A thank you to NetGalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There's little to say about this latest addition to the Kate Marshall series that hasn't already been said by other equally smitten reviewers. This is just a seriously good series for fans of police procedurals and general crime fiction - a tight plot that moves, great characters, and a mystery that's not overly complicated or beyond the realm of feasibility, but not so easily guessed as to render the reader bored and I hope that more people discover it soon.

I have just finished reading Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza, which is the third book in the Kate Marshall series.

This is an Author that I have really enjoyed in the past, and have read the other two books in this series.

This storyline starts off with Kate Marshall and her partner, Tristan Harper, who are starting off a Private Investigation agency, getting their first big case.

For me I found this book a bit on the slow side, and overall, not quite the page turner as the past two.

I did however overall enjoy, it and felt that it could be read as a stand alone as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Robert Bryndza and Thomas & Mercer for my advanced copy to review

#DarknessFalls #NetGalley

3.5 stars
Definitely a page turner, this story has lots of thrills, twists, and didn't see that coming in its premise. Kate Marshall, the heroine of the series is back teemed up with Tristan Harper as they venture out forming their own Private Investigating company.

Their first real case involved a missing girl, a newspaper reporter, who has been missing for twelve years. The police are ready to close the file which is why her mother wants the new team to investigate and find Joanna Duncan. With the help of her live in boyfriend, the mother hires the team and they are off, investigating clues that will eventually place them into the steamy world of paid gay sex, where oftentimes one's very life is in danger. Kate trips on the the discovery that two men were missing around the same time as Joanna, and the race is on to see if there might be a connection.

Is it possible that there lurks another serial killer, one that seeks out gay young men, and if so, why was Joanna involved.

As the wheels churn, we learn much about how lives that were intertwined come together and how it is indeed at times an underworld that is dangerous and deadly.

Thank you to Robert Bryndza, Thomas and Mercer, and NetGalley for a copy of this mystery thriller that published on December 7, 2021.

This was another great installment in the Kate Marshall series. I was happy to see the progress Kate and Tristan have made as well as how Jake has grown. I was also happy that Peter was not the focus of this book and was hardly mentioned.

This series shows characters struggling with alcohol addiction and finances. This particular installment adds in scenes of homophobia and abuse in the gay community. I appreciate the more realistic portrayal of issues that people genuinely struggle with within the story. The issues the characters have make sense and are not over the top.

I have to admit that I knew who-dun-it from the very beginning with this one. I waited it out to see if it would come around to this particular person and it did. So, it wasn't the biggest mystery for me, but this did not lessen my reading enjoyment because the story getting there was interesting and the writing excellent. I enjoyed the descriptions and characters, as well as the thought process behind the investigation.

This is the third book in the Kate Marshall series but can be read as a standalone. The author gives us just enough of the backstory without revealing any spoilers for the earlier books. I have read two books by Robert Bryndza in the Erika Foster series and I love how he always delivers a taut, fast paced mystery every single time.

Private Investigator Kate Marshall and her partner Tristan Harper have been hired to investigate a cold case involving a missing woman, Joanna who was an investigative journalist looking into the disappearance of two gay men. Kate apparently spots a clue that the police missed and the case takes a completely different turn from there with Kate and Tristan soon finding themselves on a dangerous trail of a serial killer.

In Darkness Falls, Robert Bryndza weaves an intricate plot filled with tension and supense, multiple red herrings and a clever twist. Consistent and immersive writing, this is an interesting and exciting crime thriller that I highly recommend.

Thanks to @netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing me with a digital ARC for my honest review. This book is out now.

‘What now? She had to disappear. Her body. Her computer. All DNA evidence had to vanish.’

Twelve years ago, journalist Joanna Duncan disappeared after exposing a political scandal. Her mother Bev is still hoping for answers and approached Private Investigator Kate Marshall to investigate. Kate’s fledgling private investigation agency is happy to take on the case: the biggest one that she and partner Tristan Harper have taken on so far.

Kate and Tristan are given access to the original case files and start following the same leads. But amongst Joanna’s personal effects finds the names of two young men. Investigation reveals that those two young men had also vanished without a trace. Could this be related to the political scandal Joanna uncovered before she disappeared?

Before establishing her private investigation agency, Kate was a detective and criminology lecturer. She has a holiday caravan business to run as well: fortunately, her 18-year-old son Jake will be spending his summer holidays with her to help. Tristan, who still works part time at the university, has some issues of his own to deal with, including a very protective sister. Between them, Kate and Tristan track down several key witnesses from twelve years earlier. What was Joanna investigating when she disappeared? And how are the missing men linked? The story unfolds, with a couple of unexpected twists, to a surprising (and satisfying) ending.

