Thank you Netgalley & Dreamscape media for an ALC of the Echo Man by Sam Holland.

Again, WHY did I wait so long to dive into this series? I don’t compare many authors to the darkness of Karin Slaughter, but this novel is right there. This story follows detectives Cara and Noah, trying to solve a string of murders that appear to be unconnected but each as shocking and horrendous as the last. But these murders are echoing those of the past, like Dahmer and Manson. Absolutely loved the audio - This is no doubt a favorite read of 2024 despite being a 2022 release. I can’t wait to see what Holland comes up with next.

Jessica Ambrose wakes to a house in flames. She manages to get her daughter and herself out, but her husband is killed. In the hospital, she finds that the police are planning to charge her with the murder and arson as she and Patrick had been fighting that night and that her daughter will be taken away from her. Jessica runs from the hospital and ends up at the house of Nate Griffin. Nate is a suspended police detective. He has also had tragedy as he and his wife awoke one night to a man with a gun. Nate was beaten unconscious and his wife killed. Both wounded, they try to find solace with each other.

Nate's sister, Cara, is the head of the police squad looking into the murders. But when Griffin realizes that his and Jess's cases are part of a series mimicking famous serial killers, Cara and her team start to find more cases that fit the pattern. Killers such as Jeffery Dahmer, Charles Manson and the Golden State Killer are providing the blueprint for a horrific series of murderers. Can the man behind the killings be found?

This is a debut novel for the author writing as Sam Holland. It is the first book in the Major Crimes series. She also has a series under the name Louisa Scarr. The crimes are very violent and gory and some readers may be put off by this, although others will take it as the major crime investigators are exposed to. There are many twists and turns as Cata and her team race to find the killer before he strikes again, while Jessica and Griffin come together due to their shared trauma inflicted by the killer. I listened to this book and the narration allowed the reader to feel the horror of what was happening. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

Sam Holland's "The Echo Man" is not for the faint of heart. If you're a fan of gritty, graphic thrillers that give a look into the psyche of a serial killer, this book is might be right up your alley. The premise of a murderer who emulates infamous serial killers of the past had me interested immediately, but once I started it, I couldn’t put it down.

One of the best parts of the novel for me was the author's skill in crafting multi-dimensional characters. The chapters written from the perspective of the killer were especially disturbing. Holland managed to get under the skin of the character, making their inner thoughts and motivations bone-chillingly real. It's not often that a thriller lets you glimpse into the mind of the villain in such an unsettling way, and it added an extra layer of tension to the story.

As for the ending, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I appreciated that Holland didn't wrap everything up neatly in a bow. It felt true to the dark and gritty tone of the book. On the other hand, there was a part of me that wanted the closure and answers. But that’s probably why it’s going to live rent free in my brain for a while.

In audiobooks, a talented narrator can elevate the storytelling to new heights, and that's exactly what happened here. Kudos to Jodie Harris for their exceptional performance, which made "The Echo Man" an even more unforgettable experience

"The Echo Man" is an interesting and disturbing read. I'm already knee-deep into the second book, eager to see where Sam Holland goes next. Highly recommended for those who can handle the graphic nature of the content.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Sam Holland for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t believe this is a debut! This book is filled with triggers so if you’re sensitive to content I highly recommend looking up warnings before you read it. I myself really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape media and Netgalley for the advanced listener copy. This is my honest review.

I listened to the first chapter of this book so many times but didn't find it engaging. Even after pushing through and giving it a good try, I was losing interest in the story and ended up chalking it up as a DNF about halfway through. Liked the premise, but ultimately not the book for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This story follows two police officers as they try to catch a copy cat serial killer. The serial killer copy’s from many famous serial killers in the past following there style causing the media to nickname him the echo man. I personally had a hard time getting into this novel the characters really did not click with me and I had a hard time caring what was going on with them . I was really expecting to like this book as a fan of rue crime but instead felt like a lot of this book looking into other killers which led me to lose interest at times. I did listen to the audiobook and did not quite care for the narrator there were times were it felt monotone and not engaging. I would like to thank the publishers and Net galley for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I was very impressed at the overall sense of darkness and foreboding that permeated this book, especially because it's a debut novel. The story was well plotted and thought out, and the big twist was something I did not see coming. Overall I enjoyed this thriller and would definitely pick up another one by this author.

Thank you NetGalley, the publishers and author for granting me the free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A woman’s life is turned upside down when she wakes up to her house on fire. Her husband dies in the fire and her daughter is hospitalized. The police think it was arson and she might be involved. An unorthodox detective believes she is innocent and that her husband’s murder was one in string of copycat murders occurring in the area. However, this copycat isn’t sticking to just one infamous murderer, he is executing one murder per serial killer. I found it interesting to guess which serial killer he was emulating and how it included American and British serial killers. I found parts of the book hard to believe like how the wife was able to walk right into another crime scene pretending to be a crime scene investigator without causing suspicion. An interesting, but at times slow moving read.

i really enjoyed this book and the suspense as to how things link together. I would have never thought that the copycat would have come in to play the way that they did. The way this book was written was excellent.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback)

A story of two detectives (Cara & Noah) who are investigating a string of unconnected murders, while a suspect for one of the murders (Jess) gets help from a suspended detective (Nate) to attempt to prove her innocence.

As the pattern soon appears that these murders are not only connected, but each mimics the murders of a notorious serial serial killer, everything gets flipped on its head.

On the surface, a story like this is completely up my alley. Serial murders, each based on a different real-life serial killer's MO, a really interesting concept.

