No surprises here: Lethal Vengeance is another brilliant instalment in the much-loved Detective Erika Foster series, and I loved every page! I've really enjoyed reading Robert Bryndza's other crime series, about a troubled investigator Kate Marshall, but I have to admit that Erika Foster is my favourite! Although background information from having read previous books in the series does add an extra richness to the story, this book could absolutely be read as a standalone too. Every book in this series is well-paced, entertaining and utterly addictive, and Lethal Vengeance is no different. The story is twisty and well-plotted, with great characterisation as always. Erika has to fight against cover-ups elsewhere in the Force and government, which adds extra intrigue, and we see more of her personal relationships play out adding extra depth to her character. I would happily read a thousand more books in this series, so I hope Robert Bryndza keeps them coming!

During an overly romantic, out-of-character dinner with her boyfriend, Igor, at a top London restaurant, Erika decides she needs a breath of fresh air. On her way back to their table she takes a wrong turn and ends up in the plush accommodation section of the building where a housekeeper is on the phone to the police. Erika, always on duty, stops and listens in to the conversation, soon realising that her help and knowledge are required at the scene of a suspicious death. The victim is instantly recognisable, it’s Conservative MP for North East Surrey, Neville Lomas. Erika assumes she’ll be given the case, what with being the first on the scene. So she’s shocked when she’s pushed aside by a more senior colleague and told that he will be leading the investigation, not her. Shortly after, Lomas’s death is ruled as being from natural causes. That is until a second body is found, then a third. With nothing to tie the victims together and with those higher-up trying to shut down her investigation at every turn, will DCI Foster be able to untangle the intricate knots of this case before London’s latest serial killer claims another victim…? Lethal Vengeance is a gripping, highly compulsive read that held my attention from start to finish. Could this be Erika’s most taxing case yet? Let’s face it, life is never easy for Erika and her team but this case pushes our kick-ass protagonist to new heights! Following several high-profile murders, with the top brass keeping a watchful eye on Erika’s every move and with avenues of investigation being shut down without so much as a by-your-leave, Erika and her dedicated team are floundering. She firmly believes it’s the same killer, the way the victims are displayed along with the signed polaroids proves that, but why these three victims? What’s the connection? The pressure is truly on, maybe more so than ever, and in the world of DCI Erika Foster, that’s saying something! Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I would heartily recommend Lethal Vengeance along with all of the earlier books in this excellent series. I do believe this book will work well as a standalone if you’re keen to dive straight into this latest release. But the series as a whole is a glorious thing so why not treat yourself and start with The Girl in the Ice. Really get to know these standout characters and see how each case shapes them into the team they are today. The characters are once again superb. DCI Foster softens her hard shell a little in this novel thanks to her boyfriend’s sixteen-year-old son, Tom. But other than that she’s still as headstrong, formidable and feisty as ever. Ready to reprimand the newly promoted DC who has recently joined the team or tell her superior officers exactly how wrong they really are! I love her character. I always have and I always will. If you want a job doing, get Erika to do it! The plot was well-thought-out and paced perfectly with plenty of intrigue and tension. This is very much a ‘one more chapter’ book before you realise that it’s gone midnight and you have an early start in the morning. All in all, another cracking addition to a brilliant series. An absolute ‘must read’ for all crime fiction fans. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of Bryndza’s accomplished storytelling and I look forward to many more Erika adventures in the not too distant future (she says hopefully!). A tense, well-written police procedural that delivers on all counts. Highly recommended.

A romantic meal turns deadly for DCI Erika Foster after she stumbles across the murder scene of a prominent MP. However she is left frustrated when she is unable to investigate properly due to pressure from the Met 'top brass' to accept the death was not found to be suspicious. Case closed ....... or is it ? Two months later, when a famous casting director and a well known footballer are found murdered, their bodies left in the same way as the MP was, even the Met cannot play these murders down. It seems Erika and her team are hunting a possible serial killer but what connects the victims. The case gets even stranger when CCTV turns up film of five identical female suspects at the club where the footballer was last seen. The story and investigation build slowly and is told from both the perspective of Erika and her team and that of the killer. As it progresses we find out more about the killer and the lives of the victims which might just be the vital clues which help Erika solve the case. We readers are kept one step ahead of the investigation team and are routing for them to connect the victims and solve the case.

This is book 8 of this most excellent series and you know what is coming next. OK so the main story is self contained but, as well as the backstory and character development, you'll be missing out on 7 cracking books if you don't! So... Erika is having a meal out with her partner when she dodges out to avoid a situation she doesn't want to happen. Returning, she takes a wrong turn and finds herself in the residential part of the building. Where she hears screams. She duly rushes to the sound and is shocked to discover Politician Neville Lomas naked and hog tied on a bed. Oh and he is also dead. She starts the investigative wheels turning but is swiftly undermined and removed from the case. She is also shocked when she finds out how the cops that took over from her are categorising the case. But there is nothing she can do. It's a politician, they have their own rules for, ahem, covering things up... Until that is, when a famous footballer turns up in an identical situation and the cat can no longer stay in the bag. And so begins a rather perplexing case for Erika and her team, as they try and piece together the footballer's last movements. Which they do, with the assistance of CCTV, but that only really muddies the water all the more... and then there's a third connected body... I love this series. Erika is kick-ass no nonsense kind of a gal and she don't take no flack from anyone, which is evident in the way that she won't let the politician's death go. Even with the threats from "on high". She has a good team under her and a boss who, within reason, also mostly backs her, But it mostly comes from her. And she is tested to the extreme with the shenanigans in this book, which does highlight the power imbalance between the haves and the have-nots. Refreshingly topical in this current news climate methinks! But I can say no more... All the other things I need to make a good book a great read are front and centre herein. Pacing with matches the narrative all the way through, characters who all do their jobs no matter how big or small a part they play, and a cracking story that had me gripped all the way through, leaving me wholly satisfied at its conclusion. All in all, a worth addition to an already magnificent series. Roll on next time.

I stumbled across The Girl in the Ice and became hooked on the series and haven’t stopped reading since. Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster is a woman still facing obstacles in a male dominated profession. Her tendency is to speak her mind, not play politics or follow directions well. I like to read British Crime stories because I learn about the political climate of country, the differences and similarities in policing practices. The enormity of CCTV they have there is both alarming and useful. Erika lives in London now and a member of Parliament has been found dead in the type of circumstances that would make tabloid headlines. The case soon escalates as more victims are discovered. The bizarre clues lead to the cleverest serial killer I could ever imagine. I couldn’t read fast enough, the twists just kept coming. It sounds cliché but true – Bryndza just keeps getting better! This was a very clever plot, the cast of characters were compelling, interesting, evil, vengeful and some are exceptionally unique. I would give more stars if I could! If you haven’t read this author and love a thrilling mystery, you need to discover his novels! Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “Lethal Vengeance” A Detective Erika Foster novel #8, by Robert Bryndza, Raven Street Publishing. Publication date expected Feb 08, 2024. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without any compensation.