Detective Erika Foster is investigating the murder of a high profile politician when she is taken off the case. When a similar murder happens people in very high places are putting road blocks in her way. As information leads to dead ends and the killer seems to one step head of them Erika is pulling out all the stops to find the killer before it’s too late. There are a few twists in this story, the ending wasn’t a complete surprise, but the book will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next shoe to drop. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A absolutely brilliant storyline from one of my favourites.
The latest Erika Foster book gripped me in straight away.
Dark and tense, I couldn't put it down.
As with all books by this author, I recommend them hugely!

When Detective Erika Foster finds politician Neville Lomas naked, hog-tied, and dead in his own bed, skittish higher-ups at the Met quickly rule the death from natural causes. Case closed . . . until two months later when a well-known casting director and a star footballer are found murdered and tied with the same knots. The Met can no longer ignore what’s staring them in the face: there’s a serial killer loose in London, and they’re out to settle a score..........

Lethal Vengeance is book number 8 in the DCI Erika Foster series and although it can be read as a standalone I totally recommend reading the previous books in the series for the back story. Erika is one of my favourite fictional detectives and I have read every book in the series. How is she 50 years old already?!!!!

This could possibly be the best in the series so far, it has a clever, well paced plot, well drawn characters and enough twists to keep you engaged from the beginning.

Highly recommend!

Lethal Vengeance is the 8th book in the Erika Foster series from Robert Bryndza - one of the best yet.

"Erika and her team investigate the murder of a popular footballer. He was found naked and hog-tied in his luxury apartment. They find an odd sight on the CCTV - five women dressed alike and looking alike headed into the condo with the footballer and his mates. When Erika ties this to two other murders they begin looking for a serial killer. One murder could have some political fallout and Erika is warned off. But she is determined to find the truth."

You find out pretty quickly that this is a revenge story, but Bryndza puts his own spin on it. There is great pace in this story, even with all of the obstacles thrown at Erika. Even threats from high levels of government to stay away from certain inquiries.
Bryndza gives us a character that makes us ask "What would I do if those were my circumstances? Would I go that far? Was it wrong?" There's a surprise at the end - more of a curveball than a cliffhanger. It'll be interesting to see how Bryndza resolves that.

A great crime fiction story with my favorite Bryndza character.

DCI Erika Foster is back with another twisty, brain busting murder to solve. This time she not only has 1 murder to solve but several interlinked murders, spanning years. There are politics afoot, murky fixers, possible s3x worker involvement and the very real possibility that someone high up in politics or even the Met itself is involved!

Footballers and politicians don't exact move in the same circles so finding out the kinks between these murders is not going to be easy. Erika is a straightforward kinda woman - she doesn't do posturing, politicking or backroom deals. So now she is having to work with one hand tied behind her back by having to run everything past her Superintendent and even her former friend/colleague and now Commander! As the murder enquiry progresses we get to see some of the goings-on through the killers POV.

All the while Erika is trying to make her new relationship with Igor and her friendship with his son Tom work. I felt Erika gave Igor a bit of a hard time sometimes and leapt to some assumptions but I do like the fact that they actually talk things through - when they get the time, and she truly seems to enjoy her time with Igor and Tom doing family things.

I can't tell you how much I enjoy it when writers actually get things right (okay with a little bit of embellishment). But since I actually work for a police force, with people not unlike Erika, it's nice to see HOLMES actually get mentioned!

Whilst on a night out with her partner, Erika happens upon an incident involving politician Neville Lomas who is found dead, naked and tied up in bed but the powers that be throw Erika off the case and rule it as death by natural causes, two months later another body is found with the same MO, this time famous footballer Jamie Teague and soon they learn of a third victim, well known casting director Terry DeVille. Erika is determined to prove that they are all linked and that they have a serial killer in their midst, then CCTV uncovers five possible suspects in the Teague murder and she thinks they've made a breakthrough, except all five women are identical and there's nothing to determine who they are. Outwitted by the perpetrator at every turn, Erika knows this won't be an easy case to crack.

Erika Foster is back and she means business! She falls headlong into this new case with some highly controversial murders and is not letting go of the bit between her teeth until she's caught the perpetrator and put them behind bars and her team are right behind her. This is another fast paced thriller with some great twists along the way that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout and I would have read it a lot quicker if real life hadn't got in the way! Lethal Vengeance is the eighth book in the Erika Foster series and Bryndza shows no signs of ending them any time soon which I, for one, am very pleased about, as this is one of my favourite detective series by this fabulous author. This one, like all the others, can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading them in order.

I'd like to thank Raven Street Publishing and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Having read and loved all the books in the Erika Foster series, I was keen to get my hands on this latest instalment and it didn’t disappoint! (It goes without saying that the books should be read in order to fully appreciate them.) Once again, this very talented author masterfully presents the reader with suspense, intrigue, and a race against time to catch a brutal and clever killer. All in the, the plot is gripping, the pace is relentless and there are twist and turns aplenty – a brilliant addition to an already outstanding series.

This is my second Robert Bryndza book, but my first Erika Foster book. Although the book references Erika's past, this book does not require the reader to have read previous books. It is an exciting murder detective story. Erika is a smart, tenacious detective with a nose for digging out tidbits and tying things together.

As two, three and more murders are discovered, with a common theme, Erika sinks her teeth into the investigation. But she's warned off of certain aspects. There seems to be some sort of desire to keep some secrets buried.

Great story, very well told. I was reading as fast as I could to get through the last 2 hours of the book to see how Erika solves it. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Absolutely brilliant another great book in the series, just keep getting better and better, loved the story AAA

A Very Difficult Investigation For Mostly Wrong Reasons

DCI Erika Foster is dining in a posh restaurant with her boyfriend. She is afraid that he is going to propose to her. She tells him she must use the restroom as he reaches across the table for her hand. She goes out to smoke. When she returns, she enters through a different door. She takes the elevator, but it stops early. It is a residential floor. A cleaning woman is yelling for help and calling for the police. Foster identifies herself and enters the apartment with the cleaning lady. She discovers a conservative member of Parliament trussed up and dead in the bedroom. As soon as the police arrive from the local district, things go downhill quickly for jurisdictional and apparent political issues. From this ominous start, the novel proceeds.

The novel has two main storyline threads. First is a complex, ever-growing investigation. New murders occur, and old murders are discovered. The only link between the victims is the method of killing is the same. The most significant obstacle arises in the MP’s death investigation. A press release announces his death was not suspicious. A shadowy man in a grey coat shows up quickly with a Met Superintendent who pays much deference to him without identifying him. This man appears several times in the novel, always the harbinger of warnings not to bring attention to the MP’s death. Lastly, DCI Foster has what she believes is a spy assigned to her team. The second thread is a very extensive thread narrated by the perpetrator herself. The reader is provided with the story of a young girl, Annabelle, developing into a psychopath. At a very young age, she shows a substantial lack of empathy. When this thread becomes concurrent with the first thread, the reader learns her motives before DCI Foster. This main storyline captured my interest quickly.

This novel is the first of the series that I have read. I am very pleased by the level of background provided for DCI Foster. She and Muck were childhood sweethearts in Slovakia until Erika moved to Manchester to be an au pair when she was eighteen. They recently found each other, and the relationship is becoming serious. I would call this relationship a B-storyline as it is extensive and leads to conflict between her private and professional lives. Professionally, she is a bit of a loose cannon. She follows her gut and ignores her superiors a little too often. This private side and her somewhat prickly relationship with her superintendent and commander portray a fully developed character. These aspects are very robust for an eighth novel in a series.

Some aspects are present in this novel that can cause some readers to stop reading. There are no intimate scenes, but there are many references to them. The victims were murdered in a manner that would bring much scorn upon them. Vulgar, rude, and impious language are present, but a little less than I usually see in novels I read. The description of violence is mostly less edgy after the fact but is still edgy in nature. Three violent acts are described as they occur and demonstrate her psychopathic personality. While these aspects are not over the top for me, they are approaching it. Therefore, let the readers be forewarned. The last element is that some readers dislike jumping into a series after it is well-established. This is precisely what I did, and I did not find I missed anything. There was adequate background on anything that required information from a previous novel.

My biggest issue with this novel is that DCI Foster ignored her first and second-level bosses more than I thought would be tolerated in this situation. This is a typical troupe among protagonists, just a little excessive. What I liked the best is the complex police procedural in which the protagonist suffers from professional and personal issues. Also, I like the depth of the antagonist’s portrait. I have only seen the same depth in some antagonists that spanned several novels in a series.

My previous experience with this author is reading and reviewing two earlier novels in a different series. This novel solidified the author’s standing as a Will-Read author for me. I rate this novel with four stars, and I recommend reading this novel with the caveats provided earlier about violence. I am looking forward to reading further novels by the author.

I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Raven Street Publishing. My review is based solely on my own reading experience of this book. Thank you, Raven Street Publishing, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Really inventive thriller. I love this series of books and find Erika and her team very believable. Enjoyed the intrigue at the end and can’t wait for the next book.

The new Erika Foster book and as we've come to expect it's brilliant. Erika is such a tenacious character you'd think the "Top Brass" would know telling her to back off just makes her more determined!! I devoured this book in one sitting as it's just too good to put down. Loved it and can't wait to read more.

The man lay on his front, his arms and legs bound and pulled up with a rope connecting the two. His head was arched back, so he faced the curtains, and there was masking tape over his mouth. Erika gingerly reached out and checked his pulse.

Yep. Dead all right.

When Detective Erika Foster finds politician Neville Lomas naked, hog-tied, and dead in his own bed, skittish higher-ups at the Met quickly rule the death from natural causes. Case closed . . . until two months later when a well-known casting director and a star footballer are found murdered and tied with the same knots. The Met can no longer ignore what’s staring them in the face: there’s a serial killer loose in London, and they’re out to settle a score.

An intensely gripping and highly enjoyable read. I was left breathless by the twists in this book, and throughly enjoyed the storyline. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style, but enjoyed the story nonetheless.

Erika is at it again! Someone is murdering people in the most horrendous way. There are a few distinctive characters to connect all these cases to one culprit. But who is she? This is a hard case for Erika to crack, not that she is even allowed to handle it at first, and not every detail about the famous people who have been murdered are shared with her.

A tense and twisty case that is very gritty, and a murderer who clearly has an agenda of her own. Will they catch her? Erika is preoccupied in this book, and wondering where her personal life is about to take her, but the case keeps interrupting her private life. Great read. I felt it has a bit more depth than most detective stories nowadays, which is a really good thing. Highly recommended!

"Lethal Vengeance" is a gripping crime thriller that plunges readers into the heart of a chilling mystery. When Detective Erika Foster stumbles upon the body of politician Neville Lomas, hog-tied and lifeless, she uncovers a string of murders tied by a sinister serial killer. Despite initial dismissal by higher-ups, Erika's determination leads her down a twisted path where CCTV footage reveals five identical female suspects. As the clock ticks and the body count rises, Erika faces off against powerful forces determined to keep their secrets hidden.

With relentless pacing and an intricate plot, "Lethal Vengeance" keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Robert Bryndza masterfully weaves together suspense, intrigue, and a race against time, making this novel impossible to put down. Dive into the world of Detective Erika Foster as she navigates through a web of deception, uncovering the truth behind the murders and confronting the dark forces at play. If you're a fan of gripping crime fiction that keeps you guessing until the very end, "Lethal Vengeance" is a must-read. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of suspense and intrigue that will leave you breathless.

This is book 8 of this most excellent series and you know what is coming next. OK so the main story is self contained but, as well as the backstory and character development, you'll be missing out on 7 cracking books if you don't!
So... Erika is having a meal out with her partner when she dodges out to avoid a situation she doesn't want to happen. Returning, she takes a wrong turn and finds herself in the residential part of the building. Where she hears screams. She duly rushes to the sound and is shocked to discover Politician Neville Lomas naked and hog tied on a bed. Oh and he is also dead. She starts the investigative wheels turning but is swiftly undermined and removed from the case. She is also shocked when she finds out how the cops that took over from her are categorising the case. But there is nothing she can do. It's a politician, they have their own rules for, ahem, covering things up... Until that is, when a famous footballer turns up in an identical situation and the cat can no longer stay in the bag.
And so begins a rather perplexing case for Erika and her team, as they try and piece together the footballer's last movements. Which they do, with the assistance of CCTV, but that only really muddies the water all the more... and then there's a third connected body...
I love this series. Erika is kick-ass no nonsense kind of a gal and she don't take no flack from anyone, which is evident in the way that she won't let the politician's death go. Even with the threats from "on high". She has a good team under her and a boss who, within reason, also mostly backs her, But it mostly comes from her. And she is tested to the extreme with the shenanigans in this book, which does highlight the power imbalance between the haves and the have-nots. Refreshingly topical in this current news climate methinks! But I can say no more...
All the other things I need to make a good book a great read are front and centre herein. Pacing with matches the narrative all the way through, characters who all do their jobs no matter how big or small a part they play, and a cracking story that had me gripped all the way through, leaving me wholly satisfied at its conclusion.
All in all, a worth addition to an already magnificent series. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I cannot put my finger on just what it is about Robert Bryndza’s books that makes them so utterly readable. He seems to have the magic touch — his thrillers are fast-paced and gripping, his characters so vivid. His Erika Foster series is brilliant, and Lethal Vengeance, the eighth in the series, is no exception.
I was drawn in from the very start as Erika, complex as ever, meets her partner, Igor, for dinner. She’s in a complete state as she’s worked out he’s going to propose to her – and she simply isn’t ready for that. She’s frightened of loving someone again – she is happy with Igor, and it scares her. And so Erika, being Erika, simply avoids the moment – by disappearing and leaving the poor man stranded with his dinner. This is typical Erika, and yet, despite her sometimes misguided social skills, you can’t help but admire and like her.
Like her love life, her police work is complicated. She’s far too blunt and direct and difficult to manipulate for many of the higher-ups —she’s unlikely to toe the line should politicking require untruths or a cover-up.
In Lethal Vengeance Erika and her team must track down a cruel serial killer. Erika is lumped with an extra team member, one not of her choosing, and that she mistrusts. She’s also suspicious of a cover-up, as the first murder victim is an MP who turns out to have a rather nasty history. Despite being pressured from above, and suspicious of the motives of one of her team, Erika thrusts herself headfirst into the investigation, not always respecting the instructions of those higher in the pecking order. She knows she’s a good detective, and refuses to bow to pressure. Interestingly, we also meet the serial killer quite early on, gaining insight into their early years and motivation.
This is a great read, with loads of surprises and interesting twists. I raced through it and can’t wait for the next in the series.

Erika Foster has become a fabulous character. Years ago she became a widow and only recently began a relationship with a high school love. Reading how her cases cause a little friction for Igor is an unfortunate reality in police work. This case is intense, between political angles and mystery clues, Erika has numerous hurdles to solve it. We do hear from the murderer’s p.o.v. and their reasons for these deaths are substantial and completely understandable. The Foster series is exciting in a puzzling way that grips you and won’t let go. Her colleagues have her back, well most of them do, and there’s a thrill reading about their investigation techniques. Here’s to hoping Foster has plenty of cases and Bryndza keeps writing her story. Always a fan I feel lucky to have read an early copy and happy to leave my voluntary review.

An amazing thriller full of twists and turns. The plot is good without gaps and the main characters are very ‘realistic’. Brilliantly written - hooked me from the first pages. Highly recommended !!!

I have followed the adventures of Erika Foster since the beginning so was excited to receive this book as a review copy.
“Lethal Vengeance “is a serial killer mystery with many twists. . Whilst out on a date with her boyfriend, Igor, Erika finds herself first at the scene of an unexplained death of a well known MP. Keen to investigate Erika is happy to take on the case but inexplicably the death is ruled unexplained and murder does not seem to be suspected. Seemingly the powers that be seem to be trying to cover up the MP’s death and Erika is not happy with the way things are going.
Then a footballer is targeted in the same way in her own police district leading and the team begin to link the two cases.
The plot is cleverly constructed as it also alternates between Erika and the actual killer so the reader gradually gets to know them and finds out why they are doing what they are doing.
The murders are complicated and it is incredibly difficult to work out the connection between the victims but this is one of Erika’s strengths and gradually she works out what is going on.
I also enjoyed reading about her relationship with Igor and his son Tom. She fears too much commitment due to her background but is keen to do the right thing by Igor and Tom. She is really torn.
Although the murderer was revealed really early on the tension was maintained as it was not clear if they would be caught and even the last page of the book contained a twist.
I definitely recommend Lethal Vengeance as a five star read- it’s a great addition to the series but would equally work as a standalone.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.