This latest book has Erika confronting the past and it is one hell of a page-turner! I was hooked from the beginning. I was up way past my bedtime. I couldn't put it down. This is hands down the best of the series. I cannot wait to see what is in store for these characters.

Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza marks the return of DCI Erika Foster in another exciting, and emotional, thriller. This is the entry fans of this series have been waiting for: the story of what actually transpired during the drugs raid in Manchester in 2014, when Erika’s team was outflanked and she lost husband DI Mark Foster, as well as three other comrades.
Now, 10 years later, it is December, 2024, and Erika is based at a London police station. A routine 999 call and ensuing investigation ends up bringing her face to face with Mark’s killer, Jerome Goodman. But he now calls himself Kieron Bagshaw!!
Erika is determined to bring Goodman/Bagshaw to justice, but finds a lack of support from her higher-ups in the Met. As usual, Erika stubbornly follows her own path, and pursues the investigation even while on mandatory “leave” for PTSD.
The story unfolds in two timelines—2024 for the current crime and investigation, and 2004 to 2014 for the back story of the criminals that culminates in the death of the policemen in Manchester. It is well executed with both plotlines easy to follow and compelling. The returning characters of Erika and partner Igor, police team of Moss, McGorry and Crane, and medical examiner Isaac, feel real and exude palpable support for their leader Erika. This is an excellent police procedural as usual, with additional stunning revelations that shake Erika’s faith in the Met. It is also a moving drama, as Erika must face her kryptonite—Mark’s death in the raid, and his killer—and finally come to terms with both.
While this can be read as a stand-alone novel, I recommend new readers consider reaching for earlier entries also which will enrich their understanding of the recurring characters and Erika Foster’s unique persona.
I’m already looking forward to the next installment in this excellent series!!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. This is my honest review

Chasing Shadows is the 9th book in the Erika Foster series from Robert Bryndza.

"While chasing a lead, Erika comes face-to-face with the man responsible for the death of her team and the murder of her husband, Mark, ten years ago. She arrests him on the spot but there's a big problem. He's going by a different name and no one believes Erika. She is put on leave but pursues the case on her own. She finds corruption and betrayal and doesn't know where to turn."

This is some excellent crime fiction from Bryndza. It's not full of a bunch of DNA forensics. (there's some) It's detectives following leads and chasing information. Bryndza makes you wonder who is bent and then surprises you by who it turns out to be. There are questions about whether Erika has really seen her husband's killer and the difficulty law enforcement has in proving things.
The pace is excellent in this book and it was great to see Erika back.

Crime fiction fans should love this new book from Bryndza

My thanks to Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Chasing Shadows’, book 9 in the Detective Erika Foster series written by Robert Bryndza, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ten years ago DCI Erika Foster was in charge of surveillance at premises occupied in Rochdale by Jerome Goodman who was suspected of selling drugs and she initiated a raid. At the end of the day Erika is injured and five police officers dead, including her husband DI Mark Foster. Now based with the Met in London, during an investigation Erica comes face to face with Kieron Bagshaw who she instantly recognises at Jerome Goodman. She has him arrested but her boss insists he’s released and suspends her, but Erika is not afraid to go against instructions and is determined to get enough evidence to arrest him.

‘Chasing Shadows’ is a breathtaking thriller that’s had me hooked from page one, unable to let go of my Kindle until the very last page. The story has been skilfully put together with plenty of heart-stopping action, drama and suspense, and characters that are perfectly described especially Erika and her loyal team. The plot is so intricately written that with every twist and turns the tension builds into a thriller that’s compulsive reading. I’m amazed that an author can write such a thrilling novel that’s made me feel absolutely involved. This thriller is fantastic, it deserves far more than five stars, and I can’t wait to read what Mr Bryndza has in store for Erika in book 10.

Erika is a very determined person and is not afraid to push the limits when she feels she's in the right - even when told to back off by her superior. And in this case, it turns out to be a good thing. She comes into contact with a man who she is sure Jerome Goodman and she decides to investigate to find out for sure. But little could she know the danger she would be in and who would turn out to be a betrayer. This complicated, twisty story had me turning the pages to see what would happen next.

Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza is the 9th in the Detective Erika Foster series, and has Erika discovering new information about the death of her husband.


First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Raven Street Publishing 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)
DCI Erika Foster has not had it easy.  Her husband Mark and most of her team were killed in a botched drug bust years ago, and although she is now re-acquainted with and dating her childhood sweetheart Igor,  she is hesitant about moving on.  She lives in her own home, which she bought and fixed up (with help from Igor). Her  team consists of DI James Peterson (with whom Erika had a brief relationship), DI Kate Moss, Detective John McGorry, and Detective Crane.  Their boss is Superintendent Melanie Hudson. The forensic psychologist is Isaac Strong, and he has become a good friend to Erika.




My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Erika is called to the scene when the body of a woman is discovered in her apartment.  The place has been scrubbed clean, no DNA or prints to be found.  However, they do find cocaine residue coating the ceiling.  Drug sniffing dogs follow the evidence to a parcel locker beside the building.

Knocking on the door of the owner of that locker has Ericka losing it.  She finds herself looking into the eyes of Jerome Goodman, the drug dealer who murdered her husband 10 years ago.  Although he is going by the name of Kieron Bagshaw, she knows him, and he knows her.  Much to Moss's dismay, she arrests him immediately, but with no evidence, and a clean record, they can't hold him.   Her boss provides her with evidence that it can't possibly be Goodman, and when Ericka insists, Melanie puts her on leave until she can pass both physical and emotional well-being tests.  Goodman disappears that night.

But Ericka won't be letting this go.  She has to find out how Mark and the rest of her team really died.  She's been to blame for that drug bust going bad for 10 years, and she may finally be able to learn more.  But she fears that the only way Jerome Goodman could have stayed under the rainbow for so long was with help from some powerful people.




My Opinions:
I struggled a little with the last book, as it dealt with some political issues, but I struggled with this one too, because it deals with police corruption.  I'm sort of hoping this is the end of both.

As well, although I understand the reason behind Erika's attitude in this one (although it's not really different than her normal antagonistic and rude behaviour),  this time it grated on me. She made some stupid decisions, and I really felt sorry for Igor....got me thinking that perhaps he should just leave her.  I'm hoping that this plot will take some of Erika's anger away with it.

Okay, enough complaining, because, as always, the writing was well-done, the pace was relatively fast, and the plot balanced with both personal and crime-related issues. I think Moss is one of the best friends/colleagues that Erika could ask for.  Bryndza has a talent for developing characters.

The other thing that I appreciate about this author, is that he isn't popping new books out every 4-6 months.  You can tell that he takes his time creating deep, complex, and well thought out plots.  I am glad that he may have finally put Erika's past to bed.

Anyway, even with my criticisms, I will look forward to the next in the series.

Chasing Shadows is the 9th book in the Detective Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza whom is a new author for me. At times I had a little trouble keeping up with the story line, possibly because I had not read any of the previous books. In general I found this to be a good read, that eventually can to a conclusion for Erika finding those responsible for the death of her husband and several other officer's. I would recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Chasing Shadows (Detective Erika Foster, #9) by Robert Bryndza has us falling right back into the life of Erika Foster. But this time something is wrong - she can't believe her eyes when the person who killed her husband and team is right is front of her. But with a new identity no one believes her, at first.

While Erika can push everyone’s buttons she is very likable and relatable. The pace is fast and there is nonstop action.

A definite read, I can’t wait to see what is next. I received a copy through NetGalley and this is my honest review.

It's nearly Christmas and Erika is called to a dead body. There is something strange about the scene, it is very clean and the dead woman is not wearing shoes. The teams enquiries lead to an address in Chiswick where Erika is horrified to bump into her husband's killer. She arrests him and is shocked when she is told to let him go as he is not the man she thinks he is. She is then put on compulsory annual leave until her medical.
While she is on leave she takes matters into her own hands and travels to various parts of the country to investigate.
People she trusted suddenly aren't as trustworthy as she thought, but she is determined to see this through now she is so close to solving the murders.
A good solid read.

