Eight stars
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Robert Bryndza, and Raven Street Publhing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
A fan of Robert Bryndza and his Erika Foster series, I excitedly reached for the next novel in the collection. Bryndza ends Foster's hiatus with a great novel that ticks all the boxes and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. When a prominent politician is found bound and murdered, an investigation opens. However, it will take another prominent murder with a similar clue to really get things moving. Erika Foster is in the middle of it all as she tries to chase down leads and work with a new team member. Bryndza does well and captures all that I missed with Erika for the last few years.
When Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster discovers the body of a man who has been tied up and masking tape over his mouth, she cannot be sure if he is dead. A quick check for a pulse confirms what she thought. That this is MP Neville Lomas adds a certain concern to the discovery. After calling it in, a snarky beat cop arrives to begin collecting evidence. A call to the Met and DCI Foster is off the case, leaving a sour taste in her mouth. This is exacerbated when the death is ruled natural causes someone pressuring the medical examiner.
Two months later, a popular athlete is found in a similar situation with a collection of labelled Polaroids, same as MP Lomas. DCI Foster jumps at the case once more and discovers that there is some CCTV footage that could help. A group of five identically dressed women accompanied the athlete to his hotel room. Four later exited, leaving one as the suspected murderer. Detective Foster follows any lead she can and the hunt is on for the killer.
In a parallel narrative, a young girl is taken from her home and placed into foster care. She learns that life is anything but easy during her time in the system, which helps shape her into the woman she has become. She stays in the shadows, but has a story to tell and vengeance to dish out to those who cross her path. Will Detectives Chief Inspector Foster be able to locate her before it's too late? Bryndza does a fabulous job with this story and shows why readers' patience for new Erika Foster work has been worth it.
The work of Robert Bryndza has never failed to impress me. Be it the police work of Erika Foster or Kate Marshall, there is always something to enjoy. I love how Bryndza returns to this series as though no time had passed, keeping the reader fully engaged. With short chapters and a great narrative, the story moves along and keeps the reader fully engaged. The momentum build is apparent and the tension second to none.
Character development has been an ongoing thing for this series. Erika Foster has seen a great deal over her years, though Bryndza always finds ways to pepper in a little something readers do not know beforehand. Secondary characters are well presented and their backstories, particularly those essential to the novel, emerge and develop with ease. The same can be said of plot lines, where Bryndza creates and fosters (pardon the pun) these events, tossing in a twist or two along the way to keep it interesting. While it has been a few years since the last novel, it feels as though Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster is right where we left her.
Kudos, Mr. Bryndza, for your commitment and eagerness to keep this series alive.
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