Another exciting installment in this great series! This time, Erika revisits her Manchester detective days, focusing on the tragic deaths of her husband and colleagues. The book starts with a bang as a body falls through a ceiling, then delivers revelation after revelation as Erika hunts for her nemesis, Jerome Goodman. Erika Foster is a fantastic, realistic character, and I highly recommend this series.

Thank you for my copy of this book to read and review.

I have read all of the Erika Foster books from the start and recommend them to anyone that will listen.

As with all the previous books, this one had me gripped from the start. I liked the switching between timeframes and enjoyed how the story came together.

Although these books can be read as standalone, I would recommend reading them from the start as there is some continuity with characters and storylines…especially this one.

Great author and great detective series.

This was a great book and really enjoyed reading about Erika Foster. I'm so glad we got her backstory which I've been wondering about for a while. This was a clever story without tropes and it kept me engaged, reading, and wondering until the end.

📚: #chasingshadows
👩: @robertbryndza
📆: June 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✍️: A collapsed ceiling. A dead body. What starts as a routine 999 call takes an unexpected twist when Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster arrives on the scene and discovers the body of a woman in an empty flat, with all DNA evidence scrubbed away. When forensics find cocaine residue coating every surface of the ceiling, Erika calls in the drug dogs, who lead her to a mysterious parcel locker on the outside wall of the property. Chasing down the locker's owner leads Erika back where she never expected to be - staring into the eyes of Jerome Goodman, the drug dealer who murdered her husband, Mark, ten years ago.
💭: Erika Foster is one of my all-time favorite FMC, and you will never see me waiting to pick up a book by this author. After YEARS of reading this series, we finally figure out what happened to Erika' husband, Mark, and her former colleagues. This book focused a lot more on that storyline than the "actual murder," but they fit so seamlessly together. This was a book about clarity and redemption, but it begs the question: what do we do now that the series is over?! 😭. NEVER STOP WRITING!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Ten years ago on a botched drug raid, Detective Erika Foster's husband, Mark, was killed along with most of her squad. She was badly injured but survived and transferred to another part of the country to get away from the memories of that night. But now a murder investigation has brought her face to face with the killer who was the target of that long-ago raid. He vanished off the face of the earth back then, along with his two accomplices, but here he is, implicated in another murder.

The only problem is, he died in a car accident several years ago. Everything looks like it was him who died, but that face is seared into Erika's memory. But when she arrests him, SHE is put on leave and threatened with the loss of her job. While on leave she continues to try to find out how he escaped and is the target of harassment and drugs that are placed in her car prove to her that she is on to something. The story shows how sometimes the smallest overlooked details can hinder a crime investigation.

Getting reinstated, leading her team and finally finding out what actually happened that night, and who was responsible, makes for a good read.

I've happily followed Bryndza's Kate Marshall and Erika Foster thriller series' since the beginning and was happy to see this 9th installment of the Erika Foster series. I would recommend both of these series to mystery/thriller lovers!


Description:
In a deadly game of cat and mouse, Detective Erika Foster confronts her greatest nemesis—where the lines of justice blur and secrets unravel.

A collapsed ceiling. A dead body. What starts as a routine 999 call takes an unexpected twist when Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster arrives on the scene and discovers the body of a woman in an empty flat, with all DNA evidence scrubbed away. When forensics find cocaine residue coating every surface of the ceiling, Erika calls in the drug dogs, who lead her to a mysterious parcel locker on the outside wall of the property. Chasing down the locker’s owner leads Erika back where she never expected to be – staring into the eyes of Jerome Goodman, the drug dealer who murdered her husband, Mark, ten years ago.

She arrests him on the spot, but there’s just one problem. His passport and his solicitor say his name is Kieron Bagshaw, and his record is squeaky clean.

With top brass demanding she take leave to deal with her PTSD and even her closest colleagues questioning her sanity, Erika decides to use the time off to do some digging of her own. Trawling for clues through old newspapers, encrypted messages, and secret underground passageways, Erika makes a series of shocking discoveries that move Mark’s murder from cold case to active investigation, all while flying under the Met’s radar.

The revelations will push Erika to the brink, forcing her to confront the trauma of her past and the truth about what happened the day Mark died – and who among her friends was involved from the shadows.

