This is my first book by Robyn Delvey. The story line is engaging, and the narrator was fantastic. The Bait is # 2 in the series and it reads like a stand alone I think. I had no problem following all the characters. The one thing I was not too clear about if Eve had been stalked before. It surprised me that she took forever to look at the files sent to her.

I am guessing diplomatic immunity is strange but there were pieces of the puzzle that seemed far fetched like the involvement of the US president. It was a enjoyable, face paced read if you are a fan of crime fiction/mystery/thriller which I am. I will be reading more of this author.

3.5 star rating. for Eve and a 4 for the writing and the pace of the story.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC. The views are my own

In the book The Bait, author Robyn Delvey writes about CPS lawyer Eve Wren and her pursuit of justice when the criminal is hidden by diplomatic immunity. A young girl dies from an apparent suicide - jumping off London bridge. But there are questions surrounding the reasons why. And when video footage comes to light that shows her being pushed over the rail, things begin to get tense. But how do they catch the murderer with irrefutable evidence? Someone has to become bait. This was a good story but made Americans out to be very bad people, always manipulating the system. The audio-book narration was very good. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This was intoxicating from the jump. What a unique premise! I really enjoyed this from start to finish!

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for the ALC.

This was my first book by this author, so I have not read the pervious book in this seiries. But I think the author did a good job of recapping any necessary details. This book started out with a young woman falling to her death from the London bridge. The suspense and thrills continue throughout the book. This story is told from multiple POV's. It is an exciting governmental thriller.
I found the ending confusing and less satisfying, as a character that is only slightly mentioned became an important person in the wrap up.

3.5 stars, rounding up.

London. A woman falls over a bridge and into a river, dying. The police find there is no foul play, this was suicide. But there are no signs pointing to suicide. Except that there is no evidence otherwise.

Until…. A witness comes forward with dash cam footage that shows the woman the moment she was pushed over the bridge, and by whom. Bradley Aspen. He is the son of a government official affiliated with the US Embassy in London, and he and his family enjoy diplomatic immunity.

Crown Prosecution lawyer Eve Wren’s supervisor has connections to the victim’s family and asks Eve to keep watch on the case. Before she knows it, Eve is into the investigation deep and trying to find a way around Aspen’s diplomatic immunity. In the meantime, Aspen’s mother, the government official, is coming to terms with the fact that, based on past knowledge, her son may in fact be a monster.

I have not even heard of this author in the past, but moving forward, she is a must read. This book was so incredibly twisty and tense. I loved the multiple points of view, because it gave such an interesting perspective of the feelings, pain, and thought processes as the investigation progresses.

The narration on the audio version was superb.

I enjoyed this book and would listed to it again. It kept me wanting to listed to more. The narration was also good.

Thank you to Net Galley and Brilliance Publishing for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

So I did not read book 1, and was not lost. I had not even realized there was a 1 that introduced the character so not worries if you start here. This was an entertaining thriller. Voted at 3- could possible been 3.5. Liked the character will hope for 3 while gong to read 1.


He’s been getting away with murder. Can one woman stop him?

When a young woman falls to her death from a central London bridge, the police rule it suicide—until a witness comes forward with shocking footage of the moment she was pushed. The attacker is identified as Bradley Aspen, the son of an attaché to the US Embassy in London—giving him diplomatic immunity from prosecution.

CPS lawyer Eve Wren knows the victim’s family and is determined to bring Aspen to justice. And when further victims come to light, she realises he’s no ordinary he’s a serial killer. Suddenly Eve is in a terrifying race against time to find a loophole in Aspen’s immunity.

Will she have to put her own life on the line to stop him from taking another woman’s? And who can she trust to protect her if she does?

Engaging and impossible to stop listening. The Bait made me question what I would truly do for someone I love if they committed a horrendous crime. We all imagine ourselves as hero, ready to be brave and selfless like Superman but the reality of human nature is far more complicated. A thought-provoking, gripping read.”

This is the second book and I felt lost after not reading the first. I did enjoy the character development even in a second book. Because I felt lost some of the story was missed in me, but it was a solid read for sure.

