This was the first novel by this author that I have read, and while I had no trouble following along with the writing, I did have some issues with the story.

To begin with, Kate is your typical ex-cop cliche, after a tragic event in her past she became an alcoholic (recovering now). While I enjoyed the fact that she was in recovery and took pains to stay that way (even in her dreams), I would have liked to see her be a strong character in spite of what happened to her without that added in.

Added to that, the bumbling cop routine is also getting harder and harder to deal with. Especially when I am expected to believe that Kate somehow pieced together what had happened in a month when the police failed to do so in twelve years? Do you mean to honestly tell me that not only was a vital piece of information in Johanna's case sitting right there and was missed but that the police force also couldn't connect the deaths of four young men even though there was a similar M/O? Also distracting were the chapters that had absolutely nothing to do with the story. Is Tristan under pressure? Sure. Do I need an entire chapter dedicated to him trying to re-mortgage his place? No, not really.

In fact, most of these characters felt flat and one-dimensional. I didn't see much of a personality come through, except for with Ade, whom I absolutely adored! I hope to see more of him in future books (maybe as an independent consultant or another member of the PI team?)

I think my biggest problem is that throughout most of this story, I felt like the author was holding my hand. Telling me what I should think instead of letting me draw conclusions for myself. Even when some new piece of information was thrown in, it was done in such a way that there might as well have been a giant neon sign hanging above it.

That is, until the ending. Now THAT was a twist that I didn't see coming. And that twist and the surprise ending is not only what saved this story from being a two-star read, but has also enticed me to give this author another chance.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza is the third book in the Kate Marshall series and I loved it.
In short, we follow ex detective Kate Marshall and her partner Tristan in their first big case for their new private detective agency and it’s a cold case. They are hired to find a young female journalist who disappeared twelve years ago without a trace and was never found. As the story unfolds it soon becomes clear that they are now looking for a serial killer, one that is clever and dangerously unhinged.
Whenever I read a book by Robert Bryndza I know that’s it’s going to be a goodie…and I particularly love it when he writes a series. Darkness Falls is fast paced, dark, intense page turner which grabs you from the first pages, it’s another terrific read which I highly recommend. Really looking forward to reading the next case for Kate Marshall and Tristan.
Big thanks to Robert Bryndza, Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

📚 BOOK / REVIEW 📚

Note to self: never wait to read anything by @robertbryndza 🙈

I have been on a roll this week with #thrillers and #darknessfalls, the newest installment in the #katemarshall #bookseries delivered the dark, graphic and moody #reading experience I was highly craving! For me, this author does no wrong. I LOVE HIS WRITING, as well as the intricate plots and well defined characters. Kate and Tristan as such a fun PI duo and I am loving their development as the series unravels. Nine Elms (book 1) will always be a favorite, but this one was a close second! Free on @kindle_unlimited now! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Here is an author that just gets better and better. All his books I have read have been Excellent and 5/5 read! Plus, he is one of my favourite authors!
Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza was just the same! It was excellent from the beginning till the end.
Darkness Falls is the third book in the Kate Marshall series........and I loved it. Within this latest book PI Kate Marshall and her partner, Tristan Harper, are investigating a cold case involving a missing reporter Joanna Duncan who went missing twelve years ago after exposing a political scandal. It appears the local Police have given up on Joanna's case, however, her mother refuses to stay quiet.
PI Kate Marshall along with Tristan go through the original case files, trying to find any clues on what happened to her daughter all those years ago!

Do they find any clues on what happened to her and solve this case?

WoW I highly recommend this series and all Robert's books! They are just excellent!

Big Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley for my advanced copy of his book to read.

3.5 stars

In this 3rd book in the 'Kate Marshall' series, the former police detective looks for a woman who disappeared over a decade ago. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

In 1995 Kate Marshall was a Metropolitan Detective Constable until she discovered that her boss, DCI Peter Conway - with whom she'd been romantically involved - was a serial killer. The subsequent scandal, plus the fact that Kate was pregnant with Peter's child, got her fired. Since then Kate became an alcoholic, lost custody of her (and Peter's) son Jake to her parents, started going to AA, and became a criminology lecturer at Ashdean College in southern England. In Ashdean, Kate lives in a house on the beach, and starts every morning with a swim in the surf.

It's now 2015, and Kate left her teaching post to open a private detective agency. Kate runs the agency from the office of a caravan rental business she inherited from her friend (and AA sponsor) Myra. Kate's office also serves as the carvans' supply room, so the space is half-full of towels, sheets, and cleaning supplies.

Kate's partner in the detective agency is her former teaching assistant Tristan Harper, who has a knack for investigative work. And Kate's now 19-year old son Jake - on summer break from university - helps with the caravan enterprise and takes tourists out on a boat.

Kate's private investigator business is struggling, so she's happy to get a call from a woman named Bev Ellis, whose daughter Joanna Duncan disappeared twelve years ago. The police have now shelved Joanna's case, and Bev wants Kate to continue the search - even if it only results in a body to bury.

At the time of Joanna's disappearance she was an investigative journalist who'd recently exposed an MP for taking bribes to award building contracts. Joanna was also investigating claims the married MP used rent boys, which - at the time - would have been a big scandal.

Grieving mother Bev Ellis and her boyfriend Bill - a wealthy contractor with connections - have the police files relating to Joanna's case, so Kate and Tristan have a good place to start. They soon learn that, around the time Joanna vanished, she was looking into the disappearance of two gay men who'd spent time at a squatter's commune.

To further their investigation, Kate and Tristan make inquiries about the (now defunct) commune and its residents; talk to Joanna's friends; speak to Joanna's (unfaithful) husband Fred; interview Joanna's editor at the newspaper; track down the MP Joanna exposed, etc. Kate and Tristan are also able to get information from their contacts in the coroner's office and police department.

Meanwhile, a serial killer with a flair for disguises is picking up gay men in the area and murdering them.

In the course of their inquiries, Kate and Tristan come across the same names again and again, but can't connect the dots to Joanna's disappearance until there's a surprise breakthrough
.
In additional to their professional work, we get a peek into the private lives of the characters. Kate struggles with her sobriety and misses her friend Myra; Tristan has financial troubles and an older sister who disapproves of his detective job; Jake has to deal with having a serial killer father; and so on. On the upside, Kate, Tristan, and Jake sometimes gather for a delicious barbecue on the beach.

Some of the twists in the book stretch credulity, but I enjoyed the story and recommend it to mystery lovers and Kate Marshall fans.

Thanks to Netgalley, Robert Bryndza, and Thomas & Mercer for a copy of the book.

I love this series and I love the characters of Kate and Tristan. The writing is excellent with the likeable characters and intriguing mysteries. I did guess 'whodunnit' but couldn't figure out the details so it was still a surprise. This, like the previous two books in the series, was an easy-to-read, enjoyable book. I'm looking forward to Book 4!!!

Darkness Falls, by Robert Bryndza, is an enjoyable, fast paced suspense novel with interesting and relatable characters. The characters and action kept me hooked throughout the story.
New Private Investigator, Kate Marshall, and her partner, Tristan, are hired for their 1st missing persons case. It’s twelve years old and as cold as a case can be. Joanna Duncan, a local journalist, vanished soon after she helped expose a corrupt politician. Everyone but Joanna’s mum has moved on. Bev just wants to find her daughter's body so she can bury her properly.
After Kate and Tristan are given all the original case files, they begin by following the the same previous leads and they're able to tease out some new leads. Kate's found a couple "new" names, of other missing persons, among Joanna's personal items.
While Kate works at accounting for the days leading up to when the three went missing, she realizes that Joanna might have been involved in something much more ominous than she ever would have guessed.

When you read a Robert Bryndza book, you always know you are going to get a good read, guaranteed. That is certainly the case with this book as well. This is the third book in the series but you can easily read it as a standalone.

Kate and Tristan are tasked with finding journalist Joanna Duncan, who disappeared over a decade earlier. Their new PI agency needs the business and Joanna's mother really needs to know what happened to her daughter. Of course, investigating a cold case such as this involves delving deep into the past and what they uncover is horrifying.

This is a fast-paced book with multiple threads that all come together seamlessly.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.

This is a cold-case mystery with fantastic pacing. It's so twisty. And twisted. This could be read as a standalone, although it's the 3rd in the series. We're getting to know Kate and Tristan more in this book, and I look forward to seeing them in the next one.

I didn't realize this book was number 3 of the DI Marshall series, when I started reading it, but it didn't really affect the storyline. In fact, I really want to go back and read the other 2 books!

DI Kate Marshall and Tristan Harper run a private investigation agency that is not bringing in a lot of money. Then they are hired to shed some light on the case of missing person Joanna Duncan, who disappeared 12 years ago.

This book has a lot of mystery to it and could easily have become very confusing as there are many different layers to it. But, it is really well written and the author keeps a complicated story very clear to the reader. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the next installment!!

This book was a brilliant detective mystery thriller! I gave this book four stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mercer & Thomas for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Kate Marshall series is getting into its groove with the third installment, Darkness Falls.

Kate and Tristan's business is finally on its first big case, and man a red herring or two is thrown in to keep the reader guessing.

Each time I thought I had a clue on what was happening, another layer, another twist was added that had me questioning what I thought.

I enjoyed both Kate and Tristan's POVs as this story wove its way to a surprising ending. It could have all become a bit convoluted, but Bryndza brought it all to its fascinating end very well.

This is a fast paced, at times hard to read (not the writing, what happens in the story) tale that left me wanting more of this series.

Good Twist!

3.75 stars

Darkness Falls finds PI Kate Marshall and her partner, Tristan Harper, investigating a cold case involving a missing reporter. Their investigation puts them in the crosshairs of a sick and twisted killer and ends with a bang!

This is book #3 in the Kate Marshall series. It can be read as a standalone.

Kate and Tristan’s PI agency is far from flourishing. They have only had a few cases, which means money is tight, and their confidence in their business is waning. Desperate to take on the case of Joanna Duncan, a reporter who went missing 12 years ago, the unlikely partners are also dealing with running a Caravan business, annoying roommates, and problems from their pasts.

Kate and Tristan are the primary narrators. I like both, and I enjoyed both of their perspectives. The reader is also privy to the killer's POV, this is one sick and twisted individual, and one scene, in particular, is hard to read.

Darkness Falls is a fast-paced, easy read. The mystery has more layers than it initially seemed. I guessed the killer early on, which didn't impact my enjoyment, and there was a good twist that made the killer's actions more interesting. There is an underlying layer of tension that culminates in a twisted revelation.

The twist could have turned into a convoluted mess, but Bryndza's writing holds things together. The mystery is intricately plotted and never goes off the rails.

I didn’t love book one in the series, but I liked book two more. With this book, I feel like the series finally found its groove. Kate and Tristan have really grown on me. I like the addition of Ade, and I hope he shows up in the next book. This series is heading into a good place, and I look forward to continuing with book #4.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

We are back with Kate and Tristan, and this time their fledgling investigation agency is tasked with delving into a cold case. 12 years ago, journalist Joanna Duncan went missing after leaving her office. Her car and phone were found in the car park she was on her way to from the office with CCTV showing her last movements as heading that way. Her Mum Bev has never been able to move on and when her wealthy partner offers to pay for Kate and Tristan to investigate, she jumps at the chance.

With Kate no longer working at the university, she has inherited her sponsor Myra's house and caravan park and is really hoping to be able to fund the detective work. Her relationship with son Jake is also improving and when he arrives from University to help out on the site, it gives her some more time to devote to the case. Tristan is finding it more difficult to cut the ties of security with the University, but he is just as commited as ever to making the agency a success.

Kate and Tristan get stuck into the case and start by looking into the last stories that Joanna worked on, but when they don't lead anywhere, they need to call on all their expertise to oprn the case up.

This is turning into an excellent series. The rugged coastal setting is a character of its own and the main characters hold the story really well. With a very well-rounded, mysterious story, with lots of twists and turns, it definitely keeps you reading!

Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza
Kate Marshall Series #3

Private Investigator Kate Marhall is readying the caravan rentals for the season when she is hired to look for a woman that went missing over a decade ago. The mother of the missing woman wants closure and feels that Kate and her partner, Tristan Harper, will be able to do what the police were unable to. Much rides on this case and it ends up being a lot more complex than expected.

What I liked:
* Kate: once on the police force, tenacious, utilizes investigative techniques wisely, organized, methodical, intuitive, growing as an individual
* Tristan: working hard to make his dreams come true, capable, great investigative skills, aware, still working to secure and determine his future
* Jake: Kate’s son, university student home for the summer, seems a nice guy and someone that should and no doubt will show up in future books of the series
* Ade: an ex-policeman with PTSD, aspiring author, friend of Tristan’s
* Alan Hexam: forensic pathologist, potential continuing character in the series
* Wondering if Faye and Mona will show up as police officers on future cases
* The use of police procedural investigative skills employed by Kate and Tristan
* The plot and pacing of the clues and revelations
* Knowing what the serial killer was up to but not knowing who it was immediately
* That everything was tied up neatly at the end of the story
* Thinking about what will happen in the next book in the series and wondering what Kate and Tristan might do in their personal lives

