BUG rating: 4.5/5

Overall: The perfect book for Erika Foster fans. It has all the same vibes – but MORE. I actually think this is Robert Bryndza’s best book yet. I was hooked on private investigator Kate Marshall. She is perfectly flawed, struggling to run from the demons of her past. Her character was wonderfully crafted, there was just enough character development as Bryndza took us through alternating timelines to paint the picture of the Kate of today. I loved the characters so much. Her assistant/side kick Tristan is a great addition/and so much fun! Their chemistry is great. The story… oh the story! It was full of many gruesome scenes – it’s definitely not for the faint hearted! It definitely managed to get me out of my thriller slump, and this was the perfect addition to my October reads #spooktober!In 3 words: Chilling, Twisted and Addictive! Social media posting tonight @bookedupgirl

Wow ....well I initially began reading waiting for the next instalment of Erika Foster with anticipation as she is a mich loved character now which I have followed and grown with from the first novel but no along comes Kate. I was not disappointed with the introduction of this new character as long as Erika makes a reappearance sometime soon! Exciting times ahead I feel now that Robert has 2 characters to intrigue and enthral his fans and new readers with alike. Fantastic read by a fantastic author.

Loved it! I didn't think that any books not about Erika would not be as good, but I was wrong! Kate due to being attacked has to leave the police after a serious assault. The person who attacked her is famous as a serial killer of 4 other women. She starts working at the university as a lecturer on crime. Her colleague Tristram become friends and when one day someone asks her to investigate their missing daughter and if there is any connection with the Nine Elms Killer, Kate agrees. I read the book in 3 days and couldn't put it down. Brilliant

We meet DC Kate Marshall, a young Detective in 1995 when she is investigating the ‘Nine Elms Cannibal’ crimes together with her boss DCI Peter Conway. She solves the crime in the most horrific of circumstances but it ruins her career, and has deep repercussions for the rest of her life.

Fast forward 15 years and, with her police career over she is now a university lecturer in Criminology, near Exmouth working with her assistant Tristan and haunted by her past. She is a recovering alcoholic whose mother looks after her teenage son full-time, due to her personal problems. Appeals for reinstatement to the police force and the murderer’s team appealing his convictions have taken their toll; but she has been sober for 6 years.

She is contacted by an old colleague, Pathologist Alan Hexton who is shocked to find mirrored details of the old Nine Elm Cannibal’s m.o. at a murder scene; he wants her second opinion. Other crimes follow this and Kate, frustrated at not being part of the police investigation turns to Private Investigation.

It’s exciting but there are a few far-fetched moments – centred around the character of Enid, Peter’s mother; also the access to, and use of both money and (unwitnessed!) resources by the ‘Fan’, including the prison scene. But it is also realistically black in places – the crimes leave you chilled; the desolation, waste and horror, complete. It didn’t glamourise the twisted minds of the killers. There is a tense climax but it all felt a bit contrived, with a couple of lucky coincidences ‘just in time’ etc. For me it didn’t reach the ‘Erika Foster’ level of thrill and entertainment!

I really enjoy Robert bryndza books especially the Erika Foster series. I was expecting to love this and whilst I really enjoyed it I think I still enjoyed the Foster series more. This book was gory and engrossing. A must read.

I love Robert Bryndza novels whether they are his Detective Erika Foster series or his humorous Coco Pinchard series so I was really looking forward to the first book in the Kate Marshall series.
Sixteen years ago, Kate Marshall was a rising star in the London Metropolitan police force. Young, ambitious and driven, with a talent for getting into the minds of criminals, she solved several high-profile murder cases. When Kate was tasked with tracking down a vicious serial killer her instinct and ability to immerse herself in violent worlds couldn’t help her find him but he found her. Years later Kate now lives on the quiet English coast enjoying a much calmer life until she receives a letter from someone in her past, all her memories flood back to the murderer she is so aware of and a case she is determined to solve.
This is another outstanding novel by this talented author and yet another series I will be hooked to. Great strong characters, gripping plots and so well written.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Crime fiction isn't my usual genre. I quite fancied a change and as I've read Robert Bryndza books before albeit his pre-crime fiction books, namely the Coco Pinchard series I knew I'd be fine with the writing. I also knew that he'd had a lot of success with lots of good reviews for his Detective Erika Foster series of novels, though I've never read any of them. Like I say crime fiction has always been way down the list of my genre choices to read so time to try something new.

