Cover Image: Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls

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Member Reviews

Kate and Tristan are such a great duo, I have really enjoyed watching them developing over the last two books. I've loved this series from the start and it only gets better and better. The plot flows nicely and easy to stay engaged.

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Robert Bryndza's Kate Marshall series is becoming a favorite and this one didn't disappoint.
A cold case, a twisty and fast paced plot that kept me reading and turning pages.
Kate and Tristan are two fleshed out and interesting characters, I loved to read about them and their life.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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Robert Bryndza is continuing his series featuring Kate Marshall in this book, Darkness Falls. Kate was a part-time PI and 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. Now Kate's PI agency has its first case with Kate no longer lecturing though Tristan is still at Ashdean working three days a week...

Set in 2015, it wasn't long before I became fully caught-up in this novel, and I hurtled through the dark storyline, brimming as it was with duplicity, danger and menace. The plot was tight, the pacing swift and the scenes were written in some detail, all making for an atmospheric, intense and gritty read. Kate makes a marvellous protagonist, her character having been masterfully developed by Robert Bryndza and she is proving to be a solid lead in the series. Despite her flaws and testing personality, I have really warmed to her character and she is one of the reasons why this thriller-mystery and the series have worked well for me, so far. I adored the dynamics between her and Tristan and Robert Bryndza has developed Tristan's character marvellously. Darkness Falls has the perfect twisted thriller concoction, especially for a cold case, and it was an excellent continuation in a series that is a bit of a favourite.

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

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Here is an author that just gets better and better. All his books I have read have been Excellent and 5/5 read! Plus, he is one of my favourite authors!
Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza was just the same! It was excellent from the beginning till the end.
Darkness Falls is the third book in the Kate Marshall series........and I loved it. Within this latest book PI Kate Marshall and her partner, Tristan Harper, are investigating a cold case involving a missing reporter Joanna Duncan who went missing twelve years ago after exposing a political scandal. It appears the local Police have given up on Joanna's case, however, her mother refuses to stay quiet. PI Kate Marshall along with Tristan go through the original case files, trying to find any clues on what happened to her daughter all those years ago!

Do they find any clues on what happened to her and solve this case?

WoW I highly recommend this series and all Robert's books! They are just excellent!

Big Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley for my advanced copy of his book to read.

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Kate Marshall and Tristan Harper are now fully immersed in making their detective agency a success. But truth be told there isn't a huge amount of cases available in their seaside town. But the they are hired by the mother of a journalist, Joanna Duncan, who's been missing for twelve years. At first it seems the trail is cold, but the names of two men in the journalists files pique their interest. They are both missing too, but don't seem to have any connection to the stories she was working on. Could this be something the police missed?

It took me a little while to get into this but when I did it had me gripped. It was a bit more predictable than Bryndzas usual work but he's such a good storyteller it almost doesn't matter. The friendship between Tristan and Kate is a big part of what makes this series great. By making her an older mentor figure and him gay it removes any possibility of a will they won't they storyline which frankly can get in the way of a good mystery! An excellent read.

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Robert Bryndza has done it again.

Gripped from the very first page. Another great read in the series involving Kate and Tristan. Ingenious plot, fabulous characters, simply flew through the book!

Highly recommend!

My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.

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From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the third book in Robert Bryndza’s Kate Marshall series and I am really enjoying this series. I have been a fan of this author ever since discovering his other crime fiction series, The Erika Foster series, which I also really like, and I have to say, as much I love Erika Foster, I might just love Kate Marshall even more!

As I typically say when reviewing books in a series, this latest book of course can be read without reading the earlier books, but I HIGHLY recommending reading the series in order. Yes, the author gives some bare-bones highlights of what has come before, but as there are parts that hinge on knowing the full story, you are definitely going to have a richer experience with this third book having read the books in order. But that’s just my opinion. Perhaps if you read this one first, it will entice you to pick up the other two because you really enjoyed it!

I loved where this third installment has taken us. Kate and her assistant Tristan, find themselves involved in a cold case that turns out to be quite a doozy! To me, there’s just something so intriguing about cold cases and I loved the way this one played out. There are a lot of players involved and a lot of moving parts, but my favorite aspect of this case is that Kate and Tristan would periodically sit down to rehash where they were in the case. This really helped to not only keep them on track with where they were, but it also helped me stay focused on who was who and where things were with the case.

I also loved that once again, this book is not just case-focused, but we also get a bit of character development happening, which is always my favorite part when it comes to reading series. I love how seamlessly the events of their personal lives are woven into the story.

I will say, with this case this time I had my suspicions and while part of it turned out to be correct, I in no way guessed the motivation behind everything which I always need to know. And even with me guessing part of it, I still enjoyed every second of this book and cannot wait to see what comes next!

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The third book sees Kate & Tristan getting in to their first case as official private detectives. I love the way these two work together, they make a fantastic team & I love the side stories showing more of their lives beyond the case too. Ade makes me giggle with his Miss Marple chat & the relaxed humourous way he is with both of them & I hope there's more from him in future books.

This was an absorbing read with lots of breadcrumbs left for the reader. I had a lot of theories as I was reading & a couple came right but the brilliant thing about Robert Bryndza books is that you're constantly thinking ideas up & changing your mind as you fly through them.

Can't wait to keep going with this series.

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I have read this book twice. I forgot I had read it but decided to continue even though I knew the outcome. I actually enjoyed it better the second time . The characters are good and the plots go along at a good pace. Robert Bryndza is a great crime writer.

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We are back with Kate and Tristan, and this time their fledgling investigation agency is tasked with delving into a cold case. 12 years ago, journalist Joanna Duncan went missing after leaving her office. Her car and phone were found in the car park she was on her way to from the office with CCTV showing her last movements as heading that way. Her Mum Bev has never been able to move on and when her wealthy partner offers to pay for Kate and Tristan to investigate, she jumps at the chance.

With Kate no longer working at the university, she has inherited her sponsor Myra's house and caravan park and is really hoping to be able to fund the detective work. Her relationship with son Jake is also improving and when he arrives from University to help out on the site, it gives her some more time to devote to the case. Tristan is finding it more difficult to cut the ties of security with the University, but he is just as commited as ever to making the agency a success.

Kate and Tristan get stuck into the case and start by looking into the last stories that Joanna worked on, but when they don't lead anywhere, they need to call on all their expertise to oprn the case up.

This is turning into an excellent series. The rugged coastal setting is a character of its own and the main characters hold the story really well. With a very well-rounded, mysterious story, with lots of twists and turns, it definitely keeps you reading!

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Darkness falls by Robert Bryndza.
Kate Marshall book 3.
Kate Marshall’s fledgling PI agency takes off when she and her partner, Tristan Harper, are hired for their first big case. It’s a cold one. Twelve years before, journalist Joanna Duncan disappeared after exposing a political scandal. Most people have moved on. Joanna’s mother refuses to let go.
Omg I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love this author. I loved Kate and Tristan. I do hope there is more to come. 5*.

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I am a big fan of Robert Bryndza's writing so I was excited to read this next book in the Kate Marshall series. Kate and Tris have now set up a private investigation company in the fictional town of Ashdean close to Exeter. Their new case is looking into the disappearance of a local journalist 13 years ago. Joanna Duncan had been investigating some serious issues when she disappeared. Did these have anything to do with her vanishing without trace? This is a fast paced story with some nasty characters, and it packs a punch right to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

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Another fantastic installment with Kate Marshall and Tristan. This had me gripped from start to finish. Twists and turns. Although I guessed what happened it didn't ruin it at all. Really loved it.

Thank you Netgalley.

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After setting up their own private investigation firm, Kate Marshall and Tristan Harper have their first big case. Journalist Joanna Duncan disappeared without trace twelve years ago and after exhausting any leads they had, the police have consigned her disappearance to the cold case files. Joanna’s mother has never given up hope, however, and employs Kate and Tristan to find out exactly what happened to her daughter. When Kate uncovers evidence of other missing people, she begins to worry that maybe there is a killer hiding in plain sight, one that hasn’t finished yet…

Darkness Falls is the third in the Kate Marshall series and, in my opinion, is the best so far. While this could be read as a standalone, I feel that it is important to understand Kate’s backstory to fully appreciate the character and there is more than one spoiler to events in previous books in this one.

The story grabbed me straight away and its twisty plot kept me hooked right until the end. I enjoy a book where the killer is not obvious and even as I neared the end, I still couldn’t decide who the guilty party was due to the several plausible candidates that Robert Bryndza gave us!

Kate and Tristan are both great characters who bring their own skills to the investigation, Kate in particular using her police contacts to help when needed. Despite the macabre nature of the crimes, I did enjoy the occasional snippets of humour, particularly one of Tristan’s friends who has a good line in nicknames!

This is a great series, one that I highly recommend. I’m hoping it won’t be too long before we get to read book 4!

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Robert Bryndza is always a win! Another amazing book that is captivating from page 1 till the end! I love Nine elms the first book from this series and this was is very close in value to the first one! The writing style is so fluid with no necessary extra content that the reader won't want to care. The story is amazing love the multiple suspects and although i guessed the killer all the motives were wrong and Robert Bryndza made me doubt my choice! another amazing book I would recommend to everyone who likes a good thriller detective story with a fast paced rhythm

I have a review on video in more detail on my channel if you want to check it! it is already live: https://youtu.be/Ld5dcOTaBdk

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My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group U.K./Sphere for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Darkness Falls’ by Robert Bryndza in exchange for an honest review. I combined reading with its unabridged audiobook edition for an immersive experience.

This is Book 3 in his Kate Marshall series of crime thrillers. Kate is a former Met police detective now running a private detective agency in Devon with her former teaching assistant, Tristan. Bryndza does provide background for new readers as well as details of changes that have occurred in the intervening period.

