This didn't grip me as much as the first book, but the character development of Kate and Tristan was AMAZING!
I felt like the premise of 'how can a champion swimmer drown?' has been done before, so I was a little disappointed and this angle didn't motivate me to read as much as I hoped. The author is a must read for me!
The main characters are great and have a wonderful relationship so I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Once again Robert Bryndza’s had me hooked from the beginning and I was so delighted that Kate and Tristan have returned for another nail biting thriller.

I loved Nine Elms, the first in the series, as well as all the Erika Foster series before that, so when I heard that Shadow Sands was available for advanced reading I was so delighted to be approved.

Although it’s not essential to read Nine Elms before this I would recommend it so that you can fully understand what Kate has been through in her life.

Kate and her son Jake discover a body whilst diving which leads on to Kate and Tristan investigating the disappearance of someone they know when the police seem to be incompetent in to doing their job correctly. The story was told from the victims account as well as in the present

Thank you for the opportunity to read an advance copy from Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK in return for my honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK, for the ARC.
I have to say that I've not read any previous book in this series, and this reads well as a standalone, filling-in pertinent backgrounds.
Ex Metropolitan police officer Kate Marshall, now a full-time lecturer at a university in Devon - and still wanting to be a private investigator, is diving at Shadow Sands reservoir with her teenaged son Jake. They discover a young man's body, his full clothing torn to shreds, snagged within one of the old flooded buildings. Detective Chief Inspector Henry Ko heads the investigation. The death of Simon Kendal is quickly ruled as accidental drowning with additional body damage from the propellers of one of the reservoir patrol boats. He had camped near the water with his best friend Geraint, who reported him missing. When Lyn Kendal, Simon's mother, approaches Kate for help, telling her that he was a champion swimmer, and Geraint is informed within hours that the death was accidental, Kate becomes very interested as to how this investigation was producing conclusions so quickly. Working with Tristan, lots of questions arise to which she is determined to get answers. Just what is going on?
Tristan strikes up a friendship with Professor Magdalen Rossi who is gathering information of urban legends for a thesis. She's been interviewing residents from the area and was keen to experience the rolling coastal fog which legend has it, makes people disappear. But then, she herself goes missing - is she yet another victim?
When Kate gets to ask questions around the family who own the reservoir and land things take very sinister turns especially when one informant turns up dead.

There are lots of twists within the plot and I really didn't see the ending. I enjoyed the interactions between Kate & Tristan but got a little fed up with the constant references to Kate's alcohol problems.
The whole story is filled with atmosphere with Dartmoor as a backdrop, the isolated roadways and rolling coastal fog.
It's a good complex plot and enjoyable read.

Robert Bryndza has been writing and publishing since 2012, a total by my count of 15 books. That is a prodigious output and has given him a significant fan base. Most of the books are in one of his three main series, which all have a female protagonist, and this book is the second in his new series featuring Kate Marshall a former police officer, ‘private’ detective and University academic.
It begins with a boy swimming for his life in the Shadow Sands Reservoir but being mown down by a boat with an outboard motor. Kate and her soon to be sixteen year old son discover the body a few days later while SCUBA diving. The local police treat the death as accidental, ignoring the fact that he was a champion swimmer, but, mysteriously, fully dressed and apparently shredded by an outboard motor. This ignoring of evidence by the police colours everything that follows and trying to discover why is a major part of the plot. At the same time Kate and her assistant, Tristan, are searching for a missing woman, who might be the latest victim of an abductor, rapist and murderer (the police don’t seem to believe this either). It is not particularly hard to work out the whys and wherefores of the police inactivity, nor to spot the murderer. It’s all a little overwrought and a bit loose in places, which is surprising given the writer’s extensive experience at constructing crime novels. However, it keeps up your interest and the ends are tied together in a fairly satisfactory way.

