Cover Image: Deadly Secrets (Detective Erika Foster Book 6)

Deadly Secrets (Detective Erika Foster Book 6)

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Member Reviews

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Robert Bryndza, and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Robert Bryndza is back with another Detective Erika Foster novel that takes the reader on a heart-thumping adventure in a thrilling police procedural. While headed out for Christmas lunch, DCI Foster comes upon a recent murder scene and decides to lend a hand. What she finds is a slain Marissa Lewis, her body frozen to the ground after having had her throat slit the night before. Lewis, a burlesque dancer who used the name Honey Diamond, was quite well known around the community, though not always liked. It would seem that she was quite popular with some of the local men, though used her wiles to blackmail them and pad her own bank account. With the investigation in full-swing, Foster begins using some CCTV footage and witness statements to determine that the killer was likely wearing an odd gas mask, a photo of which appeared in a document dump from emails of an early suspect. As a number of those on the police radar take drastic measures not to be fingered for the crime, Foster and her team hear of a man attacking people in a similar gas mask. Might the cases be connected? When an urgent call from Manchester pulls Foster away from the case, the team turns to DI Moss, who is unsure if she can handle the pressure of being in charge. With the case heating up and leads emerging from numerous parts of Marissa Lewis’ life, Moss takes a gamble to bring the case to a close, all while DCI Foster wrestles with demons from her past. Bryndza keeps the reader guessing throughout this piece, with captivating twists in a story that will keep series fans up late into the night.

I have long enjoyed the writing of Robert Bryndza, particularly his work with DCI Erika Foster. Some may call the series too superficial for their liking, but there are times with a quick read police procedural checks all the necessary boxes. As with the previous five novels, this piece allows the reader to develop a closer relationship to Erika Foster, foraging through her personal life to touch a nerve, while also helping to build-up her strong police presence. Bryndza also seeks to personalise Erika’s struggle to move on after the loss of her husband and the pitfalls of finding that balance between work and a personal life. Foster remains a sharp character who answers to no one and seeks to find the minutiae in each piece of evidence to determine its validity. The handful of secondary characters in this story continue to develop as well, as Bryndza does offer scraps of information to flesh-out their work and personal lives. Readers can enjoy seeing this growth, which provides interesting sub-plots and offsets the intensity of the crimes central to the narrative. The story is clear and flows well, taking a few tangents, if only to allow the reader to be befuddled alongside the coppers. Bryndza weaves his narrative around two sets of crimes and merges them at just the right moment, only to leave gaps that need to be filled to solve the larger murder investigation. Through his use of short and choppy chapters, Bryndza offers up a story that cannot easily be put down and forces the reader to forge onwards, begging to know how things resolve in this high-impact case. To call the story addictive would be an understatement, even if there are police procedural purists who remain bitter on the sidelines.

Kudos, Mr. Bryndza, for another captivating novel in the series. I am eager to see how things will continue to evolve with DCI Erika Foster and her team in the coming novels.

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4 and 1 / 2 stars

DCI Erika Foster is reluctantly on her way to visit the home of her Commander Paul Marsh on a snowy London Sunday. As she drives by an apartment house, she notices police activity. When she stops, she learns that the DCI in charge has been held up at another murder scene. She decides to take a look. What she finds is a young woman slashed to death with a knife. Her body is found right outside her building. She is identified as Marissa Lewis.

Their investigation seems to have barely started when another woman in murdered in the same way. The team goes about interviewing neighbors, witnesses and relatives. A tragedy occurs in the holding cells. Erika has another personal loss as well.

Meanwhile, Erika is feeling more than a little frazzled. Her boss recommends that she see a psychologist – just to have someone outside the job to talk to if nothing else.

Things spiral nearly out of control as the story progresses. Can they catch the killer before he gets away with murder?