This is the third book in Mr Bryndza’s Kate Marshall series. I have not (yet) read the first two books.
Recommended.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

The third book in this crime thriller series finds Kate Marshall and her partner, Tristan Harper, chasing the cold case of a journalist, Joanna Duncan, who disappeared 12 years ago. Hired by the missing woman's mother, the two private detectives root through the old files, re-interview the same people, but discover that Joanna's case might also be related to the disappearance of two young gay men. It seems there might be a serial killer on the prowl.

The narrative alternates in point of view as we see a glimpse into the killer's activities. There are quite a few characters and lots of red herrings with the big reveal a bit of a surprise even if it it left me slightly incredulous. The reader learns more about Kate and Tristan and Bryndza provides some back story but it is probably best if you have read the previous two installments. At times I found the procedural details a bit slow moving, but overall entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Darkness Falls is the third book in the Kate Marshall series set in Devon, England, about a former police officer with a troubled past and her younger assistant Tristan, who are starting out as private investigators. I’d enjoyed the previous two, although not as much as the author’s Erika Foster series, but found this one slow, predictable in terms of the reveal, and too far-fetched in terms of plot and character motivations. You don’t need to have read the first two to get into this, as you get enough recap of Kate’s past history for it to make sense.

A few years after the events of Shadow Sands, Kate has quit her lecturing post at the university, inherited a house and caravan park from her friend Myra, and is getting her fledgling PI business started. Her son Jake is now a student and has come home for the summer holidays, and Tristan is struggling financially, having reduced his hours at the university to focus on detecting, so they really need a big case to bring in some cash and publicity. When the mother of a journalist who went missing twelve years earlier hires them to find out what happened to her, they find links to a number of cases of young gay men who just disappeared - have they identified yet another serial killer?

I’m coming to the conclusion that this series is not for me - I don’t find Kate interesting or appealing as a character - the whole recovering alcoholic detective trope has been done to death - and while I like the semi-maternal dynamic with Tristan, all his insecurities got a bit tedious. The plot involved a lot of minor characters, but this wasn’t enough to disguise the perpetrator’s identity, although I didn’t guess the whole reveal, probably because it didn’t make any kind of sense and relied too much on coincidence. I found the pace to be too slow and the dialogue stilted; I’m steering clear of overly gruesome thrillers so appreciated the lack of gore.

I requested this without paying enough attention to the blurb, else I might’ve skipped it - I was expecting a cold case mystery, which it is, but with a sexual predator case thrown in - I’m completely over detectives encountering serial killers in every book - especially when they live in small towns - it’s just too unlikely. I also generally don’t enjoy scenes written from the POV of the murderer. Most of my GR friends have given this 4 or 5 stars so it obviously isn’t a problem for most readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC; I am posting this honest review voluntarily.

Kate and Tristan are a little like the Odd Couple. She’s a retired police officer, mother, and ex to a serial killer. Tristan is young and eager to learn from Kate and become successful. They took on a case to find a missing woman presumed murdered from twelve years ago. They are led down the rabbit hole where other missing persons are lost and certain high profile names keep turning up. The mystery and clever clues made this whodunit quite the intriguing puzzle. There are many possibilities for the killer however the real culprit was definitely not expected. Receiving an early copy for one my favorite authors is always exciting, so I’ve given this review voluntarily.

4.5 stars

Kate Marshall and her partner Tristan Harper are new to the private investigation profession. It's been open a few months and they've not had a lot of business. But today, they are hired for their first big case.

Twelve years ago, investigative journalist, Joanna Duncan, disappeared as she left work and was never seen again. Joanna's mother refuses to let go. She wants to know what happened to her daughter, who did, and where her body is located. The only hint they have is that Joanna disappeared after she exposed a political scandal.

Starting from scratch, they come across several people who may not have been telling the truth when originally questioned by the police. They also discover the names of two 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.

With a compelling plot, and a gripping story line filled with twists and turns, this is intense Suspense with a Capital S. The characters are deftly drawn and engaging. With Kate being a 40-ish woman and Tristan being 20 some years younger, they have a special relationship that allows them to work exceedingly well together. Kate has quite a backstory, and even though this is easily read as a stand-alone, it's certainly worthwhile to start at the beginning of this tempting series. I never saw the ending coming.

Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Robert Bryndza hooks me in straight away, and I just sat, read and indulged myself.
Omg, I love this author. What a fabulous story, so clever. I raced through it.
It's one of those 'please just read it' books.
A great plot, and a thrilling ride.
Kate Marshall was a rising star in the London Metropolitan police force. Young, ambitious and with a keen sense of justice, she solved several high-profile murder cases. She would stop at nothing….until a killer stopped her in her tracks. Since her days in the force are behind her she’s tried live a peaceful life.
Kate lectured in Criminology at a University on the South Coast. Her assistant was Tristan Harper. I like Tristan, early 20’s, tall, cropped hair, tattoos.
Kate and Tristan have set up a private investigation business. It’s pretty quiet at the moment, until they get a call from a mother who’s desperate to find out what happened to her daughter.
The relationship between Kate and Tristan is a special one, and I look forward to more from the intrepid two in the next book. This is the third in a series but the author gives enough information of the back story to be read as a stand-alone.
I am a Robert Bryndza addict and he certainly knows it!!
If you've never read any books by Robert Bryndza....why not?! You are guaranteed to love them.

In September 2002 Joanna Duncan vanished while leaving her job as a journalist for a local newspaper. Almost thirteen years later Joanna's mother reaches out to Kate Marshall in hopes that she (and partner/former assistant Tristan Harper) will be able to find out what happened to her daughter all those years ago. The police had closed the case long ago but had granted access to the files for three months for an independent investigation. Kate and Tristan get hired for six months which will help them in getting the private detective agency on its feet, as well as a much needed financial boost for each. Kate has inherited her friend/landlord/AA sponsor Myra's businesses and home. Tristan is still working part time at the university and has taken in a lodger to help cover his mortgage.

Kate and Tristan start diving in to the old files and re-questioning anyone who may remember anything that happened on the day that Joanna disappeared. She had recently covered a story about a now-former Member of Parliament who lost his seat because of her investigation into him committing fraud. He also was rumored to use "rent boys" (young male prostitutes) and it was more than possible that Joanna had been investigating this angle also ... especially when Kate discovers a note with the name of two men amongst Joanna's belongings -- both of them young gay and attractive and both of them missing.

Is there a connection between these disappearances?

Are they all connected to the ones that are still happening?

Yet again, Robert Bryndza is amazing with his storytelling. I sometimes find myself feeling like it's okay to skip a paragraph here, a chapter there. That never happens with Bryndza. If anything, I'll purposely backtrack and re-read to see if I missed a clue. I often have ... and I still end up being wrong as to what twists lie ahead. It's nice to not have it all figured out and I definitely didn't with Darkness Falls.

And just one more thing: I absolutely big puffy heart love Abe (and I don't just "big puffy heart" easily)! We need to see him again and again, please!

Kate Marshall and Tristan Harper are back in book three of the Kate Marshall series and what a series it is!

Kate and Tristan are hired by a Bev Ellis, a mother devastated by the disappearance of her daughter, Joanna twelve years ago. Joanna Duncan was a promising journalist who exposed a political scandal. When Kate Tristan look through Joanna's personal affects, they find the names of two young men who went missing without a trace.

As they begin to connect the dots, they learn that there are those who have secrets but are those secrets worth killing for?

This book started strong and then got a little slow but hold on to your hat’s folks, because Bryndza is about to blow them off! This is a tightly woven mystery that brings back two great main characters, a killer with a God complex and a distraught mother.

I enjoyed the character development of Kate and Tristan and seeing more of their personal lives. I also enjoy watching them work together to solve the case. Fans of this series, know Kate's backstory and Bryndza gives just enough of it here so that this book would work as a stand-alone but with this being only book three in the series, it is easy to go back to the beginning and begin there.

Bryndza knows how to build suspense while unraveling his plot. Better yet, nothing comes out of left field. You won’t whiplash from the reveal and yet, it will be shocking to some, some may have seen it coming and some like me, figured it out when Kate and Tristan did.

Well written, well thought out and captivating. Despite the slowness I felt after the killer beginning, I found this to be hard to put down and riveting.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another brilliant read in the Kate Marshall series.
Kate and Tristan have set up a Private investigation firm and it has been a bit slow going.
Kate then gets a call from Bev who is desparate to find out what happened to her daughter.
Their investigation takes them in many directions and this leads them to discover other people who are missing.
This is a gripping crime thriller and it was great to catch up with Kate and Tristan again.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Darkness Falls is Book 3 in the Kate Marshall series from Robert Bryndza.

"Kate is hired to find a journalist that has been missing for twelve years. When Kate and her business partner, Tristan, review the case files, they discover leads that were never pursued by the original detectives. They link the names to other missing men and soon discover the possibility of a serial killer that's been killing for a long time. The closer they come to him, the darker it gets."

This is full-on crime fiction from Bryndza. The story builds slowly. Lots of names and things happening. But Brynda does something I like. The detectives sit down and rehash where they are in the investigation. It helps the reader make sense of all of the moving parts. And helps my old memory keep up. The killer was a surprise. Bryndza does a good job disguising him. You will guess one part easily.

