I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

The mystery/suspense part of this book was good but Being a romance reader I missed that aspect. The author knows how to weave a tale and keep the reader on their toes.

First time reading this author but definitely will try this author again.

Well, if this isn't the book in the series I didn't know I needed, I'm not sure which is. Robert Bryndza has played a blinder, giving us not only a story rich in intrigue and tension, but that also gives us a bit more background on the events which saw Erika Foster first transfer to the Met Police all those years ago - the murder of her husband, Mark. Now you just know that drawing Erika back to that tragic day is not going to end well, but I don't think anyone, least of all Erika or her team of Moss and Peterson, would have been expecting quite how this particular case plays out.

It all begins, as this series is wont to do, with the discovery of a body, this time an as yet unidentified woman whose mode of dispatch is initially a mystery. Even more mysterious is why her flat is so clean, and why nobody can find any shoes ... All of that pales into insignificance when Erika's enquiries bring her face to face with someone from her past, someone who has been missing for a very long time. Problem is, they claim to be someone else and nobody believes that Erika is telling the truth. With growing tension, an unofficial suspension disguised as annual leave, and a whole lot of threat coming at Erika and her new partner, Igor, from all angles, this is a book which had me hooked from the off and just racing through the pages.

This is a kind of two fold story, with moss and Peterson left holding the fort and investigating the suspicious death, whilst Erika goes against the orders of her boss to investigate the mysterious Keiron Bagshaw. Now, I don't know about you, but if Erika says something is true, I tend to believe her, and no matter how many people try to undermine her, or question her sanity, I'm on team Erika all the way. And yet, Robert Bryndza does a cracking job of casting doubt on her certainty, until, at least, her enquiries start to take a very dark and potentially career ending turn. And as for what secrets Mr B is keeping and the aces he has stuffed up his cleeve this time ... well let's just say that I was most definitely not expecting that.

I do love the characters in this series and it was great being back in the company of the team. There is always plenty of action and mystery to keep me completely absorbed, and I am more invested in the fates of these people than I realise, at least until I open up a fresh case. They never disappoint. From the police investigation, to the growing tension and, in this case, the way in which the author delves back into the past of not only Erika and her former team on that fateful night, but also the three characters who come to change Erika's life in irrevocable ways. I kind of had mixed emotions towards them in particular. Two of them perhaps less so, but the third I can of hated, but also felt a kind of sympathy for. There is no forgiving their actions ultimately, but the author has done a great job in making their personality and motives a little ambiguous in that there was something about them here you know that, for the sake of a small twist in fortune or circumstance, they might have been a completely different person.

Murder, corruption and misdirection reign in this latest novel and I loved it. This instalment may well have drawn a line under part of Erika's past, but I get the feeling it has also changed her, and I cannot wait to see where Robert Bryndza leads Erika, and us, next.

Copy received from Raven Street Press via Netgalley for an honest review

My friends got me onto Robert Bryndza books a few years ago, and I have never looked back.

This is the 9th installment in the Erika Foster series, and even thought I have not read all of them (came in at about book 5 or 6), I have become invested in her past and where she is at today

Who could have known that a murder today could have lead us back to where current Erika started.

I liked that we got a look back at what happened 10 years ago. We get flashbacks to the day of "the incident", how it has affected her to this day.

There is lots of suspense, and I felt for Erika as events unfolded, how friendships were strengthened and tested.

Though, in this installment, I didn't particularly like Erika and the way she treated her partner Igor. She is supposed to love this guy, but she treated him like a doormat a lot of the time. Hopefully this will not be the same in future Erika Foster books - I got why she was short tempered etc, but using him as her punching bag wasn't what we know of her. She is better than that.

I look forward to what Bryndza brings us next.

Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza

This story will keep you engaged. The characters are well-developed and the writing is solid. Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster must go it alone now that her husband, also a detective, has been killed, and she is not particularly liked in her department.

A present day murder opens a can of worms and presents lots of questions for Erika. Investigations lead her to a man who may be her husband’s killer from 10 years prior. The story falls together through the blending of lots of loose ends and the courage of Erika to stick to her belief of one man’s identity.

It’s four stars from me and a great story for most readers who like a good whodunit.

