I thought this book was just okay. I am a longtime fan of Robert Bryndza and have always enjoyed both his Erika Foster and Kate Marshall novels. I just didn't feel as if this story was as fleshed out as his others. It felt like the story got stuck somewhere near the beginning and it just kind of dragged on and on. Nothing really thrilling or exciting happened in the book - apart from the male kidnapping in the beginning - and I'm not sure if I'd be interested in reading a future Kate Marshall book. The first two books with her have much stronger storylines and more interesting plots.

Absolutely gripping! I loved it and just couldn’t put it down. Always a good sign for me. #DarknessFalls #NetGalley

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. This is the third book featuring Kate Marshall and each book just gets better and better, I can't wait for the next one.

Robert Bryndza's latest is a terrific addition in the Kate Marshall series, set in Devon in 2015, it has Kate and her partner, Tristran Harper, delving into a cold case mystery that goes back 12 years to 2002 and Joanna Duncan, an ambitious married journalist on West Country News. Duncan disappeared in Exeter, her mobile phone was found under her abandoned car, with CCTV able to track her making her way to the carpark, after which there is no further sighting. Kate has left her post as a lecturer, whilst Tristan continues to work at Ashdean University part time. Kate is trying to get her fledgling PI detective agency off the ground, helped by inheriting her AA sponsor and good friend Myra's home and caravan site business on her death. She is slowly recovering from her traumatic history with Peter Conway and her relationship with Jake has improved considerably, he returns from university to help her run the caravan site.

Bev Ellis is Joanna's mother, she has never recovered from the painful grief of losing her daughter, finding solace in drinking heavily. She has moved in with her long term partner, the wealthy construction business owner, Bill Norris, who is supporting Bev by paying Kate and Tristan for 6 months to find out what happened to Joanna, and locate her body so Bev can feel some sense of closure. The police have closed the case, and Kate is fortunate enough to be handed their entire case notes. The police got nowhere with their inquiries, and she knows that it will be difficult to make any progress, given the length of time that has passed. They begin by interviewing as many of the people they can from the case, including the editor, Joanna's husband, Fred, and her best friend. When Kate discovers the names of 2 missing men, their investigation goes on to uncover a serial killer who appears to be still active in the present, this leads to the police reopening the cold case.

Bryndza is a wonderfully talented crime writer, his plotting is impeccable, the tension and suspense ratchets up with each revelation and there are some surprising twists, particularly the final one. This is turning out to be a great crime series, with a fabulously atmospheric coastal location, and stand out characterisations. It looks like Kate is going to make her detective agency succeed against all the odds, she and Tristan work so well together, having each other's back when events take a deadly turn. Fans of Bryndza will love this, and I recommend this to other crime and mystery readers. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you for this ARC from Net Galley and the publisher. Another Kate Marshall investigation with her partner Tristan and a cold case to solve. A really good read with twists and turns. I have read a lot of the authors books and they never disappoint. Would thoroughly recommend.

A fantastic book, this series just keeps getting better. I loved reading this book it had me gripped to the last page. I want to read more

This is a case of it’s not you, it’s me or rather it’s not the book, it’s me.

If you love a mystery, enjoy gathering clues and guessing who may have dunnit then you will enjoy this book very much I imagine. I’m not the greatest fan of detective books. I don’t have the patience for wading through facts, searching out evidence and piecing it all together and that is how most of this book goes.

Though crime fiction isn’t my usual go-to genre I have already read the first two books in the Kate Marshall series. I thought Nine Elms was brilliant, if a little gory. I enjoyed Shadow Sands too and was quite relieved to find that wasn’t quite so gory. But what I enjoyed in these first two books as well as a crime plot, was the personal stories of both Kate and Tristan weaved within. There is very little of that in this book and I really missed it, it’s very much down to business, though that does make this a completely stand alone thriller.

In the first two books they were part-time, unofficial investigators but now they’re in business. They’re partners running a proper Private Investigation practice and since Kate has given up her old job and is full time investigator, they need to make it pay. This book felt very different from the previous two. Tristan seemed a far more serious person, the excited, wide-eyed assistant to Kate who I grew to really like has gone and now Tristan takes his work far more seriously and is on a much more equal footing with Kate.

Nevertheless, any crime/police procedural fiction fan will enjoy the mystery and intrigue of this book and though I personally felt it plodded a little, it is well worth getting to the last part, full of tension, thrill and aha moments when you finally get to find out who the serial killer is.

Would I read a next book in the series? Yes I think so, maybe we might see more of Kate and Tristan’s life outside of their detective work once again, we shall see! I still give 4 stars even though I didn’t love this one, because the plot is so intricate that it would be down to my own personal likes/dislikes to give anything less.

**To be posted to my blog nearer to publication date**

This was my first novel by this author and therefore my first in this series (this is book 3).

What I really enjoyed was that in the first couple of chapters, the author briefly went over the past two books to give me a sense of what happened previously.

In this book, Kate and Tristan are private investigators looking into a cold case involving the suspected murder of a journalist, Joanna Duncan. The police are no longer looking into the case however Joanna's mother and her partner hire Kate and Tristan to re-examine the matter, seeking closure.

The investigation uncovers political corruption, dodgy business dealings and even dodgier characters. Whilst there are some graphic and disturbing scenes they aren't too unsettling and handled well.

What I really like about the author is his straightforward writing style. There is no twist after twist after twist making the story ridiculous but just good honest plot and character development as the novel progresses to a brilliant conclusion.