This was unexpected. I wasn’t sure which way this was going to go. I also wasn’t sure who was guilty and who was not. I couldn’t figure out what to believe about anyone. I really enjoyed that I was questioning until the end.

I will be honest parts of the ending were somewhat unsatisfying for me. Though that may just be that some pieces were left to you kind of decide what you think happened.

All in all. I would recommend this one.

I was given a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Bait by Robyn Delvey is a gripping, fast-paced thriller that had me hooked from the start. Although it's the second installment in the Eve Wren series, it works perfectly well as a standalone read. Told in three parts and through multiple points of view—including a diplomat, a London lawyer, and a TikTok influencer—the story unfolds with escalating tension.

The plot centers around a young woman who tragically falls from a bridge in London. Initially ruled a suicide, the case takes a dark turn when a video surfaces showing a man pushing her. The prime suspect? The son of an American diplomat, protected by diplomatic immunity. What follows is a tense and layered investigation as the authorities work to unravel the truth and seek justice.

Moira Quirk’s narration is excellent—she truly brings the characters and suspense to life, making the audiobook especially compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley & Brilliance Audio for letting me read this ARC.

This is an intriguing story with flawed characters and moral questions at play. It isn’t that much of a mystery, though red herrings were thrown at us regularly. Even the title action, of Eve being bait for a serial killer, doesn’t happen until the last third of the book (or later), yet we knew from the title it was coming. Nevertheless, it was engaging as we went deep into the lives and psychology of several of the characters much like in Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley series.
On the down side, so many complex characters were introduced early on that it took a little while to figure out the key players. Plus Eve was particularly incurious when presented with an urgent request from a distraught man. I didn’t find her response to him believable (but I didn’t read the first book in this series, so if that involved a stalker situation, perhaps I would cut Eve some slack here).
The narration is good and had me listening compulsively. A solid 4 stars.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @BrillianceAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook #TheBait for review purposes. Publication date: 15 August 2025.

3.5 I didn’t realize this was a second in series luckily it can be enjoyed without feeling like you have missed much. It was action packed from beginning to finish. However, it felt a bit unsatisfying as some things felt very rushed where others you felt like you knew what would happen from the beginning.

This novel opens with a young woman falling to her death from a London bridge. Heartbreaking and heart-pounding for the reader!

At first the police rule it suicide, but later footage is discovered that shows her being pushed by someone who looks a lot like an American diplomat's son.

The story unfolds from multiple POV's: the diplomat, a London lawyer (Eve Wren), and a young female tik tok-er, who is interested in the true crime aspect of the story.

I found the story to be exciting; more of a governmental thriller than a psychological thriller.

My challenge with the story is everything takes a turn when a character that is barely mentioned takes action...creating a domino affect of events that put every main character into peril. Why have this major action be taken by a character that we never meet, never hear from, barely know anything about?

Besides that oddity, I enjoyed this novel! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Bait by Robyn Delvey is a gripping and fast-paced thriller that kept me hooked from the very beginning. One of the things I appreciated most about this book was how effortlessly it pulled me in. The story was engaging and well-paced, with several chapters ending in cliffhangers that made it hard to put down.

What’s great about The Bait is that you don’t need to have read the first book, The Seven, to enjoy it. I went into this one without any background from the previous novel, and I had no trouble following the plot or connecting with the characters. It works well as a standalone and still delivers a rich, suspenseful experience.

Overall, The Bait is a well-crafted read that blends suspense and mystery in a way that keeps you turning the pages. Whether you're new to Robyn Delvey’s work or returning for more, this book is definitely worth picking up. I'm new to the crime fiction/mystery genre but I'm starting to understand the appeal.

Twisty, smart, and totally addictive — the audiobook of The Bait had me locked in from the very beginning. The narration brought out every layer of manipulation and tension, making the story feel even more high-stakes. I loved the power plays and psychological games, even if a few moments felt a bit over the top. The morally grey characters were easy to root for and be suspicious of at the same time. It kept me guessing and fully invested right to the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars — Rated R for language, mature themes, and sharp-edged drama.