Oh wow what did I just read!”?
I'm a huge fan of this series, but this is not just another great, engrossing read. In my opinion, it is probably the best instalment in the Erika Foster series yet. There are so many what-the-hell! moments.
Firstly in the course of an investigation Erika, and you the reader, are floored when she comes face to face with her old nemesis, the person who is responsible for her traumatic past and the murder of not only her colleagues but her husband too. If that isn't enough the one person from her past who has her back, to whom she shares her past and whom she can turn to, delivers the ultimate betrayal.
As the story of Erika’s past unfolded I was concerned that the author was wrapping things up and we might not hear from Erika again so I was thrilled and relieved to read that is not the case. I can't wait to catch up with her and the rest of the characters and see what lies ahead for them. As always the author delivers a brilliant and truly unputdownable read.

Chasing Shadows Is the ninth book in the Erika Foster Thrillers. It is my first. I was able to follow the story without problem so it can be read as a standalone.
Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster has not addressed the trauma she suffered years ago from a police raid that went wrong. She was severely wounded and lost her team - including her husband. But she has avoided therapy. She needs to take a physical but doesn’t think she will pass.
Driving to work, she responds to a 999 call. There is a dead body in an apartment that has been sanitized. Following a lead, she comes face to face with the person responsible for her dead colleagues. She arrests him but he is released immediately for lack of evidence and Erika is forced to take leave. Even though she has been warned off, Erika pursues the investigation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It is fast paced and well written. The characters are well drawn. I finished this book quickly because it flowed so well. I look forward to reading the previous books and hope there will be more to come.

So excited for this latest instalment of Erika Foster's life and to bring the underlying story to a fantastic conclusion. Finally, justice for Erika. The story is so smooth and easy to read. You delve into all the characters and become familiar with them all over again. Love it. Keep up the great writing Robert.

Fabulous Det Foster story.
Set Erika Foster shows up at a dead body call for bc what should be a fairly routine investigation and her life is immediately turned upside down.
In the course of the early investigation, she suddenly finds herself facing the man, a person of interest in this case, who was responsible for the death of her husband, a police officer, as well as others on the force at the time of a failed drug raid that resulted in the officers being gunned down.
The killer, Jerome Goodman, disappeared along with his accomplices.. Erika was left
holding the blame for the failed raid and has never really gotten past that day and the guilt she carries.
Suddenly, here he is and here is her chance to prove what really happened on that awful day years before.
But nothing goes as planned and suddenly she is back on the hunt again, unraveling tiny fragments of clues to try to piece them all together.
Great mystery, suspense and awesome twists that have you working to find answers right along with
her.
Erika Foster is a great character and her future is hopefully very bright in this intriguing series.

The ninth book in the Detective Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza and I've been itching to find out what was next in store for Erika and Bryndza didn't leave me disappointed, this one I loved how it's a personal case for Erika and her past.

I was not ready for all the surprises and twist and turns that was involved in this book, with moments of my jaw dropping, where I did not see that coming and thinking it was something totally different. I really liked that Bryndza kept the different POVs and that we also were able to go back in the past, which helped give us even more insight into what happen all those years ago.

I really enjoyed that we still get references to past cases that Erika and her team have worked on, and that we still get to learn new things about all the different characters, and watch them develop and live their lives, while trying to solve what is going on.

Once again another well written book from Bryndza which was easy to follow and get follow engrossed in with eagerly awaiting what was to come next, while also having the fun of trying to solve what and who it was. I can't wait for the next book Bryndza brings out, I will always auto read his books.

Chasing Shadows is the latest instalment in the DCI Erika Foster series and quite simply, it’s fantastic. The book starts with a routine 999 call but quickly develops into something more and Erika ends up facing her arch nemesis, Jerome Goodman, the man who murdered her husband. It’s a game of cat and mouse with some great twists as Erika is pushed to her limits, but with the help of her team is determined to brink Jerome to justice. I was hooked from the first chapter of this book and found it impossible to put down. Erika is on a rollercoaster of emotions and you live and breathe every moment with her. A brilliantly written 5 star read. Thank you to NetGalley, Raven Street Publishing and the author for the chance to review.

I am never disappointed by Roberts books and this one is no exception.

A complex and multi layered police procedural packed full of tension and deceit. This story takes Erika back to the murder of her husband Mark, and it makes for an emotional ride, but one that was due to happen.

You can't help but be fully invested in this story and I binged it in a couple of days.

I 100% recommend.

Erika Foster #9
When investigating a suspicious death of a woman found in an empty flat, Erika comes across Jeromy Goodman, the man she believes shot dead her husband and her colleagues 10 years ago. However, Jeromy Goodman claims to be someone else and has ID documentation to prove it. Erika is not believed and is sent off on annual leave without her police badge. Questioning her own sanity, she starts investigating on her own.