Another brilliant read from Robert Bryndza!
He is definitely on my "I have to read all his books" list.
I love how the different characters develop from book 1
and we get to know them a bit better. Jake is also developing into a very sensible young man.
Although this book was not as gruesome as Nine Elms for me it was still a mesmerizing read from beginning to end.
I can't wait for the next instalment. Do I see some interference from Peter Conway in the next 1?!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown bookgroup UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed Robert Bryndza’s fairly grisly “Nine Elms” earlier this year and so was really looking forward to the second in his series featuring ex DC Kate Marshall, now working as a university lecturer and her assistant, Tristan.
At the end of the last novel it looked like a career change may have been in the offing with the duo moving on to private investigations but here two years later both are still at the university.
A new case is triggered when Kate, out diving with her teenage son in a reservoir near her home in Devon, encounters the corpse of a young man. Initial post-mortem reports seem implausible and the youth’s mother gets in contact to get Kate to carry out her own investigations. Alongside this we get more insight into the two lead characters who Bryndza is fleshing out nicely, especially the very appealing Tristan in this novel and their working relationship shows much potential for the future.
This is a strong crime novel. Last time round I felt Bryndza was hovering too closely towards the horror of torture and abduction and said of it; “That’s quite a lot of evil for one book and it might be a little full on for the times we are living now.” I do think here the author has reined it in a bit. It’s still admittedly a dark tale with some difficult scenes to read but it feels less over the top and this lighter touch has made for a second in the series novel which is even stronger than the debut.
At the novel’s satisfactory conclusion Kate announces her intention to give up academia for private detective work. Whether this happens remains to be seen but I am certainly looking forward to more cased for her and Tristan. This is a strong partnership in what is developing into a high-quality crime series.
Shadow Sands will be published by Sphere on 3rd November. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

Another fabulous book by Robert Bryndza.
This fast paced and twisting story kept me guessing the whole time.
A fabulous follow on in this series and I look forward to reading more Kate Marshall stories in the future.

Ex police officer Kate Marshall returns in Shadow Sands which is the second book in the crime series by Robert Bryndza.

The story has a number of strands which the author brings together in a nice conclusion and leaves the story open for more books in this series.

The pacing of the book was also good and I would definitely recommend it

I think that this is one of Bryndza’s best books yet. I found it totally captivating and thank Net Galley for a prelease copy. Kate and her son discover a body in a local reservoir while diving. Kate and her assistant set out to discover the truth and then there are more twists and turns as a lecturer disappears. The book is full of the unexpected and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I am sorry to say that although I have really enjoyed the author's previous books, this one didn't hit the spot for me in the same way. It felt more like writing by numbers ,and didn't flow for me .No doubt I will be in the minority with my review, and I am fine with that. I hope other readers enjoy it more than I did.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

a young lad murdered and run over by a boat...he is found floating in a estuary

missing people, some are never found again, and some have been missing for quite a number of years....but why are they only disappearing when its really foggy

Magdalena is off out trying to find some sort of evidence to explain a photo off the moors when she is abducted...
some brilliant characters in this book and regular baddies as well...

well i have to say that this story held me captive as i wanted to see who the actual perp was, so many red herrings and i have to say i wasnt disappointed in how it all came to a brilliant ending...cant wait for the next book in this series

As a character, I find Kate Marshall appealing - not your typical detective, she's had her share of trauma and fights her own demons, which is what makes her so relatable.

I love stories with an edgy bogey man feel to them and Shadow Sands is just that. With a mysterious 'thing' abducting and killing various victims, this is spine tingling and I definitely kept the lights on when reading this one.

Told from various viewpoints, we learn about the historic cases and current victims and it's easy to see why Kate and Tristan are so drawn to the investigation. This is especially true when it becomes personal for Tristan, who as well as coping with personal difficulties, has links with the current victim.

Shadow Sands is definitely of the same high calibre as Nine Elms and I found myself glued to the book. The way Bryndza captures all elements of his characters and makes the reader so invested in them is a huge plus for me.

The creepy settings and the high adrenaline fueled interactions between some of the key players maintains a degree of excitement and the feeling of 'what next?' as the story unfolds.

The myths surrounding the story only add to the aura of menace and uncertainty and I only wish I could be half as brave as Kate Marshall should I ever be in a similar situation.

Highly recommended.

