First of all, I must admit that the Erika Foster series has been on my TBR for ages and I just never took the time to start it. So this ninth installment is my first, but now I understand the hype.

What a whirlwind! The characters are well crafted - especially Erika of course -as you might expect after nine books. The story is riveting, and easy to follow even if you are a neophyte like me, and the emotions splurge off the pages. There is suspense, betrayal, some gory murders, mystery... it's all in here. And of course it takes place in London, my favorite city, which is a superb background to this intricate plot.

I've actually changed some appointments in my agenda so I could continue reading. It's a testament to its quality that I've read it in two days time. It is a very satisfying read that I can truly recommend, even if you haven't read the previous books.

Thank you NetGalley, Raven Street Publishing, and the author for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions are my own.

Erika Foster has recovered physically from her wounds and tragic episode that killed her husband and several others when they tried to break up a drug ring. Since the drug kingpin escaped, she has been haunted by the one(s) that got away. When she spots the kingpin during a routine investigation, she begins her investigation anew. Will she finally close the case that killed her husband and colleagues?

I have not read any of the Erika Foster series before, but I will certainly look for the previous books. This book actually can stand alone. I was definitely aware that I was missing some background knowledge about Erika and her previous life and cases, but the mystery and the pursuit that is the center of this book is strong enough to keep me reading. I never felt confused or unbalanced, never felt that I should have read the books in order before tackling this latest one. Erika is a strong, believable character. Her actions are logical and understandable, although they are sometimes reckless. There are several twists and turns in the plot, and the fact that several characters have assumed aliases creates some tension and occasionally I had to pause to get the characters straight, but this is a solid mystery/police procedural. Well worth the time and effort. I'm looking forward to investigating what else this author has to offer.

The ninth Detective Erika Foster thriller in the series.
I would advise to read the whole series as it’s brilliant, but more so with this book as it is heavily connected to Erika’s back story, from the death of her husband during a raid.
This book is fast paced, every chapter is part of the story. Nothing is dragged out or added pointlessly, the mix of apprehension, and deep rooting for Erika and her team is ongoing for chapter one to the last.
This series is not showing any sign of ending or slowing down which is great as I find Erika a truly great character.

I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza
I also want to thank Robert Bryndza. I cannot believe this is book 9 of the series
I remember reading The girl in the Ice and being blown away by the writing and the character of Erika
Chasing Shadows continues the Erika Foster series and the writing and characterisation is just as good as the first book
I want to say a huge thank you personally to Robert for bringing back my love of reading
My husband of 38 years died suddenly and I couldn't get back to my love of reading
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend the series
Get it now! Don't delay

Back to the beginning …

No, I have not yet read all the novels in this series, but I have read enough to be intrigued about where it all began. And in this instalment, Mr Bryndza provides a tense, brilliant link between past and present.

A ceiling collapses … and then the body of a woman is found in an empty flat. There is no DNA evidence and yet there is cocaine residue on the ceiling. Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster’s investigations, with the help of drug detecting dogs, leads her to a parcel locker. Tracking down the owner of the locker leads DCI Foster to the man responsible for the death of her husband, Detective Inspector Mark Foster and others in a drug raid ten years ago. DCI Foster recognises Jerome Goodman and arrests him on the spot. But there is a problem: the man’s passport is in the name of Kieron Bagshaw, and he has no police record.

Is DCI Foster mistaken? Her superiors certainly think so, and she is required to take leave.

What follows is full of twists and turns. Being on leave provides DCI Foster with time to undertake her own investigations, with a little help from her friends. But who can she trust? Unravelling secrets is accompanied by danger as well as the realisation that some of those she counted as friends may have been involved. The story shifts between past and present, increasing the tension as the truth slowly and dangerously unfolds.
Erika Foster is a terrific protagonist. She is determined and smart and well supported by loyal colleagues. And now I will sit back, as patiently as possible, to see how the next instalment unfolds. Thank you, Mr Bryndza, for another terrific book!

