Deadly secrets is the 6th instalment of the Detective Erika Foster series and like all the others in the series that I have read, this is the best one yet.
It’s Christmas day and Erika is on her way to Commander Paul Marsh’s house for Christmas Lunch. She is driving past the row of shops near Crofton Park station when the traffic thickens, slows and stops. Suddenly she sees blue police lights up ahead. She sees DI John McGorry with some police officers. So Erika stops and asks him what’s going on. A young woman has been stabbed and her throat cut outside her house and there is blood everywhere. Erika can’t resist getting out the car and starts leading the investigation to find the killer of the woman, Marissa Lewis who was a Burlesque dancer and part time carer. But as come to investigate further, they find that Marissa is not liked by many of her peers. She has several relationships, even with a married man. DI Erika Foster and her team recognise another case of a man in a gas mark attacking women is linked to this case.
I’m a big fan of Robert Bryndza and I get excited when another book comes out. So when read this WOW. This another excellent read which I highly recommend. I like how the author writes intensity and originality that keeps you guessing right up to the end. This instalment is a bit darker than the rest with the attacker with the Gas mark reminded me of a horror movie gone by. But I love it all the same.
Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

I have read all of the Erika Foster series from Robert Bryndza and have enjoyed all of them. I was really excited to be able to read this advance copy but on this occasion I felt a little disappointed. The story had the potential to be really chilling and suspenseful but I didn’t feel the suspense this time. The crime scenes were horrible and described coldly. I just felt everything was wrapped up too neatly. Moss escaped too easily and recovered quickly without any repercussions. There was no panic from the team around her disappearance. I had the feeling this may be the last in this series. I hope not and will stilllook forward to and read Robert Bryndza novels.

Yet again, another gripping book in the Erika Foster series. In this story Marissa Lewis is brutally murdered right at her front door, it's Christmas Eve and no one saw or heard a thing. There appears to be no evidence in the way of DNA and a long list of possible suspects. Marissa is a mystery because you don't know who is telling the truth about her.

About half way through the book I was absolutely convinced that I knew who the killer was, but as usual Robert keeps you hooked and the you doubt yourself, and guess again.

Brilliant, a must read.

What starts off as something quite ordinary actually explodes into life in the final chapters and produces an ending impossible to predict but beautiful in its execution. On a cold winters morning the body of a young attractive burlesque dancer is discover frozen outside her home. As the investigation develops the perpetrator is identified as a tall man dressed in black wearing a gas mask. When a number of further attacks are recorded the race is on for Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster to bring a corrupt and twisted individual to justice as soon as possible.

The character of Erika Foster is what really attracts me to the books of Robert Bryndza. She is a relatively young woman in her early 40's traumatized by the death of her husband Mark when an earlier investigation ended in tragedy. In Deadly Secrets Erika reveals her loneliness and inability to retain a personal relationship, her sadness as the possibility of motherhood begins to fade, the changing of her body and mood swings as she struggles to accept the approach of menopause. To mask this unhappiness and despair she turns inwards accepting the dangers, toils and demands of her job as a senior member of the police force in charge again of a major investigation...."So much in her life was out of control, but she had the power to track down whoever had done this. And she would".....When Erika is unexpectedly called to Manchester to aid in the recovery and rehabilitation of her father in law Edward the command of the murder investigation is passed to DI Moss and no one could foresee the chain of events that quickly followed. An attempted arrest almost ends in disaster and Erika, having returned to the capital, once again takes control where a startling discovery turns the investigation on its head leading to the apprehension and detention of the most unlikely culprit.

I was a little disillusioned with the first part to this novel and found the idea of a suspect using a gas mask as part of a disguise a little unbelievable. However DCI Erika is such a wonderful "ballsy" character and I love the way the author is developing her psychic, exposing her weaknesses but equally championing her strengths. There is such a sadness and need under that tough veneer and I look forward to the next instalment of an excellent detective series. Many thanks to the good people of netgalley and the publisher Bookouture for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

Murder, torture, and more! This Erika Foster book is the best in the series thus far as she seeks to find the killer of a young burlesque dancer. Robert Bryndza is a gifted, talented, and natural storyteller whose flawless writing and execution bring the characters and settings to life while weaving a creative, imaginative tale with historical undertones with an unexpected twist at the end that ties it all together. Encore, encore, Mr. Bryndza!!

