Another great great from Robert. Gripping from the first page with enough twists, turns and unexpected developments to ensure you are up all night as you can't put it down. Great read, thanks Robert

Love this author and the main character. It is a clever English police procedural and the
main character is emotionally wounded and you are rooting for her all the way. I have
read Robert's books in this genre and highly recommend.

He’s your perfect date. You’re his next victim.

When the tortured body of a young woman is found in a dumpster, her eyes swollen shut and her clothes soaked with blood, Detective Erika Foster is one of the first at the crime scene. The trouble is, this time, it’s not her case.

While she fights to secure her place on the investigation team, Erika can’t help but get involved and quickly finds a link to the unsolved murder of a woman four months earlier. Dumped in a similar location, both women have identical wounds – a fatal incision to their femoral artery.

Stalking his victims online, the killer is preying on young pretty women using a fake identity. How will Erika catch a murderer who doesn’t seem to exist?

Then another girl is abducted while waiting for a date. Erika and her team must get to her before she becomes another dead victim, and, come face to face with a terrifyingly sadistic individual.

Gripping, tense and impossible to put down, Last Breath will have you on the edge of your seat, racing to the final dramatic page.
I really liked this book. We learn who the killer is fairly early in the book and who his victim is. Then it’s a race against time for the police to find the killer and save the victim. Do they manage to do it? You’ll have to read it to find out – no spoilers from me! 4.5*

The last book I read took over a week, but I read this one in less than 24 hours. I didn't do much else as I didn't want to put it down.

This is the fourth book in the DCI Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza. I have to state that I read the first book in this series when it first came out and was immediately hooked. I think this book ties with book#1 in the series as my personal favorite. I follow this author so that I know when the next book becomes available. I am a huge fan.

In Last Breath, Mr. Bryndza takes his recurring characters to the next level developing a personal relationship between Peterson and Foster. The potential of this relationship was started in prior books, but in this one Erika is finally dropping the wall that she built around herself and letting herself get close. I really liked the slow growth of this relationship as it has a real feel to it. I really like all the recurring characters that Mr. Bryndza is developing within the police force and with each book we get to know them more and more.

But the real gem of this book is the case itself. The abduction of the young girls feels so real and the way the plot is developed and the clues to the case are discovered kept me reading well into the night. We (the reader) know who the killer is early on in the book and really get a feel for his thinking. And we also see the police work towards finding him and are kept on edge of our seats waiting to see if they can catch him before someone else is killed. This was definitely a book that I didn't want to put down until I had finished reading it.

And then of course, I can't wait until the next book comes out. This is an awesome series and I really recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

BRAVO! BRAVO! Another round of an applause and 5 STARS for the latest in DCI Foster series! Robert Bryndza is truly an exceptional writer! How he keeps coming up with more plots just as good as his previous novels, keeps me wondering if he is really a magician!

As stated in the synopsis for Last Breath:

"He’s your perfect date. You’re his next victim."

These lines alone had me wanting to dig into this novel immediately!

A body of a tortured woman is found in a dumpster, as Detective Foster is the first to arrive at the scene, but it is not her case. This doesn't stop her from getting involved and shortly after, she finds a similar case of another woman from a few months ago.

I love how this novel is different than the earlier ones in the series. We don't have to wait until the end to find out who the sadistic individual is behind the murders and rather get insight into his life. As Erika continues to get closer to finding him, the shocks just keep coming and keep you turning the pages faster than you can read them! I couldn't put this one down until I knew WHY at the very end.

I highly recommend this fast paced thriller and CANNOT wait to hear from Erika again. Don't keep us waiting too long, Mr. Robert Bryndza!

This is the fourth Detective Erika Foster crime thriller but it can be read as a stand-alone. This novel is a regular British police drama and centers around the problems of dating someone for the very first time.

I enjoyed reading this book and liked how it covered the current problems faced by users of social media. It was both entertaining and informative how bad guys can use Facebook etc to gain the trust of their targets.

I liked the detail involved in this story, how the bad guy was covering their tracks and that you also got their point of view on their chosen targets. I thought the police investigation was realistic and I liked how there were hitches in finding the bad guy.

The plot was clever and made the criminal detection hard work for the team involved. I liked the pace of this novel and how the story developed. The feel of the story was similar to how users view their activity on Facebook with the reader thinking they are in the loop.

