Loved this. Erika back at her best . Gripping main plot. The book grabs you from the first line. A snowy Christmas Eve in London, but this is no fairytale. Greed, lies, blood , murder and a twist in the end you will never guess. The subplots continue to delight as the whole team move on on their personal lives
#DeadlySecrets#NetGalley

This is the sixth book in the Detective Erika Foster series and I found it to be the strongest one since the first book The Girl in the Ice. I'm not sure what to say that I haven't said in my other reviews - suspenseful, great cast of familiar characters. Erika's taking no bull from anyone. I thought the author was going to lose me towards the end, but everything worked out. This page-turner had no dull spots. I love this series!

Beautiful burlesque dancer, Marissa Lewis, is found murdered and frozen to the ground right outside her door by her mother. Detective Erika Foster, a widow who loves to bury herself in her police work, comes upon the police scene as she heads for a Christmas luncheon. She stops at the crime scene and soon immerses herself in this case forgetting the Christmas festivities. As the case starts to unfold, there are complications that arise. There is someone dressed in black wearing a gasmask that is attacking and terrorizing both men and women that no one can identify. As Detective Foster starts looking into Marissa's past, there are a lot of secrets uncovered along with numerous potential suspects. This was an exciting nail-biting read with a totally surprise ending that I did not see coming. I highly recommend this book.

Erika Foster is back! With Deadly Secrets, Robert Bryndza brings you yet another page turner with full of surprises that will keep you on the edge!
Its Christmas day and Erika Foster is on her way to her boss’s home for lunch. On her way, stumbles upon a murder scene. A beautiful burlesque dancer, Marissa Lewis is found dead on her garden with her throat slit. Erika takes charge of the case. Erika’s team finds that Marissa is well known around the community but not everyone’s favorite. She even had affair with two married men around her neighborhood and blackmailed one of them. The suspect list keeps increasing but Erika and her team keep hitting road blocks.
On the other hand, there are several reports about a guy wearing a gas mask attacking random strangers. When the CCTV footages near Marissa’s home turn up, Erika finds that Marissa’s attacker was wearing a gas mask too!
Were these two related?
At this point, Erika’s Father in law gets sick and she leaves to Manchester assigning her Detective Inspector Moss in charge. As the pressure of the case builds up, DI Moss is unsure if she is capable of solving the case. While Erika battles her personal demons, Moss and her team bring the case to a close.
When Erika comes back, she notices a glitch in the case. Have they arrested the right person?
Robert Bryndza will keep you guessing till the last page.
I have been following this series from book one and I must say, the quality just keeps increasing. With every book, the character Erika Foster evolves and she has stepped up to a top place in my list of favorite fictional characters. However, in this book she takes a step back from the case to deal with her personal issues which is typically unusual of her. I believe we will see a slight shift in Erika’s character in upcoming books. Also, Moss and Peterson show up more in the story and it’s refreshing to see their characters develop.
Overall, Deadly secrets presents a twisted plot with engaging characters. This has definitely become one of my favorite series.
I do recommend Erika Foster series for all police procedural fans!
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookotoure for ARC.

This along with another Bookouture author, is one of my most anticipated reads of the year.
I have so been looking forward to getting my grubby little hands on this bad boy. Praying for it to come out.
Oh my days, book 6, how did that happen? I absolutely love this series. Robert Bryndza has not disappointed in any of his books. Each book grows and gets exceptionally better than the last.
If you have any plans, forget them. Once this book is started it is so difficult to put it down.
Easily his best book yet.
I love the character that is Erika Foster, I would also recommend that for the best reading experience that these books are read in order.
Erika is on her way to Christmas Dinner with her Boss and his family. A dinner she doesn't want to be going to, when she spots a police officer at a crime scene. It just so happens that Erika's help really is needed here after a woman's body has been found. It's clear this is a murder case, and instantly Erika gets to work.
This book took more turns than me when i'm lost. What an amazingly written story. You suddenly start to think you know who had done something, then you find your wrong. This book really does have you guessing the whole way through. An amazing mixture of characters in this book. They complimented the story brilliantly.

It's difficult to do a book like this justice when you're crap with words, but by god it was just brilliant.

​There is one thing clear on finishing this book. Robert Bryndza knows how to write, he knows what his readers want and he delivers, ten fold. Utterly Brilliant. What a ride!

Detective Erika Foster has a random day off for Christmas when she drives past a murder scene. Of course being Erika she has to stop. It's the body of a young woman, Burlesque dancer Marissa Lewis who is dead in her snowy front garden. Who would kill a young woman with all her life ahead of her.