But honestly, it was the internal dialogue/narration of the killer that just rubbed me the wrong way and took me out of it. Yes, you expect a story like this will be grotesque. It's not for the squeamish. But the author went too hard on overly descriptive sexual fantasies and the way he described them. Although yes, the information was relevant, the execution of this was exceptionally vulgar and disgusting.

3 stars for the innovative concept and the research this author clearly did in order to write this book.

This book was pretty fantastic. Such a fun spin on the criminal, not the typical storyline. It’s almost 2 stories that merge into one ending to tie it all together.

The story begins with Jess’ house being involved in a house fire. Her husband Patrick is killed in the fire and the police believe she may be to blame. There is one exception however, the mysterious Nate Griffin. Griffin must work along with his sister Detective Kara Elliot to solve these murders. The killer has no specific MO and is constantly changing his methods to match other infamous serial killers. The story is a twisty, gritty, dark story with a lot of secrets to uncover. It made me pause and feel uncomfortable at times but I couldn’t stop listening to it to find out what happened next.

Cara Elliott and Noah Deakin are inundated with violent cases that seem to have no connection at all, but someone is out there ultimately copying killings by other infamous serial killers. When Jessica Ambrose’s house burns down and she is suspected of arson, she goes on the run and ends up with Griffin, Cara’s brother. Griffin, also a detective, is on leave after a brutal attack. Both broken, they put their heads together to help solve the case, but not before more bodies pile up.

While this book was well written, it was extremely dark and quite graphic. Definitely not for the weak of heart or stomach and had me cringing in more than one place. I would have liked it much better if it had been toned way down and relied on what was not seen and heard, but instead more on the suspense aspect.

This is a very dark, deeply disturbing, gory, serial killer thriller that is really really good. Fast paced, cringeworthy, and one you will not be able to put down.
There are a bunch of murders that have just begun to pop up across England. Each death is different, having different methods throughout. They have one similarity though, they are all cruel, brutal, and utterly horrifying. It’s all just getting started too.
Jess Ambrose’s house is set ablaze which sticks her right into the middle of the investigation. Her husband is dead and the police are pointing their fingers at her as the suspect, so she runs. She shacks up with a disgraced detective who is convinced she is innocent.
Soon, it’s discovered just what the killer is doing, the murderer is copying all of the world’s most notorious and brutal serial killers. Now, the imitation just isn’t enough. Now named The Echo Man, the killer is ready to create his very own masterpiece, on worse than anything anyone has ever seen before.
Wow. This book really was so much more than I expected. Though there is one character who I think you are supposed to feel sorry for but it’s hard considering she kinda sleeps with just about everything and is married, the story itself and most of the characters are excellent. I suppose with a book this gritty and disturbing infidelity is the least of the worries!
If you like your books very well written, incredibly gory and disturbing, something you will not be able to put down, and also something that definitely leaves you thinking when you are done, grab this as quick as you can!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. I really wanted to get into this book and I was. Great murder mystery and gore and stuff doesn't bother me. But it was pretty explicit with sexual situations and the a lot of gore. Just not the right book for me.

This book has a lot of triggers so I advise you read about them before you start listening to this book.
I’m not easily triggered and I suggest you go in blind to get the full effect if this story. I thought it was fantastic. This is a five star read for me. I was glued , I had it playing on my car, on my phone , everywhere all day until the end.. make no mistake , it’s gory and shocking and brilliantly narrated..

The Echo Man is Sam Holland’s debut and a very intense, gruesome and dark novel. This book is written to shock with its short chapters and it will for the right readers. Some might find it a bit overwhelming, especially if they are a bit squeamish.

It was definitely interesting with twist and turns some may not see coming. I am looking forward to seeing what the author comes out with next!

I want to thank NetGalley, Sam Holland and Dreamscape Media for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

"Maybe the key isn't getting rid of the crazy, maybe it's finding someone just as broken who understands"

Jessica wakes up to her house on fire. Soon she's told her husband is dead. The cops think she started the fire and killed her husband, but she swears she's innocent. Not trusting the cops she runs for it and finds an ally in an unlikely source, a suspended detective, Nate Griffin. While she's hiding two detectives, along with Griffin, try to figure out what is really going on. There have been so many random, unsolved murders throught the country. Could they be connected? Do they have a serial killer on their hands?

This book was great. It had me hooked from the start. The true crime fan in me really enjoyed a serial killer basing his killing off of other serial killers. What a unique story! I liked the characters, especially Griffin. There is something about a damaged but caring character I am immediately drawn to. Not wanting to give anything away I wont say much about the twists...but you think you have it figured out, you don't.

I can't believe this was the author's debut novel. It was so amazing. I can't wait to see what they come up with next. I really hope Jessica's and Griffin's story isn't over. I really liked the narrator! They kept me engaged with the book!

I will add instagram one I share my review on there.

I'm giving this book 3 stars for a few reasons. One, I have read a book like this before, The Echo Killings by CJ Daugherty. It's not exactly the same but it was close enough that I kept flashing back to when I read it. No, this doesn't make a book inherently bad, lots of other books have similar plots/themes and I have enjoyed them. What did push me to rate this book lower is the ending. Sure, there could be a second book that helps tie things up but I felt like there were too many 'reveals' but truly, nothing was wrapped up. This is a great debut and I will definitely check out more from the author in the future.

Wow. Just… WOW

I’ve always had a slight obsession with serial killers. In fact one of my first classes in college was on the topic. So this book was right up my alley.

I don’t want to give much away, but if you’ve ever watched a serial killer documentary on Netflix, you’re going to want to pick up this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Sam Holland for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Echo Man is available now wherever books are sold.