| Title | : | The Night Stalker (Detective Erika Foster, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 654 |
| Publication | : | First published June 2, 2016 |
In the dead of a swelteringly hot summer’s night, Detective Erika Foster is called to a murder scene. The victim, a doctor, is found suffocated in bed. His wrists are bound and his eyes bulging through a clear plastic bag tied tight over his head.
A few days later, another victim is found dead, in exactly the same circumstances. As Erika and her team start digging deeper, they discover a calculated serial killer – stalking their victims before choosing the right moment to strike.
The victims are all single men, with very private lives. Why are their pasts shrouded in secrecy? And what links them to the killer?
As a heat wave descends upon London, Erika will do everything to stop the Night Stalker before the body count rises, even if it means risking her job. But the victims might not be the only ones being watched… Erika’s own life could be on the line.
The Night Stalker (Detective Erika Foster, #2) Reviews
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Just when I thought it couldn't get any better... The Night Stalker, dare I say, is even better than our first introduction to character DCI Erika Foster. From the first page, we're sucked in with tension that had me holding my breath. OPENING SCENE: An unknown killer breaks into a man's house and very methodically kills him. I'm talking covers all the bases; drugs him, cuts the power and phone lines while crushing the cell sim card, creeps back upstairs and waits for him under cover of darkness with a bag to complete the mission. Was this a sexual tryst gone wrong? DCI Erika Foster fears its worse than her colleagues suspect. One dead man can be explained away, but when another turns up murdered in the exact same fashion, DCI Foster fears a serial killer is on the loose.
"Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die."*
You must learn to let him go Erika...
The team follows many false leads, twists, and turns throughout the story and eventually catches their killer, but this wasn't even what made the book a 5 STAR read for me. I LOVED how this installment gave us deeper insight into the character's personal lives. We finally get more dirt on Erika's tragic marriage, but we also grow a little closer to Peterson and Moss. I told the author last go around that I wanted more of those two and my request was heard! There are a few other familiar characters from the previous novel that I wasn't sure whether we'd see back again, but it was nice to follow their stories as well. We really get to dive into Isaac's character, the forensic pathologist from the previous story. I simply adore his bosom friendship with Erika and hope to find a true friend like that in my own life. Overall, the character development was right on track for a second book in the series.
I'm not sure what else to say other than I love this series and
Robert Bryndza is a talent that I am very pleased to have discovered! This one is still available on Netgalley and is published on June 2. Be on the lookout around pub day for Author Robert Brynzda to be making a stop at The Suspense is Thrilling Me for his book blog tour!
5 STARS
*"Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep"- Mary Elizabeth Frye (1932)
Full review with formatting found at:
https://thesuspenseisthrillingme.word... -
5 mega stars!
I would like to thank Net Galley, Bookouture and Robert Bryndza for gifting me an advanced copy of The Night Stalker in exchange for an unbiased review.
ROBERT BRYNDZA. Remember this name, readers, as Mr. Bryndza is about to join the heavy hitters of the thriller genre. I absolutely loved his first book of the DCI Erika Foster series, The Girl in the Ice. Well, Lordy, if he didn’t just elevate his game with book #2, The Night Stalker. It is simply brilliant.
DCI Erika Foster is my favorite type of protagonist--a strong, independent, intelligent woman working in law enforcement. Yes, she has flaws and scars, like all the good ones, but that’s what makes her interesting. We get more insight into Erika’s character in this book, and I’m definitely liking what I see. Despite her armor of toughness and overt lack of warmth, there is a really good human being underneath it all. The dynamics between her and her team reflect loyalty and respect. In regards to the higher ups, maybe she gets away with her “roguish” style too easily, but I can overlook that, as her intentions are always to get the baddie.
The story starts off with an enticing attention-grabbing first chapter and keeps on going. The short snappy chapters, each ending with a jolt or a very effective teaser, make it nearly impossible to put the book down. Despite moving along nicely, at 66% when we get a detailed account of what happened 2 years previously when Erika’s husband was killed (not a spoiler), the pace goes into overdrive, and the book becomes absolutely impossible to put down. The suspense was killing! At the climax of the “get” it felt positively…well…climactic!
I liked how we learn more about forensic pathologist Isaac Strong and team member Peterson. Overall, I found the characterization to be quite realistic. Hopefully the author will take some time further into the series to build on Peterson’s and Moss’s stories and also give us more about team member Crane, DCS Marsh and Erika’s family. And Erika needs a cat; do you hear me, Mr. Bryndza?
I implore all thriller fans to check out Robert Bryndza’s DCI Erika Foster series. I do recommend the books be read in order to appreciate the character development. This author is headed towards stardom. Don’t miss out! -
I'm hating giving this one 3 stars..it really should have been a four but something bugged me. (I'll tell you in a few.)
The story is back with Detective Erika Foster and her team. They get a call about a dead body of a local doctor. He is found by his mom, naked and with a bag over his head. The brass at the station automatically want the case to go to sex crimes because it's labeled as a gay hate crime. The doctor had recently separated from his wife and now has been secretly meeting with men.
Erika doesn't buy the scenario.
Then a few days later a prominent Jerry Springer-type news reporter is found in the same manner.
This is one of the thriller type books that
Erika's private life (what little she has) is still non-existent. The two year mark for her husband's death is looming up before her along with the bodies piling up.
I do like that this author doesn't throw her into relationships or even flirtations. She is still grieving for her husband Mark and her actions that lead to his death, that works so much better than her automatically getting into relationships with other guys.
Bravo.
This and the book before it,
The Girl in the Ice are both two of the better thrillers that I've read in awhile. What distracted me from this one is
The ending does leave me excited as to where the books are going next though. I'm still reading anything by this author...because the guy does keep me interested.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
My buddy Christine clued me into the first book in this series and then she did a great review of this one also..you can find it
here. -
I received a copy of The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza through NetGalley. Thanks to Bookouture and to Robert Bryndza for the opportunity.
Does lightning strike twice in the same place?
Yup! Especially if it has to do with DCI Erika Foster in this second winning book in this series. Once again, Bryndza has a gem here. Robert Bryndza knows how to present his complicated, tightly wound, brooding detective. She wears the complications of her unresolved grief for her dead husband like a weighty badge with no honor. It seeps into every crack in the surface of her being. And she carries it into every case.
High tension begins from the get-go on the very first page. A black clad figure waits inside the home of Dr. Gregory Munro as he prepares for bed. But there are no sweet dreams for Munro. You see, he won't ever have the opportunity to gaze upon the morning light. And there will be others. Someone will see to that. And someone also seeks to handpick male individuals that, presumably, need weeding from the garden of life.
Foster and her team are called in to formulate a composite of this killer who seems to elude them around every corner. Bryndza masterfully incorporates his storyline from the viewpoint of this black clad figure as well. The killer's reflections add necessary spokes to the wheel of this unspeakable evil. There's a chilling thread of abhorrence in the strained dialogue when the killer makes contact with Foster. Large creep factor here.
"Doesn't everyone come into the world good?" asks one of the perplexed characters.
What follows is a major cat-and-mouse game played out to great satisfaction.....until you realize that there are no winners here. Foster's team is deeply affected by the morbid actions of this killer to such an extent that lives will be changed. Foster continues to deal. And deal she does into the final pages. Erika Foster's character makes us sit in wonder as to where the depths of strength lie? And to what extent are we willing to delve into those dark, dark passages of the soul? -
This is the second book in the DCI Erika Foster Series.This series is for all fans of Karin Slaughter and Angela Marsons. I loved the book
The Girl In The Ice and loved this even better. My GR friend Kris and I read this book as a buddy read and we are starting the third book tonight
Dark Water, with our GR friend Stephanie.
I just love the character DCI Erika Foster. I find her very impulsive, gutsy and reacts quickly. She is a kick ass female. Even though Kris and I were able to predict the killer, we would of never of guessed the motive. In this one the victims are all single men with very private lives. I kept trying to figure out why they were linked to the killer. When I found out I was totally shocked.
As Erica and her team are beginning the investigation in the first murder another victim is found killed in the exact manner. The killer then becomes a serial killer, known to the police as The Night Stalker.
Bodies start piling up and the suspense thickens.
It kept me turning the pages. I just devoured it! I was so engrossed and couldn't put it down while the team was searching for the killer and DCI Erika Foster puts her life on the line. She risks losing her job in this one. This was a heart pounding read and can't wait to start the third book Dark Water tonight. -
3.5 Stars ⭐️ That was pretty good!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 -
4.5 STARS!
Let's just get some perspective, shall we:
At the time of this review, there have been 13 400 ratings and more than a thousand reviews for this book - that, in itself, is massive. However, after all of that, the average rating for this book is 4.22 STARS...
Wow...
So, at this stage, I don't think it would matter to tell people that DCI Foster is a man, posing as a woman, who goes after a serial killer who is a woman, posing as a man, who has the same views as a drunk Mel Gibson and think the holocaust was faked for propaganda, who is secretly obsessed with fetish porn, but because of religious reasons feels so conflicted that he/she rather kills people than to log onto the internet. And both killer and cop has a connection - they share a love of Marmite - Foster for the taste and the killer for fetish reasons...
OF COURSE I'm fucking with you - I was just wondering if you were really going to read this.
Here's what to expect:
DCI Erika Foster is a great cop, but has the tendency to overstep her bounds and rub people the wrong way.
She is in charge of the case when The Night Stalker starts killing. The victims are male, found naked inside their homes, with drugs in their systems and a "suicide" bag over their heads.
The victims seems to be random and clues are all but non-existent.
