Member Reviews

Kate Marshall and her partner Tristan Harper are back in another thrilling adventure! Their PI agency is struggling to stay afloat and it doesn't appear any new cases will be coming in anytime soon. That is, until Kate gets a phone call from Joanna Duncan's mother asking them to investigate her whereabouts. Joanna went missing 20 years ago while investigating political corruption. Kate and Tristan know that this will be a tough case, especially since a long time has passed without resolution.

They are provided with the original case files and decide to venture out and investigate all persons involved in Joanna's life. As they continue following up on the case, they find out there is more to the story that sends them on a dangerous path of lies, treachery and murder.

Robert Bryndza has done it again! He never disappoints! I dare you to try to figure out whodunit! Thank you #NetGalley for providing AC! I definitely loved it!

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@robertbryndza is one of my favorite authors for crime thrillers. I tore through the Erika Foster series as soon as I could get my hands on them. #darknessfalls is the third in the Kate Marshall series, which is equally as good! If #crimethrillerbooks are your thing, I definitely recommend the Kate Marshall series (#nineelms and #shadowsands are the first two in the series). #darknessfalls hits the shelves on December 21, 2021, so you have time to start this series!!! Thank you to @netgalley and #thomasmercerpublishing for the #arc for my honest review!

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I’ve quite enjoyed Bryndza’s work, Erika Foster more than the Kate Marshall series; but I think the author is beginning to hit his stride in the series with this book. I enjoy Cold Case stories, and this one was better done than most. Even the more tedious bits in the story about solving these kinds of crimes were interesting to me. I don’t particularly enjoy the alternating chapters thrown in from the killers point of view in these kinds of thrillers; I like it to stick to the investigation side of the story.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed it.

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I have read and enjoyed all 5 of Bryndza's earlier Erika Foster series, but I have found the 3 books in this Kate Marshall series to be a step down. Kate and her business partner, Tristan, have just started their own PI agency and they catch an interesting cold case. Joanna Duncan vanished without a trace 12 years ago from a parking garage at a time where she was working on multiple "delicate" cases. This was actually a good mystery and both main characters, Kate and Tristan, are strong and have interesting backgrounds, but I struggled to keep track of the sheer, high number of other characters and I also felt that some of the dialogue seemed a tad unrealistic, as characters seemed overly comfortable blurting out their innermost secrets to these 2 strangers without a 2nd thought. Thanks to Net Galley, Robert Bryndza and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Robert Bryndza is on my "automatic purchase" list of authors. I LOVED his Erika Foster series, and I am enjoying Kate Marshall.

"Darkness Falls" is the third book in the Kate Marshall series. Missing for me in this one were the more personal bits of Kate and Tristan's (her partner in the PI firm) lives, the background that Bryndza is particularly good at developing, the stories that make such compelling characters. There wasn't as much this time, although we did get to know Jake, Kate's very likable son.

The first third of the book felt a bit slow for me, but then we get into the action. Kate is, again, seeking out a serial killer, one who is presumed to have murdered a journalist, and is this time wreaking havoc on the English coast. There is a great mix of characters (savory and unsavory), and it's fun to play "guess who" along the way, although I did not successfully predict the ending.

I read this in two days. It's not my favorite of this author's, but still very entertaining and fast. I will continue to recommend this author to other readers. 4/5 stars.

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Gosh it feels an age since I read book two in the Kate Marshall series. The one thing that I am always guaranteed with any of this authors books though, is that they are well worth the wait.

I absolutely love Kate and Tristan. They make a great crime fighting duo. Both bring so much to these books and I am already desperate for the next book in the series. There is just something about this pairing that I find almost comforting. I think it’s like any favourite crime series, such as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, Poirot and Hastings. To have a successful series, you have to get the pairing just right and for me, Bryndza has created the perfect working partnership with Kate and Tristan.

I love watching cold case shows on the telly so when I read the book description for Darkness Falls with Kate and Tristan taking on a case of the disappearance of a journalist from 12 years before, I was desperate to read more. I have to say this was such a clever storyline and as they start to join the dots and zone in on getting closer to the truth, I seriously couldn’t turn the pages quick enough to find out just what had happened to Joanna all those years ago as well as the missing men.

Darkness Falls had me from the get go. It’s one of those books that once you start reading, you forget about everything else as you are so engrossed with the case and Kate and Tristan’s quest to discover the truth. One of the best storyline’s I have read in a crime thriller book in a while and I could feel the build up of excitement inside of me, the closer we get to that all important climax and boy what a climax! I had to pick my jaw back up from the floor. How it all comes together just showcases how brilliant this author’s writing is. An exciting and thrilling read that will leave you desperate for more!

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This is the third book in the Kate Marshall series but can equally be read as a stand alone.
Kate and her friend Tristan have set up their own private investigation agency but things are a bit on the slow side.
After her best friend Mrya and AA sponsor passed away and leaving her the holiday caravan site at least she has something to do and the fact that her son is spending his summer holiday away from university with her is a bonus.
When Kate receives a phone call from a woman about her journalist daughter Joanna Duncan that went missing twelve years previously and asking for help Kate couldn't resist.
When Kate and Tristan look into the old case files things really dont add up.
Joanna had outed a local politician for misusing Government money and was still looking into his background before her editor told her to drop the story. But Joanna carried on and the name of two young men came to light when Kate was investigating.
What Kate unveils is an unknown serial killer! Can she catch him before he kills again?

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I found this book's themes a little off putting and the author's focus on homosexual serial killing a bit deviant for my taste.

