I’ve been a fan of Robert Bryndza’s Detective Erika Foster series since the very beginning so I was excited to receive a review copy of “Chasing Shadows”which is the latest. This is a bit different as it looks back at Erika’s earlier life and the incident which caused her husband’s death. Whilst investigating a possible murder, Erika comes into contact with a man who looks remarkably like Jerome Goodman, the master criminal who shot her husband and colleagues 10 years earlier. However, he claims he is Kieron Bagshaw and despite being absolutely certain she has the right man, Erika is forced to let him go. As she begins to investigate and confront her demons she discovers a conspiracy of silence- no one wants this case to be solved. This was a fast paced mystery which contained many surprises as well as filling in the missing part of Erika’s background. With the help of her close knit team Erika is able to discover what happened all those years ago and finally overcome the guilt she has felt about the murder. I like the way Erika does not give up, even when she is forced to take time out after her boss decides she has made a mistake arresting Bagshaw. The flashbacks to the earlier time serve build up the tension in the plot and I was really hoping that Erika and her colleagues would manage to solve the earlier crime and catch the perpetrators. The author ties in the cold case and the present day murder very cleverly and all is revealed by the last page. As is usual with these books I am already counting the days until the next one in the series. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my advance copy.

What a fantastic addition to the Erika Foster series, I absolutely loved it! Erika is facing the demons from her past in this read and her emotions are really pushed to the limit. Erika is a fascinating character, she definitely does things her own way, despite her senior officers disagreement. The plotting and the pacing is fast and the action takes place over two timeframes as Erika hunts her husband's killer. If you like gritty police procedurals, I can highly recommend this series as one of the best.

Yet again, Robert Bryndza has created a peach of a book to go with what is a fantastic series. This might be the ninth in this series but don't let that put you off; it reads well as a standalone and whilst you have missed some of the character development, Mr Bryndza's writing is so good that it's not really an issue. Ten years ago, Erica was injured, her husband and colleagues murdered during a police raid with the culprit never being caught. Erica is now investigating a suspicious death when she comes face to face with the man she believes is responsible for their murders but his name is different however, she's convinced it's him even when told that he's dead. Erica is put on stress leave but that doesn't stop her investigating with the help of her trusted colleagues and partner but at what cost? The characters are really strong, the plot riveting and the pace perfect from the very start. This is a gripping and tense read for fans of police procedurals and crime thrillers and one that I can highly recommend along with the rest of Robert Bryndza's work. Many thanks to the author, Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this, the latest in the excellent Erica Foster series.

Erica Foster is called to a crime scene but somethings not right, this leads her to her husband killer she arrests him but is told to release him, as he is not that man she thought he was. Put on leave she investigates and is not sure who to trust. This is the best book yet in this series full of action twists and turns and a finale that will leave you breathless. Well done Robert your best book yet. Thanks to Raven Street Publishing and Netgalley for this review ARC.

Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza Detective Erika Foster #9 Prologue packed a punch and set the stage for all that was to come. I’ve read four out of the nine books so far and each can be read without reading others although I sometimes wonder what I have missed by not reading the other books in this series. What I liked: * Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster: focused, fit, somewhat abrasive, impetuous at times, strong leader, tenacious, in a relationship with Igor, not easily pushed around, intriguing though perhaps not an easy person to be best friends with * Learning more about Erika’s past, how her husband died, and why she moved when she did * Igor and his son Tom who are now a big part of Erik’s life * The intricately woven criminal plot that was fun to watch unwind as the police procedural threads were followed, red herrings were exposed, new clues occurred, and how it was all came together as a strong case to put some very evil people away * The look into how people can be corrupted, who might do the corrupting, and how it can impact so many people in the present and future * That though I find Erika abrasive and not easy to like, I can still admire her professionally and as a person * Erika’s team – all of them – but especially Detective Inspector Moss – they worked together flawlessly and were up to the task they tackled * The tie-in to the Christmas season * The way the criminals were described, being able to see how cold and callous they were, being glad they were caught and then wishing that one would do something to undo the deal that prevented incarceration * Knowing that there will be another book in the series What I didn’t like: * Who and what I was meant not to like * Thinking about the many crimes committed and how easy it was for the perpetrators to do what they did * Knowing that this story, though fiction, is believable, could, and probably does happen all too often Did I like this book? Yes Would I read more in this series? Yes Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC – this is my honest review. 5 Stars