Magnificent metaphors; dialogue that skips across the page; McCoist with her smart mouth and predilection of getting smashed around the face-there's nothing I didn't love about this brilliant book. The most fun you can have with an industrial paper shredder."
The Troubled Deep (2025) (Cam Killick, book 1) Rob Parker "I loved Cam. Flawed and broken, but undoubtably human, he's brave, and loyal to a fault. A brilliant start to an exciting new series."
Notes on a Drowning (2025) Anna Sharpe "Smart, sharp, and restlessly entertaining with dialogue that dances off the page, Notes on a Drowning is riveting from the get-go. Loved this trip into the seedy underbelly of politics and corruption."
An Ethical Guide to Murder (2025) Jenny Morris "Is Thea a serial killer? Is she an avenging angel? Maybe she's both. Fresh and fun, I loved this original take on the crime genre. Combining ethics with a good old revenge story, I raced through this unexpectedly poignant novel. A fabulous debut!"
Into the Flames (2024) James Delargy "Faster than a raging bushfire, Delargy paints a terrifying portrait of a town under siege, and the traumatized detective tracking down a murderer in its midst. Blistering stuff!"
The Dead Friend Project (2024) Joanna Wallace "Come for the murder and stay for the errant labradors and the Sweaty Betty mums. The Dead Friend Project had me snorting out loud one moment then covering my mouth with my hands the next. Witty, smart and terrifyingly well-observed."
Redemption (2024) Jack Jordan "Stamped with Jack's trademark moral dilemma . . . it's as fast as it is beautiful as the book races across sweat-stained America. Simply brilliant."
Bonehead (2024) Mo Hayder "This is everything you expect from a Mo Hayder: a little bit weird, a little bit nasty, with characters you love from the off. Creepy as hell. And an ending that made my blood run cold."
Seven Days (2024) Robert Rutherford "A breathless race across continents, an emotional battle, a shadowy killer: this thriller has it all. If you like your mysteries intriguing and twisting, this one's for you."
A Lesson in Cruelty (2024) Harriet Tyce "Thought provoking and intense, these three cleverly interlocking stories come together in a tense and intriguing finale. I raced through it!"
What We Did In The Storm (2024) Tina Baker "Bold and atmospheric, each chapter offered a tantalising thread of a community fracturing behind closed doors, finally pulling together for the devastating conclusion. Utterly compelling."
Sleeping Dogs (2024) (Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler, book 4) Russ Thomas "I was hooked on DS Adam Tyler from the first page...spot on."
Deadly Animals (2024) Marie Tierney "Feisty Ava and her sidekick John are just the heroes we need as they track down a serial killer in eighties Birmingham. Original, and as fascinating as it is macabre, Tierney is a name to watch."
The Actor (2024) Chris MacDonald "I was obsessed. Laughing one moment, absolutely speechless the next, I was completely swept away in Adam's story. This book lives up to expectations - and then exceeds them."
The Rich (2023) Rachel Lynch "Smart, satisfying - a superb book. I loved this story of excess and narcissism."
You Always Come Back (2023) Emily Smith "Stunning and accomplished, You Always Come Back is the serial killer story we'd all love to write. Following July and her perfectly-drawn, dysfunctional family, it weaves a tale of trauma and doubt as it crosses between present day and the awful events all those years ago. Compelling and heartbreaking and more than a little bit horrific, I read it breathless for the final, desperate, conclusion."
The Safe House (2023) Cameron Ward "Faster than wildfire and instantly chilling, I enjoyed every moment of this scorching thriller. Ward paints a masterful picture, from the blazing bushfires, to the strangers within, every scene laced with mistrust and menace."
The Quiet Dead (2023) (Sebastian Locke, book 1) NJ Mackay "A fabulous introduction to DI Sebastian Locke...a new hero (and fictional crush!) is born. A cast of liars and cheats makes for a thrilling and tantalising tale. My heart broke with Ethan's story and those little bones."
Reasonable People (2023) C E Hulse "Reasonable People is a book full of anything but - nuanced characters that made me seethe at their actions, laugh at their foibles and blub with understanding. I'd pick a side only to change my mind a moment later. A terrific book full of heart and humour."
The Art of Belonging (2023) Eleanor Ray "A wonderful story, beautifully told. A book full of love and new beginnings and optimism."
Silent Waters (2023) L V Matthews "With a captivating cast of characters - some I loved to hate! - I thoroughly enjoyed this dip into the murky world of police diving. Utterly compelling."
The Contest (2023) Karen Hamilton "More twists and turns than a Kilimanjaro path, The Contest is the ultimate book for this summer. Secrets and lies, deception and double crossing, you wouldn't want these characters to buy you a drink, let alone join you for a climb up a mountain."
Freeze (2023) Kate Simants "Biting and atmospheric, Freeze is the ultimate locked-room mystery, where the breathless intensity increases as the temperature plummets. Frostbite-inducingly chilling!"
The Devil Takes You Home (2022) Gabino Iglesias "A dark and disturbing tunnel into another world, Iglesias deftly walks the line between beautiful and haunting. A tense and unapologetic story, I devoured this in a weekend, my eyes widening with every unflinching word."
All Good People Here (2022) Ashley Flowers "Small town America, a missing girl. A journalist determined to find the truth. The author's true crime background comes into its own with this tightly-wound novel, as unravelling events feel believable and characters authentic. Deftly interlocked strands of the story tantalisingly unravel as we are led to the original and unexpected conclusion. Taut and tense, a great read!"
The Murder Rule (2022) Dervla McTiernan "Deceptive and devious, this twisted and turned in exactly the way I hoped it would, resulting in an ultimately satisfying conclusion. A fantastic read."
The Fall (2022) (DCI Jansen, book 4) Rachael Blok "From the atmospheric and chilling prologue, The Fall held me tight in its thrall until the spine-tingling conclusion."