Why were they chosen?
How do they stop this killer who seems to be too far ahead of them?
Add to that a massive heat-wave and you've got a great, boiling pot impending doom...
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Okay, as far as a police procedural, this book has the right amount of everything you want. It is not for those who likes their action in short, constant bursts.
The plotting was near perfect, but there was one thing that niggled at the back of my head - a question I couldn't answer from the story - which prevented me from giving this 5 stars. Unfortunately, I can't discuss it without spoilers, so I will leave it at that.
One of the best things about this story - and you will have to bear with me on this one - is that the final showdown was not like the final fight in a Kung-Fu movie. What I mean by that is it was straight forward, uncomplicated and not overly-elaborate.
A lot of writers fall into the "trap" - yes, I write it like that because it works with some stories - of making this elaborate final scene, where it is back-and-forth, we kick each other's ass for four pages even though everybody knows the good guy is going to win, using props and furniture and, if the mood strikes, maybe even the pet cat as a weapon, blah blah blah, Hollywood bullshit...
Look, in the movie INDIANA JONES (I hope I'm thinking of the right one) AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, there is a scene where Indy has to fight this one guy in the market. During shooting, it was all set up as a choreographed, elaborate fighting scene. But that morning, Harrison Ford told Stephen Spielberg that he had food poisoning and he wouldn't be able to do it. He wanted to shoot something quickly so he could get back to the hotel and a bathroom. What happened next became part of the amazing Hollywood history:
Indy is in the market, this guy faces him and makes all the expansive, martial arts moves for about ten full seconds. The camera cuts back to Indy, who stands up straight, shakes his head, pulls out a gun and shoots the guy.
This scene is hilarious and much better remembered by the viewers than any fighting scene would have been.
The point I'm trying to make is that simple is sometimes so much better.
** Thank you, Andrea, for reminding me to get my butt in gear and read this book! -
5 big stars to The Night Stalker! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
I was a huge fan of Robert Bryndza’s first installment in the Erika Foster series, The Girl in the Ice! It kept me on the edge of my seat, and the writing was flawless!
I think Bryndza topped himself with installment number two, The Night Stalker!
Everyone’s new favorite heroine, Erika Foster, is called to a murder scene in the heat of a summer night. A doctor is found deceased in his bed, and the method appears to be suffocation. Not long thereafter, someone else is found dead in the same manner. You may sense where this is going…Erika has a serial killer on her hands.
The heat of summer builds in London, as does the mystery surrounding these murders. What is the link between these single male victims?
If you know Erika, she’ll stop at nothing to solve these crimes, but will she become a victim in the process?
Bryndza is a talented writer. The tension starts at page one and never lets go. More about Erika and her past marriage comes to light, and we also connect with Moss and Peterson. Isaac is a charmer and wonderful friend to Erika. I loved watching his character grow. The Night Stalker has all the character development I could have asked for and more. I am now fully invested in Erika’s team and am hooked in for the next installment! If you follow my reviews, you know it’s challenging to get me to follow a series, but I will definitely be following Erika!
How far will Erika and her team delve into darkness in order to solve the crimes of The Night Stalker?
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the invitation to read and review The Night Stalker, as well as for sponsoring the giveaways. I have one on my instagram page
www.instagram.com/tarheelreader and one on my blog
www.jennifertarheelreader.com. All opinions are my own. -
"I’d rather get a call from a serial killer than my own sister."
DCI Erika Foster and her team have a new case.
While spending an uncomfortable dinner invitation at her friend's house, forensic pathologist Isaac Strong and his boyfriend, Steven, Erika is called into the scene of a new crime. A man has been murdered. He was found by his mother naked and asphyxiated with a bag around his head. The deceased was a well-known doctor.
At first, it looks like it could be a hate crime when pornographic male magazines are found by his bedside table but a closer look give chills to Erika who begins to think there is something evil surrounding the death.
When a second body is found murdered in the same way, Erika and her team start to believe that it could be the work of a serial killer. Furthermore, Erika believes it could be a woman serial killer. Without fighting (too much) with her superiors while avoiding endangering another investigation, Erika will have to walk a fine line to try to get to the bottom of the mystery of the Night Stalker.
I liked this one quite a bit. I love that we are getting to know the other members of the team. We get more details about Isaac (maybe a little too much), Peterson, and Moss, too.
Erika is a great character to follow. She is dealing better with her unresolved grief. The death of her husband and team still affects her dearly despite almost two years have gone by. She is broken but starting to repair.
Erika has gained the respect of her team. They support her and want to help her. I'm still not sure about Marsh. I didn't particularly like his wife in this one. We shall see what happens.
I'm excited to continue with this series. So far, I have 4 more to read.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It |
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Wow! I think this one was even better than the first book in this series! It was an absolutely wonderful and thrilling read! I finished reading THE GIRL IN THE ICE on the 4th of December and knew that I had to read the second book in this series, THE NIGHT STALKER right away. Think I am going to have to bump up the third book in this series, DARK WATER and read it fairly soon!