My Thoughts:
Erika's investigation of a dead woman found in an apartment leads her deep into the past to the first book in the series. When her husband Mark was killed in a disastrous raid and several other officers were killed as well. When she has the suspected killer, then finds out he has a different name and no record, then finds out the real killer is supposedly dead and there is a record of the death - she is stumped. She was so sure the man she found was Mark's killer. Erika pushes the limits of her authority and takes on upper management in her determination to find the truth. The book is fast-moving and engrossing, the investigation a complex web of information that unfolds bit by bit. I loved this installment - it was emotional and thrilling and I couldn't put it down.

Thanks to Raven Street Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Chasing Shadows is the ninth book in the D.C.I. Erica Foster and although it can be read as a standalone I would highly recommend reading the previous books for the back story.

Taking place over multiple timelines, from the present to ten years previous, and a few years in between, this story covers the 'missing parts' that have been teased about in previous books. With an imaginative and well paced plot, corruption, murder and threats it is a book that is hard to put down and I am already looking forward to book number ten.

Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza is a police procedural and a good one. Detective Erika Foster had lived through seeing her husband and four teammates killed in an operation she set up. It had haunted her until this day. She had transferred to be away from that and had fallen in love again.. No one knew that eight-year-old Carly had seen it all from her bedroom window. No one had asked her, so she said nothing. Now ten years later, while investigating another crime, she come upon a man she is certain is the perpetrator. He has aged and changed his hair but she is sure. Everyone else isn’t: the man in question had been killed in a car accident years before. It is confirmed, at least to her, when he empties the safe of his money and leaves in the dead of the night. After this fiasco, Erika is put on leave, where upon she drives to Wales to investigate his supposed death. Erika is a born investigator, on leave or not.

Erika is a good character, well-written and fleshed out. Most of the others in the book are not as well-rounded, but they all try to help, on or off the time clock. Her significant other tries as well but is not trained and so makes mistakes. Erika discovers Carly as an adult and hears her story. It sparks idea and after some convincing she gets a warrant. Catching the killers is never easy but perseverance usually wins the day. This was a good story; a good plot with all the hallmarks of a decent police procedural. Erika is an excellent character and the people she works with have potential. It was a good read.

I was invited to read Chasing Shadows Raven Street Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RavenStreetPublishing RobertBryndza #ChasingShadows

I LOVE the Erika Foster series! Erika and her colleagues are so well written, they have real life issues, and still try to do what’s right. I was glad to get the back story on what happened to her husband and team many years ago. Even if you haven’t followed this whole series, it’s a great story by itself. I will read any Erika Foster book that is published, as well as anything else from this author!

I enjoy the authors books immensely for the premise of the book. Another good book that has you wondering what will happen next. The plot is twisty, deeply involved, and intense at times.

A collapsed ceiling. A dead body. What starts as a routine 999 call takes an unexpected twist when Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster arrives on the scene and discovers the body of a woman in an empty flat, with all DNA evidence scrubbed away. When forensics find cocaine residue coating every surface of the ceiling, Erika calls in the drug dogs, who lead her to a mysterious parcel locker on the outside wall of the property. Chasing down the locker’s owner leads Erika back where she never expected to be – staring into the eyes of Jerome Goodman, the drug dealer who murdered her husband, Mark, ten years ago.

Another brilliant Erika Foster thriller from the master! I've loved all of these, and this lives up to the rest of the series, and then some. Get comfortable, because once you start this, you won't want to put it down! 5⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza in return for my honest review.
Chasing Shadows is the ninth book in the Erica Foster series and I can honestly say this series gets better and better, you can read this book as a standalone but I would highly recommend reading the whole series in order to get the full Erica Foster experience you certainly won’t be disappointed very tired maybe as these books will have you up all night.
Eagerly waiting for the next instalment.

Robert Bryndza has written another wonderful installment to this series. Erika is a very complex character with many issues and flaws..She has made chief and has.to deal with serious crimes as well. These books will keep you up at night as you need to know who did it.. Awesome book. Can be read alone but i recommend reading the series and seeing this character develop over the yeras

