I'm usually a big fan of this author and have read all of his other books. This one, although exciting in the first few pages quickly went off the boil and I did something I very rarely do.....I didn't finish it

An excellent read with very believable and clever plot. I can’t think of any part where I thought “ that could never happen” and I loved that the ending left me still wanting just a bit more. So hoping that “more” might just be a sequel. Even if it’s just another book with Kate and Tristram I will be eager to read it.
The characters were well developed and likeable or hate-able as required. The grizzly bits hit hard but I don’t want to give any plot away but will just thoroughly recommend this book.
I rarely give five stars but I can’t find anything to criticise so five it is.

I have been a fan of Robert Bryndza and his work for a little while now. I absolutely adore the series featuring DCI Erika Foster. When I heard that the author was set to release a book in a brand new series, I just knew that I had to grab a copy as soon as I could and make reading it a top priority. Well, I managed to get hold of a copy of 'Nine Elms' and wowzers it's one hell of a fantastic start to what I am sure will be a fantastic series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Nine Elms' but more about that in a bit.
I absolutely loved the character of Kate Marshall and I took to her from the start. When the story starts she is a promising detective with a promising future ahead of her. I won't go into too much detail as to what happens because I don't want to spoil the book for anybody but her career is effectively over following an incident. Kate turns to alcohol and uses it as her way of coping with what happened to her. Kate is now sober and she attends Alcoholics Anonymous and she has a sponsor, who has become a very good friend of hers. Of course like the rest of us, Kate has her moments where she almost falls off the wagon but she tries her hardest to stay sober. Kate has a lecturing position at one of the universities and she often draws on her experiences in the police force, to make her lectures that bit more interesting and to hammer certain points home. She is aided in her work by her research assistant Tristan Harper. Something happens, which leads to Kate dusting off her investigative skills and becoming a sort of detective again. Will Kate solve the case with which she is involved? What does fate have in store for Kate and Tristan? Will there be a twist or two to the tale? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
I have to make a special mention about the chief baddie who well and truly gave me the heebie jeebies. To say that he is frightening is an understatement of massive proportions. I certainly wouldn't want to turn my back on him because there's no telling what he would do. The main baddie has a somewhat troubling relationship with his 'Mother' and they seem to be overly dependent on each other. Not only that but they seem to have sexualised feelings for each other with mentions of rubbing up against each other and enjoying it and the mother allowing the son to put her perfume on for her, whilst she is topless. The pair of them made me feel dirty and as though I needed to scrub myself with a scouring pad to help me feel clean again. The pair of them made massive alarm bells ring for me.
I apologize for my slightly fruity language but my first though on having finished reading 'Nine Elms' was 'bloody hell what a flipping fantastic read that was'. I made the fatal mistake of starting to read this book before I went to sleep. Let's just say that I read into the wee small hours of the morning and I cleared 100 pages before I had to force myself to put the book down as I needed to get some sleep. I went to sleep thinking about this book and when I woke up I was thinking about this book and looking forward to reading it again. To say that 'Nine Elms' proved to be addictive reading seems to be a huge understatement. 'Nine Elms' was one of those books that you want to finish because you need to know how the story ends but at the same time you are enjoying the book that much that you don't want to finish it. Other book worms will know exactly what I mean by that.
'Nine Elms' is brilliantly written but then I wouldn't expect anything else from Robert Bryndza. He certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start with an incident so shocking that I will remember it for a very long time to come. The story starts with a bang, it hits the ground running and maintains the fast pace throughout. The author has a writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Robert uses such powerful and realistic descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself and that I was helping Kate with her investigation.
Reading 'Nine Elms' was much like being on one hell of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. Just when you thought that you could reclaim your stomach, take a moment to catch your breath, allow your heart rate to settle down and allow your blood pressure to return to normal then off the action would go again. Whilst I was reading 'Nine Elms' I almost had to read through my fingers as I feared what was going to happen next.
In short, 'Nine Elms' was a flipping fantastic read and an early contender for my book of the year. I absolutely adored reading 'Nine Elms' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I look forward to reading more of Robert's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I was excited to read the start of a new series from Robert Bryndza, and Nine Elms did not disappoint! The writing is of the same standard that I’ve come to expect (and hugely enjoy) from this author, and he’s created some vibrant characters who I wouldn’t hesitate to read more about.

Kate is an interesting character – very likable and retains an air of mystery around her. We learn about her past and some of the events that led to her current living situation, but there still seems to be a lot more to unearth about her – I imagine that will come in future books! The fact that she’s ex-police but not currently working for them adds a different spin to the story.

Tristan also seemed a sweet, likable assistant to Kate – I wish we learnt a bit more about him too! Again, this may come in future books.

The plot is tightly written and enjoyable to read (though – warning for people who may want to check trigger warnings – there are some pretty dark parts to the story, but I won’t list them here as I don’t want to give anything away). All I’ll say is, be prepared for a few surprises!

I am really looking forward to book number two and so pleased that Robert Bryndza has followed up his HUGELY successful Erika Foster books with this great new series! A must for crime fans.

This is my first book by this author and having read it I will be looking to read his other books. The writing was obviously setting itself up for a new series so a back story was obviously being introduced. Within that this story starts with a bang, very edge of the seat. We then move forward several years and the plot for this story begins. One of the great things about this book is that there is edge of the seat action and then run of the mill gathering of information. This format is so cleverly done. Just as you start to relax and enjoy the investigation and how they are getting their ideas and following up on clues and then suddenly there is action which has you reading as fast as you can, unable to put the book down, a clever change of pace. The two main characters are interesting and very different from each other but they complement each other perfectly. Can't wait for the next book in this series.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Robert Bryndza/Little, Brown Book Group for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Nine Elms is the first in a brand new series from Robert Bryndza featuring a former police detective who solved a career-defining case only to have it drastically alter her life.

Robert Bryndza cleverly chooses to open Nine Elms by first going back fifteen years and showing us how the end game to that altogether life-changing case played out. In visiting the crime scene of the killer’s most recent victim and the scenes which follow, we not only get a sense of the brutal crimes committed but we also see Kate Marshall as she then was, how she uncovers who the killer is and the way she interacts with him in those critical moments immediately after making her discovery. These are key to helping us understand just how much she has had to give up and how greatly the case impacted upon her life and career.

I was intrigued as to how Kate was going to investigate the copycat killings since she’s no longer in the police force but a request for a second opinion from a guest lecturer on her course and a plea for help in a cold case from the parents of a missing girl provide Kate and her research assistant Tristan with a seemingly innocuous and credible way in to begin their investigations.

I would have liked to have known a little bit more about Tristan in this first book but hope to discover more about him as the series continues. The relationship between him and Kate could be interesting, too. Kate clearly trusts and values him enough to open up to him and involve him so closely in the investigations and, while I think she asks a lot of him, she does check in with him periodically to make sure he’s okay with what they’re doing and wants to continue. Crucially, she also has his back when his research position looks like being compromised.

Together with some characters which we’re likely to see in subsequent books, Bryndza also opens up the world of Nine Elms’ serial killer to us. Again, having met the killer in his earlier incarnation, it was interesting to see how different his life is now in comparison. We also learn more about his background and family, even if that is both troubling and disturbing. I enjoyed having these stories run in parallel, together with the growing presence of the copycat killer and hints of his motivation and identity.

These three threads coming together ensure that Nine Elms only gathers pace as the victim count rises. And while there are scenes where the copycat killer’s victims are still alive, they’re not too graphic and cut away before the worst happens. It is hard to stomach reading about such violence against women, especially when they’re young women as in this case, yet despite this, I found the insight we’re given into the Nine Elms serial killer and his copycat’s intent and motivation made for strangely compelling reading.

Nine Elms is an assured start to this new series by Robert Bryndza and makes an extremely persuasive case for switching up your daily routine. I’ll be very interested to see where he goes next with it.

Here's an author that never disappoints. His books just get better and better. So when Nine Elms by Robert Bryndza came out I just had to turn my phone off, close the door to the outside world and open my kindle.
WoW what a brilliant book Robert's new book was! I loved the Erika Foster series and I am now loving the new Detective Kate Marshall series and so looking forward to the next book to find more about Kate.

Big Thank You to Little Brown Book Group UK, Sphere and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

I thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me an ARC copy of this novel, which I freely chose to review. This has in no way influenced my review.
I’ll try to be brief and provide information that might help others decide if this is a book they’d like to read. On the whole, I had far too many issues with the book to enjoy it as others have, but I am a regular reader of thrillers and have fist-hand knowledge of many of the issues central to the plot (I have worked as a forensic psychiatrist in the UK, where the story is set, and I have experience of working in a high secure hospital, so I’m more familiar with their security procedures than most readers will be), so I understand that my reading experience is likely to be very different to that of others. (And I won’t mention what my issues were not to derail others’ reading experience).
I had never read any of this author’s books before, and it is evident that he is well attuned to what people expect. He keeps the rhythm of the narration fast; this books starts with quite a bang, and there are only brief moments when the reader can have a bit of a break from the tension and the flow of the story. The plot covers many favourite points of the genre. We have not one but two horrific serial killers (even if the second one is a copycat, he is quite twisted in his own right); their murders are discussed in detail (although I’ve read books where the violence is more extreme, this is not for the fainthearted); we get the story told from a variety of points of view (although for the most part each chapter follows only one point of view), including victims and killers; we do not get all the information about the motivations until the end; there are characters to root for as well, and a complex investigation where the police get the assistance of outsiders (although in this case, Kate Marshall used to be a police detective, so she’s not quite the true amateur of other stories).
I did like Kate Marshall and her assistant, Tristan. It’s true that we do not learn a lot about him, but this is the first book in a new series, so there’s plenty of time for that. Kate seems to combine the characteristics of the main characters in many thrillers, as she is both a victim who survived a terrible attack and has suffered trauma due to that, and she is also a disenchanted and retired member of the police force, who due to her experiences and her way of coping with them lost her career, her way, and her family and is now asked to take a look at a case related to her past. I thought that the peculiarities of her circumstances, her relationship with her son, and her attempts at forging a new life for herself make her an interesting character in her own right, even if some of her actions and decisions are not always consistent.
As I have already said, I found that the story stretched my suspension of disbelief too far, and as I am a bit of a stickler for details and love a well-constructed police procedural, it did not work for me. I am aware that I only had access to an ARC copy, and it might well be that some of the minor issues I detected are not present in the final version. If you are a reader who enjoys novels and TV series about serial killers, who prefers fast action, an easy read, don’t mind a good deal of explicit violence and some less than savoury characters and family relationships, focus more on the overall plot than on the details, and are looking for a satisfying ending, you’re likely to enjoy this novel. Do check a sample of it and see what you think.

The start of a new crime fiction series featuring former police detective, Kate Marshall. When you write something as good as this for the start of a new series all I can think is that he must have something utterly spectacular up his sleeve for book two, because after reading this one, expectations are extremely high, and with standards being set so incredibly high I can’t wait to see what’s next.

1995 and Detective Constable Kate Marshall attends the scene of another murdered young girl, the newest victim of the serial killer the press has dubbed ‘The Nine Elms Cannibal’. It will be an evening that defines the rest of her life in more ways than one as she comes face to face with the killer.

Fifteen years later and Kate is finally getting her life back on track after catching serial killer, Peter Conway, aka, The Nine Elms Cannibal. Now living on the coast in the Devon countryside and working as a university lecturer of Criminology things seem to be on the up for her, until a phone call from friend and forensic pathologist Alan Hexham brings her face to face with her past.

There is a copycat killer who calls himself ‘A Fan” on the loose, and he has other plans on top of recreating Peter’s murders, and once again Kate is pulled into the world of The Nine Elms Cannibal, only this time she may not escape with her life.

Set in Devon and areas that are local to where I live, this fictional killer is hunting in my own back yard. Not often does the area where I live make it into fictional worlds, and being in this book was a wonderful surprise, I am just thankful it is fictional as no-one would want a real life serial killer of this caliber walking the streets, let alone behind bars!

Filled with some great characters and a likeable protagonist in Kate Marshall this book has all the right ingredients for an outstanding novel, with just the right amount of gruesome delights and twists and turns, this is one hell of a page turner that had me burning the midnight oil as I read right through the night. Nine Elms being so brilliant, it’s going to be a very hard book to follow. I can’t wait for book two to see what the author takes us to next.

This is an extremely clever, entertaining and immersive read that fans of crime fiction, or even just fans of well written books will not what to miss, as cliched as that is to say! It is so good, I have read it twice!

Robert Bryndza has once again turned up with a book so intriguing I couldn't put it down! I am never disappointed with his books.
I hope this is the first in a series as the characters have so much to offer.
This book is full of suspense and drama, you will not want to put it down! I didn't.
I want more

Was given an advanced copy of this by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Marshall was a police detective when she caught the notorious Nine Elms serial killer. But her greatest victory suddenly turned into a nightmare. Traumatized, betrayed, and publicly vilified for the shocking circumstances surrounding the cannibal murder case,

Fifteen years after those catastrophic events, Kate is still haunted by the unquiet ghosts of her troubled past. Now a lecturer at a small coastal English university, she finally has a chance to face them. A copycat killer has taken up the Nine Elms mantle, continuing the ghastly work of his idol.

Enlisting her research assistant, Tristan Harper, Kate draws on her prodigious and long-neglected skills as an investigator to catch a new monster. Success promises redemption, but there's much more on the line: Kate was the original killer's intended fifth victim... and his successor means to finish the job.

I started reading this as an avid reader of the Erika Foster series, so expected great things and have to say I was not disappointed.

Written with the same thorough eye for detail and suitably gruesome parts this was a proper thriller that was difficult to put down. I even found myself fake retching in some parts. Was quick, well written and flowed nicely. A proper thriller with a substantial plot and great ending. Highly recommended.

Nine Elms is a fast paced, sometimes frantic murder story. It introduces Kate and Tristan as amateur private detectives and focuses on their investigation into a cold case. It quickly becomes apparent that a serial copycat killer is on the loose. At times, a bit gory with the murder details but nevertheless a gripping story. I think there will be further adventures for Kate and Tristan.

Following on from his popular Detective Erika Foster books, Robert Bryndza has embarked on new series featuring Kate Marshall. Although I have yet to read the Detective Erika Foster novels, I wasn't prepared to let another book or series pass me by from this gifted author, so I dived straight into Nine Elms.

Kate is an admired and respected criminology lecturer based at Ashdean University on England's south coast working with a clever and willing research assistant, Tristan Harper. In Autumn 1995, Kate was a young DC who caught the notorious Nine Elms killer in harrowing circumstances when he tried to make her his fifth victim. However, she left the police in disgrace with her reputation in shreds as she had made a shocking error of judgement. Fifteen years later, Kate is still haunted by her troubled past, although she is tackling her alcoholism and dealing with the loss of custody of her son, Jake.

When Kate receives a phone call from the original medical examiner on the Nine Elms case, and as more bodies are discovered, Kate knows there is a copycat killer at large. Although no longer connected with the detectives who will be working on this new case, Kate and Tristan begin an investigation of their own...

It wasn't long before I became fully caught-up in this novel, and I hurtled through the tense and dark story-line, brimming as it was with menace and suspense. The plot was tightly woven between past and present as thrilling disclosures are revealed throughout that surprised me. The crime scenes were written in some detail and may be considered disturbing, but this antagonist is a cannibal serial killer, as is his copycat, so it was not without need. Kate made a marvellous protagonist, her character having been masterfully developed by Robert Bryndza, and I have no doubt she will prove to be a solid lead for the rest of the series. Despite her flaws and testing personality, I still warmed to her character almost immediately and she is one of the reasons why this thriller-mystery worked well for me. I adored the dynamics between her and Tristan and I'm curious to see how this might evolve in future instalments. I am also looking forward to reading how Robert Brynzda handles the character development of teenager Jake in the sequel.

Nine Elms has the perfect twisted thriller concoction, and it was an excellent start to a new series that I already suspect will be a new favourite. I am so pleased to have become acquainted with Kate Marshall.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Kate was responsible for the capture of the Nine Elms Cannibal but it cost her a lot. Finally shes getting her life back on track working and seeing her son when more murders begin. They're identical to the cannibal but hes locked up so who is behind it and is she safe?

I have already read books by this author so was looking forward to this one and wasn't disappointed. It was a really good read. The plot was quite interesting and built well to a very dramatic ending. It's quite dark and a bit gory at times but that has never bothered me. Kate has been through a lot and made some bad calls but shes still likeable and a great lead character. I also really liked Tristan as well, he complimented Kate. I'm hoping for more from Kate and Tristan in future books.

I absolutely love Robert Bryndza's books and this one does not disappoint. This is a new series of books, with a strong female lead, who was once a policewoman but is now a lecturer in criminology. I was drawn to Kate Marshall's character from the very start. An excellent first book for the new series. Highly recommended.

Kate Marshall #1

Kate Marshall had been a serving police officer but due to personal matters and being stabbed, she now lectures on criminology. Kate had een a detective constable investigating the Nine Elms cannibal when she was attacked by him. She managed to escape and capture him but she obtained a nasty stab wound in the process. He's now locked up in a specialist hospital secure unit. Now fifteen years later there is a copycat out there murdering young girls and biting them the same way as the Nine Elms murderer had done.