The team throw themselves into the investigation - it's nice to see Peterson back although that brings some unwelcome heartache for Erika. Erika has some personal stuff to sort so Moss takes on the case which could have devastating personal consequences. She does a good job but decides she prefers being part of a team. And what's the connection to the case of the man in the gas mask who's been assaulting people in the street..and is there more to Marissa than meets the eye...

An absolute brilliant fast paced read with a surprising ending I for one didn't see coming! Loved it.

This was one of the best in the Erika Foster series that I have read. While the central murder plot was excellent, moving Erika out of her comfort zone (i.e., caring for her father-in-law) added a new dimension to the character. I'm interested to see how she evolves in future book now that she has resolved some of her past.

4.5 Stars

I was a bit worried before starting this one, the last book of the Erika Foster series was kind of a disappointment for me and i was afraid i won't enjoy this one either. Fortunately i was worrying for nothing and i liked this new book of the series a lot.

A girl was found brutally murdered on the doorsteps of her own home, and with each passing day of the investigation and with every new lead, new secrets were uncovered and it turned out that a lot of persons have motives to kill her. Things got more complicated when this case seemed to be connected to another one, with no solid leads for either.

I enjoyed following this investigation and the challenges the team was facing, it was also interesting to see Erika facing her past for real and i was happy and relieved to notice that Mr Bryndza seems to be giving Erika Foster a break, at last!
The development of the case was interesting and i was surprised by the end. I did not think it would be like that.
The characters are as interesting as ever, and we saw some new sides to them, but i still hope there would be more focus on them in the future.

It was a very enjoyable book,but there were only some scenes and descriptions that made a bit uncomfortable, that i had to skip and this was the reason it was not a 5 stars from me.
Still, i am glad to see this series got back in the list of my favorite series, after the uncertainties of the last book.
Can't wait for the next one.

Deadly secrets is the 6th instalment of the Detective Erika Foster series and like all the others in the series that I have read, this is the best one yet.
It’s Christmas day and Erika is on her way to Commander Paul Marsh’s house for Christmas Lunch. She is driving past the row of shops near Crofton Park station when the traffic thickens, slows and stops. Suddenly she sees blue police lights up ahead. She sees DI John McGorry with some police officers. So Erika stops and asks him what’s going on. A young woman has been stabbed and her throat cut outside her house and there is blood everywhere. Erika can’t resist getting out the car and starts leading the investigation to find the killer of the woman, Marissa Lewis who was a Burlesque dancer and part time carer. But as come to investigate further, they find that Marissa is not liked by many of her peers. She has several relationships, even with a married man. DI Erika Foster and her team recognise another case of a man in a gas mark attacking women is linked to this case.
I’m a big fan of Robert Bryndza and I get excited when another book comes out. So when read this WOW. This another excellent read which I highly recommend. I like how the author writes intensity and originality that keeps you guessing right up to the end. This instalment is a bit darker than the rest with the attacker with the Gas mark reminded me of a horror movie gone by. But I love it all the same.
Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

I have read all of the Erika Foster series from Robert Bryndza and have enjoyed all of them. I was really excited to be able to read this advance copy but on this occasion I felt a little disappointed. The story had the potential to be really chilling and suspenseful but I didn’t feel the suspense this time. The crime scenes were horrible and described coldly. I just felt everything was wrapped up too neatly. Moss escaped too easily and recovered quickly without any repercussions. There was no panic from the team around her disappearance. I had the feeling this may be the last in this series. I hope not and will stilllook forward to and read Robert Bryndza novels.

Yet again, another gripping book in the Erika Foster series. In this story Marissa Lewis is brutally murdered right at her front door, it's Christmas Eve and no one saw or heard a thing. There appears to be no evidence in the way of DNA and a long list of possible suspects. Marissa is a mystery because you don't know who is telling the truth about her.

About half way through the book I was absolutely convinced that I knew who the killer was, but as usual Robert keeps you hooked and the you doubt yourself, and guess again.

Brilliant, a must read.

What starts off as something quite ordinary actually explodes into life in the final chapters and produces an ending impossible to predict but beautiful in its execution. On a cold winters morning the body of a young attractive burlesque dancer is discover frozen outside her home. As the investigation develops the perpetrator is identified as a tall man dressed in black wearing a gas mask. When a number of further attacks are recorded the race is on for Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster to bring a corrupt and twisted individual to justice as soon as possible.

