To commit the perfect murder, you need the perfect cover.On an icy morning, a mother wakes to find her daughter’s blood-soaked body frozen to the road. Who would carry out such a killing on the victim’s doorstep?Straight off her last harrowing case, Detective Erika Foster is feeling fragile but determined to lead the investigation. As she sets to work, she finds reports of assaults in the same … she finds reports of assaults in the same quiet South London suburb where the woman was killed. One chilling detail links them to the murder victim – they were all attacked by a figure in black wearing a gas mask.
Erika is on the hunt for a killer with a terrifying calling card. The case gets more complicated when she uncovers a tangled web of secrets surrounding the death of the beautiful young woman.
Yet just as Erika begins to piece the clues together, she is forced to confront painful memories of her past. Erika must dig deep, stay focused and find the killer. Only this time, one of her own is in terrible danger…
From the global million-copy bestselling author comes a totally heart-racing, hold-your-breath read that will keep you hooked until the very last page.
Read what everyone is saying about Deadly Secrets:
‘It was absolutely brilliant!… the story keeps you in suspense right to the end with more red herrings than you can shake a stick at. I honestly didn’t guess who it was until the reveal actually happened, and loved the twist – very cleverly done!’ Stardust Book Reviews
‘I love how the author doesn’t give anything away and kept me guessing throughout. I truly had no idea who could be behind the killings and when all is revealed, with some shocking twists, it won’t be what you are expecting! …a thrilling and addictive read that chilled me to the bone.’ By the Letter Book Reviews
‘Simply Splendid!! This is another fabulous story by Robert Bryndza. He certainly has a talent when it comes to writing entertaining thrillers.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘This newest installment has exactly the same high quality of writing, plot development, twists and the healthy dose of suspense and action I have become used to with this series. I found myself hooked right from the very first page as there is just something about the writing that draws you right in.’ It’s All About Books
‘Another amazing story with lots of twists and turns you don’t see coming. Cannot wait for the next one.’ Trish’s Blog
‘Once again it’s a fantastic read, read in one day and had a major book hangover afterwards!… I love this series; the characters are very well developed and relatable.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘Talk about taking the reader by surprise. You will not see this ending coming… Reading about Erika is like meeting up with a friend. By this point I feel like I know her really well. She’s a fantastic character with so many layers.’ Goodreads Reviewermore
DEADLY SECRETS (Detective Erika Foster, #6) by Robert Brynzda is another highly addictive addition to the series. I wait anxiously for each of these books to come out so that I can be completely engrossed in a new crime mystery and catch up on all of the characters that I have come to love.
DCI Erika Foster is still recovering from her last case and is finding this Christmas season especially difficult emotionally. Rather than deal with what is sure to be an emotion packed Christmas lunch with the Marsh family, she takes the lead in a horrific murder of a young burlesque dancer. As Erika and her team start to work the case, they find that their murder case may overlap with a separate series of attacks in the same neighborhood. All of the victims have been attacked by a frightening specter in black wearing an old fashioned gas mask.
As the case progresses, Erika receives a call from up north that her father-in-law has had a medical emergency. DI Kate Moss is promoted to handle the case. As the clues come together and the case heats up, Moss finds herself stumbling into a dangerous situation with a soulless madman who will do anything not to be caught.
This book has Erika facing some very difficult personal problems and decisions. Mr. Brynzda humanizes Erika in this story more than in any other. Putting Moss in charge shows her vulnerabilities and strengths in her work and home life. Peterson is back to work and brings a new personal twist to his story. The whole team is facing dynamic personal changes in future storylines.
What appears to be one plot, turns into two diverging plotlines. Each has twists and surprises that had me guessing until the end. It is a fast paced read that kept me turning the pages and hating to set the book down. These books can be read as standalone crime fiction mysteries, but the continued growth and interactions between all of the main characters makes me glad that I read them in order. This is a series that continues to engage, surprise and be on my “Must Read” list!