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I've read all the Erika Foster books so was excited to read this new one. It certainly didn't disappoint. A dead body in a flat leads Erika and her team to interview a woman regarding drugs found in a delivery locker. Erika immediately recognises the woman's partner as Jerome Goodman, the man responsible for the killing of Erika's husband and colleagues 10 years ago. However, the man now goes by the name of Kieron Bagshawe and doesn't have a criminal record. Erika is determined to find out what's going on and to uncover the truth of what happened that fateful day, for which she had to take responsibility. This is a real page turner that will keep you guessing to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Wow, wow, wow - Chasing Shadows is a cracker of a read. One that grabs your attention right from the start and has you rooting throughout for Erika and her team. What starts off as a murder case becomes something else entirely when Erika recognises a face from her past - the person who murdered her husband and other officers 10 years ago. Can Foster get justice for those that died? The authors writing here is exceptional, it is very engaging, with lots of tension, thrills and suspense. The best book in the series so far in my opinion. The plot line is well thought out with lots of different threads that all start to come together beautifully towards the end. I love how the story moves from past to present times flawlessly and can honestly say there isn't anything I can fault with this read. It really hit the mark with me and I didn't want to put it down. Well done Rob Bryndza.

I'd recommend this is you're a fan of police procedurals and you need to read the series in order if you're new to this author.

4.5 stars

Chasing shadows is book 9 in the fabulous Erika Foster series and her most personal case.
When a routine 999 call takes an unexpected turn when Erika Foster discovers a dead woman’s body after the ceiling collapses. But the flat itself is empty except of a film of cocaine residue. The drugs dogs are called in, which leads to a locker. When Erika discovers the owner of it. They go and visit them at their home. But Erika is shocked to find the partner of the accused is no other than Jerome Goodman, a drug dealer. Who 10 years ago was response for the murders of four Police officers in a drug raid. One of them that was her late husband, Mark Foster.
She immediately arrests him, but when they see his formal I.D., it says his name is Kieron Bagshaw and he has never been arrested. But she swear it’s him and she is going to anything she can to prove them wrong. She wants justice to her husband and the others that have died.
With the stress of it all her boss has forced her to take leave. But Erika is not the woman that takes things lying down and she starts her own investigation, with secretly the help of her team to find out the truth.

I thank Raven Street publishing for this copy of Chasing Shadows. Mr Brydnza is one of my favourite authors and I always get excited when he writes a new book. This is another fabulous and addicted read by the author. It’s well written, with a great original storyline and the loveable characters of Erika and her team. This is another great page turner that I couldn’t put down.
I can’t wait to hear what’s next for Erika. 5 stars from me.

I absolutely adored this book and devoured it over a couple of days! It has easily been one of my favourite books of the year and I can’t wait to read more from the author in the future.

I was so excited to read another Erika foster book and it lived up to expectations. Love this series, so well written and a fantastic thriller- can’t wait for more

I was so excited to see Erica come back to solve the puzzles in her life. Such an intense endeavor to maintain her strength and perseverance. I found myself truly chasing shadows trying to stay clear of those brick walls. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Since I picked up "The Girl in the Ice" years ago, Robert Bryndza has been one of my favorite crime authors. This book, the 9th in the Erika Foster series, answers central questions that have been present since the first book, and that give rise to Erika Foster's history and character development. It is one of the very best. Highly recommended to fans. 5/5 stars.

Dirty cops, drug runners, doppelgangers, and mysterious deaths all come together to give Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster almost more than she can handle. Add to that, her boss has required her to take leave pending her passage of a wellness exam that she's not at all sure she can pass.

Erika is not easily put off, however. When a routine stop to question a potential witness briefly surfaces the man who killed her husband and three of her colleagues ten years prior, she will do anything to track him down. Convincing higher ups that this murderer is still alive is all but impossible but with the help of her colleagues, she's determined to find him.

Whether you're new to the Erika Foster series or are eagerly awaiting this latest entry, you won't be disappointed. This is detective writing at its finest.

I’ve been with this series since the first book was published back in 2016, so I’m very excited to see new sequels popping up more regularly again. 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, and Chasing Shadows is no exception to that rule. This sequel in particular hits very close to home indeed for our favorite detective, and I literally couldn't stop reading!

Before I continue, I have to stress that while technically you can read Chasing Shadows as a stand-alone without missing out on too much, I personally 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... Plus, they are all excellent detective thrillers in the first place. The case itself also connects directly with Erika's past, which is something that might come out of the blue if you are not familiar with her story. The same goes for the truth about certain character, which just won't hit in the same way if you haven't read the previous books.

Chasing Shadows has once again a multiple POV structure, switching between our detective Erika Foster and multiple other characters along the way. The POV switches help show a better picture of what is going on, and this sequel in particular relies heavily on the flashbacks that show what Jerome Goodman and his associates were up to in the past. The suspect POVs were intriguing of course, but you can't beat getting to spend time with Erika and the rest again. This time around things got pretty heated along the way, and there were a couple twists I most definitely didn't see coming.

