I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity.

It is always a good day when a new Erika Foster book comes my way as I know I'm in for a thrill ride. We are up to book 6 now and roller coaster is still speeding on. Erika, in this book, comes over once more as fairly lonely. Her relationship with Peterson has fizzled out a bit, partly due to an injury he has sustained. Erika once more throws herself into work as compensation, and there is a gruesome murder handy for her to focus on. A betrayal among Erika’s team results in her sustaining injuries that mean she takes a back seat for part of the book. The gaps are filled by Nina. Nina is an ordinary girl and we wonder how she is involved in such a horrific crime. Throughout the book we follow Nina’s psychological descent in a story worthy of its own Netflix drama.

The story isn't perfect. I'm sure there are flaws in procedure and the plot follows the now de rigeur event of Erika being put off the case. Certainly Marcie’s final forgiveness is unlikely. Still the story is so tense and fast-paced you really don't care. Make sure you have the time set aside to finish this book because once you start, you won't want to stop reading

Cold Blood. Robert Bryndza

A Police Procedural Thriller with a bit of everything.

DCI Erika Foster is the head of a Major Investigation Team in London. When a body is found, in a suite case, on the banks of the Thames, her team is assigned to the investigation. Or more to the fact, Foster Bullies her way forward to get her team on the investigation.

The body in the case has had his head removed, and his legs chopped off, so that he would fit. When a second body is found under the same circumstances, with the same damage to the body, Foster knows she is dealing with a serial killer.

As the bosses above her try to move the case to a different team Foster digs her heals in and insists her team are in the best to continue the investigation.

Following a betrayal by somebody she trusted Foster is injured in an attack and is off duty for nearly a month.

The case is passed to another team and eventually pushed to one side as unsolved.

On the day of her return to Duty, a third body in a case is found and connected to the first two. Her team are reinstated as the lead and Foster continues her investigation.

Foster is the main protagonist in this book but the story also follows the killers. As well as a tale of a police investigation it is also the story of how easy it is for an innocent person to become so infatuated with somebody they will end up committing hideous crimes.

This story moves at a fast pace, hardly allowing the reader any respite between crimes scenes.

This tied in with well written characters, all of who are easy to love, hate or empathise with makes this book a great read.

This book will resonate with real Police Officers. Bryndza has captured the frustrations of the front line Police Officers who are dealing with the effects of austerity.


Pages:378
Publisher: Bookouture
Publishing Date: 20th September 2017.
Available to pre-order on Amazon

Another gripping instalment in this well established series, admittedly it would be difficult to read as a standalone novel so I highly recommend reading the previous books.
Not quite five stars only because I'm not a fan of the current trend of having senior police characters becoming targets

Every book in the Erika Foster series is a gem. Bryndza does a perfect job balancing a diverse cast of characters, work drama, a consistent narrative, and differing crimes in each novel. In this third installment, a man is found dismembered in a suitcase. When another body is identified as being in a similar condition, Foster and her team realize that this could be the work of a serial killer...or maybe more than one.

By bouncing between Foster and her team and the antagonist(s), Bryndza adds a human dimension and helps the reader to understand the circumstances behind the crime. It makes each dark step all the more sinister and the twists that much more intense. Highly recommended for British crime fans.

I have become a big fan of the Erika Foster series ever since I finished reading the first book last year. Now book number five is already about to come out, and my feelings haven't changed. In fact, Cold Blood has only reconfirmed my love for this series. Because this story yet again blew me away... There is no doubt that every new Erika Foster adventure simply delivers and will have you on the edge of your seat for the duration of the ride. Cold Blood is another serial killer thriller with a twist; it has a great plot, lots of action and twists that will keep you invested until the very end. It has been very interesting to see the main characters develop over time and it almost feels like you know them personally. Erika Foster is without doubt a very powerful character and is an important part of why this series is such a success. The case in Cold Blood is another fascinating one; you find out the who quite early on but the character development is spot on and intriguing. Also, the final scene is GOOD! I definitely can't wait for the next installment and Cold Blood hasn't even been published yet. If you enjoy reading crime thrillers, I can highly suggest picking up this series. Trust me, you won't be disappointed! The books are highly entertaining, well written, suspenseful, have the right amount of creepy, lots of twists and a kickass main character. What more to ask?

Cold Blood by Robert Bryndza
I was delighted to be offered an ARC for the latest in a series I have loved however, I'm afraid I was a little disappointed. It is not easy to create a parallel plot with a Kindle. When the path began to split, even though the entry was dated, I felt unsure about this second strand and it was ages before I realised the relevance though ultimately it all became apparent.

There seem to be a great deal of irrelevant material and this book is not as engaging as the earlier books. Though it is good to catch up on some folk in her team, yet again too much information without good reason. I will read the next in the series in the hope that the next can reenergise me for the characters.

Robert Bryndza always delivers a fast-paced, page-turner of a book! Love the Erica Foster series, can't wait for the next one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Robert for my arc of this book. I don’t know how he does it, but Robert certainly manages to top his previous book every time. At the end I always think he can’t improve on such a brilliant book but the next one comes along and is more gripping than the last. Detective Erika Foster is ballsy and likeable with an intriguing history. She always succeeds in getting to the truth and solving the case, even if she manages to upset a senior Officer or two on the way. As always, I was thoroughly engrossed with this book and found it hard to put down until after I had read the final page. This has to be my top read of the year and I would unreservedly recommend it.

The author has invested a great deal of thought into the development of his lead detective, DI Erika Foster. She has certainly not had an easy ride both inside the force and among those criminals she has faced up to in the previous four books.
Here she encounters betrayal among one of her extended team which she finds hard to overcome. Interesting it is not so much her personal loss and injury but the wider threat to previous good police work and successful convictions.
Another telling pointer to her make up is the fact that her main goal after solving the case and getting the villain is to see them face justice and spend the rest of their lives in prison.
As usual with Robert Bryndza novel the supporting characters are well fleshed out and the criminal elements believable and menacing.
This is the story of two young people who get together with issues but work well as a team. We quickly learn she is the forced one and her actions are often made under duress. The book explores some of the factors on that kind of harmful relationship which we guess will be destructive for Nina as we gauge her partner Max is a bit of a psychopath. This is the book story to an interesting serial killer tale of bodies being dumped in the Thames having been cut up to fit into a large suitcase.
I loved the rant about big luggage and airport restrictions on weight and such like. However, if I got the chance I'd be asking Robert where do you obtain body size baggage? It seemed a clue that fizzled out and had no further bearing on the plot.
The interesting thing about Erika her story can go in a number of directions which makes this such an engaging series.

Cold Blood by Robert Bryndza
A body is found on the banks of the river. Butchered and packed neatly into a suitcase it is a shocking discovery.... Until DCI Erika discovers it isn't the first.

Another good story in this great series but not quite so punchy a the earlier books. The policewoman's personal life and that of her colleagues continues to play perhaps too big a part in the plot but nevertheless the reader can catch up with their lives.

I enjoyed this book but found it overly long and not as engaging as those previously read. Despite this, I will still look forward to more by this author.

Cold Blood is the fifth instalment in the Erika Foster series and if you're not reading this one, you are missing out! Start with book one and catch up. It's a good tip from me.

Erika and her team are in for a gruesome ride when a suitcase containing a dismembered body is found on the shore of the Thames. With a completely unrecognisable face, the team are struggling to identify the victim. As it turns out, another body was found in the same condition. Surely these two victims are connected. But how? And why were they so brutally murdered?

I remember from my review for Robert Bryndza's previous book "Last Breath" that I called him consistent. I'm not sure why that stuck in my head other than I kept feeling it sounded slightly condescending, which wasn't my intention at all. I have the utmost admiration for any author who continuously delivers a solid plot with solid characters and that's what this author does time and time again. The Erika Foster series is one of the best ones out there and has been since book one. But with this latest one, Robert Bryndza totally raised the bar and his game!

It's dark and disturbing, harsh and brutal. It had me guessing until the end, not being able to predict the outcome at all. The investigation the team conducts is incredibly gripping and had me utterly hooked. But I also enjoy the balance between Erika's job and her personal life, complicated though it may be at times. There's something so completely enjoyable about following a character and watching them develop, or even struggle, in a mean sort of way. It makes them all the more realistic and believable when they have baggage and flaws.

The truly gripping bit is of course about the serial killer. I found parts of that story incredibly heartbreaking. It's hard to say anything else about it but I will say there was a character I was rooting for all the way and to have chapters from that character's point-of-view interspersed throughout truly brought this story to a whole other level.

Cold Blood is most definitely the best one in the series yet! I can't wait for the next one!

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Robert Bryndza, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

COLD BLOOD is the fifth Detective Erika Foster novel. In this novel, Foster discovers a locked suitcase washed ashore, a dismembered body of a young man inside. Prior to this discovery, a young woman's body was found in another, identical suitcase. Foster makes the connection, declaring she is searching for a serial killer, but before she can make any real progress, Foster is the victim of a brutal attack. While recovering, twin daughters of Foster's colleague, Commander Marsh, are abducted. Fearing they may be the killer's next victims, Foster must race against the clock to save them.

Robert Bryndza has penned a fantastic novel; it's everything a reader wants in a thriller: psychological suspense, gripping action, page-turning twists, developed characterization, admirable underlying themes, a twinge of mystery and horror, and fast-paced read. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys police procedural or serial killer psychological thrillers.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

DCI Erika Foster attends the scene of a mutilated man who was found in a suitcase. Unable to ID him, she knows she and her team have their work cut out for them. She learns from one of her team that there was a woman found in a similar state found two weeks ago.

The male victim had a stomach full of cocaine packets. Why did no one try to recover them? Are they going to come after them now? The forensic tech tries the genealogy database and learns the names of the two victims. They are Thomas Hoffman and Charlene Shelby.

One of Erika’s team puts forth the theory that there were two assailants. Neither body had defensive wounds. Combing the CCTV tapes, they spot Hoffman and Shelby on the tapes getting out of a mini-cab, and they are not alone. The lab comes back with the information that there were no fingerprints. The team is downcast.

Erika is the victim of a vicious attack while taking some drug evidence to the lab by some men in a Land Rover. Fortunately, she wins the battle and arrests the men. It seems Nils was in the mix somehow. He phoned the police.

Then the past comes back to haunt Erika and we learn how a big part of the story comes into play.

We learn more about Erika’s past in this book. Her young love Max was a bad boy who entranced Erika beyond measure. Her boyfriend DI James Peterson has not yet returned to work after a six month recovery from being shot in the stomach. Erika feels guilty, for it was her idea not to wait for backup. Forensic tech Nils Akerman has a major problem on his hands.

This book is very well written and plotted. I am so relieved to see that Erika has finally gotten her stuff together. She is not as cranky and short tempered as in previous books. Perhaps Mr. Bryndza has come to realize that a character that is even semi-likeable is much better than a negative one. The tension in this book starts out immediately and continues throughout the story. I’m glad to see the team getting along together. Very well done, Mr. Bryndza!

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for forwarding to me a copy of this much improved book for me to read and enjoy.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

One-Sentence Summary: Detective Foster hunts a pair of serial killers and the case gets personal for one of the team

Review: Every time I think Bryndza has reached the top of his game, another stellar addition to the Erika Foster series lands on my Kobo and I am blown away yet again.

He is such a great storyteller, you are swept into Erika's life and the world of the criminals, attention gripped waiting to see how it all plays out. Erika Foster is a great lead character who is tough as nails (she needs to be with the amount she is battered and bruised!) but far from perfect and the crime drama plays out dramatically against the backdrop of South-East London and, in this case, further afield in England.

What the author does especially well in this novel is get you invested in the perps. One of them especially is borderline psychopathic but you can't help but be drawn into their lives on the run and feel disappointed when it all comes to an end.

I can't let this review end without mentioning my love for Moss! She is the perfect friend and sidekick to Erika and has some great sassy one-liners in this book.

Without a doubt this is currently my favourite crime series. Needless to say, I absolutely can't wait for Book #6 ..... will this be the book where Erika has to revisit the case which killed her husband?!

I have read lots and lots of crime books and I have read the other four in the Erika Foster series but wow this has to be the best so far in the series, so I do hope the author is busy with number 6. Its gruesome from the start when a dismembered body is found in a suitcase beside the river Thames. This is just the start of a killing spree where a young girl who sees herself with no future is drawn in by the good looks and bravado of a man who is older than herself, she soon realises that she wants the power that he has but she has no idea of how evil and controlling he will become. If you love a fast paced psychological crime thriller I can highly recommend this book. Thank you for the ARC

This is the latest outing for DCI Erika Foster and yet again a great story, although I didn't feel that this was as fast paced as previous books. I would still highly recommend it.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Cold Blood, the fifth novel to feature DCI Erica Foster of the Met.

Erica is called out to a murder scene where a man's body has been found dismembered in a suitcase. When a team member remembers a similar case from a couple of weeks ago Erica suspects they are looking for a serial killer but needs proof.

I thoroughly enjoyed Cold Blood which is an intelligent, exciting read with plenty of twists and turns, some more believable than others. The reader knows the killer's identity almost from the start as there are chapters from a diary interspersed with the investigative narrative but has no idea where it will lead and this is the thrill of the novel. I was hooked from page one. The plotting is clever with Mr Bryndza really getting into the mindset and motivations of a psychopath. At no time does any of it seem unlikely.

It is interesting to see Mr Bryndza develop Erica's life. She is a lonely figure with few friends and her family in Slovakia. Her relationship with DI Peterson is over and they have settled in to an uneasy friendship which she doesn't seem happy about and there are hints of more heartache to come. It would be nice to see her more fulfilled outside of work because the budget cuts are making her life difficult there. I love the go she has at the brass when they try to scapegoat her and their reactions - it says all you need to know about the politics of policing.

I like all the little details in the novel which ground it in reality, like the unanswered question of where the killer sourced the large suitcases as apparently in this day of baggage restrictions they are hard to come by.

Cold Blood is another good addition to an excellent series so I have no hesitation in recommending it.

And #Boom, Erika is back! When a suitcase containing the remains of a dismembered male is washed up on the banks of Thames, DCI Erika Foster makes the link with a similar case a couple of weeks earlier when the body of a female was also discovered dumped in a suitcase. With her new superintendent anxious to transfer the case to the drugs squad, Erika is determined to keep this one under her control. And we all know just how determined Erika can be! Her determination doesn't save her from a brutal attack which sees her confined to home and off the job but when another body turns up and the family of Commander Marsh are affected then there is no way Erika will be sitting back and licking her wounds at home!



#ColdBlood is book five in the series,  and yes you could read it on its own but why would you when the other four are just screaming out to be read!

Told in flashbacks between the present time and last year as we follow the two characters central to the investigation; cleverly segmented and written providing the back story for the readers to unwrap alongside the main course!

Personal lives are tangled with professional; lies, deceit and betrayal and thrown into the mix a good dollop of twisted relationships, addiction and guilt; all these ingredients combined have cooked up a tightly crafted and powerful police procedural with one kick ass female detective charging headlong into the pages! Do not miss this!

Assumptions are challenged about addiction and the idea that all addicts are claiming benefits and living in squalor is shelved in this book and I loved the great line written by Robert " we are all just a few pieces of bad luck away from having to make horrible choices to survive" it just hits the subject right home.

Erika Foster, I bloody love her! She has got guts, balls and is not afraid to raise her head above the parapet but she has also got a vulnerability and this comes to the fore in Cold Blood; she lets the readers catch a glimpse of her softer side, her emotions and her fears slowly making their way to the surface at times.

As usual, Erika's relationship status remains at the "it's complicated" level and in #ColdBlood DI Peterson is in recovery, will he and Erika recover from the incident that left him fighting for his life! We also see Commander Marsh back on the scene after being reinstated, he and Erika have history, is this about to unearth itself again!

Max and Nina, too much to say about these two but don't want to give any spoilers away - just be prepared to be contradicted in your feelings for this pair as the book progresses.

DCI Melanie Marsh, the new superintendent, I wasn't sure what I thought of her; a bit of a wimp compared to Erica I guess but I'm sure Robert has great plans to bring her out of her shell!

There were so many heart stopping twists and turns that my jaw hit the deck over and over again! Fast paced and edgy with an energy and vibe about the narrative that hooks you right from the very start!

Cold Blood just kept ramping up the pressure page by page with no let-up, it didn't take its foot off the gas once! I'm exhausted now! (But in a great way!)

Robert Bryndza is the king of keeping you awake, that one more chapter sees you reading way past your bedtime into the wee small hours!

This book deserves way more than the given 5 stars. 
​What a brilliant read. Ill health allowed me to sit and read this and really get stuck into​ it. Never before have I been grateful for bed rest.
​This series of books is certainly way up there at the top of my must read series. Robert certainly knows how to entertain his readers, grabbing you in from the word go and you are not released until the very end. 
​Erika Foster is a character I have really grown to like, yet I still feel with each book we are learning more about her, she's a very feisty character yet sometime I feel she's a little vulnerable, I wanted to get hold of her and one stage and give her a cuddle, then I wanted to get hold of her and give her a slap and explain that she's only human. 
I think if an author manages to get you feeling so much for a character then, they have certainly done their job well. 
​This certainly is a bit of a bad case for Erika and her team, bad enough that a suitcase has turned up with a dismembered body in it, but when a second one turns up well the case gets that bit more difficult. It's a testing time for them all, and each and every member of the team will have their skills tested here. 
​I really can not praise this book or this author enough, and i'm excited to see what else Robert can bring us. It's going to be tough matching or bettering this read that's for sure, but you know what? If any author can do it, then I really think Robert can. 
An outstanding read.
 I would recommend this series to anyone who loves a damn good crime thriller. This book has gone into my 2017 Must reads!