For my first foray into the darker world of crime, choosing a story about a serial killer may perhaps have been a little over adventurous. It's gory to say the least. Nevertheless once I'd started reading I did find it difficult to put the book down. It's a very compelling read, even if I did pull some weird and wonderful faces whilst reading the more um... graphic detailing.

Just how do you write a review for a book that was really good, completely worthy of 5 stars, that was compelling, that had you completely on the edge, biting your nails at what would happen next and yet in the same breath say, "but I didn't like it, far too gory and depressing". This was how it was for me, a good book that I just didn't feel I should be reading.

The fact is the bad guys aren't just bad they're depraved and this did make for quite difficult reading at times. However the plot is really good, lots of twists and turns. I liked the central character and protagonist Kate Marshall. This book is an introduction to her back-story as a former police detective. And what a story it is, little wonder she left her career behind and became a lecturer in criminology at university - a little safer there. I liked her assistant Tristan too. After being contacted by the parents of a girl who went missing at the time the serial killer was active, their daughters body has never been found and because Kate was involved in the case at the time, they ask if she could help them perhaps find out what happened to their daughter so that they can have closure.

Kate asks Tristan to help Kate with some sleuthing to see if she can help the girls parents and from here they turn private investigators, becoming more and more involved not only in what happened sixteen years ago but in what is happening now.

I really enjoyed Kate's story, the relationship with her son, Kate and Tristan working together as a team, and all the investigative parts of the book. As well as reading from the point of view of Kate, you also get to see what is going on with the miscreants of the story, and it was this that made the book quite uncomfortable to read at times. Even so, it's all very tense, thrilling and scary. I was quite sad to finish it in a way, as anything I read now will seem so tame in comparison.

Like the Detective Erika Foster series, I'm assuming there will be more books with Kate and Tristan to follow, and I will certainly keep a look out for the next one and probably give it a go - it surely can't be any more evil than this one so I should be OK. Eek!

In 1995 Detective Kate Marshall is assigned to investigate a murderer dubbed the 9 Elms Vampire , this is because of his tendency to bite lumps out of the victims . After accepting a lift home from a colleague she finds a set of keys in her bag on a keyring with a clue to the murderer attached . She is loathe to accept that he is involved until he returns for the keys and attacks her . She survives but leaves the Police Force and becomes a University Lecturer in Violent Crime . Many years later she is approached by an ex- colleague who wants her help after a similar set of " copycat" murders occur . She and a University assistant start out as private investigators on this case chasing up earlier witnesses etc . The convicted criminal is contacted in prison via his mother smuggling notes in by someone calling himself A Fan who promises to help him escape and leave the country . There is a lot of investigative work involved and a number of Red Herrings put in place before the ending is arrived at . This book is well written , if a trifle gory for some tastes , but nevertheless I give it 5 Stars and look forward to reading more books from this author in the future .

I loved the Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza, so looked forward to reading the first book in his new series and I wasn’t disappointed.

The book opens in 1995 When detective Constable Kate Marshall is investigating a serial killer known as the Nine Elms Vampire. The case is solved in a shocking fashion, which blights the rest of her life.

We then fast-forward to 2010, when Kate is lecturing at a university in the south-west.
Someone is imitating the murders perpetrated by the Nine Elms killer, and Kate becomes involved in the investigation, by way of a cold case who may have been one of the original victims.

The story is told through the eyes of Kate, the original killer, his imitator, and other characters, which helps to ramp up the tension, which builds through various gory episodes to a thrilling climax.

The book has a group of characters, Kate herself, Tristan, Myra, Jake, all with a lot of potential, who I hope are developed in the next episode(s), which I look forward to reading.

Highly recommended!

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Group for this advanced copy of the book. This is the first in the new series featuring Kate Marshall. It was a page turner and I liked the character of Kate and I would read more featuring her. Some of the crime scenes were quite graphic and I felt they added to the tenseness of the storyline.I love the Erica Foster series and this series will be a welcome addition alongside that.

A new detective from the very talented Robert Bryndza! this is a great read but a tad gruesome for me, however having said that , I simply couldn't put the book down. Kate Marshall is an interesting character and I loved what I hope will be the start of many books in the series. I'd thoroughly recommend this to anyone loving a good murder mystery with a touch of a thriller. Move on past the gruesome bits it's well worth it!