I was a little hesitant going into this one, mainly because it’s been ages since I last read an Erika Foster book, and I was worried I’d lost the thread. Thankfully, ChatGPT gave me a brilliant recap (honestly, technology is magic sometimes), and more importantly, it hinted that this book would finally tie up a lot of the lingering threads from the earlier novels. And oh wow, it really does.
From the very start, I felt completely immersed. Erika’s grief over her husband’s death has been a consistent undertone since book one, and in Chasing Shadows, it takes centre stage in a way that feels raw, real, and long overdue. The way the past is explored adds depth and emotion, giving us a fresh layer to Erika that made me appreciate her all over again. It’s the kind of development that feels earned and satisfying like the final piece of a jigsaw you didn’t realise was missing until it clicked into place.
What I really loved was how accessible this instalment is. Even if you haven’t read the rest of the series (though you really should), it’s written so well that you don’t feel lost at all. Bryndza has a real talent for balancing continuity for loyal fans with enough context for new readers. It genuinely felt like catching up with old friends, without the awkward bit where you don’t know what anyone’s talking about.
The plot itself is clever and tight, with that signature Bryndza pacing that keeps you flying through the pages. There’s danger, heart, a few gasp-out-loud moments, and underneath it all, a strong emotional core. It never felt like it was trying too hard—it just was.
This is definitely one of the strongest entries in the Erika Foster series. If you’ve followed her journey from the beginning, it’s incredibly rewarding. If you’re new to it, this is still a powerful, standalone read. Either way, I couldn’t put it down.
Highly recommend—especially if you’ve been waiting for Erika’s past to finally come full circle.

This was a great mystery! The twists and turns kept me guessing and the ending had me yelling out loud. I had not read anything by Robert Bryndza before,but I received this book for free and felt I wanted to leave a review. I really enjoyed the book. It was well written; and even though there had been a previous book about Erika that I had not read, I still could follow the story with no problem. I definitely would recommend this book.

Having read all of Robert Bryndza's books so far, I was as excited, as ever, to read the latest instalment in the series. And it did not disappoint.
I was totally gripped from the very first page and I could not put it down.
I loved that it went back to the original story and reminded why I enjoy Robert's writing and stories as much as I do.
Erika was so persistent and the pacing was excellent.
I truly can't wait to see what comes next.
Such an easy 5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow - that was an amazing read !! I've been a fan of the Erika Foster books for a while now - but this is the best one by far. I could not put it down. The story takes us back to the murder of Erika's husband, which has been a running theme in all the other books. Brilliant page turner and I could not put it down until I finished it.

Would strongly recommend.

In the book Chasing Shadows, author Robert Bryndza follows Detective Erika Foster who arrives at a seemingly routine death scene to find everything scrubbed of prints and DNA. And the ceiling is covered with white powder. After finding out the woman who died is not the person she is suppose to be, who is she? This death is anything but routine. And someone higher-up wants this case ruled a suicide and pushed through. What is really happening? And when someone from Erika’s past appears with a new name the wheels in her life begin to really fall off. Can she keep her sanity? And will anyone believe her? This was a good story and I would recommend this book. I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Justice, Snark, and a Hell of a Backstory — Erika Foster Delivers Again

This series is one I look forward to every year. I have rated everything a five star but I have meant every five stars I have given and this is no exception. Actually, if I am being honest I loved this so much more then the other because I feel like it made the story so much more well rounded. I always wondered about Erika and Mark’s backstory and this book is perfection. I finished this in one day in two long sittings. I am sitting here smiling just thinking about how good this was. Now lets get to what the story is about.

In book 9 of this amazing series we finally get the details of what happened on that day 10 years ago. Ow, when Erika’s husband Mark and her team were killed in a police raid in Manchester. That day changed her life and the way she sees the world. Now on an investigation into a murder, she comes face to face with the man responsible, only he claims to be someone else. Then she is told that the man who killed Mark is dead.

Now if you know Erika at all you know that she is not going to take this. She knows it was him and she wants justice for her husband. Even being put on stress leave isn’t going to stop her. And her loyal team and partner are there to help her.

This book was so good!! i just love Erika and her way of doing what is right, even when she is told otherwise. She is smart, determined and snarky and I love it. I cannot recommend this series more for those who love a good gritty police procedural.
If you haven’t read anything by Robert Bryndza I suggest starting with book one of this series then moving on to the West Elm series and the one rom-com book I have read by Rob is also good. So go read something and fall in love like I did.

This is one of the best books in the series! It was great to understand what happened when Erika's husband and her teammates where killed. The truth and deceit were so close to her and so difficult to accept and to decide who remained to be trusted. I was happy to learn this was not the end of the series and I'm looking forward to reading the forthcoming new stories. Highly recommended!
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.