Darkness Falls Robert Bryndza
I started this book in the afternoon, and had it finished by next morning!
I love Kate and Tristan and their agency, I also enjoy the trials and tribulations of their camp site.
I really enjoyed the story, and had no idea who the culprit was. I have a few more books by this author, and I can't wait to read them.

Robert Bryndza is well known for putting "thrill" in his thrillers. DARKNESS FALLS is book #3 in the Kate Marshall series, just one of the many series that keep his fan club happy. Bryndza weaves the stories into circles of actions that take the characters to places they'd rather not be. The clues leave readers changing their guess on whodunit with every chapter.

Kate Marshall is a complicated character who is just trying to get through the day in the best way she can. When she is hired to find a young woman who disappeared many years ago, her investigation will have to start from the beginning. As she wades into the inactive police investigation, she battles her personal demons with a conviction that is so very hard to maintain. The combination of professional and personal makes the character realistic and sympathetic. We all just want her to win her battles. This connection with the characters is typical of all of Bryndza's series leads. He's an awesome author of some very good series.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Thankyou netgalley for the opportunity to have an arc copy of this book for a honest review.




. The story was very fast paced . It doesn’t have the thriller factor which is very light and not to extreme .
It does actually predicted the ending but it was worth to read ❤️



❤️ shaye.reads

Love this author’s Erika Foster series. Although this title did not draw me in to the same extent, it was still very good.

This is a great fast paced thriller, which I loved, and I really enjoyed reading it. I love Robert's books, and I have read some of his other books too. This is book 3 in a series.

The story is about Kate Marshall and her partner/friend Tristan, who are private investigators hired to help solve the cold case of Joanna Duncan who went missing 12 years before. Joanna was trying to expose a corrupt politician before she went missing. Could this be connected to her disappearance?

Full of twists and turns, and drama, this book really hooked me in and kept me enthralled throughout. If you love thrillers or police procedurals, then you will love this book. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This is definitely a book to read if you enjoy thrillers with police procedurals. The author has yet again showed his ability to tell a story that is able to engulf the reader as well as entertain them.

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

The characters were well-developed, and I found myself invested in their lives. The plot was well thought out and had enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat. I appreciated the attention to detail, and the author did a great job of creating a vivid world that was easy to picture in my mind.
The themes explored in the book were thought-provoking and gave me a lot to consider. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story with well-developed characters.
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with this book and would definitely read it again. It was a great addition to my reading collection, and I can't wait to see what else this author has in store.

Another great addition to the series. Kate now has her PI business up and running, alongside Tristan, and is working on trying to make it a success.

The author once again has given us a story which I devoured in one sitting.

Kate Marshall's life has changed since readers last saw her in Shadow Sands. It is May 2015, and eighteen months have passed since the sudden death of Kate's dear friend of nine years and Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, Myra. It was a shock when Kate learned that Myra willed her both her business and her home, which Kate now uses as an office, on the condition that she quit her job as a lecturer in criminology at Ashdean University and launch her own detective agency. Nine months ago, in partnership with Tristan, her former assistant, they launched the business.

As the story opens, Kate is contacted by Bev Ellis, who explains that her daughter, Joanna, then twenty-eight years old, disappeared in September 2002 -- "just vanished into thin air." Two months ago, Bev begun cohabiting with her partner of nearly thirty years, Bill, the wealthy owner of a company that provides building materials for large road construction projects and a collector of fine art. Bev has just been notified that the police are deeming the case "inactive" and ceasing their efforts to locate Joanna. She needs answers about her daughter's fate. She knows that Joanna is most likely dead, but implores Kate to do what the police have given up on accomplishing: finding Joanna's body so that Bev can lay her to rest. Bev is tired of being patronized by male officers, and convinced that Joanna was the victim of foul play. She was an up-and-coming investigative journalist for a local newspaper with dreams of landing a job in London with a major publication and had recently married Fred, who was not a suspect in her disappearance because local villagers confirmed his alibi. Fred apparently thwarted her career ambitions by refusing to consider a move to London. Six months before Joanna vanished, she published an exposé on Noah Huntley, a local member of Parliament who was accepting bribes in exchange for awarding council contracts. After the story was carried by the national press, Huntley lost his seat in a special election. Joanna's car was found in the parking structure near the newspaper's office, her phone underneath the vehicle. It was powered off and bore no fingerprints -- not even Joanna's. Her laptop computer and notebooks were never located. Her editor confirmed that she was not working on any particularly controversial stories that might have placed her in danger, and her husband insists she had no enemies. Vague notes about them were found in the files removed from her desk.