4 stars because of the cannibalistic tendencies of the murderer which has stayed with me for far too long.

I was so excited when I heard that Robert Bryndza was bringing out a brand new series. I had only read one of his previous Erica Foster books, but it had left a lasting impression, and I was keen to get in from the start of a new adventure. Every day I went on NetGalley to look for Nine Elms in the hope that it would be there for me to read it. I don’t seem to get the chance to read books unless I get them on there, hence the reason I’ve not read any of the other Erica Foster books! I was delighted to see it sitting there on my birthday of all days and requested it excitedly.
Unfortunately, I’ve had a massive list of books with publication dates looming and haven’t had time to read this until now, but it was so worth the wait!
From the very first chapter, it draws you in and doesn’t let go until the end. Everything is described perfectly that you feel as if you are stood right next to the characters seeing everything that is being outlined. Sometimes this was great, others when a mutualised girl is being depicted, it was not.
Kate Marshall, although a bit morose, is a great character. She is very strong and plucky. She went through a lot in her past, but she picked herself up and dusted herself off. She doesn’t have the ideal life, but she is making the most of what she has. When faced with her past once again and events repeating themselves, she doesn’t shirk away from the responsibility of helping others. She gets to the bottom of the investigation that once again could endanger her and those that she loves.
The story is told from a multiple of viewpoints, but none of it gets confusing, you know exactly who you are with as each section starts and you know what is going on. It is very well written. It is gripping exciting, shocking and very graphic.
There were a few times I gasped out loud by how horrific the crimes were, and even had to put the book down to give myself a few moments to recover! It didn’t let up either the action was constant throughout.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I am hoping this is a start to a Kate Marshall series, and if so I can’t wait for book two already!

Somewhat implausible but wildly entertaining serial killer story with an ex-policewoman now criminal lecturer forced to revisit the murders that ended her police career. The perpetrator and ex-lover, the father of her son was a senior police officer now held in a secure mental hospital but when a copycat appears the nightmare resumes. With the aid of a young university assistant she investigates a missing girl from the time of the initial crimes. With a mad copycat a crazy mother of the mental convict the story races wildly along until the blood soaked denouement but the door is left open for more adventures of the unlikely twosome as private investigators and also the father of her son. Entertaining tosh!

I really was looking forward to starting this book, but I was also apprehensive on if the author could deliver the same atmosphere and first class writing that I come to love in his Erika Foster series of books.
I really wasn't disappointed, an exception read and certainly a great start to what I believe will be another amazing series.
Bryndza knows just how to get his readers engaged in a book, his writing style is second to none. I can not recommend all his books highly enough and if you want something great and amazing that will grab your attention from the opening pages then this book is for you. This book will be perfect over the next few months as it goes cold and dark earlier and earlier, to curl up with a cuppa, a blanked and have some you time.

I have never read any of Robert Bryndza's books previously but I have to say I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to read more from this author.
From the very first chapter I was hooked and couldn't put it down. It had plenty of twists and turns to keep me wanting more.
This was the first book I have read of his but it definitely won't be the last.

What another fantastic read from Robert, another heroine that will quickly become a favourite charecter for me, I miss Erica, but Kate will more than do, a fast paced story from beginning to end, loved it

I have enjoyed all of Robert Bryndza’s books and this one didn’t disappoint. Kate Marshall is a great new character following on from the Erika Foster series.

Really enjoyed this book.
It follows the life of an ex police officer Kate Marshall who uncovered a serial killer in 1995- one of her police colleagues and someone she had slept with.
Fifteen years later she is a lecturer and an alcoholic still haunted by the past.
She is contacted by the family of a little girl who has been missing for 20 years asking for her help in trying to find her.
A copycat murderer is also on the loose and Kate gets dragged into the investigation.
This is a well written, enjoyable and exciting story with lots of twists and turns with a very exciting ending

Wow. Brilliant. I loved the plot and the characters and everything about this book. I definitely recommend this book and any book by this author. Curl up on the sofa and get lost in this amazing book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I have read the author's other books so was looking forward to reading this. It didn't disappoint and features great characters and a gripping storyline. Like all his other books it's really well written and you really get to know the personalities of the main characters. Looking forward to reading more.