Deadly Secrets is book 6 in the Detective Erika Foster series.

Quite honestly it was absolutely shocking! Holy moly this story was a rollercoaster of emotions culminating in absolute horror.
It was very fast paced all the way through, the punches kept coming and smacking me in the face, dazing me but leaving me wanting more. I love the Erika Foster series so I was champing at the bit to read this and boy was it good.

All I can say without giving the story away is bloody hell, that ending! Who would have thought!

I don’t even want to say anything about the book for fear of giving away spoilers, just know that it’s good, very very good indeed.

Ok, now I have calmed down a bit from this very exciting read I would say that this can definitely be read as a stand-alone novel, I think it holds up very well and it gives a little info on the characters so you know where you are but I would highly recommend that you read the series, a) because they are amazing and b) you will get a better understanding of Erika and her team and their relationships and history together.

This is the sixth in the excellent Erika Foster series, and since I caught up with the last one only a few months ago, I was thrilled to receive an advance copy to review, rather than having to wait for it’s normal release. It is another well plotted police procedural about a DCI working in South London, who is super driven to catch murderers, in spite of her tragic past.

Deadly Secrets is set only ten or so days after the events of Cold Blood, and Erika is reluctantly on her way to spend Christmas lunch with Marsh and his family, as a thank you for saving them, when she drives past a murder scene and seizes the excuse to get out of the visit. A young burlesque dancer has been killed in her doorstep by a sinister figure in a long black coat and gas mask, her throat slashed, and left to bleed out in the snow. The woman was having affairs with various men, and was not well liked by anyone, apart from her best friend, but even she was being used by the victim for her own ends. Erika leads the case until a personal drama pulls her off it, leaving the wonderful Kate Moss to take over as DCI, but the attacker is still out sexually assaulting both men and women. Will the team catch him before he kills again?

I very much enjoyed this latest offering from Bryndza, where we see a more vulnerable side to Erika as she faces her loneliness and missed opportunities. Each book shows us a little more of her and the team’s personality and lives, and the bonds between them that are far more than just work colleagues. The mystery was solid, with the right amount of clues and red herrings, and of course the signature twist - I did not guess the identity of the killer until the reveal, nor the reasons for the murder. This book could be read as a stand-alone, although you would miss out on all the previous character development (and five brilliant thrillers).

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I am a massive fan of this series so I was very excited when I saw that the sixth book had been released!! I could not wait to get my hands on it - and that cover is brilliant!!

I am struggling to write a review that does this book justice so I will just give you my thoughts - it is a superbly written piece of work from start to finish and I loved it - I cannot recommend it highly enough - quite simply if you are a fan of the crime fiction genre you need to get a copy of this book!

There are plenty of twists and turns and I thought I had guessed who was responsible for the murder of Marissa but I was thrown a complete curve ball and it was certainly someone I did not expect at all! The pace is great and the writing style is the exceptional one I have come to know and love from this author.

The book it deserves every one of the 5 stars that I have given it - it is easily the best so far in the series and that is really saying something as each book has been excellent - it has a cracking end and I did not see that coming - superb writing and a brilliant book - now the long wait for book 7!!

I was so lucky and excited to get a copy via Netgalley that I had to throw my spreadsheet of books in order to read out of the window. I just love the Ericka Foster stories. I feel like I could banter with these characters - they truly feel real. The writing is so clever - easy to read but with a gripping story and some wonderful deadpan humour (the oxtail soup!). I did at one point think oh ok that is all stitched up but I should have known better that there was more to come and wow did it deliver! I am now envious of people who still have this to read.

Deadly Secrets by Robert Bryndza

Wow, what a ride that was.
Fast paced crime thriller Deadly Secrets is the sixth novel in the Erica Foster series.

When a young woman is found dead on Christmas morning, Erika Foster has to cancel her plans to attend the crime scene. Then along with her team which consists of Moss and Peterson she tackles the investigation with her usual unwavering persistence until personal circumstances pull her away from the case.

Robert knows how to set a scene and I actually felt quite scared at some of the creepier moments, he knows how to step into your fears and work those fears into a thrilling plot with strong well formed characters.

This book gripped me by the throat from the start and I found that when I had to put it down to get on with something else I would have that excited feeling in my gut, like the feeling when you're watching a brilliant drama or thriller on the telly and you can't wait for the next episode.
When she eventually gets to the crux of the crime it unearths some extremely disturbing secrets for one of the characters and I had no clue who did it until I found out at the end.
Huge credit to Robert Bryndza for another crime thriller which gets the blood pumping around the body for it's entirety. I thoroughly recommend everyone to read the whole of the Erika Foster series which starts with The Girl in the Ice.

4.5 stars, actually.

If you're like me and enjoy a good detective series, I highly recommend this one (it's the sixth book featuring London Detective Erika Foster). She's a bit reminiscent of J.D. Robb's Lt. Eve Dallas - another of my favorites - like Eve, tough as nails, but with less of a secretive, angst-ridden background.

The story begins not long after Erika's last case, and she's trying for some semblance of normalcy over the Christmas holidays (four years after her husband and fellow officer Mark was killed in action). But that involves going to a Christmas lunch at her supervisor's house that she's less than thrilled about - so when news of a murder comes in, off she goes to check it out. A young woman named Marissa has been brutally murdered - frozen to the icy ground in front of her home. Further investigation determines she was attacked by a black-clad person wearing a gas mask; and soon enough, Erika learns of other men and women who's been attacked by a similarly clad and as-yet unidentified person.

Clues lead in different directions, including to a strange young man who tended to focus his photography skills on the murdered Marissa and the elderly woman for whom Marissa was a part-time caregiver. But just as things are at something of a stalemate, the story takes a bit of a detour from the usual format. Erika is called to deal with issues of her late husband Mark's aging father, leaving co-worker (and another favorite character) Moss in charge of the department and heading up the biggest case of her career. As events transpire for both women, readers see more of their personal sides.

Truthfully, the departure is a little bit painful; Moss seems to be so far out of her element that she's almost rendered ineffective, and while it's nice to know Erika has a softer side in there somewhere, I much prefer her when it doesn't show quite so much.

That said, it's a totally engrossing book that's hard to put down (I read it easily in two days of spare time). The ending is both exciting and surprising - I guessed the who, but never in a million years would I have come up with the very intriguing why. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this latest installment in exchange for an honest review. Good job once again!

Thrilled to receive this brilliant book - many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC. I started this and finished it the day I got approved - I couldn't put it down - another fantastic addition to the Erika Foster series!

Whilst on her way to Christmas Lunch, Erika happens across a crime scene, abandons her plans and gets stuck in - true Erika style! A burlesque dancer is found brutally murdered, her body and blood frozen in her own garden. Meanwhile, a number of people have been strangely assaulted by an assailant in a gas mask. and we follow Erika and the police processes for investigating each seemingly unrelated incident....

Just when I think I know 'who dunnit' there is another strand to the investigation and I have to admit defeat - exactly the kind of story / book I love - one that keeps you guessing right to the end! Well done Robert Bryndza on another great read - can't wait for the next one!

Robert Brynzda this is the best Erika Foster book to date! I have read every one so far but my word this had me guessing all the way to the end.
Totally recommend and an easy five star rating!!!