Thanks very much to Bookouture and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Robert Bryndza has written another gripping tale featuring Erika Foster. In this installment, Erika is due to go to Marsh’s house for Christmas lunch, but she doesn’t want to go. On her way there, she stumbles on a crime scene, and inserts herself into the investigation. A young woman has been found brutally murdered on her front lawn and is frozen in her own blood.
The investigation takes a twist when the investigative team ties the crime to a series of assaults and rapes on people from a person wearing a gas mask.
Also during the novel, Erika and Peterson face their relationship challenges, when Peterson reveals a secret to Erika. Moss is forced to take over the investigation, and is put in grave danger when Erika is called away to care for her father-in-law.
When they think they have the case tied up, Erika notices a chilling discrepancy and they turn their sights in a different direction.
I wasn’t thrilled with the ending, because it seemed to come out of nowhere, but I still enjoyed the book.
#DeadlySecrets #RobertBryndza
I have a long list of British authors that I follow, including Robert Bryndza. I love the quirky and sarcastic humour, and the flawed characters. Erika Foster is definitely flawed and quirky, and a damn good police detective. Great reading. Cheers Lynda
*4 Stars*
Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoy the Erika Foster series, and once again I read this one quite quickly. As prickly as Erika can be, she’s an intense and likeable character and I love the way she does her job.
This case was throwing everyone all over the place, and even when I thought I had it figured it out, I didn’t. I was close, in a way, but I didn’t have the whole story. Particularly with one of the revelations at the end. Wow it turned it around completely!
I also enjoyed getting to know Moss and Peterson a bit more in this book and the whole team works so well together that the secondary characters are always just as much a part of the story as Erika is.
Overall this was another great book from Robert Bryndza, it reads easily just like the rest in the series, and it keeps you hooked, and wanting to get to the bottom of the story. Definitely recommend.
I enjoyed this character enough to read all 6 books
Tams gives this one 5 Stars…
I can’t get enough of DCI Erika Foster!
Murderers don’t take Christmas off, apparently. Erika is trying to catch a serial killer but her attention is split when her father in law falls ill. Peterson has a secret and Moss finally gets a chance to prove just how skilled she is.
I can’t praise this series enough, it is so well written and I love that with each new installment Bryndza manages to bring something new to the table. The mystery is so intense and intriguing and a few times I thought, hey I’ve got this figure out, but I really didn’t. Hats off to Bryndza for keeping me guessing, on the edge of my seat and literally screaming at a certain character at one point. “HE’S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!”
Narration was phenomenal once again, really enjoy Cramer’s lilt and tone and how she manages to give each character a different voice, even if it’s just a subtle change in the accent.
If you like murder, mayhem and very strong female characters this is a must listen, promise.
Great read. Could not put it down
Excellent book in an excellent series!
Deadly Secrets by Robert Bryndza
A Detective Erika Foster Novel #6
Murder, Mystery and Misfortune befall more than one in this novel that is predominately a police procedural but also provides insight into families and some of the lives of characters Erika knows.
The book starts out with the murder of Marissa – a young woman who earns some of her money doing burlesque dancing in theaters. She also makes money on the side in a variety of rather unethical ways. The murder is brutal and the killer masked so even the CCTV camera that has footage does not indicate who the murderer is. With other incidents occurring in which persons are attacked by someone wearing a gasmask like the one on the CCTV film the police believe that if they catch the masked man they will have their murderer.
There are a few red herrings, a suicide, a number of people accosted, a police detective in danger, Erika’s father-in-law in need, and a surprise twist at the end that was perhaps not 100% believable but still unexpected adding a further dimension to the story. In some ways I would have preferred the masked man to be the only culprit but…I didn’t write the book.
I enjoyed seeing how Erika is doing and would like to read more of her story in future books. I am not sure what I have missed in the previous four books but did not need to read them for this book to flow easily and stand as a story on its own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars