After thoroughly enjoying the first two books in this series, I was chomping at the bit at the opportunity to dive into this one (thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the advance review copy). And once again, I wasn't disappointed. Kate Marshall, who recently started a private investigation business in England, is in her best sleuthing mode, with lots of help from her personable partner, Tristan Harper. Business isn't exactly booming, so they're both delighted when they get a call from Bev Ellis asking them to tackle a cold case: the disappearance of her journalist daughter, Joanna Duncan, a dozen years earlier.

Kate also owns a bunch of caravans - which if I'm correct is what we across the Pond call trailers (as in trailer park) - that bring in some money but need to be cleaned regularly. For that, she's hoping her grown son, Jake, will take charge when he comes home from college in a couple of weeks. For now, though, she and Tristan concentrate on their new case and start looking for clues, beginning with people who might be holding a grudge after Joanna did an expose on a local government official that resulted in losing his seat. It was, after all, just a couple of weeks after that when Joanna went missing. Willing to pay for the search is Bill, Bev's rather wealthy partner for many years, with whom she's now living.

Eventually, clues - some found in evidence boxes Kate has obtained from the police from their early-on investigation - turn up some names that lead to connections to the gay community, which seems to proliferate locally, both publicly and in secret (the latter mostly among married men who frequent gay bars and hire "rent boys" on the sly). As their investigation continues, though, it takes an even more sinister direction: the possibility that Joanna's disappearance isn't a one-off, but rather another in a string of serial killings by someone who isn't a stranger to the local community.

All in all, another entertaining adventure from beginning to end with very likable characters who are easy to "root" for. Bring on the next one - I'm ready already!

The latest instalment of the Kate Marshall series delivers a gripping and dark storyline, cementing it’s place as a must read series. I’m convinced this would make a brilliant tv series and would love to see it translated to the small screen one day.
Kate and Tristan have their work cut out for them here. Not only do they now have the caravan park to run, Tristan still works part time at the university and the detective agency is now properly up and running. When the mum of a missing woman asks them to investigate the cold case of the disappearance of journalist Joanna, they find themselves investigating the seedy side of politics and the gay community. Be warned that there are some upsetting and disturbing murders here but it’s an emotive and well crafted thriller that will keep you guessing until the final shocking revelations.
I love this series and the character development that has happened throughout, especially that of Kate. She’s such a strong character but she has a vulnerability that makes her very likeable. She’s challenged constantly with this new case but never gives up.
If you like the tv series “The Cuckoo’s Calling” then you will adore this series as much as I do!

A Captivating and Intriguing Novel

On a Saturday late afternoon in 2002, Joanna Duncan, a journalist for the West Country News, leaves work and walks to her car in a soon to be torn down car park. She is attacked and killed. Her body has not been found. The timeline shifts to 2015 where Kate Marshall, an ex-police officer from London who had to leave that profession in disgrace. She has started a private investigation firm. She is contacted by Bev Ellis who wants Kate to find her daughter, Joanna. The police have given up, and Bev just wants to learn what happened to her daughter.

As this is a very cold case, the flow of the main storyline is not rapid. As more information is uncovered the main storyline becomes more complex with numerous new players. The main storyline is told basically in the voices of the Kate and her partner, Tristan. The flow was that after a chapter or two of discovering information, there are a chapter or part of one where those two discuss what has been discovered, its meaning, and where should they go from there. This style resulted in a non-rapid storyline. The unsub also is the voice several chapters, so you can see his perspective on the events. While some readers may not like this, I found that it did capture my interest and found it engaging.

I do not have any previous history with this author so I started with a clean slate. I found the background on both Kate and Tristan to be rich and portrayed via numerous avenues as their interactions between them, their friends, and for Kate with her son. The aspect of how they reached this point in their lives is adequately documented. All of this enhanced my reading enjoyment. I did not find holes in the B-storyline or even the feeling that I was missing something. So, this can be the first book to read in this series.

Gay life style is a significant part of this novel. The few incidents of violence are described in the more edgy as it occurs. There is a definite level of vulgar and crude language. These aspects, while definitely adult content, did not distract me or reduced my enjoyment of the basic storyline.

