Erika Foster has just moved to a new home and on her way back from the chippy she hears screams. A woman takes her into a house where she has just found the body of her sister, Vicky, a true crime podcaster. Erika is assigned to the case and discovers that Vicky had been working on a new podcast episode about a sexual predator who preys on young female students around South London, staking out his victims in their halls of residence before breaking in at the dead of night. When Erika discovers that Vicky's notes and sound recordings were stolen from her flat at the time of her murder, it leads her to believe that Vicky was close to unmasking the attacker, and she was killed to guarantee her silence.

The case takes on a disturbing twist when the body of a young Bulgarian student doctor is discovered in the same building, and this makes Erika question everything she thought she knew about Vicky. With very little evidence, the clock is ticking to find the killer before he strikes again.

A good, pacy thriller, I really enjoyed being drawn along as Erika tries to determine what is happening and catch the perpetrator. I haven't read any of the previous series, but this did not detract from this tale at all. Erika is a great character, well portrayed and not stereotypical, with empathy for the victims and determination to find the guilty.

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great, fast-moving plot, with likeable and interesting main characters. Kept me guessing, and reading!

Name of Book: Fatal Witness
Series: Erika Foster Crime Thriller #7
Author: Robert Bryndza
Publisher: Raven Street Publishing
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: July 7, 2022
My Rating: 3.5 Stars!

Detective Erika Foster has just moved into her fixer upper new home in Blackheath. She has no furniture as well as no food and decides to go out and get something to eat. She hears a scream and as a detective she goes running and finds a woman brutally murdered. Vicky Clarke’s sister Tess found the body in Vicky’s apartment. Vicky is .a podcaster and has been working to uncover a sexual predator who has been breaking into the residential hall of female students and assaulting them. Perhaps he is also Vicky’s murderer. However, after the autopsy, it is discovered that the victim isn’t Vicky Clarke!

Vicky lives in a house that has several apartments. There are two young Bulgarian medical students Sophia and Maria Ivanova who live across the hall from Vicky.
Sophia and Vicky strike up a friendship. We readers find out more about that friendship.

Story had me very curious but I found most of the characters so nasty and unlikeable. This story was also more disturbing that I like ~ the Prologue warned me but I read on.

I like Erica and her partner Peterson and I did love the ending!

I always enjoy reading the ‘Author’s Notes. In this [author: Robert Bryndza tells us he is working on another Kate Marshall, Erica Foster novel.

Want to thank NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for my honest opinion.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 7, 2022

Robert Bryndza has done it again. Erika Foster is back. This book starts out with a bang – a horrific murder of a young woman in an apartment. The killer is searching for something and it’s worth killing for. At first the identity of the victim is thought to be the woman who lives in the apartment, Vicky, but it is one of the young women who live across the hall. This apartment building has some pretty interesting and creepy dwellers.

Erika Foster just happens to be walking by the apartment when she hears a scream. She rushes to the door and announces she’s a cop, can she help. There’s a dead body of a young woman and it’s thought to be the woman who lives there because the woman’s sister claims it is. But upon a closer look at the victim they see it’s not Vicky but it’s the woman who lives across the hall. Vicky has disappeared and turns up in Scotland – the police bring her back to London to question her. After a brief interview she goes to stay with her sister and brother-in-law and is murdered that night. The story weaves a lot of people together – some creepy enough to be suspects and they all seem connected in one way or another. There are boyfriends, former college teachers, brother-in-law, an odd caretaker of the apartment who is related to one of the cops, owner of the apartment – quite a list. It’s up to Erika to collect the clues and piece them together. There’s also a real crime podcast Vicky was working on but there’s no evidence of it. Is this why they were killed? Did the killer manage to take all evidence and why? What was the crime Vicky was working on and is that why these women were targeted, was she close to nailing the guilty?

Erika is quick to point the finger. And, of course, things are never what they seem. I did learn something, though, Odontoarrupophobia – fear of toothbrushes, or anything foreign in the mouth. How does one get a DNA swab from someone with this phobia?

I have read every one of Bryndza’s crime novels and enjoyed them all. I don’t think this is his best one, though. It’s good and I recommend it but I wouldn’t rank it among his best. Still, I am looking forward to his next one.

I would like to thank Raven Street Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in advance.

📖BOOK REVIEW📖
#FatalWitness
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⏩for synopsis

Oh how I loved being back with Erika and her team! This was such a great book from start to finish - I couldn’t fault it. Although it’s been a while since I read the last EF book, I found myself settling right back in straight away.

I feel in such safe hands with this author - he takes you on a wonderful twisty journey that is easy, enjoyable, satisfying and complete. I thought the plot was quietly clever as it let you think you’ve worked it all out only to twist again and again! It had a very modern feel but also retained all the classic murder mystery traits that I love.

Characterisation was on point as usual and I liked the developments in Erika’s personal life as an added bonus to the series. More please!

If you’ve not read this series yet - your totally missing out!

With thanks to #robertbryndza #ravenstreetpublishing and @netgalley for allowing us to read this one early!

Release date: July 7th

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

Detective Erika Foster never has down time. She can't even go for a late-night walk without stumbling upon a murder scene. Vicky Clarke, a true-crime podcaster has been brutally murdered. Vicky has been working on a new podcast which focuses on a sexual predator who preys on young female students. Just how close was Vicky to naming the predator?

Erika is on the case and the body of a student has been found. This causes Erika to wonder if the cases are related.

The killer seems to be adept at covering his tracks and getting rid of evidence. All Erika must go on is her instincts and impressive detective skills.

This was another great installment in the Detective Erika Foster series. I'm always excited when I see a new book is coming out. This one did not disappoint. I had the audiobook and the kindle version, and I enjoyed going back and forth between the two.

Bryndza also pulled the wool over my eyes as I did not guess the big reveal. If you enjoy this series, you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fatal Witness is the seventh book in the Detective Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza. When you add a Slovakian female detective with a serial killer it equals my kinda crime thriller novel 🖤 This is the first book that I have read in this series and I am now going to go back and read the rest of the series! I love the character of Detective Erika Foster and have enjoyed discovering more series that feature a female detective. If you love female detective thrillers, I highly recommend checking out this book and series!

Thank you to @netgalley and Raven Street Publishing for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

This is the 7th book in the Erika Foster series.
I love Erika Foster the main character and how much she has developed through the series. This one definitely did not disappoint.
The story starts off with Erika moving into a new house she hears loud screams in a house nearby where she finds a young girl murdered, will Erika find the murderer?
A great page turner!
Thank you to the author and the publishers for an advance copy for an honest review.

This is the 7th book in the Detective Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza and it's a thrill ride right from the start. Set time aside as you'll have trouble putting this one down. Detective Foster has moved into a new house and it has lots of issues......she has no bed, no heat, and hasn't had time to get food for the fridge. She walks to a local fish and chips place for dinner and on the way home she hears someone screaming. She gets in and finds a woman screaming at the sight of her dead sister. Her sister has been stabbed many times and there's a lot of blood. Detective Foster calls it in and is assigned the case. The dead woman is Vicky Clarke, a true crime podcaster. She had recently been investigating females who were victims of sexual attacks in a dorm. The thought is that Vicky was close to identifying the attacker and maybe the attacker killed her.

There are many suspects who could've done it and you'll have a great time trying to figure out which one it was. Vicky worked at her sister's restaurant and her brother in law wasn't a big fan of Vicky's as she called off work a lot and arrived late for shifts. She was also renting their apartment and was late paying rent at times. The apartment building. has a caretaker who's very suspicious.....he's found carrying a bag of dead cat heads and body parts the same night that Vicky was killed. The sisters across the hall from Vicky are from Bulgaria and they are training to be doctors. The one sister is very strict and works different hours than the more fun loving sister who happened to be good friends with Vicky. There's also a strange older woman that lives on the top floor of the apartment building who seems close to the caretaker. Could one of these people wanted Vicky dead?

This book is full of twists that you won't see coming and keeps you flipping the pages. I really like the characters in the book, especially Erika Foster, her stray cat, and Igor. Robert Bryndza does a wonderful job with character development. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and rated it 4 stars. Look to purchase this book on July 7th. Thanks to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for this advanced copy. #FatalWitness

Another page turning Erika Foster story! Lucky #7 in the series. I was so happy to welcome back Foster, Moss and Peterson. After moving into a new house, Erika stumbles onto a brutal murder while returning from getting herself dinner. From the start, this story has you wanting more. An early twist, has you wondering who could have committed this murder and why? Is it a neighbor? An ex-boyfriend? A relative? Erika learns that Vicky produced a podcast and was investigating crimes that occurred at her alma mater. Was she too close to uncovering the person who committed these crimes? This book will keep you interested and keep the pages turning. Once again, Robert Bryndza doesn't disappoint. Both of his crime series are action packed with characters you genuinely like. I hope he adds to the Erika Foster series! Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for this book.

This was my first Robert Brynzda book but will not be my last! I really enjoyed the layout and delivery. And wow the characters were so intriguing and kept me invested in the story.
Don’t miss this one!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

I have read all the Erika Foster books by Robert Bryndza and the newest installment, Fatal Witness, is as good or better than all the others. It is as good as the others in that you will likely not figure out "who done it" until the author reveals it at the end. It is better in that the character development of this complicated protagonist continues as we learn more about how she thinks and feels, especially in her personal life.

The plot is tight and perfectly paced, the story believable, the ending a surprise, with bits of humor and warmth scattered throughout. I especially liked seeing Erika start to move forward in her personal life (getting a house, being adopted by a cat), instead of being solely focused on her career to the detriment of the rest of her world. She is more human, more relatable, and more likeable, after Fatal Witness.

This book is definitely 5 out of 5, and I eagerly await the next installment.

I received an ARC and have provided my honest opinions about this book.

Fatal Witness is the 7th in the Erika Foster series by Robert Bryndza. This is the first in this series that I've read and it was excellent.

DCI Erika Foster has just moved some things into her new home and is out for a walk around the neighborhood in Blackheath, when she hears a horrified scream coming from an apartment! Inside she finds a violent crime scene and the body of what is assumed to be the tenant of the apartment, a young woman who does Podcasts.

There are plenty of possible suspects in the horrific murder, but is the victim really the podcaster Vicky? Robert has written a great mystery with multiple twists and turns that keep the readers interest throughout the entire book.

Who is the victim, why would someone murder her in such a violent manner?

Grab this book and settle back for a great read! Enjoy how well the author has written a great mystery, and so descriptive that I could visualize the settings, the action and the people! All of which make a great book that keeps your attention until the very end!

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher, and Robert Bryndza for letting me read this fantastic book! I look forward to the next book

Upfront: trigger warnings about animal cruelty.

There’s really no need to read the previous Erika Foster books, although you might have been one of the million+ readers of “The Girl in the Ice” which introduced the detective. The action starts immediately and the Detective Chief Inspector quickly introduces her background (widowed, dual citizen of the UK and Slovakia, just moved into a fixer-upper in Blackheath, London). She hasn’t unpacked yet and on her way back from the local fish and chips cafe, she hears a scream. The scream belongs to the sister of murdered Vicky Clarke, who podcasts about the “Croydon Cat Killer,” a mythical figure alleged to have killed, dismembered, and decapitated more than four hundred cats in the past 4 years. As Erika investigates the crime scene, she discovers quickly that the victim has a next door neighbor who trying to sneak out with a bag of decapitated cats’ heads. Assume this might be the point where some readers put down the book — I, however, kept on, hoping the Croydon monster would be punished with an appropriate ending… as well as Vicky’s brutal killer.

As it continues, the plot evolves into a search for clues about subsequent murders since Vicky, like a lot of true crime podcasters, had other plot lines she was exploring. The story is well-constructed and you are reminded why Erika has become a deeply loved main character. I’m be waiting for the next installment (and eager to know how the house renovation is going). 4 stars!

Thank you to Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Erika’s first night intruder, a black cat with white boots has beautiful green eyes, as does Constable Murray.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But the reason the heath is called “black” is because it’s a “plague pit” — according a perky real estate agent that’s why it’ll never be built on, therefore preserving Erika’s lovely views of metropolitan London. Well, OK, then. Thanks for that reassurance.

Another tour de force from Robert Bryndza! All I have to see is his name and I know that I'm in for the thrill of a lifetime (and he does a great job with our favorite, Erika Foster)! It is a great story with suspenseful twists and turns! I finished the book in one day because I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep unless I was done with it.

Thank you #NetGalley for ARC!

Yolie McLaughlin

Erica Foster is a Detective Chief in London who hears screaming from a flat nearby and discovers a crime podcaster who has been brutally murdered. Vicky has been working on solving a case involving sexual assaults that have happened to students nearby, and it's possible she got too close to finding the culprit.

This is the first book I've read in this series and it was very easy to jump right in and fall in love with Erica Foster as a character. The characters are well written and fleshed out really well, and there's some sarcastic humor that's very on-brand for me. I thought the case itself was interesting, and I had several suspects throughout the book but didn't figure out who was responsible until the very end. The pacing was great, and I enjoyed Erica's personal life (not that she has very much, she seems like a workaholic) just as much as the casework. Very twisty plot and keeps you turning the pages later into the night than you should.

I will definitely read more in this series and from Bryndza. Anyone who likes detective books and mysteries should find this a worthwhile read. Trigger Warning for sexual assault and bloody murder scenes. I received this book from NetGalley for my opinions.

4.5 stars rounded up

Definitely a quick read...wanted to see what was going to happen. Good mix of characters. Crisp descriptions. Great story about how the truth emerges in unintended ways. The time line and the plot lines were well conceived and believable, with the right amount of 'extra' information to keep the veils from being lifted too quickly. Looking forward to next story and to see whether I can figure it out before the author wants me to! Will recommend, great summer day or weekend read; you won't want to leave it unfinished for long!

For sure an enjoyable and engrossing read. The action starts early and you are drown in. The main character Erika Foster is an intelligent but flawed (and very believable) character who pursues the evidence until the end. Worth the wait. Thank you Robert Bryndza and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this work.

#FatalWitness by #RobertBryndza is the next installment of #detectiveErikaFoster I absolutely adore this series. A true crime podcaster becomes central to Erika Fosters next case - so much for moving to a quiet peaceful area! An absolute chilling pageturner. I had my favourite combo #ebook and #audiobook Many thanks to #Netgalley and #ravenstreetpublishing for gifting me an #ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am late to the Robert Bryndza train, and this is my first read in the Erika Foster series

So yes, I did miss some of the nuances of the characters, however for me this was not such a big deal, and there is enough background information given for me to catch up pretty quickly.

Dark, gritty writing gives us a look at the darker, grittier scenes of a murder detective. No flowery. glossing over things for the reader.

Red herrings put my off the scent of who the killer was, and I enjoyed reading right to the end.

I will need to go back and read the previous Erika Foster books, and look forward to seeing where the series goes in the future.