The Echo Man: A Novel

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Bodies, mutilated, shaved and worse are turning up and for a good part of this book the dynamic duo are not working together as Byrne is off doing his own thing on the case. It becomes evident that the bodies are linked to unsolved crimes and those who had helped the prime suspect in their escape from justice. A good premise! The man said he ran to a nearby car and asked for a first-aid kit, before bandaging a wound to the woman’s arm. However I do have some real issues with the storylines and their believability. I know we need to suspend our beliefs in reality when we read a lot of police stories (& thrillers generally). There were times when I thought the story here was just too incredible. I actually really liked Jess's character and thought that she was mostly very credible as a person. However her behaviour at times was simply not credible. I found this a rather frustrating book. I never wanted to put it down but I was often annoyed by it. I guess I'd call it 3.5/5 There are a few different types of crime thrillers; Finlay Donovan (Elle Cosimano) is entertainment without gory details, Patricia Cornwell has details but from a medical/forensic matter-of-fact point. This is gruesome because it’s the scenes as someone is seeing them for the first time or as he’s doing it. Many officers are puking and leaving the scene because of the nature of what has happened.

MY THOUGHTS: As much as I wanted to like The Echo Man, I didn't. It was simply too much. The idea was great and at time did I consider abandoning this read, but . . . I have been trying to write this review for two days, since I finished reading, struggling to write what I think without giving anything away. Beyond that, this is my first Balzano and Byrne story. I really enjoyed it and would like to read the other books in the series to see what I have missed.

Please go into this book with caution, as it contains trigger warnings for just about anything you could imagine. Violence and gore abound, and there are mentions of child abuse, rape, infidelity, etc. that may cause distress to some readers. I understand that the circumstances will be frightening too for the wider community in Anfield. Thankfully, specialist officers attended swiftly, arrested a suspect and brought an end to the incident and there is no ongoing threat to the public. I love crime thrillers about serial killers and Montanari's book had it all: victim after victim; a clever but brutal killer; vividly gory descriptions and a tense, addictive and riveting plot. There were moments of light-hearted humour that made me smile, particularly because it showed the bond between Jessica and Kevin. At times, I thought the plot was digressing to characters and events that had nothing to do with the serial killer case but I was pleasantly surprised when these subplots linked in with Jessica and Kevin's case. The character depth was great because I felt that I was seeing Jessica and Kevin as real people, not just police detectives. Their personal lives were woven into the main plot which really brought these two characters alive for me. The last 20 chapters or so had me completely hooked; I was desperate to find out who the killer was and how the novel would end.

Was intimacy between Jessica and Nate necessary? I’m not so sure. It was a little far fetched just like jaw dropping and surprising conclusion of the story. Of course not so foreseeable revelations were well executed but some events were a little exaggerated.

NOTE: your shell may have its own version of echo, which usually supersedes the version described here. Please refer to your shell's documentation for Kemper, Dahmer and Bundy are all names we know for their infamy as some of the worst serial killers in history. In “The Echo Man”, we are given the story of a police department desperately searching for someone who is replicating their kills all over again. This copycat killer is crafty, brutal, and unfortunately for the police, meticulous. The old crimes and their scenes are recreated perfectly - but this time, the killer keeps getting away. The book opens with the horrific scene of a killer setting up a crime scene tableau evoking the murders of Mary Ann Pesce and Anita Luchessa by deranged 1970s serial killer Edmund Kemper. The plot revolves around a serial killer who is murdering the major suspect in several unsolved murders. Byrne and Jessica are on the case. While Jessica investigates in a traditional way, Byrne is in touch with a woman from his past. She is mentally ill but seems to have insight into the case. To make the plot more complex and confusing, a young woman who was kidnapped as a child is added to the plot. Lucy's story has nothing to do with the serial killer. The only connection, I think, is that Byrne knows her. Nonetheless, she is involved in the suspense at the end of the novel. That was odd as I thought there was no reason for her to be in that location.

F words: 20+,intimate scenes with few details, infidelity, self harm, news of animals being gruesomely killed, house set on fire with people inside, crime scene (blood and more) details (multiple times), body details of how they were murdered, references to rape, previous sexual abuse, suicide references, a child mutilates and kills 2, self intimacy, the killer enjoys the killings in a sexual nature. I had great difficulty in believing that what occurred could be orchestrated over such a short period of time. It would have been hard enough for a person who had nothing else to do other than concentrate on killing, but for someone leading a double life I think it would have been near impossible.

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I was given an advance copy of this book from Netgallery in return for writing a review. The review does not have to be a good one but needs to be based on the entire book. There were definitely parts to the book that I enjoyed - investigating the crime scenes was one of them. I didn't get who the killer was until the great reveal (my prime candidate turning up late on almost one of the victims!) So the twists and turns were there but I felt RM tried too hard on this one. It was a bit too far fetched, there was a super-natural feel to the story as well that sat uncomfortably with me. Also you were given a prime suspect and meant to feel he was the killer with cops all chasing him but it made no sense whatsoever and was totally against the MO in all of the other deaths. Overall, I am beyond happy that I finally made time for this one. What a way to enter the scene, Sam Holland. Combining witty, acerbic, splenetic, cutting, incisive, observational, political and sometimes laugh out loud funny words in a way that is catchy, melodic, singalong and sometimes even danceable is quite an achievement, and one that Gareth Roberts manages to pull off with ridiculous ease. To my mind it's radio gold. Even when it's too sweary to be played on the radio!" - John Kennedy - Radio X

I'd recommend The Echo Man to readers who seek a level of darkness in their crime fiction, flawed and complex characters and lots of unexpected twists. While the "true crime" aspect might attract some readers to the story, I wouldn't think that an existing knowledge or interest in this subject is necessary for a rewarding reading experience. There's also a detective duo, Cara Elliott and Noah Deakin, who are simultaneously working a series of seemingly unrelated murders. As the bodies begin to add up, Cara can't help but notice how the crimes seem to match those of famous serial killers.This is a fast-paced debut novel and I will keep my eyes out for further books by this author. I can see these characters featured in future books as there's always fodder for mysteries with police procedurals. Multiple streets in Anfield were sealed off tonight (August 11) after Merseyside Police received reports of a man shouting at people and carrying a machete. Officers were first called to Arkles Lane just after 5.30pm. Det Chief Insp Cummings added: “Incidents such as this illustrate all too clearly the dangers knives and bladed weapons can pose.