So excited to read this latest Erica Foster book by Robert Bryndza and boy it did not disappoint, a brilliantly written crime thriller that once I started I couldn’t put down it kept me guessing to the end. Although this is book 7 in the series you could read as a standalone but I would highly recommend you start from the beginning to get the full Erica Foster experience you will not be disappointed.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book in returner my honest review.

I loved this latest instalment in the Erika Foster series. DI Erika Foster is walking back to her new home when she hears a scream. Inside a house, she finds a young woman who tells her that she has discovered her sister’s murdered body. This begins a gripping murder mystery with its roots in events that took place several years ago. I loved the mystery which kept me guessing all the way through and Erika is a brilliant lead detective. All of the characters are extremely well written and there was even a hint of romance in the air. Another great police based crime novel from Robert Bryndza.

A great read, this book just flows.
Another good book in the Erica Foster series. If you haven't read any of the previous books then you have missed out on some good reads but this book also works well as a standalone.
I prefer reading books with short chapters like this one and the good characterisation, action and twists just add to the pleasurable experience.
You are always guaranteed a good read with a Robert Bryndza book.

This is the first book I've read by this author. It's always a little tricky starting a series at some point other than at the beginning but the author did a good job of giving enough information on the recurring characters that I didn't feel lost. The story jumps right into Detective Erika Foster getting involved in a murder investigation. There were a lot of interesting characters throughout the story, the case takes many turns as the team uncovers information, and the satisfaction of a resolution to this complex case.

This is a brilliant book! I'm a fan of Robert and the Erika Foster series. This one did not disappoint me. The plot and the characters were well put together.

Erika Foster has just moved into her new home, a real fixer upper. She's out for a walk in the Blackheath neighborhood when she hears a scream and finds a new murder case.

The victim, a true crime podcaster, is identified by her sister as Vicky Clarke. Was her work the reason for the killing and, if so, where are the files and recordings? The investigation leads Erika and her team on a frustrating trek around the South London area. Interviews are hampered or blocked and the evidence leads nowhere. In a puzzling twist, there's another slaying and Erika is working hard to put the pieces together and find the perpetrator.

I must admit, this was a bit of a disappointment after waiting so long for this installment in a series that I had really liked. Most of it is police procedural and the plot is a little thin with it being fairly obvious quite quickly who the villain was. Erika is the typical genre protagonist, single and a workaholic, who manages to get herself in danger as do all the female detectives who go it alone without their backup. We do not hear much about the rest of the team as they come and go keeping busy. And, I wonder, what was the point of including that bit about the cat mutilation (might be a trigger for some)? I had some other moments of irritation but just glossed over them. I will likely try this author again, but this one was formulaic without the intense suspense, thrills, and excitement that I have come to expect from this type of book. I have read all of Bryndza's previous work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Another cracking read from the excellent, and underrated, Robert Bryndza. It has been a while since we have had a new instalment in this gripping series but the wait was worth it. Erika Foster is a fascinating character and she is in the process of moving house here as well as trying to crack a complex case. The plot,as always, is complex and intriguing, the characters well portrayed and the denouement most satisfying. Brilliant!

It's been a long time in coming, waiting for Erika to come back into my life but boy was it worth the wait.

Fatal Witness is the seventh novel in the Detective Erika Foster series and boy does it pack a punch!
Erika has just purchased a new home which could be said that it is most definitely the worst house on the street!
After unsuccessfully trying to unpack Erika takes a break and walks the short distance the her local fish and chip shop.
But on the way back home Erika hears a blood curdling scream from a nearby apartment block and rushes to assist.
After informing that she is a police officer she is let into the apartment and after discovering the brutalised body of true crime podcaster Vicky Clarke . Tess Vicky's sister is more than traumatised to say the least.

And so begins a very gruesome and complex murder investigation for Erika and her team.

With so many suspects but little evidence to go on and arresting the apartment's maintenance guy Charles Wakefield ,that is suddenly released without charge, how can Erika know who she can trust?

A fantastic and completely hookable read.

This was my first book by this author. I found it to be a very good murder mystery that kept me interested and engaged. There was a level of suspense that kept me turning pages.

Fatal Witness is an excellent police procedural. The police detective, Erika, is a tough cookie and a quick thinker. I love that she questions everything. She isn’t perfect but that makes her all the more realistic. I can’t say much about the actual crime without giving things away but there were some doozy twists. More Erika Foster will definitely be on my To Read pile!

Erika Foster is back again in another installment of her popular detective series. This time she is tracking a killer who has violently murdered a woman in Blackheath, London, near Erika’s new home.
The mystery starts strong with a disturbing prologue and continues as Erika and her team slowly follow the evidence and interview numerous suspects. The author excels at keeping the reader guessing and developing likable, yet imperfect, characters. Even if you’ve missed a few in this series like I have, this can easily be read as a stand alone.

What's the book about?

Erika discovers the heinous murder of Vicky, a true-crime podcaster. She is assigned to the case and learns that Vicky had been working on a new podcast episode about a sexual predator who preys on young female students in South London. The criminal would be scout them out before breaking in at night. Vicky's notes and audio recordings were stolen from her flat during her murder. Erika believes Vicky was on the verge of identifying the attacker.

When Erika discovers a young Bulgarian student doctor murdered in the same building, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about Vicky. With scant evidence, time is running out to catch the murderer before he strikes again.

My thoughts:
I've reread all the Erika Foster series and have grown to appreciate this strong female lead. The story did have me guessing as to what will happen next but unfortunately, it wasn't as compelling a read for me as the previous ones in the series. I do look forward to the next book though and hope I get to devour it in one sitting (as I've done for this entire lot). Thank you for the ARC.

The brilliant, awesome Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster is back after a four year absence and she's back with a cracking case to solve. This is truly a work of crime fiction written by the fantastic Robert Bryndza and it's a great edition to the Erika Foster series. I loved everything about this book, it has plenty of tension, suspense and it's literally unputdownable. I really connected with all the characters and I must admit I have missed Erika and I am so glad she's back with her team, even though she get's herself in some really tricky situations. The plot is gripping and the ending left me breathless and definitely wanting more. The tension builds at a rapid pace and the crime takes on a deadly twist which was completely unexpected. Misdirection plays a part and a little red herring is also thrown in, so if readers think they know who the murderer is they are so wrong. Huge congratulations to Robert for another bestseller. I LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT.

Excellent twisty detective story - an Erika Foster thriller - a woman is brutuly murdered in her apt - a woman is missing - old crimes come to light of rapes at an acting institution - Erika’s past boyfriend and he’s hot turns up on the scene - a podcast devoted to true crime and you won’t be able to figure this page-turner out!!

I’m a huge fan of tough cookie DCI Erika Foster. She and her trusted team face a really tough case in Fatal Witness that at first simply leads nowhere; new information just seems to complicate, not solve, things. For a long time there’s a real sense of hopelessness. Adding to the complexity are politics, nepotism, mistakes and a prime suspect with a highly influential relative in the police force.
Erika is determined to solve the case, and as usual puts herself totally on the line without any thought for her own safety. She’s just moved into a new house, but, typically, is doing very little to make it homely. Her one attempt to get some furniture introduces her to the new man in her life – not, however, before she manages to make him seriously angry.
But Erika’s personal life, although adding an extra dimension to the drama, plays only a small part in this unusual case and Fatal Witness is a compulsive police procedural packed with twists and turns, thrills and spills. I enjoyed it immensely.

Erika Foster #7

Detective Erika Foster is on a late-night walk near her house in Blackheath when she stumbles upon the brutal murder of Vicky
Clarke, a true-crime podcaster. Erika is assigned to the case and discovers that Vicky had been working on a new podcast episode about a sexual predator who preys on young female students around South London, stalking his victims in their halls of residence before breaking in at the dead of night. When Erika discovers that Vicky's notes and sound recordings were stolen from her flat at the time of her murder, it leads her to believe that Vicky was close to unmasking the attacker.

It was so nice to have DCI Erika Foster back. The opening chapter captured my attention. With lots of twists to keep us guessing and some likeable characters, I could not read this book quickly enough. I don't want to say too much about this well written and cleverly crafted story.. The pace is perfectly set. I do enjoy Robert's new crime series featuring Kate Marshall, but Erika Foster will always be my favourite detective. I hope we don't have as long to wait for the next book in this fantastic series.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #RavenStreetPublishing and the author #RobertBryndza for my ARC of #FatalWitness in exchange for an honest review.

Robert Bryndza first gained attention with his series of books about London detective Erika Foster, before shifting his attention in recent years to a new lead character in the form of former police detective Kate Marshall who is eking out an existence as a PI and lecturer at a small coastal English university. His most recent book in the Kate Marshall series, Darkness Falls (2021) was a terrific read and was one of my favourite detective novels from 2021.

Now, after a four year break, Bryndza returns to London detective Erika Foster. Fatal Witness (Raven Street, 7 July 2022) opens with Erika stumbling across the brutal murder of a young woman while on a late night walk near her new home in Blackheath. The victim appears to be Vicky Clarke, a struggling true-crime podcaster. Erika is assigned to the case and discovers that Vicky had been working on a new podcast episode about a sexual predator who preys on young female students around South London, staking out his victims in their halls of residence before breaking in at the dead of night. When Erika discovers that Vicky’s notes and sound recordings were stolen from her flat at the time of her murder, it leads her to suspect that Vicky may have been close to unmasking the attacker. The case takes a disturbing twist, however, and Erika finds herself desperately trying to prevent another killing.

This is a well plotted and very enjoyable detective novel. The pacing is good and Erika is a very engaging character who ably guides the reader through the various twists and turns. With the exception of one false note, the other characters are also well crafted and credible, and add good depth to the story. Red herrings and false leads are adroitly woven into the plot, and the book builds to a surprising conclusion. After a good build-up, the tension wanes a little in the end, but not enough to undermine what is a very good crime thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

How excited was I to learn just a few months ago that Robert Bryndza was not quite finished with one of the best literary detectives ever created? The even better news was in the author's note that we have not yet seen the last of DI Erika Foster!