Kate and Tristan are shocked to learn that Bill has managed to procure twenty boxes of materials that make up the official police file. Bilo produces a letter from the police superintendent thanking him for supporting a benevolence fund and confirming that the files have been loaned to him for three months. Kate's contacts in the police department and knowledge of forensics, coupled with witness statements, the timeline put together by the investigating officers, and the other materials contained in the official file convince her to take the case. She and Tristan take custody of the files, and get busy scanning and analyzing the voluminous documentation. They quickly uncover many salient details that Bev omitted during their meeting with her. And a photograph establishing that Joanna met with Huntly two weeks before she went missing. Huntley claimed that Joanna requested the meeting because she was applying for a job with the Daily Mail and Huntley was a member of the board of directors. She allegedly sought him out to ensure that he would not torpedo her chance to secure the job. Kate and Tristan soon discover that there were more angles to Joanna's investigation of Huntley than were included in her published exposé, including misappropriation of public funds and encounters with male prostitutes.

A note in Joanna's handwriting references David Lamb, who disappeared in 1999 at the age of nineteen, and Gabe Kemp, who went missing in 2001. Both had "no fixed abode." As the investigation proceeds, it encompasses a quest to determine their fate, as well as Joanna's. Both may have been "rent boys," a British term for male prostitutes, and the search takes decidedly dark turns. Bryndza intersperses chapters focused on Tom, who meets Hayden Oakley at Brewer's Arms, a small gay bar. Tom is a businessman who buys Hayden expensive drinks, as Hayden plans to lace his drink with Rohypnol. But Tom is a step ahead of Hayden, who realizes too late that he has been outwitted and is in danger. But who is Tom? Is there a connection between him, Joanna, and the two missing young men? And why didn't the police perform a thorough background check on Bill and his business interests? Could Joanna have been on the trail of serial killer?

Darkness Falls is a straight-forward examination of Kate and Tristan's efforts to solve a case that seems to become exponentially more complex with each discovery of relevant evidence. Readers have come to expect intricately plotted and inventive mysteries from Bryndza, and Darkness Falls further cements his reputation as a clever storyteller. In the first two volumes of the series, Nine Elms and Shadow Sands, Bryndza introduced Kate and Tristan, and focused on their personal lives, revealing Kate's history on the police force and the details of her unfortunate relationships with Peter Conway, a psychopathic serial killer, as well as her ongoing struggle to maintain her sobriety and maintain a healthy relationship with her son, Jake. Like every recovering alcoholic, Kate resists the urge to drink one day at a time, attending meetings but declining to enlist a sponsor to take Myra's place. Her guilt about the times when she lost the trust of those she loves most, especially Jake, inspires her to remain sober. And she now juggles her responsibility to operate the caravan park and surf shop that she inherited from Myra with the demands of the fledgling detective agency. Bryndza further develops Kate and Tristan's relationship. Tristan has a complicated relationship with his sister, and struggles to confidently live life on his own terms. He and Kate are loyal, supportive friends, and their interactions and dialogue are believable and endearing. But the focus in Darkness Falls is squarely on the methodical investigation Kate and Tristan conduct in their quest to find answers for a mother who has been grieving the loss of her daughter for more than twelve years and desperately wants resolution and, if possible, peace.

Bryndza has crafter another richly atmospheric and unpredictable mystery, populated with a strong cast of intriguing and often nefarious supporting characters. He expertly alternates the storyline relating Kate and Tristan's efforts with the horrific behavior of Tom, keeping readers guessing as to how the two might possibly intersect and lead to the discovery of Joanna's remains. It's an engrossing tale with a satisfying conclusion that leaves readers clamoring for the next installment in Bryndza's absorbing and entertaining series.

Love all these books if you like a great mystery, thriller this is for you. All about a private investigator called Kate, investigating a cold case.. really recommend you read all the books. Would 100 percent recommend

EXCERPT: As soon as Joanna reached the top, and stepped out, he slipped the bag over her head, yanked her backward, and used the handles to pull the plastic tight around her neck.
Joanna cried out and staggered on her feet, dropping the large handbag she carried. He pulled the bag tighter. The plastic sat flush over her skull and bulged at the mouth and nose as she sucked in and out the remaining air she had in her lungs.

ABOUT 'DARKNESS FALLS': Kate Marshall’s investigation into a journalist’s disappearance sends her down an unexpectedly twisted path in a riveting thriller by the author of Shadow Sands.

Kate Marshall’s fledgling PI agency takes off when she and her partner, Tristan Harper, are hired for their first big case. It’s a cold one. Twelve years before, journalist Joanna Duncan disappeared after exposing a political scandal. Most people have moved on. Joanna’s mother refuses to let go.

When Kate and Tristan gain access to the original case files, they revisit the same suspects and follow the same leads―but not to the same dead ends. Among Joanna’s personal effects, Kate discovers the names of two young men who also vanished without a trace.

As she connects the last days of three missing persons, Kate realizes that Joanna may have been onto something far more sinister than anyone first believed: the identity of a serial killer hiding in plain sight. The closer Kate comes to finding him, the darker it’s going to get.

MY THOUGHTS: Although this is #3 in the Kate Marshall series, it is easily read as a stand-alone. Although, once you've read this, you're going to want to go back and read the previous two books anyway.

This is developing into a great series. The plotting is spot on, the narrative flows easily, there's plenty of suspense and the characters are developing nicely.

Kate is more confident in herself and is developing a closer relationship with her son Jake, who is now at University. Myra has, unfortunately, passed away, but has left the caravan park to Kate. Tristan is becoming more comfortable in his own skin and his sister Sarah is slowly accepting his sexuality.

The case Kate and Tristan so gratefully accept is a cold one - the disappearance of a young female journalist twelve years earlier. Bev, the missing girl's mother, wants Joanna's body located so that she can bury her and find some closure.

While looking at what Joanna was working on at the time of her disappearance, Kate and Tristan stumble upon stories about young men disappearing and they start to form theories about what might have happened. Of course, we know what happened to Joanna because of the prologue. What we don't know is who . . .

Unusually for me, I cottoned on to the killer very early on. It was just a feeling that became stronger as the book progressed. This in no way diminished my pleasure in reading this book.

I'm now all caught up with this series and eager to read #4, Devil's Way, due for publication January 2023.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#DarknessFalls #NetGalley

I: @robertbryndza @amazonpublishing

T: @RobertBryndza @AmazonPub

#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #murdermystery #mystery #privateinvestigator #serialkillerthriller #suspense #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Robert Bryndza was born in the UK and lived in America and Canada before settling in Slovakia with his Slovak husband Ján.

When he's not writing Rob is learning Slovak, trying to train two crazy dogs, or watching Grand Designs all in the hope that he'll be able to understand his mother-in-law, build his dream house, and get the dogs to listen.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas &Mercer via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon,Instagram and my webpage

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas and Mercer publishing and Robert Bryndza for this ARC. I wouldnt t miss a Robert Bryndza book for anything ! I loved the Coco Pinchard series, and when this author went to thrillers, I knew they’d be great. This book of Kate Marshal is probably my favorite one of them all..
It has everything I need to keep me enthralled in her and her “adventures”. Murder,mayhem, and mystery. Another 5 star for Mr. Bryndza ..

*5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was another gripping story from Robert Bryndza. The case leads Kate and Tristan down many different paths, but in the end it all comes together so well. I had figured out who I thought it was, and then the story took some turns and in the end, well, I didn't see that coming.

I enjoy being along for the ride and playing detective with Kate and Tristan, and getting both of their POV's as the story and case unfolds. Enjoyed this one and looking forward to more.

I’m a bit late to review this one, but I needed to come on and say, wow! As with all of his books, this one, again, was fantastic! So well written, and I truly didn’t guess the ending this time. I really love how the main character is written. She’s strong as heck, but also has a vulnerability that is always present. She feels like a real person to me because of that. Can’t wait to read the next one! I’ve got it lined up to read very soon. Bravo, Robert!

Like all of Robert Bryndza's crime novels, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I like Kate Marshall's voice and demeanor, not to mention her various relationships. The author really knows how to make a character feel like a real person to the reader.

Another absolutely awesome read in this gripping detective series. When I start these books I just won’t be able to stop until I’ve reached the last page

What a story! I was hooked in the first page & I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

This was more of a 3.5 for me. I really like the characters in this series but for some reason I had trouble getting into this one. The writing itself is wonderful as always with this author. I do enjoy most of his books. I am sad I was not able to enjoy this as I have the others. There is definitely plenty of suspense and the mystery is there, so maybe it was just me this time around. I will definitely give it another try and continue to read the series because, as I mentioned earlier, I enjoy the characters and the relationship dynamics in this series. I would recommend giving it a try.

As a huge fan of the Detective Erika Foster, I was very excited to read Robert Brynda's newest series, A Kate Marshall Thriller. Darkness Falls is the third installment in the series and like its predecessors, it is engaging, compelling, and a page-turner. Kate and Tristan are a great team and I look forward to there next adventure!

Thank you #NetGalley, #RobertBryndza & #ThomasandMercer for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.