I really enjoy reading Robert Bryndza’s novels. They are well written and plotted and are both an exciting and interesting read. I like that just the right amount of personal information is given about the main characters. I enjoy reading about Erika’s exploits and about her personal life as well. She gets along very well with her team and seems to have a good relationship with her bosses as well. Nicely done, Mr. Bryndza. Keep writing!

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read and enjoy.

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Book 6 and only getting stronger! Such a massive fan of this series and Robert Bryndza so I was very very excited to have the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

In this book we see more of Erika's relationships and those of her team. Without giving anything away it mixes it up a bit which I really liked. Erika is on her way to a Christmas Day lunch when she comes across a crime scene. A burlesque dancer has been found in her front yard with her throat slashed. Although she is not on duty she can't help herself and begins the investigation. Along with her team they start to look into the life of the victim and discover that there are plenty of people who were not her biggest fan.

This book is not at all predicatable and the ending is fantastic. I love the characters and how they mix. I hope there is many many more Erika Foster stories to come.

A big thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read and devour in exchange for my honest opinions

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Another brilliant instalment in this well established series that would also read well as a standalone novel.
Fast paced gritty and with some really unexpected twists.

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Book 6 or Erika Foster, every bit as good as the first 5. So refreshing to read about the hero to be brave and strong but having doubts and fears like the rest of . Usually I figure out how books end early on but Rob always has a twist that always catches me off guard. I don't want to go too much into detail because I don't want to ruin it for anyone. . Rob please keep your stories coming

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I was given an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review

I don't normally enjoy police procedurals/series, I prefer to see the target save herself, but Erika Foster is the exception. I would read about Erika checking her mail and doing her laundry, she is a wonderfully complex character. This book is a bit of a return to form as the last one was starting to dip into 3.5 star category (this one is 4.5)- with the usual ghoulishness and the delightfully three dimensional supporting cast - police and suspects I've come to expect from Bryndza. Did not see the twist coming. A treat.

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Once again another superb book in the series featuring DCI Erika Foster. I read this book in two sittings in under 24 hours, it sounds cliched but I genuinely did not want to put it down. The series just continues to get better and better and I am grateful for the opportunity to read it early.

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Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Bookouture, for this review copy given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Noelle from Bookouture for organising and finding me a space on what was always going to be a very popular Blog Tour!!

If you know me, you’ll know how much I love Robert Bryndza! This is book six of the Erica Foster series and I have read and become absolutely hooked with every single one of them. I remember reading book #1 The Girl in the Ice and thinking that it was a fantastic piece of writing. Some series start to go a bit stale, but six books in and these are still going strong, if anything they are getting better and better.

For those who haven’t read the other books (where have you been???), Erica Foster is a Detective Chief Inspector in the Metropolitan Police. Formerly from Slovakia, Erica moved from the Greater Manchester Police following the death of her husband, who was also a policeman. Erica leads a fantastic team of detectives, who all give her the loyalty that she deserves. A young woman is murdered on her doorstep on Christmas Eve. Erica and her team are given the task of finding the killer, but with few clues and no witnesses it looks like they are coming up against a brick wall. As they delve into the investigation, reports come in of several attacks involving an assailant wearing a gas mark. Could the cases be linked? Alongside this, Erica is still having her own personal demons to deal with and finds that she needs to confront the past to be able to move on.

So, did I enjoy it? Hell yeah, it was absolutely brilliant! As with all of Robert’s books, I started it as soon as I got it (putting aside all the other books I need to read!) and didn’t put it down until I’d finished it just over a day later. I love Erica Foster, and now we are at book 6 begin to feel that she is some sort of old family friend! The book starts right in at the action with the murder of Marissa, a burlesque dancer with high ambitions. There are no clues as to why or who committed the murder and I love the way how all the little pieces of information slot into place as the book goes on.

Again, the book mixes business with pleasure. Erica is fantastic as the boss, but is still finding it difficult to cope with aspects of her own personal life. Her late husband features a lot in this book, and Erica finds that she needs to confront the memories that she has obviously pushed to one side. I love the personal side of Erica, she shows she’s not this ‘big, bad detective’ all the time and underneath that stony exterior she has a heart of gold. All my favourite characters are back and on fine form, some with more secrets than others.

