I enjoyed this book which is part of the Kate Marshall, investigator series. Having read the first two books I was excited to receive this review copy from NetGalley. Kate and her assistant, Tristran, have set set up their own investigation business but they are short on cases so Tristran is still working part time at the University. When they are asked to look into the 13 year old case of the disappearance of a young reporter by her mother who is desperate for closure, they jump at the chance. As they start to investigate they gradually begin to see links to other missing person cases in the area and wonder what story the young journalist was working on and whether this led to her disappearance. This was a fast moving thriller which entertained me over the course of a few days. Kate and Tristan are interesting characters who work well together. There were several suspects and many witnesses to interview so the denouement, when it came, was for me totally unexpected. Enjoyable and entertaining!

I loved this book. Another fabulous piece of work. The fledgling detective agency with its real world struggles shows us a wonderful insight into the minds of the main characters. It has many twists and turns and was a shining example of a classic whodunit with proper detective work. Great plot with many facets, really well written and a pleasure to read. Cannot wait for the next instalment. Highly recommended 5 stars from me.

I thoroughly enjoyed Darkness Falls, the third instalment in Robert Bryndza's Kate Marshall series. It's an engrossing and often dark mystery, with plenty of twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing. Now officially working as private investigators, Kate and Tristan are approached by local woman Bev Ellis, whose journalist daughter Joanna Duncan went missing from an Exeter carpark thirteen years previously. Bev is adamant that her daughter met with foul play, rather than vanishing of her own accord, and is desperate to lay her to rest. Investigating leads involving Joanna’s personal relationships, stories she’d been working on and a mysterious reference to two young men who went missing not long before Joanna herself, Kate and Tristan uncover a twisted web of lies and murder. Darkness Falls is a complex mystery, with a wide cast of characters and a distinctive setting on the Devon coast. I enjoyed the "cold case" element of the plot and the skilful use of misdirection by Robert Bryndza to maintain suspense. A dramatic conclusion rounded out an engrossing read. I'd recommend Darkness Falls to any reader who loves complex contemporary mystery-thrillers, with well-developed characters and great settings. While reading in series order would allow for a greater grasp of character backstories, my feeling is that Darkness Falls could also be thoroughly enjoyed as a standalone. My thanks to the author Robert Bryndza, publisher Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this latest instalment in what is a great series.

The third book in the series with Kate and Tristan and their promising detective agency. In this novel they are asked by Bev to investigate the cold case disappearance of her Daughter Joanna, an investigative journalist, who went missing in 2002. I love how Kate and Tristan work together, they have such camaraderie and bounce their ideas of each other with neither one taking the lead. This is a great series by Robert and I can't wait for the next installment. Many thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown book group UK for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, I was under no obligation to leave my honest review

Darkness Falls is the third book in the Kate Marshall series by British author, Robert Bryndza. Former London Met detective Kate Marshall has given up lecturing in criminology and started her own private investigation agency with her young assistant, Tristan Harper. In the past months, business has been slow, so when Bev Ellis engages them to find out what happened to her daughter, Kate and Tristan are eager to immerse themselves in a big case. An investigative journalist for the West Country News, Joanna Duncan disappeared without a trace in the first week of September 2002. Thirteen years on, the Devon and Cornwall Police have deemed it a cold case, and Bev’s wealthy partner Bill Norris, who is funding their investigation, has managed to acquire all of the police files. Kate and Tristan examine them very thoroughly, vowing to solve this puzzling case. Their first priority is to talk to those who were questioned by the police at the time, including Jo’s editor, colleagues, best friend, husband, and a certain MP who lost his seat after Jo’s hard-hitting exposé. But then Kate happens upon the names of two young men amongst Jo’s papers, who turn out to be missing. It’s apparent from her career prospects that Jo didn’t disappear of her own accord, but did her work make her a target? Was it someone involved in the cover-up of an asbestos-laden office building? Or whoever was taking those missing young men? Or was it her claim that the already-disgraced MP was using his Parliamentary allowance to pay for rent-boys? Or was she actually the victim of an opportunistic killer? There’s plenty of good detective work apparent here, with both Kate and Tristan utilising friendly police or ex-cop sources. Bryndza gives the reader a solid plot with several red herrings and a clever twist. Once again, great British crime fiction. This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer.