Crime fiction set in WYOMING and MONTANA
Psychological thriller set in BASINGSTOKE (Hampshire)
16th April 2026
The Killer in Room Five by Sam Holland, psychological thriller set in BASINGSTOKE
Reviewing The Killer in Room Five by Sam Holland and my reaction is “Phew!” I needed a lie-down in a darkened room after reading this deep, psychological thriller. Well, maybe not darkened…because the plot is somewhat scary. There are some quite gory crimes, a whole host of possible perpetrators, and characters that you will love.
Sam Holland is an author who is skilled in the art of novel writing, particularly stories where nothing is as it seems. In The Killer in Room Five we meet Detective Constable Abby Fox, who is returning to the Major Crimes Investigation Unit after a period of suspension. She’s nervous and receives a fairly hostile reception from her colleagues. The Basingstoke police are investigating the murder of a man in a park. At the same time Joe Sinclair, a resident at Hollowpines (a nearby private mental health facility) appears to have dreamed the whole event. Though it seems impossible that there’s a link, Abby’s boss (and former boyfriend), DI Callum “Mac” Mackenzie sends her to find out.
Abby feels sure that Joe can’t have been the murderer, but he knows many details of the attack, and the guilt he feels drives him to attempt suicide. Both Abby and Joe feel ostracised and she develops a strong sympathy for him. We learn of Abby’s past, and her colleague’s stories, as the book progresses – but can we trust what they say? The author cleverly toys with the reader’s sympathies as we are trying to solve the case. Another involving and satisfying crime fiction novel from Sam Holland – highly recommended.
Sue for the TripFiction team
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