Nine Elms the first book in the Kate Marshall series was one of my top reads of 2020 so I have been impatiently waiting for the second book in the series Shadow Sands. This book isn’t as dark as Nine Elms, and it lacks the gruesome crime scenes that I love from this author, but the thing I find fascinating about this authors style of writing is the way he draws you into his books, you can’t just read one chapter and put one of his books down, it’s literally impossible! and Shadow Sands is no different and makes a fantastic addition to the series. 

Kate Marshall finds a body in the Shadow Sands reservoir when diving with her son (this scene is spine chilling) The Police quickly brush off Simon Kendall’s death as an accident, Kate and her assistant, Tristan Harper, realise there is more to these events than meets the eye, and when she is approached by the boy’s mother to investigate, she jumps at the chance. At they pursue their own investigation, Kate and Tristan discover that similar deaths have occurred in Shadow Sands, the stretch of land near the dam where the bodies were discovered. 

One thing I find exciting about a new series is getting to know the characters. Will I love them? Will I hate them? I’m growing fond of Kate, as we learn more about her, she has more than her fair of personal problems, she’s a recovering alcoholic, her son is the product of a relationship that ended badly, as in her ex is a serial killer!  It doesn’t help that she was also the one that caught him! So as you can imagine Kate has numerous issues, that make her all that more complex. Tristan, Kate’s partner in crime so to speak complements Kate perfectly. We learn more about him and his own personal struggles and difficult family relationships in this book. 

In Robert Bryndza’s hands what starts out as a rather ordinary plot, turns into an extraordinary one,  as the story follows multiple perspectives, Kate’s, Tristan’s, and that of a missing woman, the plot takes on a darker more chilling tone. Full of mysterious local legends, missing people, and dead bodies, each revelation keeps you eagerly turning the pages until the final chapter. Robert Bryndza’s writing goes from strength to strength, I love how he’s able to take an imaginative plot and turn it in to the most exciting, twisted read. After finishing Shadows Sands I was left feeling deflated, not because I didn’t enjoy it, in fact it’s quite the opposite it means I now have a long wait for the next book in the series

Overall this was a good read although it did take me a while to get into the story line. It was well written and the characters were good. I can recommend and I will probably read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I adored Nine Elms and couldn’t wait to read this. However it wasn’t as shocking as I usually find Robert Bryndza’s books. It was a great mystery though and I enjoyed reading this element.

Kate Marshall is diving with her son in a local reservoir when they discover the dead body of a young man. When Police rule the dead man’s death to be accidental, Kate is unhappy, and starts to investigate how he really died. Encouraged by the young man’s mother, she formally becomes involved, much to the local Police’s annoyance.

I enjoyed reading the relationship between Kate and her assistant, Tristan. It was good to find out more about his character, and he is turning out to be a great, rounded individual.

When a young Italian woman goes missing, Kate has great difficulty trying to encourage the Police to see it as more than a routine disappearance. Why is it so difficult to get the local Police interested in what are clearly crimes taking place in their neighbourhood?

There is a lot of intrigue and mystery in the story. I would have appreciated a little more digging into the mind of a serial rapist and killer.

I am looking forward to reading more from Kate and Tristram as they take on more cases in the future. A new Robert Bryndza book is like opening a box of chocolates, there are lots of kinds of murder, mystery, suspense, intrigue all mixed up. We just don’t know which chocolates to eat first! Thrilling.

Shadow Sands is fast paced, enjoyable, and exactly what I would expect from a Robert Brynzda novel. After loving the first book in the Kate Marshall series I was excited to read the second and hoped it lived up to my enjoyment of the first. It definitely did. Kate and Tristan are very likeable characters whose growth in Shadow Sands was well-developed and flowed naturally. The story arc was tight an the mystery intriguing, which left me keen to see where Brynzda will be taking the series in the future.

Kate and Tristan are two characters that I love to come back to. In this second book of the Kate Marshall series, the details of theIt lives unfold further and that really drew me in. Sometimes it’s hard to like characters in a book, but I find myself rooting for these two. I felt the book was well written and easy to follow.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer, Robert Bryndza and Netgalley.
My only regret is that I waited so long to read it! I like this series!

The story started okay, but I never was able to get into it even though I liked the main character. The story felt slow for me. Shadow Sands is the second book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone book. I will read more of Robert Bryndza's books and give this series another shot when the next book comes out.

Overall, a good read but slow at times. I would rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

#ShadowSands #NetGalley

This book gallops along at speed and my heart was in my mouth many times.
I enjoyed catching up with Kate and Tristan and even Peter. But you do not have to have read any of Robert Bryndza's book as this can be read as a stand alone book, although I would recommend them!
This book draws you in and although you might think you know where it is going the clever writing makes you sweat with anticipation. Another great murder mystery!

I enjoyed this fast-paced second entry in Bryndza’s Kate Marshall series. The setting, and Kate’s relationships with Jake and Tristan, make it worthwhile reading for me. Looking forward to seeing these characters evolve.

Shadow Sands is a brilliant new addition to the Kate Marshall series. The bar was set very high with Nine Elms & Shadow Sands surpasses that with riveting & chilling story. On a scuba dive with her son, at the Shadow Sands reservoir, Kate discovers the body of a young boy below the surface. When the local police quickly write his death off as a drowning, Kate finds it a bit odd. Soon more discrepancies in the case arise & it seems that the politics are not really doing their job diligently. Soon a fellow colleague goes missing with clues pointing to a serial abductor operating near the Shadow Sands reservoir. Determined to find her colleague & bring justice to the dead boy, Kate & Tristan start digging into old cases that seem similar. But with a powerful family & a bent copper obstructing Kate's & Tristan's every move, they must make sure they're one step ahead of the elusive killer.
Both the characters & plot were fantastic. The book opens & ends with chilling chapters that'll keep you wanting to read & then some. Robert Bryndza is one of my favourite authors! I look forward to reading the next Kate Marshall book.
Thank You, NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer & Robert Bryndza for an arc!

I really enjoy the Kate Marshall series. Not only are the plots interesting, but Kate's back story is equally interesting. I would like them to develop her personal life a bit more. And hopefully Tristan will continue to play a major part in the books.

Shadow Sands, once again with Kate Marshall and Tristan, is as good as all the other Robert Bryndza books I’ve read. Terrific!

It starts with the discovery of a body by Kate and her son, Jake, during a scuba dive into the reservoir. Soon after, other bodies are found, and other people are missing, including, very recently, Magdelena.

Kate and Tristan are on a mad hunt to find Magdelena, hoping she is still alive when bent cops play a part as well as the local crooked rich people. All this makes for a good page-turner mystery. Great characters. Great writing. Great story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read Shadow Sands in exchange for an honest review. I loved it! P.S. to Mr. Bryndza: A revolver does not have a safety.

wow what a book Robert. I absolutely loved it from beginning to end, your duch a talented writer, I absolutely loved that you brought Peter Conway back so we could see what became of him. Outstanding book again! Congratulations on another read sucess

Book 2 in the Kate Marshall series. I recommend you read Nine Elms first as there are references in Shadow Sands to this first book. I love Robert Bryndza's writing. Two books in and I hope there are a lot more in this series. Kate (who we first meet in Nine Elms) is now a lecturer. After Kate and her son find a body while diving in a reservoir, she and her assistant Tristan investigate whether this death was an accidental drowning or murder. When other people go missing there is lots to look into. I hope Book 3 is available very soon. Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.

The action is fast paced right from the start, and the book kept me hooked all the way through. Tense and claustrophobic, with a few twists to keep you guessing, it's a fast, gripping read.

The two protagonists, Kate and Tristan, are great characters, well written and relatable. Even though each has their problems, they are there for each other and offer invaluable support at crucial moments. I haven't read the first book in the series, but I felt as though I already knew the characters, and there was enough detail about their past to easily follow the story.

Full of mysterious local legends and missing people, each revelation keeps you turning the pages until the end. Highly recommend!

This was a great read with an interesting storyline and great characters. I really like Kate Marshall, despite all her past issues, and her sidekick Tristan is a nice added extra. Robert Bryndza is an excellent author and I always look forward to reading his books.

Another superb crime thriller from Robert Bryndza. The Kate Marshall series is proving to be a worthy competitor to the Erika Foster series. I love them both. Just the right amount of suspense and gruesomeness leading to the nail biting conclusion alongside a slice of the characters’ everyday lives. I am looking forward to the next instalment.

Another great book by Robert Bryndza, a fast paced thriller, I really enjoyed learning more about the characters, I can't wait for the next installment.

The action started on page one and didn’t stop.

The small details added great colour to the story - the careful preparations of the corpse by the mortician, the tattoo on one of the characters’ back and chest.

I found the main character extremely likeable and got very invested in wanting her to succeed.

Another edge of your seat thriller from Robert Bryndza! Shadow Sands gives us a closer look at Kate Marshall. It was of twists I didn't see coming and turns I didn't expect. It kept me up reading way past my bedtime. I already am looking forward to the next Kate Marshall book!