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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
major plot twist at the end, was not expecting it AT ALL!
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
5 STARS!
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
Another excellent addition to the DCI Erika Foster series!!
Damn, Robert Bryndza keeps writing great books with this series! I’m impressed with his writing skills and imagination for all six books. I always look forward to reading these books as soon as they are published or available on NetGalley.
You guys, I finished Deadly Secrets in a day! Yeah, it was that binge worthy and I just couldn’t put the book down.
Deadly Secrets is the 6th book in the DCI Erika Foster series and one of my favorites! I loved where Bryndza is taking the main character along with the secondary characters of Detective Moss and Detective Peterson. He has developed Erika’s character to have flaws along with a kick-ass attitude on getting justice for her murder victims. I’ve always enjoyed a flawed and imperfect character in books and Bryndza has delivered this with DCI Erika Foster.
I especially enjoyed the Starbucks chapter in where Erika loses her cool. I laughed out loud!
The book starts off with a beautiful, burlesque dancer getting murdered outside her front door. Marissa Lewis, or going by Honey Diamond in the burlesque business, was brutally murdered by a man wearing a gas mask. DCI Foster starts investigating the murder and life of Marissa Lewis. And let me tell you, this young lady has a ton of secrets and questionable motives on getting money.
DCI Foster comes to find out there are plenty of suspects and the case is very complicated.
As DCI Foster and her team are investigating Marissa's murder, London is being terrorized by a large man wearing a gas mask. He is choking and raping random victims and the Metropolitan Police Service have no idea who he is and how to catch him.
Bryndza has figured out how to write a great crime detective series! He gives us characters to love and cheer for along with murder cases that tap into some of our deepest fears. The suspect in this book scared me because of the violence and evil that was part of his personality. I had a few moments in the middle of the night in where I woke up and wondered if the door to the house was locked. I’m not easily spooked either. I’m always reading thrillers and horror books!
I think this is some great writing since Bryndza has a way of writing dangerous and evil predators. Well done sir!!
If you are looking for an excellent and binge worthy detective series, look no further than the DCI Erika Foster series. I don’t believe you will be disappointed since each book has a different plot, great characterization and wonderfully written police procedure. It feels like you’re right in the action of the ongoing murder case!
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
Another excellent addition to the DCI Erika Foster series!!
Damn, Robert Bryndza keeps writing great books with this series! I’m impressed with his writing skills and imagination for all six books. I always look forward to reading these books as soon as they are published or available on NetGalley.
You guys, I finished Deadly Secrets in a day! Yeah, it was that binge worthy and I just couldn’t put the book down.
Deadly Secrets is the 6th book in the DCI Erika Foster series and one of my favorites! I loved where Bryndza is taking the main character along with the secondary characters of Detective Moss and Detective Peterson. He has developed Erika’s character to have flaws along with a kick-ass attitude on getting justice for her murder victims. I’ve always enjoyed a flawed and imperfect character in books and Bryndza has delivered this with DCI Erika Foster.
I especially enjoyed the Starbucks chapter in where Erika loses her cool. I laughed out loud!
The book starts off with a beautiful, burlesque dancer getting murdered outside her front door. Marissa Lewis, or going by Honey Diamond in the burlesque business, was brutally murdered by a man wearing a gas mask. DCI Foster starts investigating the murder and life of Marissa Lewis. And let me tell you, this young lady has a ton of secrets and questionable motives on getting money.
DCI Foster comes to find out there are plenty of suspects and the case is very complicated.
As DCI Foster and her team are investigating Marissa's murder, London is being terrorized by a large man wearing a gas mask. He is choking and raping random victims and the Metropolitan Police Service have no idea who he is and how to catch him.
Bryndza has figured out how to write a great crime detective series! He gives us characters to love and cheer for along with murder cases that tap into some of our deepest fears. The suspect in this book scared me because of the violence and evil that was part of his personality. I had a few moments in the middle of the night in where I woke up and wondered if the door to the house was locked. I’m not easily spooked either. I’m always reading thrillers and horror books!
I think this is some great writing since Bryndza has a way of writing dangerous and evil predators. Well done sir!!
If you are looking for an excellent and binge worthy detective series, look no further than the DCI Erika Foster series. I don’t believe you will be disappointed since each book has a different plot, great characterization and wonderfully written police procedure. It feels like you’re right in the action of the ongoing murder case!
They just keep getting better
You’d think by now the stories would be getting boring but no way ! They just keep getting better and better ! I now can’t wait for the next one.
I do hope Erika finds a happy ending or at least someone who will put up with her ways !