It is now 2015 and Kate and Tristan are hired by the distraught mother of Joanna Duncan, a young journalist who thirteen years ago had exposed a major political scandal. In the fallout Joanna disappeared without trace and has never been found.

The trail has long grown cold though as Kate and Tristan examine the case files, they discover the names of two young men who had also vanished at that time. It appears that Joanna may have come across the activities of a discreet serial killer. Where will the investigation lead? No further details to avoid spoilers.

The novel is structured in a way that aside from following the investigation there is the occasional chapter from the killer’s point of view. I felt that Robert Bryndza was very clever in dropping clues and the occasional red herring that kept me guessing up to the final reveal.

I so enjoy this kind of crime thriller and my appreciation of Kate Marshall and company has grown over the three books to date. Definitely a page-turner. Indeed I read it in a single sitting. Highly recommended.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

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A thoroughly enjoyable crime thriller featuring Kate Marshall, an ex-cop who’s now a private detective, and her business partner, Tristan Harper. Thirteen years earlier, an investigative journalist, Joanna, vanished, and her distraught mother, Bev, employs Kate to find out what happened to her.
I enjoyed how Bryndza gradually introduced more and more of the puzzle pieces, so that the story slowly started slotting together. There were loads of potential suspects, from those who’d been the target of Joanna’s pen, past colleagues, her husband and several others. I had my vague suspicions about who was to blame, but was taken aback by the unusual reveal. Fast-paced, gruesome in parts, intriguing and different.

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Really enjoyed this third Kate Marshall Book. Kate and her Sidekick Tristan have opened a PI Agency whilst still keeping their other jobs. They pick up a cold case of a Journalist who mysteriously disappeared twelve years earlier. Lots of suspense throughout with a final twist at the end. As usual Robert Bryndza keeps you guessing until the end. Very enj0yable five star read.

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The third book in the series with Kate and Tristan and their promising detective agency.
In this novel they are asked by Bev to investigate the cold case disappearance of her Daughter Joanna, an investigative journalist, who went missing in 2002.
I love how Kate and Tristan work together, they have such camaraderie and bounce their ideas of each other with neither one taking the lead. This is a great series by Robert and I can't wait for the next installment. Many thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown book group UK for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, I was under no obligation to leave my honest review

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I do enjoy this series, the more so now that Kate is starting to get into her stride as a private detective. She’s by no means well off since giving up her lecturing job as a criminologist, so she’s combining running a caravan park in Devon – inherited from her AA sponsor, Myra – with her detective agency. Her colleague, Tristan also has to continue to work in the University, but both are committed to making the agency work, whatever it takes.

The pair are hired to work on a cold case by Bev Ellis, the distraught mother of a missing journalist, Joanna Duncan. Joanna’s been gone 12 years, but Bev, who knows she is more than likely dead, wants to be able to put her daughter to rest and achieve closure. Joanna’s car was found abandoned in the multi-storey car park she used daily and the reader knows from the beginning that foul play was indeed involved.

Now Bev’s partner Bill, a well off builder, has used his money and influence to get copies of the long inactive police files from the time and Joanna’s mum wants Kate to use these to find out what happened to her daughter. It’s a case that pays well – and so Kate and Tristan have no hesitation in accepting.

Bryndza’s ability to make his central characters incredibly empathetic and likeable immediately make you warm to both Kate and Tristan. His facility to draw the reader quickly into a story and to invest them with a stake in the outcome is indicative of a writer who really understands his audience. Part of the joy of this series is the interplay between Kate, her son Jake and Tristan. They are each very different personalities but they are all warm and interesting people with independent lives and you can’t help but like them. Kate and Tristan are a good team and this time Tristan contacts are very helpful in finding a way forward for the investigation.

Of course their attention first focusses on the stories that Joanna was pursuing and a few promising leads look to be full of potential, but these dissipate until a discovery made by Kate opens up a new avenue of exploration.

Robert Bryndza knows how to spin a good storyline and his mastery of the art of deception and misleading is excellent, so there are always surprises in store for his readers. I actually worked out fairly early on who was responsible, but for me the surprise and tension still existed because I did not know why and what had led to a chain of events that culminated in Joanna’s murder, but also pointed to other deaths.

Bryndza helps build tension by giving us chapters from the antagonists perspective. So we as readers know how the killing is done and what happens to each victim. This is a splendidly chilling way to help you realise the very real danger that Kate and Tristan are in, as well as upping the anteo on the urgency of stopping a terrible, brutal killer.

Bryndza doesn’t overegg Kate’s past and her addiction issues, but he allows it to hover in the background, gently reminding us both of what she has been through and also of how easy it would be for her to regress in times of stress.

The sense of place is fabulous, too with lovely coastal and rural settings all perfect for hiding bodies and of course a large patch for a thinly stretched police team who are not slow to demand that Kate hands over all her information when it seems that she has uncovered information from their files that their teams missed altogether.

Verdict: Great sense of place, rich and warm characterisation and some lovely twisty plot points all combine to make this a riveting and enthralling read. This is a great series that makes you want to race through every chapter ‘til you get to the truth.

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