For the past five years I have read quite a few mystery/thrillers by British authors. By now I thought I have read every British informal word, but this novel chased me to the Internet quit often to learn their exact meaning. I read this novel on an e-reader with Internet access. I recommend reading this novel on such a reader to take advantage of this feature.

For aspects of this novel that I like, this book did have some very colorful characters. There were not any loose ends by the novel’s end, which I did like. An aspect that I especially enjoyed was that the author threw in several literary grenades that delightfully changed what I thought up to that point. These strengthen the capture of my interest and added some anticipation of what is to come in this novel. While the gay life style is quite evident, the underlying novel is solid. The way that the story unfolded was realistic to me. I downloaded this novel from NetGalley as I had obtained the first novel in this series as an Amazon first read that I wanted to read before this novel, but I could not work it into my reading schedule. I purchased the second novel in the series after reading this one. Overall, this novel is not as strong as other novels that I rated at five stars, but it is a solid four star rated novel.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based only by my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Oh Man, Oh Man, Oh Man, Oh Man........

Robert Bryndza works his magic, once again, in Darkness Falls. Bryndza knows exactly how to keep the reigns taut without giving away too much. We readers just simply can't lift our eyes from the printed word. Not gonna miss a thing. Ever.

Kate Marshall and Tristan Harper have been gifted with a little nugget of a cold case. Their fledgling detective agency could really use a boost these days. Bev Ellis contacts them about her daughter who has been missing since 2002. Joanna Duncan, a local journalist, was entering the upper level of a decaying parking building. That's the last of her movements caught on a security camera. Her car remained there with her cell phone thrown underneath it. Where is Joanna and who would have wanted her abducted?

Cold cases leave frigid clues. Kate and Tristan don't have much to go on. Besides that, Bev likes to tip the bottle in her grief and her memories may or may not be accurate. But retracing Joanna's steps is their only alternative and it will bring a wide net of possibilities to sort through. Since 2002, people have died or relocated or have shaky recall. Joanna's laptop and papers are missing. But a co-worker knew that she was on to something and what exactly was that something?

Kate gets a break from a box that Bev had kept. Two names. Unknown connections. Names that will lead Kate and Tristan to an old common building in Devon and Cornwall from years ago. Just who are these people and what do they have to do with Joanna?

Darkness Falls is the third edition in the Kate Marshall Series. Bryndza sets it up with some nicely adjusted background fill-ins so that it can read as a standalone. Either way, Bryndza never disappoints from start to finish. His characters are the walking wounded from the downside of life. And his storylines always reflect an intricate plot with a brilliant payoff. Check this one out or anything with the Robert Bryndza name on it. Good, good stuff.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to the talented Robert Bryndza for the opportunity.

Firstly, thank you to Net Galley, the publishers and the author for an ARC copy for an honest review, which I always give, good or bad !

Robert Bryndza has brought to us the readers to great characters Erica Foster and more recently Kate Marshall. Here we have a third in the series of Kate Marshall.

Kate Marshall’s fledgling PI agency takes off when she and her partner, Tristan Harper, are hired for their first big case. It’s a cold one. Twelve years before, journalist Joanna Duncan disappeared after exposing a political scandal. Most people have moved on. Joanna’s mother refuses to let go.

When Kate and Tristan gain access to the original case files, they revisit the same suspects and follow the same leads—but not to the same dead ends. Among Joanna’s personal effects, Kate discovers the names of two young men who also vanished without a trace.

As she connects the last days of three missing persons, Kate realizes that Joanna may have been onto something far more sinister than anyone first believed: the identity of a serial killer hiding in plain sight. The closer Kate comes to finding him, the darker it’s going to get.

Great characters, well paced thriller, gripping, tense and great shocks, as always from Robert.

Wow this was just so damn good and my favourite in the series so far.
So we are back with Kate Marshall and Tristan Harper as they take on a cold case of a missing news reporter and they go headlong into a case that is far more than it seems at first. What I loved about the book was that it was never predictable at all and the ending came as a big surprise that I didn’t figure out and as I read a lot of mystery thrillers thats always very satisfying. I love the characters also of Kate and Tristan they are well written and likeable and really make you want their detective agency to do well.
As I said the plot is a brilliant one and I really feel this is a series that is going from strength to strength and I am already looking forward to the next instalment.
So a fabulous read and many thanks to Robert Bryndza I loved it !
My thanks also to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is Book 3 in the Kate Marshall series. I have been lucky enough to read the whole series as eARC's through netgalley. This is what netgalley is all about for me - finding new authors to read and enjoy.

Definitely recommend this latest addition to the series and this author. Well-thought out storyline and well-developed characters. Recommend books be read in order and not as stand-alones.

Thank you #netgalley and #thomas&mercer for the eARC.

Darkness Falls is book #3 in the Kate Marshall series. Robert Bryndza is one of my favourite authors and I have really enjoyed this series so far. In this latest story Kate and her assistant Tristan investigate the disappearance of journalist Joanna Duncan. This book is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing right until the end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy.

A really brilliant read with a fantastic twist. I'm a big fan of Robert Bryndza's and Darkness Falls is an excellent addition to the addictive Kate Marshall series.
Whilst I'd recommend reading the series from the beginning you can read this as a standalone book.
5 Stars.

Grab a Robert Brynza book and you won't be disappointed. Jam packed with, intrigue, suspense and a few shocks along the way. Love the characters Kate Marshall and Tristan who work together to solve the latest crime on their books a missing journalist. Darkness Falls kept my attention throughout and the fantastic writing kept me glued to the story right until the end. Fantastic read x

I'm really enjoying this series by Robert Bryndza. I've liked his other books as well. I've read quite a few of his crime novels. Kate Marshall has recently started a private detective agency with her friend and partner and Tristan Harper. They have their first major case when they are hired to find a missing journalist, Joanna Duncan. She disappeared 12 years earlier and the police have closed her case. There are not many clues to be found. But Kate and Tristan delve in and sift through the police reports and start interviewing people who knew Joanna. Following the few threads they find something much bigger than the journalist's disapperance.

Kate is a great detective character as a former police detective with a great deal of experience and a reputation for solving serial murders. Tristan had worked with her in the previous book and has gone part-time at his job so that he can work at the detective agency as much as possible. This was a great read which is well-paced and engrossing. The story kept me riveted.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer through Netgalley for an advance read. This book will be published on December 7, 2021.

Darkness Falls – Robert Bryndza

PI Kate Marshall, with the help of assistant Tristan, is just settling in to run her new inheritance – a caravan park - complete with a small office area to run their new detective agency, when she receives a call from a woman named Bev Ellis. Bev desperately wants to learn what ultimately happened to her daughter, and up and coming journalist named Joanna Duncan, who seemingly vanished 12 years ago. No trace of her was ever found, and Bev is hoping that a new look might unearth some information.

Eager for some work, Kate and Tristan meet with Bev, where they are surprised with the whole case file from her original disappearance. As the case was declared inactive, Bev’s significant other was able to procure the files for a short-term review, as he too seems desperate to help Bev find peace. Kate and Tristan begin their investigation by reviewing the stories that Jo was working on at the time of her disappearance, one of which involved a high-level official who was soliciting young men for sex. A box of Jo’s belongings inadvertently yields a clue – two men’s names are discernible in the lid of the box, along with a phone number.

As Kate and Ethan start to dig, they learn that both men, also known to frequent gay bars and the like, are also missing, and have been for quite some time. As the duo continue to investigate, they find a common theme of events, as well as some familiar names, including one who left the scene years ago. When a new victim is found, it appears a serial killer may still be at play… Can Kate and Ethan find Joanna’s killer before he finds them?

Set in Western England, and to my absolute delight, it is the third of a series written by Robert Bryndza, so I have some catching up to do! A great who-dun-it, with a down-to-earth, imperfect protagonist, and an intriguing mystery that will capture your interest on the first page, and keep you flipping those pages until the last is turned. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from #Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer, in exchange for an objective review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The twists and turns kept you guessing and the way the characters were written gave you insight into their behavior and feelings, pulling you deeper into the story. I hope that this continues into a series.

Kate Marshall’s fledgling PI agency takes off when she and her partner, Tristan Harper, are hired for their first big case. It’s a cold case, and after twelve years, the police department tells the victim’s mother they are no longer pursuing it. The victim is Joanna Duncan, who “vanished” twelve years before, a few months after exposing a political scandal. Joanna’s mother hires Kate, having heard of her reputation discovering a serial killer that had alluded police for years.

Kate was given the original case files and discovered what the police overlooked: the names of two young men who also “ vanished” without a trace. Connecting these three missing persons is the crux of the plot. There are numerous people that are interconnected. It becomes quite tedious and confusing to keep all the players straight and the part they play in finding what happened to Joanna. As the pace slowed, I was about to give up on the book as I became disinterested in the myriad of characters and all the rabbit trails of their stories/connections…. Just too many components to care. Instead I skimmed large sections in the middle, and was able to pick up the storyline towards the last quarter of the book.

Conclusion:
👍 Darkness Falls begins with a STARTLING BANG! It pulls the reader in and sets up the mystery. WOW!
👎 However, the pace lulls in the middle before it picks up again.
👎 Too many characters to sort and keep connections straight.
👍 Intense climactic reveal exciting and satisfying denouement.

A theme running through this series seems to be finding the serial killer hiding in plain sight. The detective skills employed are impressive but very detailed ( perhaps to the point of slowing the pace with TOO much detail). This is book three in the Kate Marshall series. It is a stand alone, but reading the first in the series would give valuable background on the two protagonists, Kate and Tristan. I absolutely loved the Erica Foster series. While not as compelling as the Erica Foster series, I will give Kate and company another try.

I received this ARC from NetGalley.

3rd in the series and the best one yet. Kate and Tristan are an unlikely duo but make a great team. Solving a cold case was never going to be easy, loads of action, twists and turns. Can't wait for more in the series.

The third book in the Kate Marshall series is entertaining and easy to read. The reader can enjoy a summer mystery happening in West England (reading it during the heat wave in Mallorca the hot weather described in the book feels quite relative). The story starts rather slowly and begins to evolve at higher pace some pages before the half of the book (completely different from the 1st Kate Marshall installment). It becomes more enjoyable later on. However, it turns to be rather transparent at the climax. We meet characters from different social classes confirming that the money makes the world go round and that the social mobility is a big unresolved issue.
Two observations: Careful, George -> Jorge in Spanish is not pronounced ‘Yorge’ (for someone who speaks Slovak, it could be rewritten and read as ‘Chorche’, for example). Nevertheless, being from Barcelona I would expect him to be called Jordi (J pronounced as in John in English). In the Operation Dynamo museum in Dunkerque there is an exposition item called Remain of an English truck engine. Despite of being buried in the beach for about 70 years, the tires are still good and displayed in the museum, together with engine part that that got rusty.

Ex detective Kate Marshall has given up her job in education and finally opened her own private investigation agency with her one time colleague, Tristan Harper. She has also inherited a surf shop and a thankfully small caravan park near her home on England's jurassic coast. With Tristan now only working part-time at Ashdean University they are delighted to be hired for what could be their biggest and most lucrative case to date.

Twelve years earlier journalist Joanna Duncan left her office at the end of the working day, entered the multi storey car park and disappeared without trace. Now her mother, Bev and partner and local business man, Bill want to end their years of not knowing what happened and try and move on with their lives.

With access to the original case files, along with the names and addresses of the original suspects, including a local MP who lost his seat thanks to an expose of Joanna's, they begin their investigation which quickly becomes much more involved than they imagined. After a local man goes missing, who Kate and Tristan can link to their own investigation, things get very serious very quickly and it's obvious their cold case has suddenly become very current once again.

This is the third Kate Marshall mystery and an excellent read. The main protagonists have gelled, Kate and Tristan are a great team, and the storyline was compelling from the start. There are various points of view explored which gave an insight into why the perpetrator behaved the way they did but their identity was a complete surprise although in no way unrealistic. There were some unresolved personal issues which I look forward to following into the next in a series which, after a shaky start for me, has become a firm favourite.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent addition to a very good series.

This is Book 3 in the Kate Marshall series and she and firmly remain my favourite crime solving duo. Kate and Tristan play off each other nicely with their different perspectives while meshing well as a team.

Kate and Tristan have been approached by a woman whose journalist daughter disappeared without a trace eight years earlier to find out what happened and, more importantly, to find her daughter. The case is very cold but the newly fledged private investigator business is desperate for business so Kate and Tristan take it on. Their search takes them in unexpected directions and the key figures who they come across cause Tristan to do some soul searching, wondering where his life is taking him and what he might be missing out on. Meanwhile Kate’s personal world has been rocked by her mentor, leaving her to find her own way and we find out whether she can remain strong without Myra’s support.

I loved the further character development in this book. It seemed more subtle and yet stronger because of it. In particular I feel as though we got to know Tristan better on a more personal level. I really like the direction this series is going.

Story of the book-
Private agents Kate and Tristan have been entrusted with tracking down a missing writer, Joanna Duncan. It has been a long time since she vanished, and there has been no hint of her. Her mom won’t surrender trust and accepts that Kate and Tristan can succeed where the police have fizzled. Little do they understand that this present lady’s vanishing will turn out to be essential for a lot bigger examination. They find that Joanna was researching young fellows who themselves had vanished mysteriously. She stumbled upon these cases but she doesn’t know why these cases interest her. Kate and Tristan are certain that these missing men are the way to discovering reality concerning Joanna.

Would they be able to do as such without warning some unacceptable individual? Since somebody might know everything and will remain determined to guarantee that nobody uncovers their most obscure mystery.

My review-
I love Kat and Tristan. They make an incredible duo to solve the mystery cases. Both bring such a huge amount to this book and I am as of now frantic for the following book in the series. The blend in the storyline was soothing to read. The author has made the ideal working organization with Kate and Tristan.

I need to say this book was a particularly cunning storyline and as they begin to join the parts of the mystery and zone in on drawing nearer to reality, I genuinely couldn’t turn the pages sufficiently fast to discover exactly what had befallen Joanna that a load of years prior just as the missing men. I like this peculiarity about the writer’s composing style. The story begins with a feeling of premonition yet rather than sweeping the readers away, it simply powers their interest.

I can identify with Tristan’s issues on society’s assumptions for grown-ups getting hitched and having children. Furthermore, seeing her recuperation according to her point of view gave me an alternate attitude towards addiction. This book is an amazing anecdote about decisions. We don’t have a lot of choices on certain things in life that are given to us- we cannot pick our folks, family, childhood, and how others treat us. The ability to pick how to manage ourselves is inside our control.

This book had me consistently. It’s one of those books that the readers will get so immersed in the story, they will disregard all other things. How everything meets up features how splendid this narration is. This is an interesting and exciting read that will leave the readers frantic. Highly recommended!

Rating of the book- 4⭐/5⭐

Absolutely fantastic third book in this series.
I received a copy on Netgalley and was lucky enough to win a signed copy of a physical arc from Robert.

The writing in this book is in Robert’s perfect style that draws you in and holds your attention throughout the book.

Instalment number three in this series is absolutely brilliant and I loved how it moved on. So far in this series the books keep getting better and better, none of them have fallen flat. With Robert’s fantastic writing he just pulls you deeper and deeper in to this series.

I highly recommend everything that Robert writes and this book is no different, i can’t recommend this book enough.

With this review I can’t go in to the book too much with it being the third book. They can be read alone but you are better reading the series in order as there are parts in the book that link them to the previous ones, even if it is just slightly the links are there.

This series how it is going, I think it will be better than the series before.
Huge thanks for the review copies, I had an amazing time reading these. I will definitely reread this series as i can’t get enough of these books.