I love when I come across an author like this. Not expecting much, then pow! Like a punch in the kisser, things start happening. I thought the bad guys, good guys, and all players in between were brilliant. I've not enjoyed a book this much since my last Stuart MacBride. That's high praise indeed, coming from me! So, I've found a favorite new author. I plan on reading more from Mr. Bryndza. Much thanks to the publishers and Newgalley for letting me read and review this e-arc.

I have read and loved all of Robert’s previous books in the Erika Foster series. The sixth book in this series is no exception. Having just solved her previous case Erika jumps feet first into her next one, that being of a burlesque dancer with a slashed throat, who has been frozen to the ground. This series gets better and better and has made a massive ‘Erika’ fan of me. I love the police procedural and the detail within every page. A brilliant series which I hope will keep developing for some time to come.

Usual series rules apply... This is book six of the series and, although the main story is wholly contained within and, as such would work as a stand alone, to get the very best from the main characters, especially Erika, who is a bit complex, it is best to start from book one and read in order.
In my experience book six is often where a series begins to flag. The characters get a bit tired, the crimes and manner of solving get a bit samey, the series arcs get boring. Basically, the formula starts to crumble. This is NOT the case with this series. With each new book released, this series and, more importantly, the characters go from strength to strength. Each book being just as good, if not better than the last. Ok so enough of this...
Erika is on her way to celebrate Christmas with her boss when she happens upon a crime scene. With the duty SIO not in attendance yet, she basically commandeers the case and begins investigating. A young woman has been killed on a doorstep, her blood having frozen her body to the ground where her throat had been slit. She is identified as Marissa Lewis, AKA burlesque dancer Honey Diamond and she was killed outside her own front door. She is a bit of a wild child and it soon transpires that there is no love lost between her and several other people.; blackmail being one of the tools in her armoury. Add to the mix a young man with an unhealthy obsession with Marissa and a series of other assaults that bear similarities to the murder and Erika soon has an awful lot on her plate. Not really the right time for a family emergency to take her away from her team. How will DI Moss and the rest of the team fare in her absence?
As always, plotting is extremely tight in this book. It gripped me from the start and held my attention well throughout. It's not a particularly long book but there are no wasted words; no padding to distract from the case at hand. Yes we do have lighter moments. A bit of banter - a small aside of comedy relief for a bit of respite, but the main story does get on with itself very nicely. Pacing matches the narrative well throughout, slowing down during the calmer moments and ramping up when appropriate.
One thing I did notice and was extremely happy about is that this book did not rely on a "major, shocking, never see it coming" twist. I see this happening more and more in crime fiction and tbh I am a bit bored with all that as it usually goes hand in hand with a lack of quality in other aspects of the writing. Not here though. The characterisation and plot are both excellently formulated and executed and the whole book flows naturally. Yes there is a big reveal at the end that no I didn't really see coming but I didn't feel cheated or duped like I have felt with some books recently. Hats off to the author for respecting his readers.
In my opinion, character development is one of the most important elements of a series in whatever genre. When I go into a series I expect to invest in the main / recurring characters and I do need a return for said investment. Erika's character development throughout the series has been perfect and is another thing that makes this series stand out for me. Each book uncovers another facet to her personality; a facet that is wholly in keeping with what we already know about her. Other characters are developing nicely too, especially Moss in this book.
All in all a great addition to an already brilliant series for me. Roll on book seven.
My thanks got to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

As usual from Robert Bryndza an entertaining fast paced thrill of a ride . I love the Erika Foster series and Deadly Secrets was a great addition to the series . The discovery of a burlesque dancer by her mother brutally killed on her doorstep is pretty gruesome , straight away we find out that Melissa was not well liked and has relationshis with a couple of the neighbourhoods married men , hence the suspect pool is pretty large , her death is linked to a spate of attacks carried out by a man in a gas mask . He hasn't murdered before so Erika and her team must find him quickly , lots of suspects , lots of red herrings and a twist I really didn't see coming . Excellent once again and I can't wait for the next . Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this . 5 stars !!!!

Christmas, the season of goodwill… Someone in London hasn’t had the memo, however, as the blood-soaked body of a young woman is found outside her house by her mother, frozen to the ground. The case takes a sudden turn when a connection is made to the spate of recent assaults by a figure wearing a gas mask. Has the assailant escalated to murder? Detective Erika Foster, still coming to terms with events from her previous case, is thrown straight in at the deep end when a potential witness appears to be a little more involved than was at first thought. With her own personal problems to deal with, Erika must stay focused and ensure that there are no more deaths…

She’s back! It’s hard to believe that it has only been two years since the first in the Erika Foster series (The Girl in the Ice) was published and now we are on to the sixth! In the intervening books, we have seen Erika attempting to come to terms with the death of her husband while throwing herself head-first into her work. In Deadly Secrets, we finally see her making a breakthrough with regards to her past although it comes as the result of a particularly traumatic event concerning her father-in-law. I love the scenes that she shares with him as it gives us the chance to see the softer, more sensitive side of the character as opposed to the work-driven officer we see the rest of the time.

I loved the start of Deadly Secrets and how Robert Bryndza builds up a sense of foreboding. Marissa Lewis, a burlesque dancer, is on her way home when she is approached by two men. I was convinced that harm was going to come to her as a result of this meeting when, in reality, if she had taken them up on her offer, her life may have been spared. When the attack actually took place, it was a particularly violent one and the use of a gas mask made it extremely macabre. This was a great opening and immediately drew me into the plot.

One of the things I really liked about this book was how much of the police work was what would be termed ‘old school’ with the officers pounding the beat, doing house to house calls and interviewing people. This helped to build up the story at a natural pace without ever appearing cumbersome. I particularly liked the old gentleman whose wife does not let him smoke inside the house – a ‘throwaway’ character who brought an element of humour to a sad situation, yet also provided invaluable information.

There was a definite moment towards the end of the book where an even more heightened sense of foreboding was felt. Without giving away any spoilers, this made for very tense reading as I wondered how the character in question is going to emerge unscathed.

I was truly amazed when the author threw in a curve-ball with regards to who the killer actually was. This was an amazing plot twist and was something I had not anticipated at all. Despite not having an inkling, I felt that this was a very satisfying, if shocking conclusion. It is hard to say anything more without giving away too much, but believe me when I say is is very clever!

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Erika Foster series but I feel that Deadly Secrets is a step up from all of the previous books and should prove to be a huge best-seller for Robert Bryndza. A fantastic read!

The best book of 2018 so far. Couldn't wait to read the latest Erika Foster installment and it didn't disappoint. I love a dark tale and this certainly was dark - and a little bit weird - the whole gas mask thing was a bit freeky! Loved all the twists making me think the attacker was one character and then another. Certainly didn't see the ending coming. Cannot wait for the next book - taps foot impatiently. Thank you to the author and to Netgalley for the chance to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Deadly Secrets, the sixth police procedural to feature DCI Erika Foster of the Met.

Marissa Lewis, a burlesque dancer, is attacked and killed on her doorstep on Christmas Eve. Erika isn't supposed to be working the next day but stops to help the investigation which she sees when driving past. It soon becomes apparent that Marissa meant different things to different people so suspects aren't hard to find and to complicate matters there is a serial predator on the loose who can also be suspected.

I thoroughly enjoyed Deadly Secrets which held my attention from the start and didn't let go. The opening scenes where Marissa gets off the train and walks home alone are unsettling and creepy and set up the rest of the novel wonderfully. I wouldn't say they set the tone, rather they are attention grabbing and let you know you're in for a great read. After that the plot goes from strength to strength with a constant stream of developments and discoveries. There is never a dull moment or any sense of padding. The conclusion is amazing - so unexpected and clever.

Mr Bryndza does not neglect Erika's personal life either. She cuts a lonely figure with very little in her life but work. A couple of revelations add to this picture and while she is well respected and liked I would love to see her with some personal happiness as it is emphasised that her work colleagues have found it.

Deadly Secrets is a gripping read which I have no hesitation in recommending.