Robert Bryndza has become one of those authors for me that I don't even need to read the blurb for his book, as soon as I see his name, I want to read the book.
He certainly doesn't disappoint.
​Erika in this book starts off on the side lines of an investigation. And you know right away that she is certainly not happy that she isn't leading this investigation. But you also know she is going to do all she can to get an 'in' with the investigation, and is desperate to return to the murder investigation team.
It's not to far into the book where Erika starts to find links.

An evil serial killer is stalking his victims online, this in itself is scary. How many of your friends on Facebook do you actually really know. It does make you question things, as social media is one thing we all seem to use day in day out, this story line really does make you think.
Erika Foster is one of my all time favourite Detectives, and I do have quite a lot of favourites.   I love the way she works and everything about her.

This book could be read as a stand alone, but for me if you are going to read a series of books, it's best if you can read them in order.

​I really am eagerly awaiting more books from this author. I think he should be locked in a room with nothing but his writing material and get books out to us even quicker than he does now. lol I'm sorry but I think authors like Robert shouldn't have a life outside of writing, it's unfair that we have to wait for more. But wait we will.
​An outstanding read. Loved it.

Absolutely brilliant! It just gets better and better!
I had been waiting impatiently for this to come out and i am so grateful to have received a copy.
Erika Foster works in a different unit and when a case comes up she joins Peterson and Moss at the crime scene. Erika wants to be back working with MIT but will it be easy for her to just walk back in?
The close relationship between Erika, Peterson and Moss just fits together perfectly and we can see Erika is respected even though she may not always play by the book.
I hope there will be a next installment and soon.

If I could I would give this book 10 stars. A thrill at every page couldn't put down read it in a day and a half. The ending just blew me away.

When a body of a young girl is found in a rubbish skip, Detective Erika Foster wants in. But now she is no longer part of the Murder Investigation Team.
Desperate to be part of the team she needs to go and persuade Superintendent Sparks, someone who she detests and who also happens to be the man who was promoted instead of her.
Putting their differences aside they both want to catch the killer before he strikes again. But fate may change things very quickly.
And it soon comes clear that they are dealing with someone that has killed before .....

I loved the fact that the killer identity becomes clear quite early on. It helps us get a picture of whats going on in the mind of the person carrying out these murders.
Using social media to lure and kidnap the young girls, we know we are now dealing with a deranged evil individual.
Erika must use all her policing skills to catch this man before he strikes again.
Robert Bryndza has done it again in writing another fast paced thriller. The last few chapter were truly thrilling.
Erika Foster is starting to put her past behind her and her relationship with Peterson is starting to develop into something more than just work colleagues.

I'm loving this series and can't wait for the next installment

This latest book in the Detective Erika Foster series centres on a remorseless serial killer who finds his next victim online. As with books 1-3 of this incredible series, Robert Bryndza weaves a gripping, complicated story with several threads running at the same time putting us on the edge of our seats hoping Erika will catch up with this "needle in a haystack" of pure evil in greater London in time before he prevails over his next victim.

It's a truly harrowing read.

As always, Bryndza delivers creepy with a capital C and tension from page 1 to the bitter end. His fans will follow Erika anywhere and while I think I personally liked book #1 and #3 the most of this series (because in those two we have to work out the identities of the killers), this book is another tour de force.

The theme is so important also, beware of social media, folks! Watch out what we share with the world. Can't wait for the next book of this series and I love how Bryndza keeps delivering really top-quality stories. He must be exhausted from being in the mind of such a remorseless killer.

Last Breath is an unputdownable, relentless, you'll-read-it-in-one-go wallop of scary ickiness that'll suck the air out of you!

I was provided an ARC from Net Galley and Bookouture but had already pre-ordered this one!!! Thank you for this read!