What I didn’t like:
* The serial killer and some of the others in the story that seemed to prey on others
* Knowing that there are people in the world as evil as those in this book

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read another book in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Rich characterization and a page-turning plot makes for a fast-paced, and interesting story. This is the third in the Kate Marshall series following “Nine Elms” and “Shadow Sands”. Anyone who missed reading the first two novels in the series should have no qualms about reading “Darkness Falls” as enough background information is included that it reads very well as a stand-alone novel. However, I think it enriches the reading experience if you read the series in order to get the complete backstory of the characters.

I enjoyed Kate Marshall’s character and her relationships with her assistant, and her son. All were rich and believable. Kate has more baggage than most women in their forties and she is working hard to leave it behind her – including her longing for alcohol. A ‘day at a time’ battle that she is determined to overcome.

The atmospheric locale added greatly to my enjoyment of the novel.

The narrative is well-balanced between the ‘case’ and Kate’s home life. This time out the duo seek to achieve what the police have failed to do in twelve years. They want to find out what became of the journalist Joanna Duncan. Also, this story tells of their efforts to maintain the caravan park and dive shop that were part of Kate’s inheritance from Myra.

“Darkness Falls” probes themes of duplicity and crimes against gay men.

The ending was the perfect denouement to show how they solved the case and also as a lead-up to the next Kate Marshall title which is highly anticipated by me.

Highly recommended to all lovers of intelligent crime fiction.

The third of the Kate Marshall books, this is a new series for me and I am glad I discovered it. Although I wish I had read the prior works because I really enjoyed this one, it worked well as a standalone. Bryndza writes a nicely plotted, fast paced story with good character development. Although the solution to this cold case wasn’t a big surprise, I still found the red herrings plausible and the book a “can’t put down”. Bryndza created a good sense of place; I could picture the beautiful coastal scenery as well as feel the vicissitudes of the weather. I look forward to the next in this series.

Robert Bryndza is continuing his series featuring Kate Marshall in this book, Darkness Falls. Kate was a part-time PI and an admired and respected criminology lecturer based at Ashdean University, on England's south coast, working with a clever and willing research assistant, Tristan Harper. Now Kate's PI agency has its first case with Kate no longer lecturing though Tristan is still at Ashdean working three days a week...

Set in 2015, it wasn't long before I became fully caught-up in this novel, and I hurtled through the dark storyline, brimming as it was with duplicity, danger and menace. The plot was tight, the pacing swift and the scenes were written in some detail, all making for an atmospheric, intense and gritty read. Kate makes a marvellous protagonist, her character having been masterfully developed by Robert Bryndza and she is proving to be a solid lead in the series. Despite her flaws and testing personality, I have really warmed to her character and she is one of the reasons why this thriller-mystery and the series have worked well for me, so far. I adored the dynamics between her and Tristan and Robert Bryndza has developed Tristan's character marvellously. Darkness Falls has the perfect twisted thriller concoction, especially for a cold case, and it was an excellent continuation in a series that is a bit of a favourite.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is my first book by this author and even though this was the third installment of a series, I did not feel lost at all. I really enjoyed this author’s writing. I liked Kate, the strong female lead and her young sidekick Tristan. And I enjoyed the surprise reveal in the end. This was a solid crime solving thriller. Thank you Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Robert Bryndza for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Robert Bryndza and Thomas & Mercer for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a huge fan of Bryndza since The Girl in the Ice and I just adore the characters that he writes. The strong female leads are amazing and yet flawed. I find the plots so very unique and interesting for private detective novel and this is a series that I am eager to have continue. The twists are so well thought out that you can't guess them until close to the end and I love how they all wrap up so cleanly. I can't wait for the next installment!

This was another fine installment in the Kate Marshall series. In Darkness Falls, Kate Marshall is building her PI agency and is tasked with investigating the disappearance of a local journalist. Her investigation leads to the possibility of a serial killer targeting young men.

The Kate Marshall series is a consistently fine mystery series. The stories tend to be predictable, and Bryndza's writing of romance is not great. His secondary and tertiary characters are often based upon unflattering stereotypes, and that continues in this book even with a focus on a killer targeting men instead of women. It's still an enjoyable read, the predictability and stereotyping keep it from being great.