Deadly Secrets: An absolutely gripping crime thriller

From the very start of this book you are faced with a very creeping and growing sense of foreboding. There is so great an air of threat hanging around our first victim that it is less a sense of wondering if and more a case of wondering just how and where. Now both of those questions are answered pretty quickly and in quite a violent way. And if that opening doesn't sit up and make you take note then nothing will.The case centres around the brutal murder of a burlesque performer who is dispatched just as she arrives at what should be the sanctity of her own home. A hair's breadth from salvation her demise is quick but horribly painful. As Erika finds herself drawn to the investigation as a way to avoid an awkward Christmas dinner rendezvous, the scene is set for one humdinger of a case and sees the reader brought back to the familiar territory and a team that, if you are like me, you have grown to love over the course of the series. Alongside the main murder case are some other unsolved crimes which are occurring that may or may not have bearing on Erika's case, and all of it combines to put one of the team in grave danger. Oh such fun ... It definitely had me smiling.And I totally mean that. The beauty of these books is the feeling of being back in the familiar and yet it all seeming so fresh. This is a very unique case with no end of creepy suspects and characters who you will have half an eye on as being the perpetrator of the dastardly deed. You may have your suspicions but Robert Bryndza manipulates your understanding of what is happening in the book to a point where you will not know if up is truly up or whether it may well actually be down. Yup - very twisted. But oh did it satisfy and surprise from start to finish.I love the way in which the author has developed the team over the past five books. Readers should be aware of Erika's difficult past and there is a certain sense of movement in terms of her acceptance of the past in this book. She is drawn back to her old home of Manchester after her father in law falls ill and it has a profound impact upon her on a personal level, one which I will be intrigued to see how it informs her character in future stories. Her on again,off again relationship with Peterson also takes a bit of a turn but I am not sure yet if this is a good or bad thing. Whichever way you take it, you see more of Erika's vulnerable side in this book and I really liked it. She is still kick ass and determined and bloody focused, but she is perhaps also more human than she has been in a long time.Pacing in this book was just about perfect, with quieter moments successfully contrasted against times of great jeopardy and tense action. There are scenes which made me cringe, scenes which make you go eww and scenes which will have you on the edge of your seat. It really is a perfect mix. And to be honest, in this book in particular, I liked seeing Moss brought to the helm, taking over the investigation as Erika dealt with her personal issues. She is a great character and perhaps under utilized at times so seeing her front and centre made a nice change. She has proven herself to be as determined as Erika, and also as headstrong and impetuous, perhaps a little tenacious, which is almost to her extreme cost. She is absolutely fab though so more Moss please.Deadly Secrets is a great addition to the series and with an antagonist who you can truly loathe, fans of Erika and the team will not be disappointed. My only complaint is that I've finished it already and I'll have to wait ages for the next one. I can only say boo hiss to that.

Great pace, plenty of intrigue, twists and turns. More on Erikas past and personal life. Seeing her develop further as on a personal dynamic adds to the plot. Looking forward to reading the next book

Nooooo I’ve finished all the Erika Foster books, and there aren’t any more. I could have kept living in this world for some time yet, but I now feel as if I have to return to reality with a bump. Or slightly less dramatically, just return to reading other books!I have so enjoyed being embroiled in the world of Erika Foster and all the other detectives on her team. I was unsure at first of the level that her life was portrayed but as the books progressed I wanted more and more for her to get a happy ever after and to be settled before we left her. Bryndza alluded at the end of the book that there may be more to come for her, which is excellent as I didn’t feel like we have wrapped up her story just yet. Although, I’m sceptical as to when this may be as he’s moved onto a different detective now and there doesn’t seem to be any Erika Foster books in the pipeline. I’ll just have to keep hoping.We certainly had the story splinter into many fractions in this book and even saw Moss play a more pivotal role. We have only really touched on hers and Peterson’s lives in the periphery, but they are both getting more staring roles as the books developed.The investigation in this book did seem a little secondary to the story. Towards the end, I was beginning to think it was going to be rushed to conclude just to get it over and done with; however, I wasn’t disappointed, and it was tied up satisfactorily.Bryndza certainly is a very talented writer and knows how to grip the reader with his stories. This book had more intrigue than the others as we aren’t aware of who the killer is throughout as we have been in the past books. This really kept the suspense alive as it could have been anyone. It gave the book a very different feel to the others in the series, but this didn’t make it any less enjoyable. In fact, I think I read this a little quicker because of this, and I had wanted to read it slower to savour the last book.I’m gutted to have read them all but looking forward to any books that Bryndza brings out in the future as you know they are always going to be of high calibre!

Este livro, sem duvidas, foi o melhor da série que li até agora. Já estou ansioso pra ler o próximo.

A really good book, just like the others that Robert Bryndza wrote. I higly suggest it

I couldn't stop reading, I needed to know more and now, I need another book of Erika.An unexpected ending...

To be ready, as books should be!

Todo muy bien