Book 9 in the Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster series and for Erika this is where her past finally catches up with her present. Ten years earlier she lost her husband Mark when a raid on a suspected drug den went wrong and in the shootout he was killed, along with several other police officers. None of the suspects had been caught and the case remains open. As always this is a brilliantly executed police procedural and I raced through it.

Briefly, December 2024 Erika has been called out to a flat in London. A body has been found after a radiator collapsed through a ceiling into the flat below. They cannot identify the body but enquiries lead them a parcel locker nearby. With traces of cocaine Erika tracks the owner down only to find herself face to face with her husband’s killer. He goes by a different name now, and she is told it isn’t him, but desperate to bring him to justice Erika goes above and beyond her bosses orders and finds herself in deep water.

A seriously twisted and brilliant plot with some terrible truths coming into the light shocking Erika, and me, to the core. We finally know the truth about what happened 10 years ago and it’s a startling truth. Fast paced, edge of the seat stuff, this was a superb read, the writer at his absolute best!

It’s been 10 years since Erika Foster watched her husband die. She was to blame for poor surveillance and sent to a new station. The people to blame were never found. It’s funny how things work out sometimes, one seemingly inconsequential clue can open a very large can of warms. Foster is an amazing character and I love reading about her investigations as she runs a loyal team, despite her stubbornness they go to the ends of the Earth for her. She recently started dated Igor, an intelligent man she knew from her country, another loyal servant. After reading a new book I wondered how far Bryndza will take her story and hope this wasn’t the last. I enjoyed reading an early copy and wrote this review voluntarily.

A continuation of the Detective Erika Foster series and all books in the series to date have been page turners. In this book Erika is investigating a potential murder when her investigation takes a sinister turn leading her back to troubled times in her personal and professional life when her husband and colleagues were murdered. This book is a fast paced thrilling read, the crossover between events 10 years ago and the current investigation and hunt for the truth is really well written and keeps the reader gripped as to how the story will develop and unfold. I have purchased and read all books in this series but this is my favourite so far. I look forward to where the author takes Erika and the series in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this great thriller.

Chasing Shadows finally gives us the backstory of what happened to Mark back in Manchester and oh boy - this was amazing! There was twist after twist and the biggest one shook me to the core! Erika was quiet insufferable this time and I really had a hard time with this BUT her being like this was completely within reason in the end! As always Robert delivered a fantastic story and even though we are way into this series - the books get stronger and stronger!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me this Arc <3

I love the “Erika” books. I am a fan and like that she gets the bad guy in the end (spoiler alert).

So, book number 9 in the Erika Foster series. A series of books that I have been following since the first title 'Girl in the ice' came out already quite a while ago. I enjoyed every single title, was happy with the parallel series on Kate Marshall; but ever since the previous Erika book, 'Lethal Vengeance' I had been looking forward to more Erika, and finally, here we are !!
Rest assured, 'Chasing Shadows' has not let me down. Erika digs in further into events from the past, confronts her demons, who knows where this will lead to (you will, once you finished this book).
As from the very start the book hits in, and more ore less races you until the end, quite some action quite some suspense,
I really enjoyed being dragged into the story, a story well told, with interesting characters and a nice plot.
And as always, after the epilogue, Rob shares some thoughts with us, his readers, so nice of him getting a bit more personal; and, maybe even more important, him teasing for more to come. So looking forward to it !!

Robert Bryndza has a way of making a book suspenseful even though readers know who most of the antagonists are from nearly the beginning of the book. Chasing Shadows, the ninth book in the series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Erica Foster, continues to be set mainly in London with a few trips to the Manchester area and to Wales. This time a routine emergency call ends with a twist. A dead body is found in the apartment above a collapsed ceiling. With DNA evidence scrubbed away, it seems a dead end until drug residue is found on the ceiling. When the drug dogs lead her and the team to a parcel locker on the outside wall of the property, a Foster gets a big surprise. After finding the locker’s owner and her boyfriend, Foster finds herself staring at Jerome Goodman, the man who murdered her husband ten years ago.

The arrest doesn’t go as planned. His passport and lawyer say his name is Kieron Bagshaw. Foster is forced to take leave to deal with her post traumatic stress disorder, but she uses the time off to do some digging of her own, with some help from a few trusted colleagues and her partner, Igor.
Foster is principled and tends to go against authority if she feels they’re not doing what’s right. She has a direct manner, gets results, and is well respected by her team. However, because she occasionally bucks authority and ruffles feathers, her career feels stalled. She can be stubborn, feels her job is a calling, and doesn’t care what people think of her which makes her more challenging for the brass to control. The other characters are well defined as well, with a set of repeat characters from previous books along with new ones related to the cases in this story line. It was good to see Detective Inspectors Moss and Peterson get high visibility in this novel with some great character growth and depth. While most of the story is from Foster’s point of view, there are occasionally chapters from the point of view of the antagonists.

The prologue is chilling and the first chapter gets readers engaged in the emergency call mentioned above. The plot is twisty, deeply involved, and intense at times. It quickly builds momentum as the plot twists and turns and higher-ups try to contain the investigation. There are unpredictable moments in the story that are unsettling. It allows readers to gain insight into the thoughts, behaviors, and actions towards others of both Foster and the antagonists. There is a surprise near the end that completely caught me off guard and makes me wonder what is in store for Foster in the next book. My biggest quibble is that the storyline goes back and forth in time frequently and this disrupted the flow and pacing for me.

Overall, this gripping, emotional, and complex police procedural has well-developed and compelling characters, contains plenty of action, and has a plot that keeps readers turning the pages to see what will happen next. If you are expecting a solid series that will have mysteries, suspense, crime, and action, then this is a series that I recommend.

Raven Street Publishing and Robert Bryndza provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for June 05, 2025.

Absolutely brilliant book. I've read this series from the start and I did not see that coming! I was hooked from the first page and I can't wait to read the next one.

The fourth book by Robert Bryndza I have reviewed and the second of the Erika Foster books I have read. Such is my enjoyment of Roberts books I have purchased a further seven which await me finding time to read them. 'Chasing Shadows' is an excellent book that brings together a few loose ends from earlier in the series and had this reader on the edge of his seat unable to put the book down, needless to say read in a day. It would be wrong of me to divulge much of the plot as I feel that would ruin it for other readers, but I would urge the avid readers of Roberts books to purchase and read at the earliest available time. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Another 5 star book by Robert Bryndza i love his books and his writing style. although the starting was little slow but when the story
line starts i really love the twists and the story line. i love the way Erika solve the mysteries and the patience level. i will definitely recommend this to every thriller lover. fantastic once again.

Full disclosure, I came into this series with this book (#9), but I was able to pick up with the narrative fairly easily.

The storyline was fine. I admired Erika for her tenacity to bring her husband's (and her colleagues') justice for their deaths. The villains were especially intelligent and heinous. My only issue in the book was a disconnect with the characters in general...and I don't think that was from joining the cast later in the series. Other than applauding Erika's determination, I really did not relate to her on any other level. She (and basically the ensemble cast) felt one-dimensional, and there was not enough heft/development to their characters' personalities that I felt like I knew and understood them. And as a character-driven reader I felt let down and dare I say a little bored as I had so little invested in them overall.

I'm sure that others will enjoy this book, but it just did not meet my expectations.

My thanks to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for providing the free early arc of Chasing Shadows for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

The ninth book in the Detective Erika Foster series is hitting bookstores soon, and if you are a longtime fan like myself, you are going to enjoy Robert Bryndza bringing Erika's heartbreaking loss in book one, the loss of her husband Mark and her police colleagues in a horrible shootout, full circle by finally solving the case. Of course, the top brass are going to do everything they can to thwart Erika from taking the steps to do so. Luckily, Erika can depend on members of her team to support her theories even if it threatens their careers.

Fellow fans, the author does state that there could be more Erika Foster books in the future, and that certainly gladdens my heart. Erika, now 52, is as stubborn as ever, and I adore her relationship with her team. Although it wasn't one of my favourites in the series, I was very satisfied by the outcome.







Expected Publication Date 05/06/25
Goodreads Review Date 30/05/25

#ChasingShadows #NetGalley.

Happy to have found a new series I love thanks to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing. Not sure how I missed this author and Erika Foster. This did make an easy stand alone novel and I now will start reading the series in earnest.
I found Erika to be a very appealing protagonist in this police procedural. The book picks up and explains her backstory of losing her husband and many police colleagues in a botched raid on a drug operation in Manchester. Erika is mowing working in London on the murder squad. A bizarre case is presented to her and she believes she has come upon the missing perpetrators of her husbands murder.
She initially is put on leave - some possible corruption rears its head early in the story. She continues to investigate and eventually is reinstated in time to participate in the case coming together.
The plot is fascinating ! The writer’s style is very pleasant to read and follow. The resolution is complete and satisfying
Along the way there is a lot of suspense and tension. The details about how the murder team and the larger police system worked were most interesting.
I’m sure followers of the series will love this book and would urge others to pick it up as I did.
Expected publication date JUNE 5.

What a fantastic addition to the Erika Foster series, I absolutely loved it! Erika is facing the demons from her past in this read and her emotions are really pushed to the limit. Erika is a fascinating character, she definitely does things her own way, despite her senior officers disagreement. The plotting and the pacing is fast and the action takes place over two timeframes as Erika hunts her husband's killer. If you like gritty police procedurals, I can highly recommend this series as one of the best. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Robert Bryndza is one of my go to authors, and CHASING SHADOWS is no exception. The Detective Erika Foster series is easily one of my favorite detective series, both because of the cast of characters and the writing itself. The books tend to be fast-paced, extremely engaging and suspenseful. This sequel in particular hits very close to home indeed for our favorite detective. I have to stress that while technically you can read Chasing Shadows as a stand-alone without missing out on too much, I wouldn't recommend it. There are references to previous events you won't catch otherwise, and the same goes for the dynamics between Erika and the rest of the team. Also, they are all excellent detective thrillers in the first place. The case itself also connects directly with Erika's past. Recommended to all suspense/thriller readers.

Chasing Shadows is the ninth book in the Detective Erika Foster series. This is the third book in series I have read. I am not sure how I missed all the others but will make a point to go back and start at the beginning. This is a fantastic series.

The story begins with a ceiling that has collapsed with a dead body in a flat. The neighbor below calls it in, and Erika is first on the scene and finds that the flat has been thoroughly cleaned from the floor to all the belongings including the walls. There are some odd things that make Erica question the scene. One of which is the dead woman has no shoes anywhere in the flat. Another is the smell of bleach stands out is a clue there is something more to the scene of the crime.

Following the clues will lead them to a parcel locker on the wall of the property. However, forensics discover cocaine residue coating every surface of the ceiling. Erika calls in the drug dogs, which lead her to a mysterious parcel locker on the outside wall of the property. As they try to find the owner of the lockers, Erika will find herself staring into the eyes of Jerome Goodman, the drug dealer who murdered her husband, Mark, ten years ago, now going under another name. Erika will find herself challenged to prove she is correct when she is put on a pause of duty and works the case under the radar of her superiors. A supervisor has their eyes on Erica which will make her reach out to an old 'friend' but will that be the best decision or the worst mistake of her life.

This is a fantastic story that ties up the loose ends that we have wondered about. This thriller is fast paced and riveting as it gives Erica the chance to finally learn the truth of what happened to her husband and her team all those years ago. It was thrilling to see Erica relive one of the worst days of her life. Loved it!

A great addition to this series. Love Erika and her crew, and this latest book was an awesome mix of past and present. Completely hooked me from the start. Fast paced, great characters, and an exciting plot. Already looking forward to Book 10!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love Erika Foster and her crew. I always look forward to a new book. I wish the end had a little more drama, because it was a big ending deserving of some reactions that I think all Foster fans have been waiting for. Besides that, loved it!

This is the 9th book in the Erika Foster series and they just keep getting better and better. With great characters and a fast paced plot, this one grabbed me right from the beginning and I read it straight through in two days. I really enjoyed revisiting protagonists from earlier novels and how it filled in more backstory on Erika. This can easily be read as a stand alone but I strongly urge you to start with the first book, "The Girl in the Ice," and read them in order. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for an advanced reader copy.

Yes! A seriously great addition to the Detective Erika Foster series. Loved everything about it. Highly recommend reading this series in order to get the full experience/understanding/nuances of the characters and their story.

Thank you #netgalley and #ravenstreetpublishing for the eARC.