Last Breath is the fourth novel in Bryndza's DCI Erika Foster series, where Erika follows her colleague, Peterson, to the discovery of a body in a dumpster in South London. Her colleagues have a suspect, but Erika believes there is more to this case than meets the eye, and has noticed similarities between this case and the case of missing person, Janelle Robinson. She is placed in charge of the investigation, but can she find the perpetrator before he claims more victims?
I read Dark Water, the third instalment in this series, in October 2016 and enjoyed it so much that I was thrilled to be approved by Bookouture to read Last Breath. I was really excited to be reunited with Erika and her team, and was not disappointed. It is clear that Bryndza cares about his characters, particularly his detectives, and I was intrigued to see how they would develop over the course of this novel. The time and effort he spends creating the central characters really pays off, because as a reader I am also compelled to care about them in the same way. I like the way that behind the confident police persona, each detective has their own personal story which renders them vulnerable, and it is this "human" element which allowed me to connect with them and will them to succeed. I am yet to read the first two instalments in this series, but they are high on my "to read" list. Occasionally, Bryndza does refer back to the previous novels, and this can be confusing in places, but I do aim to put this right as soon as possible!
Bryndza's writing is full of beautiful descriptions, and I loved the way in which he can make even the most gloomy of surroundings sound picturesque. This makes Last Breath incredibly atmospheric, and I found that for two days, I inhabited the world of the novel and was gripped with every page.
Like every good police procedural novel, Last Breath has plenty of twists and turns. There are red herrings and misidentified suspects, but although I knew these were coming, they still surprised me and drew me in further. The chapters are short. and the scenes change frequently between the investigation and the actions of the killer, and this made the tension palpable. I wanted the perpetrator brought to justice and I didn't want to put the book down until they'd been apprehended!
Last Breath is an exciting instalment in the DCI Erika Foster series and I am eagerly awaiting the fifth novel in the series!

4.5 stars. This has been by far the best Erika Foster book yet. I loved thinking I had it all figured out to have it thrown in my face. These books are so enjoyable, I can't help but kick my feet up and just gorge myself until I am done.

Every book in this series just seems to get better with every one that is released and Last Breath is no exception. In fact I think I found this one the most chilling of the Erika Foster books so far due to the online dating plot that provides a serial killer with his victims. It is just felt so relevant to today’s generation who still seem to take everyone they meet online at face value without thinking of the consequences. This made the book feel very realistic to me.

Erika Foster herself always makes these books for me, she is a brilliant character creation who is developing more with each case. Her relationships with Peterson and Moss are always fun to watch as they have now settled into comfortable friendships (and maybe more but I’m not saying anymore about that!). The whole feel of the team works well but Erika, being Erika, is still making her mark but making up her own rules as she goes along. As Isaac says to her at one point “You’re not a bitch, but you have to act like one sometimes. It helps you get the job done” and that sums up Erika perfectly! The job is her life but slowly she is letting others become part of it and I’m loving watching her emotional journey as much as her professional one.

The serial killers identity is known quite early on but this actually makes the book even creepier as we watch the way he plans and stalks his next victim. Honestly, every young woman needs to read this book!! It’s no good just telling your mate you will text her when you’ve met your “mystery man” because by then it could be too late! And Mr Bryndza, while we are on that subject, I got so involved and invested in these victims that you really shocked me with one of them!! How could you!?!? Needless to say I was on my guard for the rest of the narrative, trusting nothing and no-one, especially not the author!

This is another triumph for Robert Bryndza who has truly found his niche within the current crime market and I loved every single page. And I can’t wait to see what my favourite “girl crush” gets up to next.

Detective Erika Foster is with one of her former colleagues when they receive a call to a murder scene with a body being found in a dumpster. Wanting nothing more than to go back to solving murders Erika invites herself along to the crime scene and begins investigating even though she is currently supposed to be in a desk job pushing papers.

Fighting to secure a position back on the investigating team Erika quickly ties the current murder to an unsolved murder of a woman four months earlier. Dumped in a similar location and with similar wounds
Erika is sure that the two murders are connected and that she needs to be the one to solve the crimes.

Last Breath is the fourth book in the Detective Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza. I have followed this series from the very beginning and as usual enjoyed diving into the investigation with Erika and her colleagues as they chased down a serial killer in this installment.

While I feel that you could pick up the story if not having read the other books I would warn that there is going to be background character building that will be missing if reading these out of order. However with that being said I can’t recommend the series enough for the fans of a great police procedural series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Oh Robert Bryndza....how we Goodreads folk love you! You've given us Erika Foster - a slow burner of a character who with every novel opens up to us a little more. And whilst her character develops you give us cracking crime stories that we just can't put down.

This story is a little different this time around. Two girls have been murdered - horribly beaten and dumped in bins, the final cause of death is the same. The difference is the first girl lived a transient life and barely got the attention she deserved but the latest is from a nice middle class background. Erika shouldn't even be at the crime scene of the second murder but when she sees what has happened she's desperate to get back to investigating murders. She quickly finds the link and soon ends up in charge. How this is different is the murderers story in this book is told to us from the beginning - we know who he is, we know what he's doing and how he's doing it. The story here is how Erika works it out. And it's one hell of a ride finding out how she does it.

It seems (to me at least) that Mr Bryndza has worked out what for me is a really important element of a good book - quality over quantity. So many books I've read lately could have been told in 300 pages but instead go over 500 or even god forbid over more than one book and oh my gosh do they drag. Its as if someone thinks readers will feel hard done by if it's not a brick or the first in a trilogy. This is not a issue here. Oh no there's not a word wasted here - every word is essential to the excitement and ambience of this story. He trusts his reader not to need everything over explained or described. It's as if he knows readers have imagination as well! And even more important, the absolute magic ingredient of any sort of entertainment.....we're left begging for more.

So please Mr Bryndza, please could we have some more?

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and Robert Bryndza for this digital ARC for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed each book in this series and like Erika and her team members. As expected this was pacy and with an unpleasant killer, I know this will not be popular but I have to be honest and say that I don't think this is the best book in the series,its not bad by anyone else's standards its bloody good but it didn't hit the high notes I have come to expect the format seemed a little tired to me .For me each book in this series has got better and better but this one was not quite as exciting .I really don't want to criticise I am a fan but I just feel that the foot has slipped on the pedal a little, its is still good by most writers standards and still worth a read I am not trying to put anyone off just giving my opinion..it is still worthy of a read though.Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

As always Robert Bryndza had me gripped from the start.
I love this series of books... Erika Foster is a deeply flawed character, who you can't help but to like. She is a well written, 3 dimensional work of art, and Robert Bryndza really brings fiction to life in Last Breath. My heart was racing as I was reading chapters (I thought reading was supposed to be a relaxing past time?)
I can't wait to read the next installment.

This is another compelling book in the Erika Foster series. As always Erika is strong and determined. She's not afraid to speak her mind and do whatever it takes to catch the killer. However, I'm not crazy about the romance part of her life. I liked the killer's point-of-view and his use of social media. This book may be a reminder for some who share a bit too much in their social media lives that we don't always know who we're talking to online and to be careful.

Right. So. Robert Bryndza owes me a manicure. I mean, okay, so I’ve always been a nail biter. Filthy habit I know but what can I say? I’m of a nervous disposition. Anticipation and tension doesn’t particularly help matters. But personal habits aside, I swear that I have chewed them back past a line even I wouldn’t normally cross. And why? This flipping book. That’s why?

You know when you pick up a book and you become immediately absorbed by it? When the writing is so good, the characters so engaging and the mystery just begging to be solved, so much so that you don’t want to turn away? When it ticks all of the boxes of the very things you look for in your favourite reads. You know the things I mean… Fast action page turner – check. Edge of the seat tension – check. More chemistry between Erika and Peterson than in a GlaxoSmithKline laboratory – check. From the very first page this book has it all.

This is a book with rather dark overtones – a young girl tortured and murdered and then her body dumped as though she was simply another piece of trash. The killer appears merciless and yet very meticulous in the execution of their plans, leaving no clues for the police. And to make matters worse, when a second body is found, there don’t appear to be any links between the victims other than the cruelty they have been subjected to and a murderer who knows all of the tricks required to stay hidden.

Now as the avid reader will know from Dark Water, Erika no longer works for the Murder Investigation Team taking the case right outside of her jurisdiction. She has to fight to get the powers that be to allow her onto the team, which means swallowing her pride and apologising to the very man who caused her to transfer to begin with – Superintendent Sparks. But when a strange turn of fate hands her the opportunity to lead the investigation, she jumps at it and thus she comes full circle to find herself working back with Peterson and Moss in the heart of the city. And this, ladies and gents is where the magic happens.

This trio, foursome if you count John McGorry who Erika brings with her from Bromley, are the perfect investigative team. Very in tune with each other and with a brilliant blend of humour, determination and charisma which means that you can’t help but like them. I love the dynamic that Robert Bryndza has created between them, and even the minor tension and electricity which exists within the team due to the budding romance between Erika and Peterson adds something special to the story. You can feel how torn Erika is between her professional persona, her feelings for Peterson and her need to keep a certain distance from her emotions following what happened to her husband. Their relationship is all brought to a head by the end of the book, but to find out how and why you’re going to have to read for yourself. But I will say that it’s one of those nail biting moments and part of the very reason I need a manicure.

Now the killer in Last Breath is merciless and I suppose a true psychopath – maybe even sociopath as they appear to have no morals or redeeming qualities at all. Much like in The Night Stalker the reader is aware of who the killer is from very early on; we are treated to, or rather subjected to, their thoughts and feelings as the action moves from the team to their point of view quite regularly. Unlike the perpetrator in The Night Stalker, there appears to be no real logic as to why they are the way they are. They stalk young women on line, tapping into their likes and wants and feeding back to them what they want to hear to gain their trust. They expose everything that is wrong about the way people live their lives on social media.. I can understand how external pressures may have contributed to their psyche in a way, but at the end of the day, their actions are brutal and there is no true motive. Yes there is a trauma that happens in their childhood, but even that doesn’t quite seem enough to explain the choices they make. To me, they are just plain evil.

The pacing of the book is perfect and I quickly found myself flying through the chapters, fully immersed in the story and thankful to be back amongst such familiar characters. In spite of the emotional journey Erika goes on in this book, she is still spiky, determined and willing to do whatever it takes to catch her man. We are treated to her softer side too, and it is very welcome indeed. It makes you like and respect her even more if that is even possible. And the way the book ends makes me wonder what next for Erika and the team as she is gifted the opportunity she has been working toward since the very start… The ramifications of that could be huge so I’m keen to see which path Mr Bryndza chooses to take.

For me I think this is probably my favourite of the books to date. While they have all been brilliant, there was just something about this one – I can’t quite articulate what – but something which really appealed to me. It is quite dark at times; the killer’s compulsion and lack of empathy for their victims makes for a skin crawling read. And as for the ending, as the final chapters unfurled, the fate of the final victim resting upon Erika and the team’s ability to make sense of the few scraps of clues they have been left, well it really got the adrenaline pumping and yes – this is where the nails got a particularly heavy going over. It was a can’t take my eyes off the page kind of moment. You know the ones? Where you feel yourself balancing on the edge of the chair and leaning into the book so much so that you almost fall over. Where you are willing the heroes to find their target and holding your breath as they enter the lions den for that final, potentially deadly dalliance with the killer… That kind of an ending.

Robert Bryndza has done a fantastic job, writing a truly compelling and tension filled story which also manages to highlight the perils of social media. It is not intended to scare or drive people away from their apps, or to stop people from engaging with others online, but it may make you think twice before you accept that friend request from someone you don’t actually know. Because that’s the thing about the internet and those on line profiles sp easily created. At the end of the day, it’s all just window dressing – and you may not really know what, or who, is hiding behind it.

An absolutely brilliant, be careful who you befriend now, 5 stars.

Having read all the previous novels featuring DI Erika Foster, I was excitedly anticipating this latest instalment and, if anything, it exceeded expectations! Erika is office bound at the start of this tale and frustrated by her lack of involvement in MIT. However, when her on-off boyfriend Peterson is summoned to a crime scene and others are prevented from getting across a snow-bound capital, she cannot resist the temptation to accompany him! From this beginning she becomes gradually more involved in the hunt for a sadistic serial killer and the novel hurtles towards its thrilling denouement. Stunning!

I have read a lot of Robert Bryndza's books and really enjoyed them all, this book does not disappoint. . In this new book we find Erica back at West End Central, she did not get the promotion she wanted so badly, but tries to get on with the job, one that she cares so much about. Young women are being murdered and their bodies are turning up in dumpsters. The murderer is not leaving any clues. I won't spoil the plot but Erica and her team work hard to unwind this puzzle. It was an a fast moving story which I read over two days, I really could not put this book down.

I am glad that Robert Bryndza is a fast writer, so the wait for the fourth instalment in his totally addictive Erika Foster series was not too agonisingly long – and now hoping the fifth one will be out soon (hint, hint!). Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity to apply for an early review copy and did my little happy dance when I received the approval from Netgalley, even if it meant getting in trouble with my family for barricading myself in my room in anticipation of an all-night read-a-thon, leaving the dishes unwashed and the dog unfed (she hasn’t forgiven me yet).

In Last Breath, Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster is still serving her time in exile in Bromley shuffling paperwork and feeling perpetually bored, her latest application to get back on the murder squad once more declined by her archenemy Superintendent Andy Sparks. When the mutilated corpse of a young woman is found in a dumpster, it is exactly the kind of case Erika feels passionate about, even more so when she discovers a link to the cold case of a missing runaway.

“She cared deeply about the victims, and like so many of the cases she had worked on over the years, it was not only the terrible circumstances of the victims’ deaths which haunted her, it was the lives that had been snuffed out prematurely. Young women with so much life left to live: careers, babies, holidays, and all those joys now denied them.”

Determined to be involved in the investigation at all cost and convinced that she can bring the murderer to justice, Erika is prepared to eat humble pie to change Spark’s mind, even if it means begging on her knees to get her old job back. The meeting takes an unexpected turn – you will need to read it yourself to find out how! This is my clue to stop here and let the book do the talking, because it wouldn’t do at all to give away any spoilers.

Be assured that Last Breath is a cracker of a thriller, and just as fast-paced and addictive as the previous books in the series. I love Bryndza’s direct writing style, offering short action-packed chapters that move the story along at a pace that sets your pulse racing. Since the killer features very early on as one of the central characters, Last Breath develops into a cat-and-mouse game where the murder team always seem just one little step behind the murderer, racing against the clock to prevent more young women from dying. I found the details regarding CCTV technology and other types of modern surveillance fascinating – living in a small country town I feel very naive and sheltered from these types of urban realities. Bryndza’s central theme of the dark side of social media offered some clever plot twists and served as a reminder to be more mindful of how this modern tool can be exploited by a twisted mind.

Erika is a wonderful protagonist, and I was happy to see all the other much-loved members of the squad back in this one, with its usual dynamics and vivid dialogue. Erika is perhaps a little bit mellower in this book as her friendship with Peterson develops into something a little bit more, although her passion for her job has not diminished. If I were ever in trouble, I would definitely want her on my case!

“It would be really good if you could catch this one’” said Doug, his face set in grim sadness. Erika nodded. “I will. I always do.”

Last Breath is the type of book where you need to set aside plenty of reading time, knowing that nothing will get done until the last page has been turned. So order a take-away, lock all the doors, put the phone on silent and settle in for a cracking good read. Very highly recommended!

Another great book by Robert Bryndza. Gripping from beginning to end with the usual twists and turns we expect from his books now. The building relationship between Foster, Peterson and Moss is excellent, three completely different personalities merging to provide us with a great partnership, with quite a few surprises from some other familiar names thrown in to the mix. The plot is, as usual, constantly growing and bending to keep you on the edge. Hopefully more soon please.

After discovering Robert Bryndza by accident. I read his first book in this series, (The girl in the ice) and was hooked from the start. This is the 4th in the Erica Foster series and I was delighted to be able to read it early.

When the tortured body of a young woman is found in a skip, 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, it’s not her case.
She has to fight to secure her place on the investigation team. However she can’t help but get involved and finds a link to the unsolved murder of a woman four months earlier with an identical wound, a fatal incision to her femoral artery.
Stalking his victims online, the killer is preying on young pretty women using a fake identity.

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

Robert Bryndza has delivered a tense, terrifying, unputdownable and breathtaking book. Each one in the series is better than the last. Erika Foster is developing as a fantastic fictional character who gets stronger with each novel. I could see them making this into a great TV series. Keep them coming Robert.

Mesmerizing, dark and cleverly spine-chilling!

This is a skillfully crafted, perfectly executed thriller that takes us on a hunt for a sadistic serial killer and highlights how susceptible and vulnerable social media can make us.

The writing is seamless, vivid and fluid. The characterization is spot on with all the usual gang back including the tough, stubborn Erika Foster whose greatest struggles involve her inability to conform to authority and her apprehension at the growing intimacy with Peterson. And the plot involves a series of twists, turns, violence, murder and surprises that I guarantee will grab you from the very first page of the prologue.

Overall this book has an incredible pace and exceptional depth in both the storyline and character development. It's riveting; it's entertaining; and it's a clear indicator that Bryndza has definitely hit his stride. If you love well written police procedurals with intriguing characters this is the book/series for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Robert Bryndza for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.