The Countdown Killer

· HarperCollins UK
5.0
5 reviews
Ebook
448
Pages
Eligible
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More

About this ebook

‘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 one And 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’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

5.0
5 reviews
Diana Doherty
July 3, 2025
amazing one if the best books I've read and I have read so many. reading the series is highly recommended
Did you find this helpful?
Louise Wilkins
June 7, 2025
loved every page! couldn't put it down
Did you find this helpful?

About the author

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.

Sam can be found on Instagram and Twitter at @samhollandbooks.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.