Definitely a recommended read for anyone interested in a new detective series.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Sphere and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Robert Bryndza has become a firm favourite recently. I started his Kate Marshall series, as I grew up in the West Country and loved the familiarity of the setting. But I quickly moved onto to the detective Erika Foster series and love these books too. Can't wait for the next one, and I would highly recommend any if his books.

I am absolutely loving the Kate Marshall series and I have to say that each book gets better and better. This is possibly a favourite in the series.

As always, we encounter a murderer. I have found this unpredictable and a plot that has taken me on a rollercoaster.

Kate and Tristan are back and this time with their own agency and their first investigation is brilliant. They begin to investigate a missing person’s case and that’s when events start to unravel.

I have been on the edge of my seat throughout this one. I have found the plot completely unpredictable and one that has pulled me in and kept me hostage until I’d devoured the very last page.

I absolutely cannot wait for more from this series. Every book seems to get better and better, I am definitely excited for more. This is a definite five star read and one that must be added to the TBR.

This is the third book in the Kate Marshall series. Along with her assistant, Tristan, Kate is looking into the case of a missing person, who disappeared 13 years ago. As always, an excellent book by Robert Bryndza.

This is book number three in the Kate Marshall private investigator series and although it is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone book, although I would recommend they are read in order to get the backstory.

I have read all of Robert Bryndza's previous books and he is one of my favourite authors but this one just missed the mark a bit for me. It starts off really well but then it stalls and becomes tedious, too many characters and happenings. The motive was a bit improbable and I figured it out quite early on.

I am probably in the minority and many people will love it, don't let my thoughts put you off, give it a chance you might just be one of the many. I will definitely read the next book in the series.

“Darkness Falls” is the third instalment in the Kate Marshall thriller series and is an absolute stonker of a book!

“Nine Elms” is still my favourite of the series so far, but this latest book gives it a good run for its money. It is unusual to find a storyline so intriguing that every person you suspect as the murderer turns out to be correct or have a deep connection to the case! I can’t say much more than that, you’ll understand when you’ve read this too, but “Darkness Falls” really is a cracking read!

5 Star Read – Highly Recommend

Publication Date: 7th December 2021

Thank you to #NetGalley, #LittleBrownBookGroupUK, #Sphere and #RobertBryndza for an ARC of #DarknessFalls in exchange for an honest review.

When a cold case comes to the attention of Kate Marshall and her partner Tristan, it is intriguing - twelve years ago, a journalist disappeared from a multi-storey car park and no trace of her was ever found. As they begin investigating, they find that she may not have been the only one to disappear and that they could be tracking someone who targets those who nobody will notice are missing.

This is a good book - the characters are interesting and the narrative rattles along nicely. However, the killer is a tad easy to predict (at least in the main!) which has caused me to knock a star off.

Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza is another in the Kate Marshall series and it is a fascinating read. Kate and Tristan are employed to look into a cold case when Joanna who worked as a journalist disappear many years ago. Her mother Bev and her partner Bill want them to try to find out what happened to her.
It is an intriguing storyline and also involves young men who have also disappeared without a trace. Is it the former MP or is it someone else?
Kate and Tristan manage to uncover what happened and why.
Highly recommended

Robert has done it again! I love all his books - This one features Kate and Tristran and their private detective agency. They are asked to investigate Bev's daughter who went missing years ago and no trace was found. Both characters are strong with their own demons, they work well together. There are quite a few characters within the story but they all come together. A bit of a surprise at the end. I cannot wait until Robert writes another humour book. Coco come back!!

A favourite author and I particularly enjoy this series! Love the relationship between Kate and Tristian who have started their own detective agency! A fast paced story, with a believable storyline and characters! It kept me guessing right to the end! Looking forward to the next book in this series

Wow wow wow what a great story!
Kate Marshall's detective agency takes off when she and her partner Tristan are hired to investigate a cold case from over a decade ago. Twelve years previously, a determined young journalist called Joanna Duncan exposed a political scandal that had major repercussions. In the fallout she disappeared without trace and was never found.

When Kate and Tristan examine the case files, they find the trail long cold, but they discover the names of two young men who also vanished at that time. As she begins to connect their last days, Kate realizes that Joanna may have been onto something far more sinister than anyone first believed: the identity of a serial killer preying on the people who few will ever miss.

But the closer Kate comes to finding the killer, the darker things become . . .

I enjoyed this book which is part of the Kate Marshall, investigator series. Having read the first two books I was excited to receive this review copy from NetGalley.
Kate and her assistant, Tristran, have set set up their own investigation business but they are short on cases so Tristran is still working part time at the University.
When they are asked to look into the 13 year old case of the disappearance of a young reporter by her mother who is desperate for closure, they jump at the chance.
As they start to investigate they gradually begin to see links to other missing person cases in the area and wonder what story the young journalist was working on and whether this led to her disappearance.
This was a fast moving thriller which entertained me over the course of a few days. Kate and Tristan are interesting characters who work well together. There were several suspects and many witnesses to interview so the denouement, when it came, was for me totally unexpected.
Enjoyable and entertaining!

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for advance read of this fantastic book which will be published 7th December.
I was thrilled to be approved for this book.and finished it in two nights! Was gripped from the first page to the last.
This book is 3rd in the Kate Marshall PI series. This is a wonderful addition to the series. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the next one.
I definitely recommend reading this series in order for best enjoyment.