Characterization was very good among ALL the characters, the police, the victims, family and friends plus the bad guy. This is quality writing and I liked it as much as Robert’s last novel Dark Water. What more can I say, except that Last Breath gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

Detective Erika Foster is back again in a new thriller. A killer is targeting victims online, and Erika can't help but be drawn to the case, but unfortunately it isn't hers.

This is another gripping thriller by Robert Bryndza. It is very hard to stop reading and put this book down. I am hoping there is another book in this series. I wish my library had more of Bryndza's books. I greatly enjoy reading his work.

Be very careful if you arrange to meet someone you've chatted to online as you just don't know who will turn up - the man of your dreams or an evil monster! After a spell away, pushing paper around DCI Erika Foster is back to lead the team, hunting for a sadistic killer of several young women. She's still pushy and opinionated but that's all part of her "charm!". I love her commitment to finding the murderer, who is a rather nasty specimen and has absolutely nothing going for him. This book is like a bike going up and down a hill - starts slowly and then picks up speed especially on the downward stretch. I raced through to see how it would all end and it certainly didn't disappoint - just hope my next book will be as good as this!

Last Breath by Robert Bryndza

A young girl is found murdered, tortured, in a dumpster. Her femoral artery has been cut. DCI Erika Foster is the first senior officer on the scene (for reasons she would prefer to keep quiet) and she feels immediately drawn to the case. But, thanks to her uneasy and combative relationship with her superiors, Erika is confined to desk duty, suffering her contemporaries to be promoted above her. Erika isn’t one to give in without a fight and so she is determined to force her way onto the investigative team. She manages it in the end but for reasons that she has no wish to celebrate.

It turns out that the murdered girl is not the first victim of this killer and nor is she the last. As another girl is snatched and then another one, the pressure builds on Erika and her loyal team to solve the case before time runs out. Long days, dogged determination, hours of legwork following the most flimsy of clues, these all build up as the pressure mounts.

But we know something that Erika Foster doesn’t. Last Breath isn’t so much a whodunnit as a Willshecatchthepersonwhodidit crime thriller. We’re several steps ahead. We know who the killer is – it’s no secret – and we watch him pick his victims and cover his tracks. Then we wait for Erika to put the pieces together. The narrative moves between detective and killer, building the tension, while letting us into these two very different minds. It is such an intriguing story. The murderer’s character is particularly fascinating, especially in the ways that he interacts with those around him and selects his victims. It’s a chilling portrait of evil.

Last Breath is the fourth novel in the Erika Foster series but it stands alone very well indeed. There is development from the previous novel, Dark Water, in Erika’s personal story, which is one of great sadness moving a little towards the light, but the murder mystery stands on its own. And it’s such a good one. Having said all that, the hugely likeable Erika is a strong reason for the success of this and the other novels in the series. It’s so good to see her opening up a little with her colleagues and friends in Last Breath.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dark Water but I do think that Last Breath is even better. It’s a great story, told very well indeed, and driven forward my characters, both good and evil, who hold our attention from the very beginning and refuse to let it go.

Other review
Dark Water

DCI Erika Foster is back! I loved Last Breath so much. Before going in I was a little worried that Robert Bryndza’s magic may run out. This is the fourth book in the series and the first three have all been 5*reads for me. Surely that can’t go on forever? But I was DELIGHTED to fall straight back in love with his characters and find myself in the middle of another fantastic and interesting murder investigation.

I really loved that Last Breath focused so heavily on social media and its many dangers. With programmes such as Catfish being so popular, I thought this was a really current novel. Our killer in Last Breath lures in his victims using fake online accounts but for me the real sinister thing about it was just how much work went into manipulating the women. There was something very chilling about the way he made the women add him on social media and think they were the ones in control before meeting them and bringing them to the most brutal endings.

This is unlike most thrillers that I read as there was no ‘whodunnit’ revelation that I was waiting for. Instead the killer is revealed to us early on in the novel and we read chapters from his perspective as well as Erika’s. I thought this was a superb way to raise the stakes when it comes to how thrilling the novel is. I was practically screaming at my Kindle with frustration when he was getting away with things right in front of their faces. I was terrified when I could see they were getting close but didn’t know if they would get there in time. It was truly excellent.

One of my favourite things about Robert’s books is his characterization, it is honestly fantastic. I am in love with Erika, Peterson and Moss. They are so well written and they feel more like friends than book characters. I would love to see them brought to life on the screen, their chemistry is so well written that I am dying to see it played out in person! I was particularly happy with Erika and Peterson’s new venture too!!

I don’t know how Robert does it but I can only keep my fingers and toes crossed that more deliciously dark murder cases will be coming our way soon!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publishers. I have read other books by this author and have really enjoyed them and this one was just as good

Good book! I liked the characters and it held my interest.

I'm always excited to get my hands on a new Robert Bryndza book and I was especially happy to get this the fourth book in the DCI Erika Foster series. This is fast becoming one of my favourite detective series as I love Foster and her team.

This time they're investigating the murder of women who have been contacted via social media and dating sites. This isn't Erika's case but she as soon as she hears about it and follows a colleague to the scene she forces her way in with her usual single minded determination. It's a difficult case as the killer seems to have skill for taking on different personas and becoming invisible but nothing will stand in Erika and her teams way.

It's definitely an exciting story and one which pulled me in but as always what I enjoyed most about this book was the characters. Bryndza always writes such diverse and engaging characters they are always the highlight. I have to confess Erika is not my favourite, she's a bit too determined and idealistic and the whole clashing with superiors all the time is a little bit too cliched. She has developed over the series but actually I think I preferred her in the earlier books as I don't like the direction she seems to be heading. I do however still love Moss and Peterson and forensic pathologist Isaac Strong. I would have liked Moss and Strong to have bigger parts to play so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for the next book.

The writing is pretty good, it's easy but engaging and makes for addictive reading. I am however becoming slightly concerned that the books are being rushed a little. I feel like they're lacking a little bit of depth and detail and are in danger of becoming formulaic. Hopefully I'm completely wrong and it's just me.

Overall another great book in a very enjoyable series and I can't wait for the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy. As always all thoughts are my own

Without coming across like a gushing Fanboy, I love the Erika Foster books. Robert Bryndza is well on his way to becoming one of the best writers in this genre. As with the other books in the series the story flows at a good pace at leaves you wanting more. It took me longer to read this one as I kept stopping because I just didnt want it to end. What I really liked about this one was the characterisation of the killer, it was spot on. The balance between the two narratives made the book a genuine page turner. How these books havent been snapped up for TV yet I dont know, they are perfect for it.

In all honesty I cant fault this one at all, everything was perfect from beginning to end.

Highly recommended.

Last Breath is the fourth Detective Erika Foster novel from Robert Bryndza. I've loved every one of them. They just seem to get better and better.

Erika is still not happy in her current post – in the Projects Team. She is not meant for pen-pushing and is desperate to get back to the Murder Investigation Team and do the job she is best at.

The book opens with a body being placed in a large rubbish container and the subsequent discovery of the mutilated body.

Although no longer a part of the Murder Investigation Team, Erika, due to circumstances, manages to be one of the first officers at the scene where she has a run in with Superintendent Sparks. Despite being told to leave in no uncertain terms, being Erika, she goes behind his back and talks to witnesses.

When she later get more information from a witness, she passes it on the the officer in charge but again she is warned to stay out of the investigation. Of course, she continues to make her own enquiries. She comes across a potential link to another case and passes the information on to the DCI in charge of the case but gets no response. To compound her woes it turns out Erika had applied to be transferred back to the Murder Investigation Team but has been turned down.

Her frustration at being locked out of the case is so great that she even considers apologising to Sparks and is prepared to grovel to get back to what she does best. Solving murders.

It's a very good, satisfying thriller that moves along at a good pace. You do get to know “whodunnit” early on. It's as if you are able to see inside the head of the killer and the lengths he will go to, to avoid being caught. There is a kind of game of cat and mouse between the killer and the Police. He uses fake identities on social media to trap his victims and then later tortures them. The story is sometimes quite dark and violent but it never seems excessive. There is a good balance of action, dialogue and background information. The different threads of the story come together very well. I think also that knowing the identity of the killer early on makes it even more exciting. There are also red herrings and plot twists and the action keeps on coming right to the end.

I like the way that Erika and other characters have developed and changed since the first book. Erika has definitely softened a little and mellowed since the first book but her tenacious and sometimes stubborn streak still appears. Former colleagues are also back in this book. Having said that you could easily read book 4 as a stand alone and still enjoy it. Previous relationships are briefly explained where necessary. Of course if you read all four books in the correct order I think you would get even more enjoyment.