The character of Erika Foster is what really attracts me to the books of Robert Bryndza. She is a relatively young woman in her early 40's traumatized by the death of her husband Mark when an earlier investigation ended in tragedy. In Deadly Secrets Erika reveals her loneliness and inability to retain a personal relationship, her sadness as the possibility of motherhood begins to fade, the changing of her body and mood swings as she struggles to accept the approach of menopause. To mask this unhappiness and despair she turns inwards accepting the dangers, toils and demands of her job as a senior member of the police force in charge again of a major investigation...."So much in her life was out of control, but she had the power to track down whoever had done this. And she would".....When Erika is unexpectedly called to Manchester to aid in the recovery and rehabilitation of her father in law Edward the command of the murder investigation is passed to DI Moss and no one could foresee the chain of events that quickly followed. An attempted arrest almost ends in disaster and Erika, having returned to the capital, once again takes control where a startling discovery turns the investigation on its head leading to the apprehension and detention of the most unlikely culprit.

I was a little disillusioned with the first part to this novel and found the idea of a suspect using a gas mask as part of a disguise a little unbelievable. However DCI Erika is such a wonderful "ballsy" character and I love the way the author is developing her psychic, exposing her weaknesses but equally championing her strengths. There is such a sadness and need under that tough veneer and I look forward to the next instalment of an excellent detective series. Many thanks to the good people of netgalley and the publisher Bookouture for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

Murder, torture, and more! This Erika Foster book is the best in the series thus far as she seeks to find the killer of a young burlesque dancer. Robert Bryndza is a gifted, talented, and natural storyteller whose flawless writing and execution bring the characters and settings to life while weaving a creative, imaginative tale with historical undertones with an unexpected twist at the end that ties it all together. Encore, encore, Mr. Bryndza!!

Deadly Secrets is book 6 in the Detective Erika Foster series.

Quite honestly it was absolutely shocking! Holy moly this story was a rollercoaster of emotions culminating in absolute horror.
It was very fast paced all the way through, the punches kept coming and smacking me in the face, dazing me but leaving me wanting more. I love the Erika Foster series so I was champing at the bit to read this and boy was it good.

All I can say without giving the story away is bloody hell, that ending! Who would have thought!

I don’t even want to say anything about the book for fear of giving away spoilers, just know that it’s good, very very good indeed.

Ok, now I have calmed down a bit from this very exciting read I would say that this can definitely be read as a stand-alone novel, I think it holds up very well and it gives a little info on the characters so you know where you are but I would highly recommend that you read the series, a) because they are amazing and b) you will get a better understanding of Erika and her team and their relationships and history together.

This is the sixth in the excellent Erika Foster series, and since I caught up with the last one only a few months ago, I was thrilled to receive an advance copy to review, rather than having to wait for it’s normal release. It is another well plotted police procedural about a DCI working in South London, who is super driven to catch murderers, in spite of her tragic past.

Deadly Secrets is set only ten or so days after the events of Cold Blood, and Erika is reluctantly on her way to spend Christmas lunch with Marsh and his family, as a thank you for saving them, when she drives past a murder scene and seizes the excuse to get out of the visit. A young burlesque dancer has been killed in her doorstep by a sinister figure in a long black coat and gas mask, her throat slashed, and left to bleed out in the snow. The woman was having affairs with various men, and was not well liked by anyone, apart from her best friend, but even she was being used by the victim for her own ends. Erika leads the case until a personal drama pulls her off it, leaving the wonderful Kate Moss to take over as DCI, but the attacker is still out sexually assaulting both men and women. Will the team catch him before he kills again?

I very much enjoyed this latest offering from Bryndza, where we see a more vulnerable side to Erika as she faces her loneliness and missed opportunities. Each book shows us a little more of her and the team’s personality and lives, and the bonds between them that are far more than just work colleagues. The mystery was solid, with the right amount of clues and red herrings, and of course the signature twist - I did not guess the identity of the killer until the reveal, nor the reasons for the murder. This book could be read as a stand-alone, although you would miss out on all the previous character development (and five brilliant thrillers).

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I am a massive fan of this series so I was very excited when I saw that the sixth book had been released!! I could not wait to get my hands on it - and that cover is brilliant!!

I am struggling to write a review that does this book justice so I will just give you my thoughts - it is a superbly written piece of work from start to finish and I loved it - I cannot recommend it highly enough - quite simply if you are a fan of the crime fiction genre you need to get a copy of this book!