Book Synopsis:
Detective Erika Foster is on a late-night walk near her new house in Blackheath when she stumbles upon the brutal murder of Vicky Clarke, a true-crime podcaster.

Erika is assigned to the case and discovers that Vicky had been working on a new podcast episode about a sexual predator who preys on young female students around South London, staking out his victims in their halls of residence before breaking in at the dead of night. When Erika discovers that Vicky’s notes and sound recordings were stolen from her flat at the time of her murder, it leads her to believe that Vicky was close to unmasking the attacker, and she was killed to guarantee her silence.

The case takes on a disturbing twist when the body of a young Bulgarian student doctor is discovered in the same building, and this makes Erika question everything she thought she knew about Vicky. With very little evidence, the clock is ticking to find the killer before he strikes again.

My Two Cents: If you are going to bring a fictional character back after a 4 year absence( book 6 was published in 2018), then you have to do it with the style and grace of Robert Bryndza. I absolutely adored the arc of Erika's personal life. I love career driven Erika but this woman needs a little happiness in her life and if it comes in the shape of an old boyfriend from Slovakia, then bring it on!

The crime scenes are pretty grisly and though it didn't stop me from reading onwards, trigger warnings for my fellow cat lovers! If you've never had a chance to read this series, technically, you could read this as a standalone but I would highly recommend starting from the beginning.




Expected Publication Date 07/07/22
Goodreads review published 04/07/22

ErikaFosterReturns #NetGalley.

Special thanks to NeyGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: July 7, 2022
DCI Erika Foster is walking through her new neighbourhood when she hears a scream. Instantly, she runs toward the sound only to find a distraught woman, and a dead body. The woman is inconsolable, insisting her sister, Vicky, is the murder victim, and Foster immediately calls in her team to investigate the gruesome death. When the murder victim’s identity is discovered, and it is indeed NOT Vicky’s body, Foster doesn’t get a chance to be relieved- as Vicky’s body is found stabbed to death in the same building. Vicky, it turns out, was a true crime podcaster and Erika is convinced her recent unpublished podcast was what lead to her death. Now all she has to do it prove it.
Robert Bryndza brings Erika Foster back with his new novel in the series, “Fatal Witness”. This seventh novel is just as engaging and heart-stopping as the other six, and I was thrilled to get a chance to read it!
“Witness” continues the story of Foster and her team, but beyond getting a deeper character understanding, it is not necessary to read the previous novels in order to keep up with the plot. Moss, Isaac and all of Foster’s colleagues make an appearance, and we are introduced to charming and lovable Ivan, a furniture delivery man (and potential love interest) from Foster’s home country. I love Bryndza’s characters, and each and every one in “Witness” (and the rest of his Foster series) just proves how talented Bryndza is at creating a likable, relatable group of police investigators.
The story is written from Erika’s viewpoint, and I was instantly pulled into the tension and drama that Brnydza’s plot provides. Each chapter left me dangling, and “Witness” became an instant page-turner. The ending had the right amount of unexpected surprise and believability, and it wrapped the novel up perfectly. I am a huge fan of Bryndza and his Erika Foster series, and I hope to see more! This is one of those series’ that I can never get enough of, and I hope Bryndza continues to pull me into Foster’s world.

This is a favorite series, and I must say I enjoyed this latest entry (the seventh). It checked all the boxes for a great crime story, put the star of the show, Chief Detective Erika Foster, in all kinds of situations in which she doesn't want to be (including possibly dead) and kept me turning the pages right up to the end. The only downside is that it was four long years in the making.

The story begins as Erika makes her way back to her new fixer-upper home in Blackheath after fetching fish and chips and hears blood-curdling screams. Coming from a flat near her home, she learns the screams are coming from a woman who has just found her brutally murdered sister inside the flat. The woman, named Vicky Clarke, was a true-crime podcaster, making Erica and her team suspect that the victim had stumbled onto something her attacker didn't want broadcast for all the world to hear.

From that point on, things quickly become complicated - and revealing much more wouldn't be prudent. I'll just say that relationships dominate the story - those of the victim and her circle of friends and neighbors and those of Erika herself. Her old fling and coworker Detective Inspector James Peterson, for instance, is no longer the former but still the latter (with a new main squeeze, no less), which creates a few moments that are awkward at best. A couple of sets of sisters bring out the worst in sibling rivalry, and a prime suspect must be treated with kid gloves because of his ties to department powers-that-be and an old friend makes a surprise appearance.

All told, it's an engaging page-turner that brings Erika back into action after a four-year-or-so hiatus; I'm happy to see her, and I'm sure other readers will be as well. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get to know her again through a pre-release review copy. And to the author, please, pretty please, don't wait so long to write the next installment!