Erika is playing no games!!!! This book was a HUGE wow. Its part of a series and because of this I want to read more about her.

Solid read

I enjoyed this book. There wasn't the heart-beating excitement I had hoped for, but I liked it. There are two stories that come together. The first is that of a police officer whose spouse and co-workers were killed when trying to catch a drug dealer. A decade later, she sees a man who she believes was behind the killing. But she is told that the drug guy had been killed several years before in a car accident and that the guy she is accusing is a different person. The second has a woman die in her apartment. Her body is found when a water leak wakened the floor and a radiator fell into the apartment below.

The characters and plot were good, but it never really tugged at me. Still. it is a solid read and I will be looking for the next book by this author.

Robert Bryndza is consistently excellent and all of his series are highl enjoyable. The cream of his output is the Erika Foster thread, which has now reached its ninth instalment. Chasing Shadows is particularly poignant as Erika is taken back to Manchester and the incident which saw her husband Mark killed along with several colleagues. It is well written, some of the revelations are shocking and the novel is gripping from the start.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Raven Street Publishing for my copy of Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryznda
Absolutely brilliant. I loved it
After nine years and on the ninth book Robert takes us back to the beginning, and we find out what went wrong that fateful day.
The Erika Foster crime novels are some of the best I have read, and I wait expectantly for each one and never been disappointed.
A terrific series that just gets better and better.
If you haven’t read these books yet, start now.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And breath!
Book 9 in the series and boy does it pack a punch.
It's the book every Erika Foster fans have been waiting for.
We finally have a detailed account of what happened to Erika's husband Mark and the rest of the team on that fateful day 10 years ago in Manchester, and boy was it worth the wait.

Erika comes into contact with the man responsible for Mark and her team's murders but he claims to be someone else and when Erika is told that it couldn't possibly be him as he died in a car accident several years previously.
Erika doesn't believe a word of it and in typical Foster style she is like a dog with a bone and refuses to give up.
When Erika is forced to take leave she starts her own investigation with the help of a few colleagues and her partner Igor.
But someone out there doesn't want Erika to find out the truth and there is a shocking turn of events that had me completely gobsmacked.
A brilliantly written novel that had me completely hooked

Detective Erika Foster #9

A collapsed ceiling. A dead body. What starts as a routine 999 call takes an unexpected twist when Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster arrives at the scene and discovers the body of a woman in an empty flat, with all DNA evidence scrubbed away. When forensics find cocaine residue coating every surface of the ceiling, Erika calls in the drug dogs who lead her to a mysterious parcel locked on the outside wall of the property. Chasing down the locker's owner leads Erika back where she never expected to be - staring into the eyes of Jerome Goodman, the drug dealer who murdered her husband ten years ago.

Wow. I couldn't read this book quickly enough, I needed to find out all the relevant information. I was instantly pulled into this book and I could not put it down again until I had turned the last page. A routine 999 call finds a ceiling collapsed, a dead body found in a spotlessly clean flat, no DNA or clues to be found. Then Erika come face to face with a man from her past.

Filled with secrets, lies and betrayal, this book has everything and more to keep your interest.

Published 5th June 2025

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

Thank you NetGalley,publisher,Raven Street Mysteries and author,Robert Bryndza for the opportunity to read,Chasing Shadows,as an arc ebook.The main character,Erica,was the head Inspector Commander Chief of an Armed Response Team,one of which was her husband. They were going to surprise a drug dealer but someone had tipped them off. The team was attacked by the drug dealers and four police were shot and killed,including the commander’s husband.She herself was wounded and blamed for what happened.No one was arrested.The story jumps ahead ten years later and Erica,with her best friend at the police station,Moss,are going to apprehend the killers who got away. Most of the story really starts when accidentally Erica sees someone who resembles the main drug dealer. No one believes her but she’s determined to find him and finally put him away for the murders he committed. I gave it four stars because so many characters kept changing their identities that it got hard to keep tract of all the different names.
Book on sale,June 05,2025.

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