You’d think by now the stories would be getting boring but no way ! They just keep getting better and better ! I now can’t wait for the next one.
I do hope Erika finds a happy ending or at least someone who will put up with her ways !
Mandy Brent; the mother of Marissa Brent awakens from her drunken stupor to find her daughter murdered in the most brutal way imaginable. What was once a white carpet of snow now soaked with Marissa's blood. This brings us to Erikas newest case just a short time from the when the previous book was set. I read this book in awe and my mouth is still agape in shock from the ending. My favourite so far in the series.
This is a strong series and Robert Byndza storytelling and writing style is perfect and up there with the most accomplished of police procedural writers such as Ann Cleeves, Peter James and many, many more. All written and released at such a fast paced and yet the quality never diminishes. You really know how to keep your fans happy.
This is a strong series and Robert Byndza storytelling and writing style is perfect and up there with the most accomplished of police procedural writers such as Ann Cleeves, Peter James and many, many more. All written and released at such a fast paced and yet the quality never diminishes. You really know how to keep your fans happy.
I love the Erika Foster books and this didn't disappoint.
The story follows close on the heels of the previous book when a young woman is brutally murdered on her doorstep on Christmas Eve. What follows is the usual twist and turns as we discover who would Marissa dead and what the significance of the gas mask is. Meanwhile Erika gets some closure in her personal life as she continues to deal with past traumas.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advance read copy of the book in return for an honest review
The story follows close on the heels of the previous book when a young woman is brutally murdered on her doorstep on Christmas Eve. What follows is the usual twist and turns as we discover who would Marissa dead and what the significance of the gas mask is. Meanwhile Erika gets some closure in her personal life as she continues to deal with past traumas.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advance read copy of the book in return for an honest review
Procedurals/thrillers can get a bit by the numbers as a series goes on, but Bryndza has managed to keep things fresh both within the general crime as well as the lives of the investigators. It was nice to see Erika show some vulnerability while other characters were able to shine, particularly Isaac and Moss. The ultimate solution to the murder is fascinating, and when you look back, the foreshadowing is incredibly clever.
Still raw from a harrowing murder/suicide case, Detective Chief Inspector Erica Foster happens upon a gruesome murder scene. She stops to investigate and is thrown headlong into what becomes another chilling case.
As in all of Erika Foster books, the story takes place in London. Marissa Lewis was headed home late one Christmas Eve when she is brutally murdered. She was found the following morning. As the immediate investigation ensues, Erika and her team discover their first suspect.
In large part, due to the victim's lascivious lifestyle, there is no shortage of suspects. Or, perhaps she was being stalked. The young woman was a burlesque dancer, and often attracted the wrong sort. However, Erika soon discovers that there have been several similar assaults. This makes finding the perpetrator even more challenging.
Deadly Secrets is a fast-paced thriller. Erika is spot on, even in the face of family hardship. This exciting book has some truly heart-stopping moments! Erika's team is very involved in this case, and it is really nice to see their characters fleshed out even more.
Erika's likeableness, as well as her uncanny intelligence, leaves the reader with excitement for future books in this series.
As in all of Erika Foster books, the story takes place in London. Marissa Lewis was headed home late one Christmas Eve when she is brutally murdered. She was found the following morning. As the immediate investigation ensues, Erika and her team discover their first suspect.
In large part, due to the victim's lascivious lifestyle, there is no shortage of suspects. Or, perhaps she was being stalked. The young woman was a burlesque dancer, and often attracted the wrong sort. However, Erika soon discovers that there have been several similar assaults. This makes finding the perpetrator even more challenging.
Deadly Secrets is a fast-paced thriller. Erika is spot on, even in the face of family hardship. This exciting book has some truly heart-stopping moments! Erika's team is very involved in this case, and it is really nice to see their characters fleshed out even more.
Erika's likeableness, as well as her uncanny intelligence, leaves the reader with excitement for future books in this series.
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
💭Okay, fellow thriller enthusiasts, buckle up because this one’s gonna be a bumpy ride. "Deadly Secrets" is the sixth installment in the Erika Foster series, and while Erika is still the tough-as-nails detective we know and love, I think the series has hit a serious snag. Honestly, after how much I hated the fifth book (ugh, still not over it), I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to dive into this one. It took me 3-4 months to gather the motivation, and now I’m wondering if I should’ve just left it on the shelf.
The story kicks off with a Christmas Eve murder—yup, festive vibes ruined.