If The Night Stalker is watching, you’re already dead… (Yup, creeped me out!)
THE NIGHT STALKER is another tense, gripping and suspenseful story by ROBERT BRYNDZA that grabbed my attention once again from the very first page of this book. The plot was extremely interesting which gave me chills and had me totally engrossed in what I was reading as the suspense and tension developed. The title of this book was brilliant and I found the cover really appealing. I really enjoyed how Robert Bryndza added more depth and background to his characters which made the book so much better for me!
I absolutely love DCI Erika Foster as she is such a likeable, interesting, entertaining, and strong character.
My only gripe that I have after reading this book has to do with me! I don't know why I do it but while I am reading a thriller I am always looking out for clues and trying to guess who the next victim is going to be and who the villain is and why! Quit it already! Sometimes it is extremely fun and other times it is quite annoying for me. Although, I did guess most of what was happening it was still an awesome read and I have to give Robert Bryndza a lot of credit for keeping me entertained and wanting more so I am absolutely looking forward to reading the next book in this series!
It was an enjoyable, quick and easy fast-paced thriller with a satisfying ending. Would highly recommend!!
http://www.twogirlslostinacouleereadi... -
I would like to thank Net Galley, Bookouture and Robert Bryndza for providing me with an advanced copy of THE NIGHT STALKER in exchange for an unbiased review.
THE NIGHT STALKER (DCI Erika Foster #2) a serial killer thriller that in my opinion even surpasses his first book in the series, The Girl in the Ice. This is one author to keep on the radar, because he is soaring to the top and much future success!
This is one of the best books I have read in 2016!
I have decided not to recap the story line, as I don’t want to reveal spoilers.
“Catch me if you can. I’m not finished yet.”
I could reveal more, but don't want to give away too much of the story. Trust me when I say this is a story definitely worth reading if you like mystery and suspense novels. This story is perfectly plotted and amazingly well-executed. The characters are complex...while some seem genuine, others are reserved. This is a story filled with mystery and suspense, a great cast of characters, and is a fast-paced, captivating read. Overall, this is a brilliantly executed story, and one I would strongly recommend.
Don’t miss out on this series. I strongly recommend! -
En general, una lectura fría y sin emoción.
La investigación no está bien tratada. Con asesinos en serie, todo el mundo sabe que hay que analizar el porqué de la víctima. ¿Por qué esa víctima y no otra? La novela se resuelve prácticamente por casualidad y de manera muy precipitada. Además, es muy previsible.
Me gusta el enfoque variado de los personajes. Razas, tendencias sexuales, lenguas diferentes. Como la vida misma.
In general, a cold and emotionless reading.
The investigation is not well treated. With serial killers, everyone knows that the victim's reason must be analyzed. Why that victim and not another? The novel is solved practically by chance and in a very hasty way. Also, it is very predictable.
I like the varied approach of the characters. Races, sexual tendencies, different languages. Like life itself. -
Oh, Mr. Bryndza. I am in love with DCI Erika Foster and your wonderful, flawed characters and suspenseful, exciting plots. Your writing has me reading past my bedtime and checking all my doors and windows. “The Girl In The Ice” was great and you somehow were able to surpass it in “The Night Stalker” which is DCI Foster’s second outing.
The very first chapter raised my blood pressure. Don’t we all worry about the shadows in our room or under our beds? The Night Stalker has a list and is ready to eliminate each in turn. As Erika and her team try to figure out a motive and find their suspect, The Night Stalker contacts Erika personally. Is The Night Stalker a stone-cold psychopath or a victim out only for revenge? Erika has to decide, but her own feelings are not as clear cut on this subject as she would like. The chase to stop a killer and save her friend, Isaac Strong, from prosecution for these murders is on and you will not want to put this book down.
I cannot recommend this author and series enough! Mr. Bryndza writes a police procedural with characters that I feel are so lifelike that I can see them really working away in England to solve murders. The plot pace is fast and his writing crisp. I am going to be anxiously awaiting the next book and what decision Erika makes in regards to her future.
Thanks so very much to Bookouture and Net Galley for giving me an eARC of this story for free in exchange for an honest review. It was my pleasure! -
Copy furnished by Net Galley in exchange for a review.
Creeping through the shadows of the night, cloaked in the black swoopings of darkness, a night stalker is growing strong, thriving. Pray that you are not being watched as the names are methodically ticked off the list.
DCI Erika Foster, on the second anniversary of her husband's death, is given a "gift". It's a double edged sword, though. The gift is that of distraction from the suffocating sadness for her, but it is one very dead Dr. Gregory Munro who has paid the price. Erika is called in when his body is found in his bed, plastic bag tied around his head, suffocated. He is the first.
I read Robert Bryndza's The Girl in the Ice earlier this year. He ups the ante in this second novel. The pacing is excellent, but it's his deftness with the characters . . you can see them, feel as though you know them. I got a kick out of a lesser character's mother, the one with the blaring TV, bellowing voice, and yard full of oversized garden gnomes. One of the members of Erika's investigative team, Moss, tickled me with her reference to a Flat Stanley.
If you like crime thrillers, step on up here and get to reading this guy. He has it going on, I'm not kidding. -
Finding a good mystery series is always cause for celebration. I really enjoyed The Girl in the Ice. And this, the second book in the series, is equally good. Erika Foster still finds it difficult to be political with those above her. I love her, because like me, she was not in the room when the Lord was handing out tact. And she doesn't give up easily. As Moss says “you're very Charlestown Heston about it… from my cold, dead hands”.
Bryndza paints a detailed picture. It's the little things that round out a character, like Foster’s realization that while she continues to age, her dead husband is forever young in her memories. She also does a phenomenal job of working the heat wave into almost every scene. For American readers, it helps to remember most of the U.K. doesn't have a/c like we do.
The story contains lots of plot twists and turns to keep you turning pages. In an unusual twist, all the victims are men. One of the things that makes it all real is the work issues - crappy bosses, underlings that disobey orders, budget cuts that screw up the works.
I enjoyed this book a lot and am anxious to move on to book three. -
EXCERPT: The screen of her phone timed out and she was plunged into total darkness. Just the sound of her labored breathing filled the silence. She panicked, fumbling to unlock the phone. At first her arthritic fingers wouldn't move fast enough, but finally she managed it and the light came back on, casting the front room in a circle of dim blue.
It was stifling inside: the heat pressed down on her, closing off her ears. It was as if she was underwater. Dust particles twirled in the air; a cloud of tiny flies floated silently above a large arty china plate filled with brown wooden balls on the coffee table.
"It's just a power cut," she snapped, her voice resonating sharply off the iron fireplace. She was annoyed that she'd panicked. It was just the circuit breaker, nothing more. To prove that there was nothing to be scared of, she would first have a drink of cold water, and then she would get the electricity back on. She turned, shuffling purposefully off towards the kitchen, her arm outstretched with the phone.
The glass kitchen seemed cavernous in the phone's half light, extending out into the garden. Estelle felt vulnerable and exposed. There was a distant whoosh and a click-clack as a train passed on the track beyond the bottom of the garden. Estelle went to a cupboard and pulled down a glass tumbler. Sweat stung as it dripped into her eyes; she wiped her face with her bare arm. She moved to the sink and filled her glass, wincing as she drank the lukewarm water.
The light went out on the phone again, and a crash from upstairs broke the silence. Estelle dropped the tumbler. It shattered, glass spraying out on the wood floor. Her heart pulsed and pounded, and as she listened in the darkness, there was another scuffling sound from above.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: If the Night Stalker is watching, you’re already dead…
In the dead of a swelteringly hot summer’s night, Detective Erika Foster is called to a murder scene. The victim, a doctor, is found suffocated in bed. His wrists are bound and his eyes bulging through a clear plastic bag tied tight over his head.
A few days later, another victim is found dead, in exactly the same circumstances. As Erika and her team start digging deeper, they discover a calculated serial killer – stalking their victims before choosing the right moment to strike.
The victims are all single men, with very private lives. Why are their pasts shrouded in secrecy? And what links them to the killer?
As a heat wave descends upon London, Erika will do everything to stop the Night Stalker before the body count rises, even if it means risking her job. But the victims might not be the only ones being watched… Erika’s own life could be on the line.
MY THOUGHTS: Robert Bryndza has definitely found his niche with this, the second book in the DCI Erika Foster series.
His writing is taut, tense and gripping. He spins a good story with just enough extraneous action for it to be interesting without overpowering the main thread of the plot. And the plot is excellent.
DCI Erika Foster has had a tough time of it. She was responsible for the deaths of her husband and four other Police Officers in a drug raid that went wrong. It is something that she is still learning to live with.
Erika, despite being haunted by her past, has her good points. She is the sort of person I would like on my side. She is loyal to her friends and is tenacious; she likes to see things through to the end. She won't take no for an answer. She won't be put off by her superiors telling her to leave things alone. On the minus side, she is incredibly stubborn, sometimes dangerously so.
There are quite' a few of those gut clenching, breath-holding OMG! moments in this book that had me breathlessly turning the pages. I am now a firm fan of this author and looking forward to more in this exciting series.
💕💕💕💕💕
THE AUTHOR: Robert Bryndza is the author of the international #1 bestseller The Girl in the Ice, which is the first in his Detective Erika Foster series. It has sold over one million copies.
The Night Stalker, Dark Water, Last Breath and Cold Blood are the second, third, fourth and fifth books in the series. The sixth book, Deadly Secrets has just been published.
Robert's books have sold over 2.5 million copies and have been translated into 28 languages.
In addition to writing crime fiction, Robert has published a bestselling series of romantic comedy novels. He is British and lives in Slovakia.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to NetGalley and publishers Bookouture for providing a digital ARC of The Night Stalker for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/... -
I had really loved Robert's first in this series but have to say I think he has gone one up with this second instalment. A truly fantastic and exciting serial killer chiller! God! I love a good serial killer. Weird I know! Robert is a welcome new name into this genre and I am eager for book three.
The plot is gritty and well paced and it doesn't take you long to be drawn in and well and truly hooked on the book. DCI Erika Foster is on top form, if not better form (I mean she has more career experience now right?) and is on the hunt along with the team for a serial killer who has no heart and no remorse it seems. This is a novel you can easily pick up and read in one sitting, cover to cover and totally forget about the world outside (remember to take in a bottle of water before page one).
I enjoyed following the hunt, enjoyed the twists and turns and hurtling towards a great and satisfying book ending. This was less roller coaster and more Formula One race car! Woo hoo, here we go! Hold on for the ride. A highly recommend read whether you have read the first book or not, it doesn't really matter, you will enjoy both/either! Robert is a fantastic writer who obviously has a strong and steady career ahead of him, he has certainly started off with a bang. 5 deserved stars!
Many thanks to Bookouture and the author for my copy of this book to read and review. -
Robert Bryndza brings DCI Erika Foster back for another thrilling story that will send chills down the reader's spine. When the body of a prominent doctor is found in his own home, DCI Foster and her team arrive to investigate. Sprawled out naked and with a bag firmly affixed around his head, Dr. Gregory Munro appears to be living a secret life, supported by significant amounts of Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) in his blood and gay pornography in his bedside table. Could the doctor have a lover who took things too far? As Foster heads up the investigation, she leaves no stone unturned, even if it is sure to offend many. When she hears that she is being considered for a promotion, Foster debates changing her unorthodox style, but cannot justify not being what makes her a decent detective. When a second man is found killed in a similar fashion, forensic evidence opens the possibility that the previous profile may be flawed and that a woman may be responsible. Foster is happy to forge ahead with this, much to the chagrin of her superiors, as female serial killers are extremely rare. All the while, the killer is using an online forum to vent about a life gone awry, one that may offer some insight into how the victims are chosen and how they are killed. With the case ramping up, Foster must come to terms with the two-year anniversary of her husband's death, something that she thinks about everyday, though she remains numb to some of the nuances. It was not only Mark who died, but the entire team she led into a botched drug raid. Coming out of this inner-exploration, Foster realises the killer has come to visit her and left a calling card, which ups the ante and forces the investigation to move at warp speed. A third murder hits closer to home and Foster is forced to give up her leadership role when she makes a careless mistake, one that she does not feel is of her own doing. In true DCI Erika Foster form, she convinces her team to continue working on the case under the radar, even when they are reassigned. A single lead may blow the case wide open, but Foster will have to defy her superiors and put her promotion in jeopardy in order to bring a killer to justice. For many, it is a tough decision, but Foster is no regular cop! Another stellar piece of thriller fiction will keep the reader talking about this book around the virtual water cooler for a long time to come.
Bryndza offers an explosive follow-up to his highly successful debut novel. The Erika Foster character is still prominent, though her backstory receives little attention, save one chapter. Foster's struggle with the loss of her husband and previous team is handled effectively, though still leaves the door open for more exploration in a future novel. It is presumed the reader knows DCI Erika Foster and the truffles that have brought her from Manchester. Bryndza successfully builds up his characters, such that the reader cannot help but like (or hate) them and want to know more, which he kindly offers in brief snippets as offshoots to the larger plot. Bryndza uses the narrative to propel the story forward effectively, leading the reader down many paths as the team follows leads and the killer ramps up their crimes. Bryndza shapes the story around the cat and mouse game that ensues, leaving the reader to watch and wonder how things will resolve themselves effectively. Not only that, but Bryndza offers up themes in this novel that pull on the heartstrings of many readers, from child pornography to abuse and even venturing into the world of neglect. These issues seek to offer the reader a chance to ponder what is important and realise just how horrid the world can be. One can only hope that Bryndza has a few more DCI Erika Foster novels in him, though this story ends with a cliffhanger that begs for at least one more, if only to resolve the tension.
Kudos, Mr. Bryndza for this wonderful novel that offers much to the police thriller genre and is sure to entertain the reader.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/ -
This book proved to be an excellent follow up to
The Girl In The Ice. The mystery is well told and the story races along making it hard to put the book down. The main character annoys me a little as she rushes around doing her own thing usually quite contrary to normal police procedure (then she wonders why she does not get promoted but I am firmly on her boss's side over that one.)
A good story nevertheless with an intriguing serial killer, several murders performed in rather unusual ways and a satisfactorily dramatic conclusion. I enjoyed it. -
After ‘The Girl in the Ice’ which I liked, I turned to the second book with DCI Erika Foster. And this one was good as well!
Erika Foster is called in to investigate a brutal murder. The victim is Dr Gregory Munro, and he dies of asphyxiation after being drugged and suffocated with a plastic (suicide) bag. There are some gay magazines found at his place, suggesting the possibility of a sex related crime. However, a second body turns up with the method being very similar and it is not clear what is the connection between the victims. The killer does not leave any evidence and they are carefully planned murders.
The story is decent and the pace is very good as well. The book is very readable – and I found myself engrossed and completing it very quickly. The identity of the perpetuator is revealed at about 70% of the book, and after that it is a cat and mouse game between the murderer and Erika Foster. The last sections are somewhat predictable though, but I much prefer that over pretentious twists. The detective work descriptions are quite solid.
I love Erika Foster’s spunky character – her determination to get results even if it means some insubordination and ruffling a few feathers, though the death of her partner Mark continues to weigh on her though it is two years since. Her team with Moss and Peterson are very likeable characters as well.
I expect to be reading most of the books in this series, but maybe not serially. -
This is the second book in the DCI Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza. I was fortunate to have his first novel in this series recommended to me and what read that was, so when I was given the opportunity to read the second book it was a no brainer. I couldn't wait to read it and to be honest I am been a bit mean only giving it a four star rating.
DCI Erika Foster is an excellent character to build a series around, she is a strong, intelligent woman who takes no prisoners. There are some other very good support characters that I can see been developed in future books.
In this novel Erika leads her team to investigate the suspicious deaths of three men. The victim's are found naked in bed with a plastic bag covering their head so they suffocate, but how are they linked?
Another excellent read in the DCI Erika Foster series and I will certainly be reading the next edition in this series. The books are full of suspense and excellent characters. The chapters are short and punchy that grip you and hold you to the end, if you are looking to start a new series of books then look no further, this is a very good read from a very promising author who I highly recommend.
I would like to thank Bookouture and Net Galley for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review of the latest Robert Bryndza. -
"Bryndza heeft zich met dit deel nog meer op de kaart weten te zetten en heeft me met dit deel echt voor zich gewonnen. Dit deel vond ik beter dan deel 1 (hoewel dat zeker ook al aardig was!) en ik kan deze boeken zeker aanbevelen!"
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2020... -
Oh Bookouture.... I think you are my absolute favourite publishers... Always a great read!!
A great second instalment in the adventures of Erika Foster. I really enjoyed the girl in the ice, and am happy that there are a few more to get through in this series.
Erika and her delightful team are back solving murders and catching serial killers. When a doctor is found dead in his bedroom, naked, and with a plastic bag over his head, it's up to them to piece the clues together and find the killer.
Great series, however not my favourite thriller series. Not sure if it's something about slightly broody damaged female characters that has me a bit bored at the moment. Perhaps I need to step away from the genre for a while.
Having said that, it's a solid thriller that will keep any thriller fan happy, lots of twists and turns, great secondary characters, a bit of blood and guts, violence and all together a great book that makes for some very entertaining reading! Not enough romance for my enjoyment, but yes, I know. She's lost her husband recently. I get the no romance...
Would I recommend The Night Stalker?
Yup! Any thriller fan would enjoy this quick entertaining read!
Many thanks to the author and bookouture via netgalley for a copy of The Night Stalker in exchange for an honest review. -
Thank you to the publishers, the author and to Net Galley for an ARC copy.
DCI Erika Foster Returns of Blockbuster hit, a gripping, tense and powerful book.
If The Night Stalker is watching, you’re already dead…
In the dead of a swelteringly hot summer’s night, Detective Erika Foster is called to a murder scene. The victim, a doctor, is found suffocated in bed. His wrists are bound and his eyes bulging through a clear plastic bag tied tight over his head.
A few days later, another victim is found dead, in exactly the same circumstances. As Erika and her team start digging deeper, they discover a calculated serial killer – stalking their victims before choosing the right moment to strike.
The victims are all single men, with very private lives. Why are their pasts shrouded in secrecy? And what links them to the killer?
As a heat wave descends upon London, Erika will do everything to stop the Night Stalker before the body count rises, even if it means risking her job. But the victims might not be the only ones being watched… Erika’s own life could be on the line.
A great follow up to "The Girl In The Ice", a fast paced, chilling, shocking blockbuster of a thriller, Erika Foster becoming a great character as we learn more about her and her team.
A chilling villain, that I had completely guessed wrong, great characters, especially Erika Foster and also her team and also Paul Marsh.
Gripping, tense and lots of twists that keep going right to the end.
This author is growing in stature.
A great book, and four stars from me. -
A welcome return of the haunted and complex DI Erika Foster. Erika takes on a case where single men are being targeted and murdered by a serial killer. As a heatwave descends on London, the heat rises on the investigation as death stalks the streets and the body count rises. The killer is proving to be elusive despite the police teams efforts. In a twisted tale, there are a number of red herrings. Erika's team find themselves under extreme pressure and unavoidably affected by the case. However, the team are beginning to gel together well. And the killer has Erika in his sights. With ongoing character development, and a fast paced narrative that never lets up, this is a thriller that will keep you in its grip right up to the end. Fabulous read. Thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
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DCI Erika Foster is back and just as strong as ever!
This is the second installment of what I hope to be a long continuing series featuring DCI Erika Foster and her wonderful team of misfits. (I saw this lovingly)
While I can't rate this as captivating as book 1 was for me, it certainly had me turning the pages, wondering what was going to happen next.
I really enjoy Bryndza's writing style. He is strong in character development, but my favorite piece is how he is able to weave a story and lead the reader completely blind down the proverbial rabbit hole, throwing out bread crumbs here and there until he is finally ready to let us all in on the big reveal.
So very much looking forward to what's next for Foster and her team to take on...keep them coming Mr. Bryndza!!!
My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. -
5 Gripping Stars
A local GP (doctor) is found murdered, naked. At first it has all the hallmarks of a sexual motive killing but DCI Erika Foster the investigating officer thinks not.
Then another body is found.... are they connected and if so by what?
DCI Foster must work non stop to find the killer before they strike again but without any real clues she is running out of time.
‘Did you watch from here?’ Erika said softly to herself. ‘How long were you here? You’re not going to get away with this. I’m coming for you.’
Robert Bryndza's done it again.
Another fantastic nail biting thriller that was a real page turner. Full of suspense and an exhilarating plot.
Erika Foster is another strong and complex character. She is still coming to terms with her involvement in her husband's death, she fights her feelings of loss and I thought the pain she portrayed really came through in this author's writing.
I also felt connected to the other characters which all had a strong part to play.
I do enjoy thrillers that have the darker elements to them and it gave this story an edge to it.
This is Robert Bryndza's second book into the world of thrillers. The Girl in the Ice his first and his writing once again is excellent and I can't wait for the next installment....
***ARC provided by Netgalley via Bookouture in return for an honest review*** -
Two years ago Erika Foster was a rising star in the police department. Then one morning everything went horribly wrong. Erika was the lead on a drug raid when she was critically injured and four other police officers, including her husband, were killed. Erika has recovered from the physical wounds but is still dealing with the emotional ones. We first met Erika in
The Girl in the Ice when she returned to duty. We don't know what Erika was like before that eventful day two years ago. Today it is seems you either love her or you hate her. She appears supportive with her team and her team supportive of her. But there are others within the police department who despise her. She exasperates the brass in the police department because she often does what she wants to rather than what she is told to. Her immediate supervisor appears to be a friend and tries to council her with sage advice but Erika often ignores this even when it is in her own best interest. Basically Erika has a tendency to rub people the wrong way.
In this story Erika is called to a murder scene. The victim is a respected doctor. He is naked, his hands bound, and a plastic bag tied over his head. The murder appears to have been well planned. The victim was drugged. Power, internet, landline phone cut. SIM card in his cell phone removed and crushed. Who would want to kill him? Was he gay? If so was this a hate crime?
A few days later there is another murder. The circumstances are the same. Drugged, naked in bed, hands tied, plastic bag tied over the head. Power, internet, landline phone cut. SIM card in his cell phone removed and crushed. This time the victim was a television journalist whose specialty was sensationalism. Other than how they died there does not appear to be any connection between the two victims.
Erika is committed and dedicated. She is determined to do whatever is needed to catch The Night Stalker except perhaps what she is told to by her superiors. Especially if they want to transfer the case to someone else. She is very good detective but not a good politician which is sometimes needed when working in an hierarchical organization such as the police department. She defies orders and reacts angrily when someone else gets promoted. Despite all of these faults you still find yourself rooting for her, admiring her. I am looking forward to reading more in this series. -
Really enjoyed this book,thought it was better than the girl on ice.loved Erica foster character the most.crime where men get murdered in a brutal way are they going in the wrong direction to find the serial killer.good book looking forward to his next book.highly recommend this book.
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It hasn't been too long since I was introduced to DCI Erika Foster in The Girl in The Ice series by Robert Bryndza. I missed her determination, ambition and her drive to do what it takes in hunting down the killer. I love how Night Stalker gives us a deeper look and understanding into her tragic loss and the personal lives of Moss and Peterson which gave me a better connection to them.
I liked how we are able to see a lot more inside the killer’s head with Night Stalker, which caused me to feel some sympathy and have a good understanding of what motivated the killer.
I look forward to reading more of DCI Erika Foster in Dark Waters.
