This is the first Robert Bryndza book I’ve read and it’s clear from the outset that he knows his way around a police procedural and how to create a truly heinous villain. I love books set in the 80’s as it is the decade of my childhood (I am inconsolable that this book would now be considered historical fiction!!) so that always adds to my enjoyment, having memories brought back from that time. The attention to detail of the era is great in this story, I remember vividly the fear and fear mongering that was rife about the AIDS virus. I was too young to really take in how despicably homosexuals were treated at the time but it is portrayed well by the author. The story was gruesome and I liked knowing who the killer was almost from the start, it gave a front row seat to the cat and mouse and almost-had-him aspects that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. The tension ramped up and this, coupled with the short chapters, meant that I flew through the book not wanting to stop until it had all played out. Jamie Day is a great character, his fish-out-of-water experiences are relatable to almost everyone, we’ve all started a new job or loved somewhere new and can remember how clumsy we felt until we learned the lay of the land…now try doing that whilst lives literally depend on it! His parochial views and mannerisms were a lovely salve to the dark malevolence of London in the 80’s.

The Quiet Kill Leaving his seaside town where he’d been a police constable Jamie Day has been promoted to detective constable working with the metropolitan police. London 1987 is a busy and confusing place and when on his first day about to meet his new colleagues he is called to a murder case and is first on the scene. A dismembered male body has been found at the back of a railway station. Jamie is later joined by his new boss in the murder investigation team and is soon given many tasks. This is London 1987, where fear was rife about the aids ‘epidemic’ and homosexuals were treated badly. London at this time was very different and it was well described and brought back many memories of the atmosphere, people and changes that were occurring when I was there in the early 80’s. As Jamie is thrown into his new role more dismembered bodies turn up. This is a fast paced crime thriller that holds your interest throughout with a cast of characters that are very well described. With DNA testing in its infancy and some professional behaviour not as one would expect crime solving wasn’t easy, good solid detective work continued but at a slower pace. Hopefully this is the start of a series as I would like to follow DC Jamie Day’s progress. My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

DC Jamie Day is promoted into the Metropolitan Police in 1987. He is thrown into the deep end with a dismembered body found on his first day. He struggles at the fast pace of London compared to his previous life in Suffolk. Set in 1987 there are many references to how life was at the time (pagers, fax machines etc). Easy to read and fast paced with some great characters. Good holiday read. I feel that this is the start of a new series by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for the advance copy of this kindle book.

Review of ‘The Quiet Kill’ by Robert Bryndza, due to be published on 7 July 2026 by Raven Street Publishing. This new standalone thriller follows DC Jamie Day who has just been promoted to the Met from his previous force in his hometown of Lowestoft.  Set in late 1987/early 1988, Jamie is thrown in at the deep end on his first day when a stationmaster finds a dismembered body in Leyton Train Station. Whilst the team quickly get to grips with who the victim is, they can’t find a motive and with no evidence left behind, they are unable to come up with any suspects.  Soon the bodies are piling up, with the only connection being that they are all gay men. The story tells us quite early on who is carrying out the killings, although they are hiding their actions from everyone and leaving no trace of their crime to be found.  The story is fast paced, with Jamie and his fellow officers in a race against time to apprehend the perpetrator whilst coming up against reluctance and prejudices of the time from both those connected to the victims and members of the police force themselves.  There are numerous dark and gritty scenes depicted on the page, all relevant to get you inside the mind of the antagonist. Left with an ending that suggests that we may see more of DC Jamie Day in future books, which would be a welcome addition to Bryndza’s vast collection of previous novels.

Before starting “The Quiet Kill”, I had recently read Val McDermid’s “The Mermaids Singing” through Cardiff Central Library’s queer book club, so inevitably part of my mind was comparing the 2 books — both set within my teens with a serial killer apparently attacking the queer community. For what it’s worth, I preferred Bryndza’s book, of the two. It was interesting seeing a detective work through parts of London that are relatively familiar to me — I lived in East London for a dozen years and commuted to work and socialise in London for an additional dozen. That did mean that the few geographical errors were especially jarring, but this won’t bother anyone who hasn’t lived and partied in London. But that only briefly interrupted the enjoyment of a well-paced and interesting thriller, in a setting that felt true and real, with likeable characters who intrigued me enough that I’m likely to pick up more in this series, despite not reading whodunits often.