A pretty gruesome case: a young woman is found dead on her doorstep in the middle of a snowstorm. Creepy, right? Erika dives headfirst into the investigation, as always, uncovering a tangled web of secrets involving voyeurism, and family drama. The plot itself is twisty, sure, but not in the mind-blowing way I’d hoped. We’ve got secrets, lies, and a masked killer lurking about. It sounds juicy, but somehow, it fell flat for me, and I guessed the twists way too early, which totally killed the suspense.
Now, let’s talk about the side characters. Moss, Erika’s loyal right-hand woman, is always a gem, bringing humor and heart to the team. Peterson, Erika’s on-again-off-again love interest, is back, but their dynamic felt more awkward than swoony this time around. There’s also the victim’s mom and a 92-year-old woman who’s hiding a truckload of secrets—but their development feels rushed.
Then there’s Erika’s personal life, which has always added depth to her character. But here, it felt repetitive. Her internal monologues about grief and isolation are important, sure, but they’ve been done better in previous installments.
What I did appreciate was the dark, atmospheric vibe Bryndza nails so well. He’s got a talent for making you feel like you’re trudging through those cold, wet London streets with Erika. The writing is sharp, and the dialogue feels real. But even with that, the plot’s predictability and lack of emotional depth dulled the overall experience.
Overall, I think the Erika Foster series is running on fumes at this point. The earlier books had tight plots, shocking twists, and a real sense of urgency.
Deadly Secrets? Not so much. It’s like Bryndza is trying to hit the same beats but missing the mark.
𝐏.𝐒. Here’s hoping the seventh book pulls off a miraculous comeback because Erika deserves better than this.
𝐏.𝐏.𝐒 The phone call Erika got from his father-in-law's mobile phone mystery is still not solved! Why the creepy tone, and who was it if it was not Edward?
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐.75
🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Crime Fiction, Police Procedural
🔸𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: Detective Erika Foster (Book 6)
🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Only if you’re a die-hard Erika fan. Otherwise, maybe skip it and reread 'The Girl in the Ice' to remember why you fell in love with the series in the first place.
The story kicks off with a Christmas Eve murder—yup, festive vibes ruined.
A pretty gruesome case: a young woman is found dead on her doorstep in the middle of a snowstorm. Creepy, right? Erika dives headfirst into the investigation, as always, uncovering a tangled web of secrets involving voyeurism, and family drama. The plot itself is twisty, sure, but not in the mind-blowing way I’d hoped. We’ve got secrets, lies, and a masked killer lurking about. It sounds juicy, but somehow, it fell flat for me, and I guessed the twists way too early, which totally killed the suspense.
Now, let’s talk about the side characters. Moss, Erika’s loyal right-hand woman, is always a gem, bringing humor and heart to the team. Peterson, Erika’s on-again-off-again love interest, is back, but their dynamic felt more awkward than swoony this time around. There’s also the victim’s mom and a 92-year-old woman who’s hiding a truckload of secrets—but their development feels rushed.
Then there’s Erika’s personal life, which has always added depth to her character. But here, it felt repetitive. Her internal monologues about grief and isolation are important, sure, but they’ve been done better in previous installments.
What I did appreciate was the dark, atmospheric vibe Bryndza nails so well. He’s got a talent for making you feel like you’re trudging through those cold, wet London streets with Erika. The writing is sharp, and the dialogue feels real. But even with that, the plot’s predictability and lack of emotional depth dulled the overall experience.
Overall, I think the Erika Foster series is running on fumes at this point. The earlier books had tight plots, shocking twists, and a real sense of urgency.
Deadly Secrets? Not so much. It’s like Bryndza is trying to hit the same beats but missing the mark.
𝐏.𝐒. Here’s hoping the seventh book pulls off a miraculous comeback because Erika deserves better than this.
𝐏.𝐏.𝐒 The phone call Erika got from his father-in-law's mobile phone mystery is still not solved! Why the creepy tone, and who was it if it was not Edward?
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐.75
🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Crime Fiction, Police Procedural
🔸𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: Detective Erika Foster (Book 6)
🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Only if you’re a die-hard Erika fan. Otherwise, maybe skip it and reread 'The Girl in the Ice' to remember why you fell in love with the series in the first place.
Just when I think this series can't get any better Robert Bryndza proves me wrong and once again ups his game.
There is a slight change of pace with this one that pulls Erika away from the team and we get to see other characters mature in her absence.
Very enjoyable latest addition to what is my current favourite series.
There is a slight change of pace with this one that pulls Erika away from the team and we get to see other characters mature in her absence.
Very enjoyable latest addition to what is my current favourite series.