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The Twenty: A Thriller Hardcover – May 2, 2023

by Sam Holland (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 571 ratings
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A tense novel from a fast-rising star, Sam Holland, The Twenty fuses a chilling race-against-time with blood-curdling crime fiction. For fans of Harlan Coben and Thomas Harris, Sam Holland offers readers a page-turning serial killer thriller with “echoes of Lisa Gardner” (AJ Finn, #1 NYT bestselling author, on The Echo Man).

When DCI Adam Bishop arrives at the crime scene in the dead of night, the sight of the body is bad enough—but what Adam notices next chills him to his core. More bodies surface. And the spray-painted numbers daubed above the corpses reveal the horrific truth: the killer is counting down. But to what end?

Adam has no idea—until Dr. Romilly Cole knocks on his door with damning evidence pointing to a series of murders twenty five years earlier—a case she knows intimately from her past. Now, it’s personal—and the next knock on his door could be fatal.

Sam Holland’s gripping debut novel, The Echo Man, riveted readers and critics alike with its raw and brutal depiction of the unthinkable depredations of a serial killer. With The Twenty, Holland kicks her depraved milieu into even higher gear with a page-turning, up-all-night read that will leave readers breathless.
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Previous page
  1. Book 2 of 3
    Major Crimes
  2. Print length
    336 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Crooked Lane Books
  5. Publication date
    May 2, 2023
  6. Dimensions
    6.46 x 1.19 x 9.55 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1639102566
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1639102563
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Twenty:
“A wild ride . . . for fans of serial homicide.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Spectacular . . . An impressive crime thriller that will have you reading well into the night.”
—Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

“Sam Holland is a master storyteller and each of her novels is a superb blend of horror and mystery.”
—Gumshoe Reviews

“Some authors spook you. Some authors unnerve me. Very few authors frighten you—but very few authors are Sam Holland. The Twenty is smart and brooding, icepick-sharp and shadow-dark.”
—AJ Finn, New York Times bestselling author

“Disturbing and gripping . . . Lots of fun in a very nightmarish way.”
—Harriet Tyce, Sunday Times bestselling author 

“A wonderfully dark and gruesome serial killer story that isn't afraid to put its protagonists through the wringer.”
—Tariq Ashkanani, author of the award-winning Welcome to Cooper

“Relentless, twisted, terrifying; like its killer, The Twenty stalks readers as prey.”
—Dominic Nolan, author of Vine Street

“The Twenty gripped me right from page one—superbly written, beautifully plotted, with a cast of fantastic characters. I inhaled it.”
—LV Matthews, author of The Prank

“A truly gripping page turner that will make your veins pump and your fingers curl.”
—Heather Critchlow, author of Unsolved

“The Twenty has the pace of a rocket! . . . Sam Holland delivers and then some.”
—Rachael Blok, author of Into the Fire

“Sharp as a razor and jam packed with heart-in-mouth moments that’ll leave you reeling.”
—Robert Scragg, author of End of the Line

“Compulsive, complex and utterly brilliant!”
—Marion Todd, author of See Them Run

“A sharp, visceral, fast paced novel that you won’t be able to put down—not one for the faint hearted! Sam Holland is fast becoming the master of the serial killer thriller.”
—Niki Mackay, author of The Lies We Tell

“Clever and addictive . . . The killer’s crimes are gory, the investigators’ relationships are messy, and the narrative’s twists are shocking—but the prose is often lovely.”
—Jo Furniss, author of All The Little Children

“Unrelentingly dark and masterfully plotted.”
—Cressida McLaughlin, author of The Staycation

“Dark and unflinching . . . The characters are so real and well drawn you feel their pain and urgency as if it were your own.”
—Steph Sowden, author of After Everything You Did
 
“Fast and furious, Sam Holland doesn’t take her foot off the pedal for a second.”
—Victoria Selman, author of Truly Darkly Deeply

“Spine-chilling . . . [A] brilliantly written thriller.”
—Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend

“So dark you almost have to look away yet so compelling you can’t stop turning the next page.”
—Tim Glister, author of Red Corona

About the Author

Having always been fascinated with the dark and macabre, Sam Holland studied psychology at university then spent the next few years working in HR, before quitting for a full-time career in writing. A self-confessed serial killer nerd, her debut novel, 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. The Twenty is her second novel.
Sam can be found on Twitter and Instagram at @samhollandbooks.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (May 2, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639102566
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639102563
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.46 x 1.19 x 9.55 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 571 ratings

About the author

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Sam Holland

Sam Holland

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Sam Holland war schon immer vom Dunklen und Makabren fasziniert – besonders Serienkiller haben es ihr angetan. Sie studierte Psychologie und arbeitete anschließend einige Jahre im Personalwesen, bevor sie sich ganz dem Schreiben widmete.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
571 global ratings
Absolurely incredible!!!!
5 Stars
Absolurely incredible!!!!
Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️•The Echo Man was one of my top ten reads of 2022 so of course you know that I was super thrilled to read this, and let me tell you, this one did not disappoint! This is book two of the Major Crimes series, and while I personally think it can be read as a standalone, there are some references to the first book, plus it's amazing so just read it. Now, onto my review..•Following suit with The Echo Man, The Twenty is told over a span of days and in the perspective of multiple people. You have your detective Adam Bishop, his ex-wife Romilly Cole, a past tense of one of the characters (you will find out who) and through the eyes of the killer. I really loved how Holland decided to stick with the same format for the series. As I was reading this, I literally could see this story being made into a show, especially how the points of view shift. To add even more joy into my life there are some epistolary elements thrown in there (everyone knows how I go crazy over my epistolary writing styles). •Once again, we are graced with the perfect amount of descripted gore as Holland depicts the murders with great detail. I feel like this is the perfect mix of both a thriller/police procedural with a splash of horror (all those gory details). There are actually parts in this one that I could venture to say were stomach lurching for me. It was everything I've been looking for! The pacing of this one is spot on, gripping you from page one, keeping you hooked throughout while throwing in twist after twist after twist. There were a few twists that I had managed to figure out - but the execution was spot on. The last bit had me gripping the edge of my seat in literal shock. No stone is left unturned, and you are given every answer to any and all questions you may have throughout the story. A very bingeable read.•I said it about The Echo Man and I will say it about The Twenty - it was pure genius from start to finish. I cannot wait to read more of Holland's work! The Twenty was just released May 2. Calling all my thriller lovers - READ THIS BOOK!!
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Top reviews from the United States

Annette J. Long
5.0 out of 5 stars Na
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023
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Ray Moon
4.0 out of 5 stars All the Aspects For A Great Novel, But Difficult Read
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2023
A man awakens in a dark and cold room. He sees needles in his hands. He slowly falls unconscious as someone enters the room. The scene shifts to a trash-filled wasteland where a body has been discovered. DCI Adam Bishop and DS Jamie Hoxton respond. What seemed out of place was a green spraypainted roman numeral, XII, on a nearby abandoned refrigerator. Upon looking around Bishop notices another green Roman numeral, XIV. Eventually, more bodies are discovered. From this start, a marvelous, complex but disturbing novel comes to life.

The main storyline consists of two basic threads. The first is the investigation that quickly becomes very complex. While the recent murders appear to be the work of one person as some have consistent numbers, the MOs are different. They seem to be more targeted toward and closer to home. So, while the complexity caused the start to be slow, I was roped in solidly, as the suspense is through the roof. The reader has a small advantage in that many of the chapters have extensive sections narrated by the perpetrator; that is the second thread. This insight into the dark soul of the perpetrator only intensifies the suspense. In addition, there were many twists and turns with some what I call literary grenades for their large effect on my understanding on what is happening in the novel.

The B-storyline is just as rich. Many of these threads are inextricably merged with the main storyline threads. There is Bishop before his divorce, since his divorce, his wife before their marriage, during and after their divorce, and Bishop’s relationship with Hoxton, his second in command and good friend. These threads added my reading enjoyment to both the main and B-storylines.

For those readers that certain issues can cause them to stop reading, this novel has them in spades. There are not inconsequential intimate scenes. The level of violence caused me some concern. Rude and vulgar language approached near to the same concern. Readers, be forewarned. I do recommend reading this novel with an e-reader with a good dictionary and Internet access. Even though I have read many British police procedurals, there were many acronyms and general slang that I have not seen before. Lastly, while this is the second in the series, the publication teaser for the first book has a difference cast of characters, so you can read this novel first.

Overall, this is an excellent novel in most aspects. Unfortunately, the level of intimacy, violence and language spoiled my enjoyment some. This novel is the second by this author and the first that I have read, so I do not know whether these aspects are unique to this novel or just the author’s style. As I wrote above, let the reader be forewarned. I recommend reading it but with a very strong caveat. I am not sure if I will read this author’s subsequent novels. They will not be high on my priority list. About halfway through the book, I was settling on a rating somewhere between of three stars, mixed feelings, and two stars, problems and disappointed. After finishing reading it, I realized that there were many very good aspects, so I upgraded my rating to four stars.

I received a free prepublication e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Crooked Lane Books. My review is based only on my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.
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Miranda
5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2023
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Great read!
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Travis Hayden
5.0 out of 5 stars So this was a wild story...
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2023
So this was a wild story from beginning to end. The Twenty is a companion sequel to Sam Holland's debut the Echo Man, which came out last year. We do follow a group of new characters who are all working under the same section of the Police Department. You do not technically have to read The Echo Man to understand the story for The Twenty. However, I do want to point out that Holland has mentioned that book three is following the characters from The Echo Man, while book four will go back to these characters or bring them all together. I swear Holland has a twisted mind. The Twenty was equal parts twisty and gruesome. We follow DCI Bishop and DS Hoxton as they try to solve the murder of bodies that were discovered at a dumpsite. During the investigation they discover a much more sinister plot afoot. When I tell you that the last 100 pages had me in such a vice grip and left me speechless. There was a point in this story where I was thought to my self, "I have this all figured out," until Holland flipped the entire mystery on its head and left me utterly hoodwinked. If anyone out there is looking for an edge of your seat mystery thriller series that isn't afraid to take risks, than I highly suggest you check out Sam Holland. A new voice in the mystery/thriller genre that is one to watch.
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Fox
4.0 out of 5 stars Great thriller!
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2023
I enjoyed this dark serial killer thriller with a lot of suspense, twists and turns, and a complex storyline with wonderfully written police procedural. It was emotional, graphic, disturbing, and intense.
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Tripower53
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2023
3 stars

DS Jamie Hoxton is the only redeemable character in the entire book.

For me, this book was full of arguing ex’es, suspicious characters and too much drama. What could have been a brilliant police procedural was overshadowed by personal tension and a parody of bad acting. The novel also contains much gore and violence.

Not for me, I’m afraid.

While I read the novel, I can’t honestly recommend it to friends of mine.

I want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.
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Top reviews from other countries

Hayley Galpin
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic thriller
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024
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From the first page, I was totally hooked again with this pacey, chilling, binge worthy crime thriller. It was so well written and not only did it have a brilliant plot full of twists and turns but the characters were well developed, interesting and complex. I loved the subtle nods back to the first book and how the story continued to unfold.

Alike to the Echo Man, the book was really gruesome, chilling, very uncomfortable at times but also very emotional. I felt fully invested in the story and on the edge of my seat throughout and I was left guessing and intrigued right until the final page which is all you want from a crime book!

Sam Holland has done it again and I can’t wait to read instalment three later this year! If you are a fan of police / crime thriller reads then this needs bumping to the top of your list to read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Happy Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Writer!
Reviewed in Australia on May 11, 2024
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Super happy , Book in new perfect condition!
Fantastic price!
And this writer is amazing!
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Richard Young
4.0 out of 5 stars Not his best.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2023
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A little light but still enjoyable.
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Suzy
5.0 out of 5 stars Sooo gripping
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2024
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Keeps you gripped from the first page. Always something happening and lots of twists. I hust feel like i need another page to find out if the ending is how you want it to be but also like how its left to us to determine.
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MRS T A TERRELL
5.0 out of 5 stars Addictive
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 1, 2024
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Having read The Echo Man I had high hope for this book, thankfully it met them!
A great book, can be read as stand alone (but I would recommend the echo man too). Good character development which draws you in and plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading.

Fast paced, chilling and will keep you up at night just to read one more chapter. Definitely recommend.
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