With regards to ‘whodunit’, the story keeps you in suspense right to the end with more red herrings than you can shake a stick at. I honestly didn’t guess who it was until the reveal actually happened, and loved the twist towards the end – very cleverly done!

I have to admit that this is probably the best book of the series so far! I also have to admit that the series goes up there as one of the best series I ever read, and I really hope there are many more Erica Foster books to come. I work in a library and am always recommending this series to my borrowers who are stuck for something to read! This book gets a huge thumbs up and five big fat stars from me!! Thank you Robert for my Erica Foster fix…..when’s the next one!!

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Deadly Secrets may be the sixth book in the brilliant Erika Foster series but the author has written it so that he gives enough background so that anyone wanting to dive straight into this one can easily do so.

The story is set at Christmas time. There is no festive spirit or Christmas cheer in this book though. Set at the coldest time of the year, the author takes us on a dark and chilling journey in the hunt for a killer.

Erika never fails to surprise me. I enjoyed there being a bit more of her personal life as it reminds you of how human she is. She very much comes across as being some kind of super woman and constantly pushes people away and lot letting anyone in.

The case is a truly intriguing one. Someone going around in black wearing a gas mask. You can't help but get creeped out. I love how the author doesn't give anything away and kept me guessing throughout. I truly had no idea who could be behind the killings and when all is revealed it, with some shocking twists, it won't be what you are expecting! 

Deadly Secrets is a thrilling and addictive read that chilled me to the bone. The author ensured he commandeered my attention right from the start and didn't let me go until the very last page.  I am proud to admit that I am an Erika Foster junkie who is on a high now having her fix. Please Mr Bryndza, don't leave me hanging too long until my next one.

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Erika Foster is and will be my favourite detective along side Logan McRae. These books are always a treat to read! Every story is full of action and twists and will keep you interested until the last page

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This is the 6th book in the Erika Foster series and once again it’s a fantastic read, read in one day and had a major book hangover afterwards! When a mother awakes Christmas morning to find her daughter has been brutally murdered on their doorstep during the night Erika and her team once again start to try and unravel the case. But the more they speak to the girls’ friends and family the more confused things get. With two suspects dead and not much to go on Erika must leave London when a family emergency calls her and hands the case over to our beloved Moss.
I love this series; the characters are very well developed and relatable. Each member of the team is like an old friend. This book is full of well-placed misleading morsels that send you off on a “I bet it was such and such……… but he wouldn’t make it that easy” tangents. As the story unfolds I had serious and possible life-threatening heart palpitations when poor Moss fell into danger. And I love the will they won’t they story with Erika and Peterson. As the story wraps up and you slowly begin to understand what is being laid out well……as always you never even saw it coming!!!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book to read and review

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4.5 Stars

This is the latest in what has been a terrific series. Detective Erika Foster is back with her team. Several people have been assaulted by a man wearing a gas mask. One woman has been brutally killed by the same man.

Erika is running into a wall concerning the murdered woman. Speaking to her friends, family, people she worked with in a burlesque show, Erika learns that the woman was not well liked. She also learned that the woman was blackmailing a man she had an affair with ... was planning on running away with another married man ... and leaving her mother with nothing.

When Erika has a family emergency, she leaves the case in the hands of DI Kate Moss ... who almost immediately stumbles into a danger closer than she knows.

I really enjoy following the investigation ... it certainly is not CSI. There are house to house investigations, interviewing all possible suspects searching for a motive. I like the mix of professional life and personal life of Erika, plus those of her team.

This is a well-written book with memorable characters. Although 6th in this series, this one reads easily as a stand-alone. However, I always recommend starting at the beginning .... treat your self to a reading marathon ... you'll love it!

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture, Netgalley for the advance digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

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