This is the first Robert Bryndza book I have read – I had heard great things about the author, so my expectations were high. “Shadow Sands” is the second in the Kate Marshall series – if you haven’t read the first (“Nine Elms”), this book gives away the plot of that book completely. Don’t start here if you want to read the first book as well.
The book is set in the fictional town of Ashdean (which Bryndza pictures as being near Budleigh Salterton) on the beautiful South Devon coast. Taking place in the British Olympic year of 2012, it opens with a teenage boy swimming, and in trouble, on a large reservoir and follows the story of university lecturer, recovering alcoholic and former police officer Kate Marshall and her associate Tristan Harper as they investigate a series of disappearances in the local area.
There is definite potential here, a West Country setting is unusual – although not unique – and it makes a pleasant change for me to read about an area where I have spent most of my life.
However, for me, a series of minor errors ruined any realism that the book may have had – each on its own would not have been a problem, but as they built up, it became clear that Bryndza had not done his research.
Amongst the points I noted were a road numbered the A1328 – this does not make sense in terms of the UK road numbering system, which (apart from a few anomalies – none of which are in Devon) follows a logical pattern; Dartmoor seems to have moved; mention of a motorway in Bournemouth (the nearest one is more than 20 miles away); a UK minor’s passport being valid for ten years from the age of 11 (it isn’t – a child’s passport only has a five year validity); unforgivably, a child’s name changing within the space of a couple of paragraphs; a river rising in the Cotswolds and running to South Devon, having somehow negotiated its way around the Parrett and Tone (amongst many others); the notoriously wet 2012 (second wettest on record according to the Met Office) being described as dry; and perhaps worst of all a character saying that he would be “legally within [their] rights to shoot trespassers”. This is just not true, for one thing trespass is a civil matter. Perhaps the author is thinking about the Tony Martin case; however that applied only to burglaries and in any case the law was not changed until 2013. This is by no means a complete list of the errors – geographic, geological and legal inconsistencies abound. I accept that I’m being picky, but as Bryndza has a growing readership and reputation to maintain, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect the author to do his research.
My second problem with the book was the style of writing – it’s very basic, almost childlike in its simplicity. I won’t pick a specific example, to avoid spoilers, but there are plenty of instances of formulations such as “They saw a xxx. It was a xxx.” or “…and….and….and…”. Staccato sentences too. Bryndza scatters them about with abandon. I understand the genre requires them, but care needs to be taken to ensure they are in the right place. To be fair, though, all the above could be because I was reading a pre-publication version of the book which was still in need of editing.
In terms of the plot, although it’s a bit unbelievable and there are the usual lucky coincidences of the genre, this is no more the case than in books by any other writer working in this field. I didn’t have any difficulty believing in the characters, although at least one person disappears without a satisfactory conclusion to their story. Additionally, one or two scenes appear to have been added just to up the word count…I won’t go into too much detail, but Tristan’s announcement causes what seems to me to be an unrealistic response, and Kate’s visit to a particular person and place was completely irrelevant.
All the above having been said, if this is the type of book you enjoy, please don’t let this put you off. It kept me turning the pages and had I been reading it purely for pleasure rather than as a reviewer, I would probably have been inclined to let some of my criticisms go. Three stars as it stands, but with a bit more care and attention to detail I would have been happy to give this at least a four star review.

4.5 Stars
This is the follow up book to the cracking series opener - Nine Elms - where we first met Kate Marshall. Although I didn't quite connect to Kate fully in that book, I am pleased to report that, by the end of this book, we had become firm friends! Kate has a bit of a past and although the salient points are explained herein, to get the very best from her as a character I would recommend you read book one first.
So... Kate and her son Jake are diving in the Shadow Sands reservoir when they discover the bloated body of a young man. She is disturbed to find out that the authorities rule the death a tragic accident very soon after her discovery. She has severe misgivings about some of the things she saw, the injuries to the body do not match the reports. She has history in investigation and, one again, ropes her research assistant Tristan in to help her. It soon transpires that there is a lot more going on than just the body she discovered and it becomes a race against time to get to the bottom of things and expose what looks to be a very serious set of crimes spanning many years.
Wowsers... there is a lot going on in this book. As well as Kate's investigation, we also spend time getting to know Tristan better. His character is developing and he really starts to open up in this book. We also see Kate's ex and the hold he still has over her and his son and how he is still able to manipulate for his own sake even from behind bars. But these things never overshadow the investigation which, as it turns out, is a doozy - extremely well plotted and executed and which kept me on my toes throughout. Pacing is also good, the action ramping up to a rather interesting, surprising and satisfying conclusion, most of which I didn't see coming.
All in all, a good solid follow up marking this series on my watch list. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I was thrilled when I was approved to receive an advanced copy of this book. I loved the previous Kate Marshall book and couldn’t wait for the new one to come out. I couldn’t put this book down - devoured it in a day and a half. Kate and Tristan are an amazing team. Although I’m devastated to have no more Erika Foster adventures, they kind of make up for it.
Brilliantly written and excellent plot that keeps you guessing. I can’t wait for the next one.

I stupidly thought that you wouldn't be able to better or even come close to be as good as the first in this series "Nine Elms", which was one of my all time top reads, but I was so wrong ... Mr Bryndza has written another doozy of a book that I absolutely gobbled up. You don't have to have read the first story as this works as a stand alone BUT you really should!

Once again, I was totally engrossed from the first to the last word and became totally invested in the strong characters and their stories. The pace felt spot on for me and the tension, particularly when the story is being told from the victim's side, was spine-tinglingly good. Similarly, when the story is told from the killer's point of view, there were times when I got shivers up my neck he was so cold and matter-of-fact about the terror he was inflicting on a fellow human being - it was perfect.

As I've said, the characters are strong. The relationship between Kate and Tristan feels natural and genuine and I really feel for them as they go through their own struggles as if they were real people such is the strength of how they have been developed by the author. I thought it was genius to have Peter Conway (from Nine Elms) make an appearance and I hope we get to "see" more of him in subsequent books.

Mr Bryndza says "there are lots more books to come, and I hope you stay with me for the ride!" ... well, I certainly will and can't wait for the next instalment.

Highly recommended for readers who love dark, exciting, suspense-filled stories that despite making you feel ill at ease at times, you read on into the night.

I am so grateful to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for providing my advance copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

University lecturer, Kate Marshall is diving in the Shadow Sands reservoir with her teenage son, Jake when she discovers the body of a young man. The police soon declare it was death by drowning, a tragic accident, but when the young man's mom turns up to see Kate, asking her to look into his death, declaring that he was a very strong swimmer, Kate is sure that things aren't as clear cut as the police are letting on. Kate, an ex police officer herself, agrees to investigate, and with the help of her research assistant, Tristan Harper, they begin to uncover some very interesting findings, the fact that others have been disappearing over the years indicates there may be a serial killer at large, so when another woman disappears, Kate and Tristan know that they need to act fast before she meets the same fate.

This is the second in the Kate Marshall series and I was looking forward to learning more about her character and her sidekick Tristan, I knew these two were going to be a force to be reckoned with. I'm a huge Robert Bryndza fan and loved Nine Elms, the first in the series, as I did all of the Erika Foster series before that, so when I heard that Shadow Sands was being released I couldn't wait to read it, I certainly wasn't disappointed. From the first page of the prologue, Bryndza's style of writing excites me, as a reader, and I know that I'm in for a rollercoaster ride packed with twists and turns. The main characters are likeable and it was great to see the return of Peter Conway as well. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of Kate and Tristan in future books. If you like your reads dark and chilling then this is one for you.

I'd like to thank Little Brown Book Group and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Robert Bryndza is one of my top favourite authors and never fails to produce a brilliant book. Shadow Sands is the second instalment in the Kate Marshall series and if it’s even possible, this book is better than its predecessor. I was hooked from beginning to end.
Kate and her son discover a dead body whilst diving together in a local reservoir. She is not convinced that the police have arrested the actual murderer and along with her trusty sidekick Tristan, sets about discovering the truth. Things turn more sinister when a fellow university lecturer disappears and the number of missing people starts to mount up.
Kate and Tristan are certain that an all-powerful family of wealthy landowners are connected in some way and the race is on to find the missing woman before time runs out.
Added to the mix is the possibility of a corrupt policeman and the return of an evil character from Nine Elms and what the reader is left with is an amazing, suspenseful read.
Cannot believe the next book in the series is not due out until end of 2021 ! Robert Bryndza needs to write faster.

Kate Marshall finds a body floating in the reservoir near to where bodies have been found in the past. This death is different as he is know as a strong swimmer. What was he doing there and did he just wonder into the water, did he get lost in the fog or is there something far more sinister going on. An intriguing story, you think you’ve got the answer and something else happens.

The second Kate Marshall book by Robert Bryndza, absolutely brilliant, fantastic storyline that gripped me from the beginning. I can’t wait for the next one. I