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This is the third book in the Kate Marshall series, it can be read as a standalone, but not my favourite. Kate is setting up a detective agency with Tristan her business partner. They are investigating the disappearance of a journalist from a number of years ago. The first half of the book failed to maintain my interest, I usually enjoy books by this author, but it picked up in the second half and overall, I would say it's just an average read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

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Excellent book. Loved it. I give it 4.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

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Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I have read all Robert Bryndzas books and have loved all of them. I enjoyed this book but it wasn’t as good as the previous ones. I didn’t feel there was the same build up of suspense , the plot was good but just somehow didn’t have the usual chill factor. Look forward to the next one .

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I was on instagram and saw that Robert Bryndza has his new book available on Netgalley, so I decided to try something new. I must say, as my favorite author, I have yet to be disappointed. The way his mind works is just phenomenal. When I think I have him figured out and the story figured out. I am always left on some sort of a plot twist, which is completely fine by me!


For the latest installment of the Kate Marshall series, you find her trying to solve a missing person case, which of course has gone cold. And in the mix of all of it, Kate discovers the real reason Joanna went missing, and uncovers a serial killer. While reading I always try to figure it out. I had some suspicions on some shady characters, I was right, but there was also a huge plot twist there that I did not see coming.


Thank you Netgalley and Robert Bryndza for a chance to read and review Darkness Falls. This was the fastest book I have read since my son was born a month ago, so even at that it should tell you how good this book is! Can't wait for it to come out and be able to purchase it to go along with all my others!

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While I really enjoyed Robert Bryndza's The Girl in the Ice, I became a true fan of the author only after I started reading the Kate Marshall Series with Nine Elms. And many thanks to NetGalley I finished reading the third entry into this excellent series, which is imaginative, intriguing and horrifying at the same time. Though my penchant of reading too many mystery thrillers have somewhats increased my deduction to guess the assailant correctly, something which happened here too, but it is a testament to author Bryndza's writing that you remained glued to the very last sentence of the story he is telling.

Eagerly awaiting the release of Book 4.

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Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Kate Marshall book and lets just say it will not be my last. What was nice about this book is that you do not have to read the first two books in order to read this one. Kate and Tristan are the perfect private investigators to help solve the 12 year old cold case of missing reporter Joanna Duncan. They looked for clues that no one else were able to find and in the process helped solve more than one crime.

I enjoyed how there were a lot of twists. That is what makes a good suspense. I could not put the book down and I am a little sad that it is over.

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As usual with Robert Bryndza's books, I could not put this down. I love that Kate and Tristan are now doing what they love with their new private detective agency, and what a meaty case this was! I will admit the guilty party was actually on my, OK I will admit quite long list of suspects, but hey, they were on it! But that final twist?! Well done Mr Bryndza, another brilliant, blood pressure raising, book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for this ARC in return for an honest review.

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Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ex-cop Kate Marshall and her partner Tristan have started a detective agency and are hired to find out what happened to a journalist that disappeared in 2002. They start uncovering a whole bunch of things that the police missed and find that there may be a serial killer at work.

As a rule, I don't like serial killer novels, and that is what Robert Bryndza's Erika Foster and Kate Marshall series are. But somehow I really enjoy everything I read by him. I have read all of the entries in both series and I find them to be very readable and enjoyable. I breezed though this one in just over 24 hours and I think it may have gotten me out of my reading slump. Fingers crossed. I really like the characters and their investigative process. I look forward to the next one, because I know it will be a dependably good read.

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Meh. This one was just okay for me. I didn’t think it was anything new or groundbreaking and thought it was middle-of-the-road in regards to the writing style and plot. The plot twists were pretty obvious and that’s why I give this book 3 stars.

This is the third book in the Kate Marshall series. Kate and her partner Tristan Harper have their own private detection agency. Kate receives a call about a cold case that happened years earlier- Joanna Duncan’s mother wants closure on her daughter’s mysterious disappearance and hires Kate and Tristan to do some digging for her. In doing so, Kate uncovers new information that leads her and Tristan down a path that the police had not investigated, which cracks the case wide open. Paths begin to cross and stories begin to line up, leading to an unusual culprit, shocking everyone.

I was confused for about 80% of the time because so many components were thrown into the mix with little to no explanation. A bunch of names were thrown at me and weren’t vital to the storyline. The precision of locals was too much for my sucks-at-using-a-GPS brain- “across this street that you should already know the name of, seven paces north-northeast from that rock that’s shaped like a sock”. Does it actually matter I have the precise coordinates to this spot? No. Get on with it. The motive was just bizarre, and I would shelve that as cruel and unusual punishment and a severe over reaction. Even as I’m writing this review, I have questions to my questions. I just don’t get the plot. And the “twist” ending was something that I called very early on. If I get the twist ending correct, that’s how you know it was poorly executed! I’m the absolute worst at coming up with plausible guesses on big twists!

I received an advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review! The book is set to be released on December 7th, 2021.

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I love love love this author and the latest instalment of the Kate Marshall series does not disappoint. Clever writing which keeps you guessing as to who is responsible for the murder of a journalist and several young men. Gripping, intriguing and extremely well written. Can’t wait for the next one and would love some more for the Erika Foster series too please :)

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Having read the first two books in the series I’ve been looking forward to reading this for ages and it didn’t disappoint. Kate and Tristan take on a cold case and set about getting answers with plenty of plot twists along the way. Really enjoyed the book and would recommend. Only issue I have is Roberts books don’t get released quick enough! Can be read as a stand-alone book if you’ve missed the first two books. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced access.

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The third book in the series and a good going. The investigation into a cold case of twenty years was solid. But the suspense and the plot twists are predictable. The second book was more gripping. A big part of the conversations felt more like a banter.

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