Robert Bryndza is back with the first book in what looks like a promising new series. Kate is single and had a son, Jake. Jake lives with Kate's parents as Kzte is a recovering alcoholic. Her neighbour Myra is her support who is also in recovery. Kate's assistant researcher, Tristan is also working alongside Kate to try nd find out who the copycat killer is. The book is written discriptifly, there is little left to the imagination. The characters are complex. The plotline is believable. I just admit, I do miss Erika Foster but I'm hoping that Kate is going to be a good replacement. I'm looking forward to reading Shadow Sands, Kate Marshall #2 when its published in October.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and the author Robert Bryndza for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nine Elms is the introduction to a new series by Robert Bryndza and what an absolute explosive beginning to what I feel is going to be a fantastic series…. This one had me hooked from the getgo… 15 years ago, Kate Marshall was a DC when she caught the Nine Elms serial killer, Peter Conway…. not only was he a colleague, he was also a “bed buddy” on the rare occasion but however rather than being honoured for outing him, she was used as a scapegoat and lost her job. Kate is now lecturing in in a local university where she is living and bears the scars/pain both mentally and physically from her encounter at the hands of Conway. She has had many demons to overcome/learn to live with including alcoholism. Her parents took full custody of her son (who was born of her relationship with Conway) as she was incapable, however, she is now rebuilding her relationship with him and gets to see him on set occasions.

Kate together with her research assistant Tristan have been pulled into a case of copycat murders of the Nine Elms serial killer, will Kate manage to keep her mind sane and stay sober and can she face her past, the one she has tried so hard to outrun and outdrink!

Absolutely loved this edge of your seat gripping thriller, it was full of twists and turns and some evil twisted people, this one will keep you up through the night as you will not want to put it down, cannot wait for the next instalment.

Kate Marshall is a young DC with the Metropolitan Police when she solves the case of the Nine Elms Cannibal. Fifteen years later Kate is working as a university lecturer and the main case of her police career, which has been hanging around in the periphery of her life, drags her back in on a devastating scale.
I have read and loved this author’s other female Detective series, with Erika Foster being the lead character. I wasn’t sure that Robert could pull off another series so close to home. However, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first book in the series and loved Kate Marshall’s character. She is certainly a worthy contender for Erica’s crown. With lots of twists and turn this book drags you in at the start and increases pace with the start of every new chapter. Just a totally brilliant book!

Kate Marshall was a young DC when she unmasked the Nine Elms killer. Peter Conway was a colleague & a her lover. She narrowly escaped being his victim, but instead of being given credit for her deductions she was forced to leave the police. Sixteen years later she is a lecturer in criminology. When one of her ex-colleagues tells her of his suspicion that there is a copycat for the Nine Elms killer on the loose, she & her assistant become involved.

Having read & enjoyed Robert Bryndza's Erica Foster books I was keen to see if he could bring the same magic to a new series. At first I was quite sceptical as it seemed fairly boring to start with as the background & scene were set up, however once it got going it didn't let up. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- I can't wait to see what comes next!

My thanks to Little Brown Book Group U.K./Sphere for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Nine Elms’ by Robert Bryndza in exchange for an honest review. As it was already available as an audiobook, I purchased this to allow for an immersive read/listen experience.

This is the first in his new series of crime thrillers featuring Kate Marshall, a former Metropolitan police detective, who in 1995 captured the notorious Nine Elms Cannibal serial killer. However, the case essentially destroyed her career and fifteen years later she resides on the south coast and teaches Criminology at a local university. Now the parents of a missing girl from the early 90s has reached out to Kate as they believe that she was an early victim of the Nine Elms killer plus a copycat appears to have taken up his mantle. Thus, Kate is drawn back into the nightmare.

There is no doubt that this is a page-turner and I stayed up far too late in order to reach the shattering conclusion. It is very dark with some gruesome details. Despite this I found that some aspects of the plot strained credibility.

These included the way in which Kate and her teaching assistant, Tristan, were continually waltzing into official crime scenes. They also set themselves up as private investigators though aren’t those meant to be licensed? Then there was the way in which the Nine Elms killer was treated while incarcerated. I am fairly certain that inmates in a psychiatric hospital housing the criminally insane would be medicated up to the eyeballs and beyond.

Also, for some reason he has set the main events in 2010 and yet the level of technology such as the ease of downloading and using apps, smartphone features, and the popularly of Facebook all seem more in keeping with a more contemporary setting. I know it’s only a nine year gap but this kind of technology has changed a lot in those years.

A small point was when 21-year old Tristan brags that he had joined Facebook at age 16 (circa 2005), which isn’t possible given the timeline of the development of the social media site. Yes, I know this kind of thing is very much a personal quibble but I find anachronisms distract me from the story and improbable bits mess with the tension. Kate’s back story also didn’t quite add up for me. I want to avoid spoilers but this is an aspect of daily life that young women are very sensitive to.

So yes an addictive story even with some bonkers bits. It’s still a three-star read for me and I will certainly look out for the sequel due out later this year as well as get round to reading his Erika Foster as I have heard so much praise for it.