Occasionally you get a series of books where the first one is exciting and brilliant but over time subsequent stories seem less exciting and fresh. I certainly haven't found that with Robert Bryndza's books. I think they get better and better. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend his books to people who enjoy a good well plotted crime thriller.

A missing girl, a body in a dumpster and another gruesome case unfolds for DI Erika Foster . Once again Rob has weaved his magic spell and written another great detective novel, this one takes the readers into the seedy mind of Daryl Bradley, one of the creepiest nastiest characters that Robert has created. As usual Erika faces many challenges in this case, and she rubs plenty of people up the wrong way in her quest for the killer, but her steely determination wins through. I do not want to say too much about the story line as I don't want to spoil it for the readers, but it's safe to say that Rob has created another cracking read in this series. If you like your detectives strong and stubborn and your villains very sick and twisted then this is the book for you.

Detective Chief Inspector Erica Foster is not happy. She hates being stuck behind a desk writing reports, and has been refused her requested transfer to the Murder Investigation Team. She and former colleague, Detective James Peterson, are in a tentative relationship and were together when a call came through to Peterson about a body found in a dumpster. Erika can’t resist taking the initiative and is soon involved in the investigation.

It’s not long before Erika connects this murder to a previous unsolved case, the victim has identical wounds and the same signs of torture. Both girls had arranged to meet someone they became friendly with online. The story revolves around the downside of social media, specifically Facebook. The killer uses it to draw in his victims and get to know their movements, personal details and friends as he stalks them online using a false identity. A stark reminder that sometimes we really don’t know who is behind the Facebook profile.

Erika is brought in as Senior Investigating Officer and gathers the original team around her and with a new member the dynamics and chemistry work well. It’s far from a smooth transition for Erika however, taking into account the reason for her transfer and the in-house politics muddying the water.

Chapters are short and sharp, some from the killer’s warped perspective, which keeps up the pace. He’s a psychopathic individual and becomes known to the reader fairly early on in the narrative. Although the plot is still full of tension, despite knowing the perpetrator, the heart of the story is the character development. Erika’s character is showing marked development with vulnerability and survivor guilt surfacing as the relationships Moss and Peterson become more friendly and personal. She still retains her impulsiveness and forthright manner though, and the dogged determination to solve the case.

The investigation procedures are realistic, with the murder team following information which seems plausible at the time, only to find it leads nowhere. Time is of the essence as another abduction has taken place and the false leads aren’t helping. Eventually connections are made and Erika and her team can only hope they will be in time.

I love Erica and I want to be as feisty as her! Cracking book and a cracking read. Fantastic character and plot lines and great storytelling

I'm going to admit something. And I'm hateful so it hurts me to do so....I love this series. I think it's one of the best thriller sets that I've read.
Why does it hurt to admit that? I've read so many good thrillers that later come out with that dang sequel and they crap the bed and make me hate the first book..these books just keep getting better and better.


I'm totally hooked.

Detective Erika Foster is back. She is still a hot mess. She still never really knows when to just shut up and not blurt out her opinion and get herself in trouble. Even though she is a top notch detective she rubs everyone the wrong way. I heart her.


At the beginning of the story she once again is not where she wants to be because of prior actions. Then a young girls body is found beaten to death in a dumpster. Erika can not leave it alone. She can't stand for a killer to get by with doing it again. So she starts looking into it even after being told to keep her nose to herself.

She then realizes that this murder matches another of a homeless woman a few months ago and that both girls had met a mystery guy online through a dating service.

This is one of those stories that you know who done it early in the book, but following the story through his eyes works perfectly in this case. He is a creepy little turdling.
AND it will make you re-think uploading that latest info that you probably should have kept quiet about.


I'm ready for the next book.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

I thoroughly enjoy any book starring Erika Foster, and this one was no exception. I have read all of the other books in the series and I think they are just getting better and better.

Erika has been sidelined because of office politics, consigned to do work she has no interest in doing. She wrangles her way into a murder enquiry and then starts tracking a serial killer. This is an excellent police procedural and I enjoyed the case as well as Erika's interactions with her colleagues, her superiors and her love interest. Erika's mouth gets her into trouble all the time, and this is something I like about the book, she is a real person, with real flaws.

This is absolutely an edge-of-your-seat kind of book and it features brilliantly described scenes that would induce terror in any mere mortal reading it - it certainly did me!

Highly recommended read.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.