This sequel has a slightly different focus than usual with the organized crime and corruption angle, but that doesn't mean that the story was any less tense. Maybe even more so in fact, with the direct link to Erika's past and her husband's death... The banter helped balancing things out a little, although there was less of it this time around. Instead, the story keeps you on your toes and you are never quite sure who you can trust along the way.

Chasing Shadows turned out to be yet another very satisfying sequel of a series that shows no signs of slowing down. If you enjoy engaging and suspenseful detective thrillers with a very likeable cast, I can highly recommend the whole series!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

During the investigation of a case detective chief inspector Erika Foster comes across the man she knows to have murdered her husband and their colleagues years ago. With a new name and identity the man denies it, but Erika is stubborn to the end. As they investigate more evidence points to solving g a case that’s been unsolved for so many years.

Love love loved this. The suspense and the twists and turns were immense. A rollercoaster of emotions. I was frustrated, angry, sad, confused and happy. There was disbelief, relief and bewilderment. The story flashes back between present day and the events that led to the murders. It’s written really well with so much detail you bc a really imagine being there. This review can’t do justice to what a fantastic read this really was. Highly recommend.

What a roller coaster of a read! Everything you want in an off beat procedural. Erica Foster is an amazing DCI with a great team who support her when she is removed from a case for arresting a supposedly innocent member of the public. She is convinced that he is the gunman who killed her husband and colleagues and severely injured her 10 years ago. But proving it might be impossible.
Unbelievably well plotted and written, it is a masterful example of writing and a great read.

Another gripping book in the DCI Erika Foster series.. she don't half get herself into some scrapes, when her husband Mark and 4 of her colleagues were killed in an operation, it fell to Erik's to take the blame as Years later Erika and the team get a case, but this one one could definitely be trouble Why? In the line of inquiries she comes across someone who looks very much like the man who shot her husband and colleagues....... who is it that is passing information, to the people the team are investigating?.... great read. ....

Bryndza at His Best: A Haunting Mystery That Blends Past and Present

Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza is a taut, emotionally gripping thriller that dives deep into Detective Erika Foster’s most personal and painful case yet. Ten years ago, a drug raid in Manchester went tragically wrong—her husband, Detective Inspector Mark Foster, and four of her team were gunned down. Erika survived, but was left physically and emotionally shattered, taking the fall for the operation’s failure. Erika has never stopped searching for the truth.

Now, a seemingly unrelated case leads Erika straight back into the shadows of that day. When she comes face to face with the man she believes was responsible, he claims to be someone else entirely—setting off a relentless investigation that forces Erika to confront the past head-on.

Bryndza’s writing is razor-sharp, packed with emotion, suspense, and expertly timed twists. The flashbacks to the fateful raid are woven seamlessly into the present-day narrative, adding layers of complexity and heartbreak. The pacing is relentless, the tension palpable, and the psychological depth of Erika’s journey is compelling.

This is not just a procedural—it’s a story about grief, justice, guilt, and the strength it takes to face the truth. With a strong supporting cast and a cleverly constructed plot, Chasing Shadows is one of the most powerful installments in the Erika Foster series. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to the series, this book will keep you hooked until the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Robert Bryndza and Raven Street Publishing for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

This really is crime thriller writing of the highest order. Robert Bryndza never disappoints and with this new novel he once again affirms his position in the very top tier of contemporary thriller authors.
This is surely the author's most complex and compelling plot to date. It's a dark, sophisticated gem, with intense characterisation and many heartbreaking moments. I always find it easy to have empathy for Erika Foster and her colleagues but never more so than here with the flashbacks to the awful events in Rochdale in 2014.
The author continues to explore the dire horrors of our modern world where drugs and violence have become endemic making an important statement of the perils we all face in an age rapidly losing its moral compass.
The plot is an absolute rollercoaster of nail-biting tension with shocks, surprises and twist after twist keeping up the relentless momentum.
I didn't get to sleep until the middle of the night...but what a night!

Yeah! Erika Foster is back! I can't believe we're up to number nine in this fantastic series. Erika is pursuing an old enemy in Chasing Shadows and lets nothing gets in her way in her hunt for the man who killed her husband and most of her team in Manchester 10 years before. Her battle takes her up against people she never imagined but she has a great team on her side. The storyline has twists and turns over every page and an explosive finish. A great read that had me on the edge of my seat more than once.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.