There are plenty of twists and turns and I thought I had guessed who was responsible for the murder of Marissa but I was thrown a complete curve ball and it was certainly someone I did not expect at all! The pace is great and the writing style is the exceptional one I have come to know and love from this author.

The book it deserves every one of the 5 stars that I have given it - it is easily the best so far in the series and that is really saying something as each book has been excellent - it has a cracking end and I did not see that coming - superb writing and a brilliant book - now the long wait for book 7!!

I was so lucky and excited to get a copy via Netgalley that I had to throw my spreadsheet of books in order to read out of the window. I just love the Ericka Foster stories. I feel like I could banter with these characters - they truly feel real. The writing is so clever - easy to read but with a gripping story and some wonderful deadpan humour (the oxtail soup!). I did at one point think oh ok that is all stitched up but I should have known better that there was more to come and wow did it deliver! I am now envious of people who still have this to read.

Deadly Secrets by Robert Bryndza

Wow, what a ride that was.
Fast paced crime thriller Deadly Secrets is the sixth novel in the Erica Foster series.

When a young woman is found dead on Christmas morning, Erika Foster has to cancel her plans to attend the crime scene. Then along with her team which consists of Moss and Peterson she tackles the investigation with her usual unwavering persistence until personal circumstances pull her away from the case.

Robert knows how to set a scene and I actually felt quite scared at some of the creepier moments, he knows how to step into your fears and work those fears into a thrilling plot with strong well formed characters.

This book gripped me by the throat from the start and I found that when I had to put it down to get on with something else I would have that excited feeling in my gut, like the feeling when you're watching a brilliant drama or thriller on the telly and you can't wait for the next episode.
When she eventually gets to the crux of the crime it unearths some extremely disturbing secrets for one of the characters and I had no clue who did it until I found out at the end.
Huge credit to Robert Bryndza for another crime thriller which gets the blood pumping around the body for it's entirety. I thoroughly recommend everyone to read the whole of the Erika Foster series which starts with The Girl in the Ice.

4.5 stars, actually.

If you're like me and enjoy a good detective series, I highly recommend this one (it's the sixth book featuring London Detective Erika Foster). She's a bit reminiscent of J.D. Robb's Lt. Eve Dallas - another of my favorites - like Eve, tough as nails, but with less of a secretive, angst-ridden background.

The story begins not long after Erika's last case, and she's trying for some semblance of normalcy over the Christmas holidays (four years after her husband and fellow officer Mark was killed in action). But that involves going to a Christmas lunch at her supervisor's house that she's less than thrilled about - so when news of a murder comes in, off she goes to check it out. A young woman named Marissa has been brutally murdered - frozen to the icy ground in front of her home. Further investigation determines she was attacked by a black-clad person wearing a gas mask; and soon enough, Erika learns of other men and women who's been attacked by a similarly clad and as-yet unidentified person.

Clues lead in different directions, including to a strange young man who tended to focus his photography skills on the murdered Marissa and the elderly woman for whom Marissa was a part-time caregiver. But just as things are at something of a stalemate, the story takes a bit of a detour from the usual format. Erika is called to deal with issues of her late husband Mark's aging father, leaving co-worker (and another favorite character) Moss in charge of the department and heading up the biggest case of her career. As events transpire for both women, readers see more of their personal sides.

Truthfully, the departure is a little bit painful; Moss seems to be so far out of her element that she's almost rendered ineffective, and while it's nice to know Erika has a softer side in there somewhere, I much prefer her when it doesn't show quite so much.

That said, it's a totally engrossing book that's hard to put down (I read it easily in two days of spare time). The ending is both exciting and surprising - I guessed the who, but never in a million years would I have come up with the very intriguing why. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this latest installment in exchange for an honest review. Good job once again!

Thrilled to receive this brilliant book - many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC. I started this and finished it the day I got approved - I couldn't put it down - another fantastic addition to the Erika Foster series!

Whilst on her way to Christmas Lunch, Erika happens across a crime scene, abandons her plans and gets stuck in - true Erika style! A burlesque dancer is found brutally murdered, her body and blood frozen in her own garden. Meanwhile, a number of people have been strangely assaulted by an assailant in a gas mask. and we follow Erika and the police processes for investigating each seemingly unrelated incident....

Just when I think I know 'who dunnit' there is another strand to the investigation and I have to admit defeat - exactly the kind of story / book I love - one that keeps you guessing right to the end! Well done Robert Bryndza on another great read - can't wait for the next one!