Mark's death has been mentioned almost in every Erika Foster book, so I found it very satisfying to learn more about what happened that day, and finally solve the case and bring the responsible parties to justice. Erika as a character didn't disappoint, she was once again her true feisty self, didn't let anyone dictate her what to do and followed her instincts. This is a must read for Robert Bryndza's fans!

Welcome back Erika Foster! There are not many series of books that I have read all of and look forward to a new one quite as much as these! This book is fabulous and takes us right back to the events of 10 years ago when Erika's husband and several of her colleagues were killed and Erika was badly injured. We learn much more about that time and how the events shaped the Erika we have now - determined and ruthless in her conviction to find the killer! Whilst investigating a seemingly innocent death the case takes a twist when it's found to be murder and Erika comes face to face with the man who killed her team ten years ago, proving the fact when he has a new untouchable identity makes this almost impossible combined with Erika being told to take a break from work to deal with her PTSD. As to be expected Erika is not going to let this stop her and this really is a one or two read book as you will not want to stop once you start!! I love Robert's writing and can't wait for book 10!

Spoiler: I’ve been waiting years for Erika to find her husband’s muderer…. The fact that marsh helped?! Total shock…. 10/5 stars. Love all these books

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 5, 2025
When the ceiling in a flat collapses, leaving a dead body exposed, Erika Foster and her team come in to investigate, and find far more than they bargained for. The crime scene has been wiped clean and the body is falsely identified, leaving Erika and her team with more questions than answers. Erika quickly discovers that the dead body has connections to the man who shot her police officer husband dead ten years ago and so, even when she’s pulled off the case, Erika knows she can’t stop until she gets justice.
The ninth book in the Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza, “Chasing Shadows” is a compelling police procedural in which Erika finally gets answers to the crime that has haunted her for years. I have followed Erika’s journey since Bryndza’s very first novel in the series, “The Girl in the Ice”, but “Shadows” is the only novel in which I feel it necessary that the former novels in the series be read before exploring (or, at the very least, “Girl in the Ice”) as the backstory in “Shadows” is quite complex and involves plot points from the earliest novels.
“Shadows” features all of the previous characters I know and love, including Moss, Peterson, Igor, Erika’s romantic partner, and Isaac, the coroner. There is a massive twist in this novel, too, which I won’t give away, that involves a pretty big player in the series, and it caught be my total surprise.
The new Erika Foster novel takes place over multiple timelines, in various orders, from the present to ten years ago (when Erika’s husband was killed), with a few other years in between. Although Erika is the protagonist, other characters narrate a few chapters here and there, but it all converges organically in a tight, well-formed plot.
Now that this chapter in her life is closed, I wonder what’s next for Erika. Bryndza shows no signs of bringing the series to a close and, for this, I am grateful, as I will continue to be a loyal Erika Foster reader until the bitter end. “Shadows” is a suspense-fueled detective novel, with “dirty” cops, drug dealers, mistaken identity and action-packed drama sequences, and it is every bit as excellent as the previous novels in the series. I will be holding my breath for book ten!

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for letting me read Chasing Shadows. Robert Bryndza has done it again with Detective Erika Foster book nine in the series. The story grips you from page 1 and the characters make you feel as though you know them. Definitely a 5 star read. Looking forward to book 10

This book closes the loop for police woman Erika Foster on the botched drug trafficking investigation that resulted in the death of several police officers including her husband Mark. Erika learns new information concerning the case that allows the reopening of the investigation that leads to information about a high level coverup within the police force.

This book was just okay. I think it may be a part of a series, but did very well as a stand alone book. The suspense part was good as well. The relationships however were strange. They relationship between Igor and Ericka was just annoying, she treated him so badly it was hard to see why he was in the relationship. Also, the story felt a little stilted at times.

Thank you to Net Galley and Raven Street Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is part of a series centering around Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster but can easily be read as a standalone. The story evolves around deceit, betrayals, lies, murder, crooked cops, changed identities and a detective searching for the truth. A sting operation from fourteen years ago which went awry killing Erika's team has haunted her since that day. The story unfolds from going from present to past to present to demonstrate the scope of the man, along with his cohorts, who created such chaos and destruction for his personal gain. Suspense builds each passing day as Erika and her team digs deeper for the truth. This is my honest voluntary review. Received an ARC thru NetGallery.

Chasing Shadows is another brilliant instalment in the Erika Foster series.
We've heard so much about Mark throughout the other books, I really enjoyed the opportunity to dig more into what happened with him, the case and the twists associated with his death. Spoiler - a bit gutted to learn what did happen!
4.5 stars.