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A review by pandasbookshelf
The Echo Man by Sam Holland
5.0
The Echo Man | Sam Holland
Pub Date: 05/04/22
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime
The Echo Man is an outstanding debut from author, Sam Holland. In fact, it was so well written, I’d have thought this author had been penning crime thrillers for decades. Definitely an author to watch!
I picked this one up solely on the premise; a copycat killer mimicking historical serial killers. What’s not to like about that? But this one far exceeded my expectations. The Echo Man is an emotional roller coaster of twists, turns, gory crimes and deeply flawed and multidimensional characters.
At first, I didn’t really connect to any of the characters and was a little confused who was who, but as I got to know them more, I found myself absolutely in love with all of them. In fact, I’d kill (pun intended) for more. Crossing my fingers for a sequel. The main characters are siblings and both Police detectives which is a unique and interesting plot device. Push through the first few chapters, you won’t be disappointed.
Let’s talk twists for a second. Just when you think you know what’s coming, wham, you get struck out of left field. And then it happens again! Sometimes a twist can feel unbelievable or done for shock value, but this one pulls it off in a realistic, believable and still shocking way.
The copy cat crimes were great and would appeal to fans of crime fiction in general. I liked trying to guess which killer they were imitating and seeing if I could figure it out before the characters. The crimes themselves were a little gory but nothing too crazy. The forensic details are very well done and you can tell the author has done a lot of research. It feels very realistic and detailed which adds to the feel and tone of the book.
Trigger warning for trauma, self-harm and addiction.
I’d recommend this one to fans of crime thrillers and those who enjoy richly drawn characters with complex backstories and mental health. The author portrays the impacts of trauma and PTSD very well.
Pub Date: 05/04/22
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime
The Echo Man is an outstanding debut from author, Sam Holland. In fact, it was so well written, I’d have thought this author had been penning crime thrillers for decades. Definitely an author to watch!
I picked this one up solely on the premise; a copycat killer mimicking historical serial killers. What’s not to like about that? But this one far exceeded my expectations. The Echo Man is an emotional roller coaster of twists, turns, gory crimes and deeply flawed and multidimensional characters.
At first, I didn’t really connect to any of the characters and was a little confused who was who, but as I got to know them more, I found myself absolutely in love with all of them. In fact, I’d kill (pun intended) for more. Crossing my fingers for a sequel. The main characters are siblings and both Police detectives which is a unique and interesting plot device. Push through the first few chapters, you won’t be disappointed.
Let’s talk twists for a second. Just when you think you know what’s coming, wham, you get struck out of left field. And then it happens again! Sometimes a twist can feel unbelievable or done for shock value, but this one pulls it off in a realistic, believable and still shocking way.
The copy cat crimes were great and would appeal to fans of crime fiction in general. I liked trying to guess which killer they were imitating and seeing if I could figure it out before the characters. The crimes themselves were a little gory but nothing too crazy. The forensic details are very well done and you can tell the author has done a lot of research. It feels very realistic and detailed which adds to the feel and tone of the book.
Trigger warning for trauma, self-harm and addiction.
I’d recommend this one to fans of crime thrillers and those who enjoy richly drawn characters with complex backstories and mental health. The author portrays the impacts of trauma and PTSD very well.