This was my first book from the Kate Marshall series so I will be going back and reading the first two. All of his books can be read as stand-alones. They are great books for the beach.

Some great crime fiction from Bryndza.

As the PI agency isn't flooding with clients, Kate and Tristan are able to focus on a single cold case, that of a journalist that went missing twelve years ago after exposing a political scandal.

No corpse was ever found nor her car, and the few existing clues were investigated years ago and abandoned as dead ends. But the victim's mother hasn't forgotten and wants to know what happened to her daughter, so the detectives start tracking the old suspects and witnesses and their movements on the day of the disappearance, trying to discover any new lead, anything explaining what really happened to Joanna Duncan, even if many would really prefer to leave the past in the past and the most popular hypothesis seems to be she was abducted randomly by a lunatic.

As with the previous instalment of the series, I enjoyed this one a great deal, especially how the author creates characters that not only are believable and have their own motivations but also are interesting to follow, and how the landscape is made part of the story, although in this book time plays a key role as well, because to have any chance of solving the mystery, the detectives need to make the past their own and reconstruct events long forgotten that, unearthed, may give a clue as to what happened to the journalist.

I also appreciated how the focus was placed on character interactions and thoughts and the feelings the past awakens on them rather than on detailed descriptions of any crimes taking place.

I'll definitely be continuing with the series!

I loved this book. Another fabulous piece of work.

The fledgling detective agency with its real world struggles shows us a wonderful insight into the minds of the main characters.

It has many twists and turns and was a shining example of a classic whodunit with proper detective work. Great plot with many facets, really well written and a pleasure to read.

Cannot wait for the next instalment.

Highly recommended 5 stars from me.

Book 3 in the series and it's the best one yet. The plot is darker with plenty of twists to keep the pages turning. I was totally gobsmacked at the big reveal.

I love Kate and Tristan and can't wait to read more.

Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza is the 3rd in the PI Kate Marshall series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Kate Marshall lost her career, reputation, friends, and almost her life when, as a plain-clothes detective, she unmasked the Nine Elms Serial Killer, her boss and lover.   Pregnant with his child, Kate suffered. She turned to alcohol, and almost lost her son, but her parents stepped in to become Jake's legal guardian when he was six.  She is now sober, and back in his life.  She is lecturing in criminology at a small university, and occasionally doing some PI work, with help from her teaching assistant Tristan Harper.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Kate's friend Myra past away, leaving Kate the trailer park and her shop, with the stipulation that Kate must give up her job, and devote herself totally to being a Private Investigator.  She and Tristan are now partners in the PI business, but he is still working part-time at the university until things take off.  Fortunately, Jake is back from university and can look after the trailer park for the summer.

When Bev, the mother of journalist Joanna Duncan hires Kate to find her daughter, it is the first big case in their new PI agency.  Unfortunately, Joanna has been missing for twelve years, so it could be a difficult one.  Thankfully Bev and Bill are willing to pay whatever it takes.

Kate and Tristan follow the case files, talking to the same people that had been interviewed so long ago.  They look into the stories that Joanna had been working on, and discover some interesting information, but when Kate finds the names of two young men who had also vanished, she has a new lead.  It appears there may be a serial killer out there.


My Opinions:  
This series,  and it's characters are gaining strength, although I wish the author would bring back his Erika Foster series.

Thankfully, Kate's imprisoned ex-husband had no real part to play in this book.  I had been afraid he may end up being a bigger part in this series, and was glad that he was left behind so that the real mystery was center stage.  And it was a real mystery, with a number of twists and turns.

I really like Kate and Tristan,  and even Jake is growing on me,  although I'm not sure that I liked his recommendation at one point in the book. I felt it really was an exploitation of a bad situation, no matter the need.

The writing was excellent and the pace was fast.  I liked how the story was told from different perspectives, including that of the killer.  Bryndza has done it again!

Overall, it was a fast, entertaining read.

Roller Coaster! Love watching Kate battle her demons and making peace with her past and life. Her growth, her personal battles its all so human and relatable. Throw in her handsome investigative partner Tristan who fights his own battles with discrimination and his sister and you have a winner. This winning team is investigating a cold case. Vanished in thin air, poof. We are with them and the murderer! We are taken down dead ends, twisty roads and when we reach our destination it is not the one we thought and it is a total surprise. When you start this you are comfy and following along, intrigued and then it pics up steam and takes you on a roller coaster. Thank you Robert Bryndza, than you Thomas and Mercer and thank you Net Galley for the arc. I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions.