Book #7 in the series but can be read as a standalone. Follows detective Erika Foster as she unravels a case involving a serial killer who seems not to leave any evidence. A great page-turner with many likable supporting characters. I did not guess the killer until the author revealed it at the end. Gruesome description at the beginning, but not so bad as the story continues. The first book I've read by this author makes me want to go back and read books #1 through #6 before the next installment is released.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in return for an honest review.
Synopsis
Detective Erika Foster is back in FATAL WITNESS – with a chilling new serial killer case in Robert Bryndza's multi-million bestselling crime thriller series!

How do you find a killer who has destroyed all the evidence?

Detective Erika Foster is on a late-night walk near her new house in Blackheath when she stumbles upon the brutal murder of Vicky Clarke, 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.

I think me not totally enjoying this book is my own fault entirely. I hadn’t fully realised it was so far into a series and I felt I was a bit lost with backstory along the way. I wouldn’t say this works so well as a stands alone. Obviously that takes absolutely nothing away from the authors writing, which is excellent. The narration great also. I just felt I needed to have read the rest of the series. I did manage to follow the plot, which was in no way held back, fairly gruesome and needs a bit of a trigger warning for animal lovers. I honestly think had I better knowledge of this series I’d easily have been able to rate as 4 or 5.

Fatal witness by Robert Bryndza. Narrated by: Jan Cramer is the seventh book in the Erika Foster series and was another fantastic book. This is a series I always look forward to and I've always been hooked from the beginning till the end. This book was no different. However, the narrator Jan Cramer did not do this book justice - she seems too false! Her voice did not suit Robert's book! and I gave up after 4 chapters and then started to read the book instead of listening to it. which was excellent.

I like to thank netgalley and Raven street and the author Robert Bryndza for a copy of this book to read.

Well to say this audio starts with a bang is an understatement. The murder at the beginning is gruesome and the subsequent investigation goes from one suspect to another yet none seem to be connected to the victims..
I really found the narrator was ideal for such a full on thriller. Her voice fitted the genre perfectly and helped the plot to flow in a truly compelling manner. She really brought the story alive. For some reason I decided to listen when I had gone to bed, silly as i then couldn't sleep. I just had to know what the next chapter held. So a few late nights engrossed in Fatal Witness for me.
there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested right up until the end. Erica Foster is a great well rounded character that I enjoyed getting to know. Her thought processes are spot on and I felt involved in the story..
If you're into police procedural thrillers this and the whole series is definitely one for you.

A review of the audio narration rather than the plot/writing:
The narrator for this series is so good. I love listening to these as audiobooks. They jut seem to flow really well and a better narrator couldn't have been chosen. She does all the voices really well, she gets the nuances of the characters and her timing is perfect.

My rating is therefore based on the narrator :)

Digital copy review:
This is the seventh in the Erika Foster series - and being released 3 years after the last instalment, it's one I didn't think we'd be getting at all!

Unfortunately it fell a little short of my expectations this time. I don't know if I was expecting more, or had built it up in my head because of the long wait, but Erika Foster is one of my favourite detective series heroines and I just wanted a bit more than I got.

The storyline was good. It had a few pot holes, well not holes I suppose more obvious reveals. I guessed the baddie pretty early on and there were some bits that didn't quite make sense to me,

However, that being said, I did enjoy it and I did read it all. It was good to go back to a familiar character and her development in the book was really well done. I like the comfort of reading a character that we already know so much about.

Glad I got to read this one, but not quite as good as the previous instalments. :/

Recommended to fans of the series already, or people wanting a police procedural with some gory serial killer detail thrown in.

This was another excellent addition the the Detective Erika Foster series. I enjoyed reading about these characters once again, though it did take me a moment to reacquaint myself with them.

I was certainly surprised by some of the twists that happened. I also honestly thought I knew who the bad guy was, but was wrong. Bryndza also included something in the storyline that has become cliche in detective stories, so I thought I knew where that was going as well. I was really hoping I was wrong and he would not bring the story there and I was wrong on that too!

I've added more details in a spoiler in my review on Goodreads, but don't want to give anything away here. You can access it using the link below if you are interested.

I look forward to reading the next in the series.

I listened to the audio narrated by Jan Cramer. She has narrated all of the Erika Foster series to date and she does an excellent job. If you have the opportunity to listen to the series, it is a great choice.

My Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4765124318

Erika Foster novels are always compelling. This one is full of twists and turns. Very clever writing. The book has a violent and shockingly gruesome start which I struggled to move past. I listened to the audio version and would probably have preferred to see it in print as then I don't absorb the violence in the same way. I will catch up on the books I've missed in this series but probably in print version..

I thought this was so good! And I was really drawn to it because of the cover. This fast paced, suspenseful murder mystery was well done. It’s my first book by this clearly talented author and now I want to read the other 6 books. By the way it’s a stand-alone in case you’re wondering. This was intriguing with a full cast with cleverly written characters and great plot. I highly recommend this one.
I read and listened to it and found both great. The narrator was Jan Cramer was great!
Thanks Raven Street Publishing via NetGalley.

From my blog: Always With a Book

She’s back!!! Erika Foster is back and I could not be happier! This is the 7th installment in Robert Bryndza’s Erika Foster series and it’s been quite the wait for this book. Yes, he did start another series, the Kate Marshall series, which I do happen to really like, BUT, my true love is really Erika Foster and I am so glad we have her back…and let me tell you what a doozy of a case we get!

This one starts with a bang and doesn’t let up, which is true to form with this author and I love it! It’s dark and gruesome and keeps you on the edge of your seat most of the time. This is one of my favorite police procedural series from the way the story is told to the amazing character development. I love that while most of the story is told from Erika’s point of view, we also get chapters here and there from her colleagues as well as from the guilty party, which is always my favorite perspective to get because while we don’t know who it is until the end, it’s always so creepy hearing their thoughts.

Expertly plotted, with plenty of misdirection and red herrings, this is sure to keep your attention glued to the book, as it did mine. Once I started this one, I had a hard time putting it down – it’s just such an addictive, captivating story, despite how gruesome and dark it is. I do hope that because we got this book after such a long hiatus that this means there are more Erika stories coming!


Audio thoughts: It just seemed fitting that I listen to this book as I had listened to the entire series up to now. I was thrilled to see that Jan Cramer was back to narrate – she had been the narrator for all 6 books prior and I am such a big believer in having the same narrator in a series whenever possible. It may have been a few years since the last Erika Foster book, but picking this one up with Jan Cramer as narrator made it feel like yesterday – that’s how consistent she is with her voices and I just love it! This story really just came alive with her narration, really making it such a treat to listen to!

As far as crime procedurals go, Robert Bryndza’s Erika Foster series is right up there amongst the very best. And in this, the seventh book, Bryndza is on top form, delivering yet another twisty, riveting read, with his signature razor-sharp plotting and, of course, the immensely likable Chief Inspector Erika and her team.

In this case Erika is investigating the brutal murder of a young woman; a true crime podcaster who appears to have been on the verge of exposing a serial sex predator. All her recordings and notes have disappeared, presumably taken by her killer, so the team have very little to go on.

I listened to this on audio and was immediately gripped by the shockingly graphic, opening murder scene, which was narrated with a compelling, heart-stopping breathlessness that made me feel like a fly on the wall.

The investigation that follows unwinds methodically, but with plenty twists and obfuscation to keep you on your toes. There is a steady build up of tension and pace as suspects are identified and eliminated, before the narrative explodes in a terrifying , well-I-didn’t-see-that-coming finale.

Over the course of this series, I have enjoyed seeing the character of Erika evolve and flesh out, as we’re give more insight into her background and private life. This has made her very human and relatable and much more than just a detective.

Bryndza is a very visual writer, especially when it comes to character descriptions, and this really came to the fore in the audio version, enabling me to create a vivid picture of each character in my mind’s eye. More so, I think, than if I’d been reading.

It also added hugely to my enjoyment that the narrator absolutely nailed the different accents: Scottish, Eastern European and Cockney. This really brought the characters to life and a whole new dimension to the listening experience.

An excellent crime procedural with top-notch narration. Highly recommended.

After a four-year break, Detective Erika Foster is back in FATAL WITNESS –a chilling new serial-killer case in bestselling British author Robert Bryndza's multimillion best-selling crime-thriller series. (Book #7 of 7)

#ErikaFosterReturns | #SerialKillerThriller

If you have read the other books in the series, you know Detective Erika Foster is fearless, dedicated, and unstoppable. Plus, she is so much fun. I loved the scene with the salesperson when buying the bed, among others. Bloody Good.

We met Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster in The Girl in the Ice (2016) and have been a big fan since. The book was a HIT, selling over 1.5 million copies in English and was translated into 30 countries. I would say she is pretty popular, and the author is not so shabby either.

Erika has purchased a new home and trying to get settled in. Without any furniture or food, she steps out for a late-night walk near her new house in Blackheath when she discovers a scream - a brutal murder. The sister is frantic and finds the body of her sister, Vicky Clarke, a true-crime podcaster.

Assigned to the case, she learns 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.

However, her notes and recordings were stolen from her flat at the time of the murder. How are they supposed to solve a case when the murderer steals all the evidence? Maybe she knew too much or was getting too close to discovering the identity of the murderer.

Then another disturbing twist. The body of a young Bulgarian student doctor is discovered in the same building.

The tension builds quickly, and the crime takes on a deadly twist. In a race against time, they must find the killer before he strikes again.

The author is definitely a pro at complex multi-layered, character-driven police procedurals, forensics, and engaging crime thrillers

With many twists and red herrings, the author keeps you glued to the audio/pages. Erika is a relatable flawed character which makes her human with a balance of workaholic and crazy personal life, which we get to be a part of. We also get to catch up with other characters from the series.

A satisfying conclusion; however, I hope the author will bring Erika back in a spin-off series for appearances so we can catch up with her (personally and professionally). She is too good to end.

The author is a master at creating suspenseful crime scenes and intense police procedurals with vivid descriptions and settings. These are pretty gritty, grisly, and gripping. I definitely would be closing my eyes if these scenes were on the widescreen.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Jan Cramer, delivered an excellent performance. I enjoy her accent and perfect voice, as always for Erika.

I have missed reading a few books in the series; however, FATAL WITNESS can be read as a standalone. If you love intelligently written crime thrillers, this is a series you will want to read.

Also, check out the author's new Kate Marshall crime thriller series: Devil's Way January 26, 2023. (#4 of 4).

A special thank you to #RavenStreetPublishing and #NetGalley for an advanced audio copy to listen to, enjoy, and review.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 7, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars ✨✨✨✨
July 2022 Must-Read Books

With thanks to the author, publisher Raven Street Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with a free audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this one. It is the seventh installment in the Detective Erika Foster series, and also the first work of Robert Bryndza that I have read, but this didn’t negatively impact on my enjoyment of it in the least, as I felt the novel stood on its own very well.

The writing and plot were fast-paced, the dialog between the characters was fun and engaging with witty exchanges throughout, and the characters themselves were well-rounded and fleshed out.

The plot had plenty of twists and turns that kept me engaged, ahead of the big reveal in the final few chapters. The descriptions of the murders were very detailed without being too gruesome, and the attention to detail in the forensic descriptions throughout the investigation was wonderful.

The audiobook narrator Jan Cramer was also excellent, and really brought the characters and the story to life.

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
Very quick paced detective series. Can be read as stand-alone. This was in a bit of an academic setting which I adored. It has multiple plot twist that I wasn’t expecting that 100% kept me on my toes while trying to find out the killer. Addictive read and easy to follow on audio.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Short chapters
Detective series
NCIS
True Crime Podcasts

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘌𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘢 𝘍𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦-𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦, 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.

An Excellent thriller from Robert Bryndza. A good addition to the Erika Foster Series. Well plotted with plenty of twists. Excellent narration throughout. Loved it.
I received this audiobook from Raven Street Publishing and Netgalley for a review.

Fatal Witness, by Robert Bryndza, is the seventh entry in the Detective Erika Foster series, and it has been a long four year wait since #6! It is a great pleasure to find DCI Erika Foster embroiled in a new murder case. Along with her team of Detectives Peterson and Moss, she investigates the stabbing of a young woman, a true-crime podcaster, in the woman’s flat. All is not as it first seems, and the crime team find themselves unraveling a complex crime, with a number of red herrings and oddball characters.
What elevates this police procedural is Bryndza’s deft hand at drawing in the reader with the humanity of his characters, particularly Erika, Peterson, and coroner Isaac Strong. These recurring characters are familiar and engaging, with their messy personal lives and struggles with ordinary problems outside of their crime units.
I found the audio-book narrator, Jan Cramer, familiar and perfect in her delivery!
Hopefully, there will be more entries in this brilliant series, post-haste! Highly recommend this book and this author!

Thank you to Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for the audio ARC

That first chapter! WOW makes you want to binge the book after that.

This is my first book from this author and in this series. I now need to go back and start at the beginning. Not because I feel as if something is missing, but because it's that good!! I need more.

Erika is a very likable officer. She has a rough edge to her but a soft side too. I need to see what happens before this book with her and her.... Sorry I can't say because I can't give anything away. Just read the book.

The narrator did a great job. She read it in a very enjoyable way.

I was so happy to see Erika Foster back. I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel and hope that we continue to get more books.

After such a long hiatus, I had almost forgot what I loved most about this series. But the author kept me guessing and switching my predictions and in the end had me mostly fooled by what was coming. I will continue to pick up Robert Bryndza's mystery/crime novels anytime he releases one.

My only critic of the audiobook is that there was a tinny sound to the dialog if it was sped up at all. I always listen to audiobooks sped up to my general talking speed, so to have it really alter the vocals was disappointing.

this was a good read, even if the start was a very descriptive brutal murder! the story went on but I felt towards the end, the conclusion was rushed and just skipped a chapter to get to the finish.

To be honest: although this is already book Nr. 7 in this series I didn't know Detective Erika Foster so far. Well, this changed during this book, which I really enjoyed.
Erika is a tough woman working as a detective. She just moved houses and on a late-night walk near her new house in Blackheath she stumbles upon the brutal murder of Vicky Clarke. Vicky turns out to be a true-crime podcaster.
Erika dives in head first to investigate this case. Even if you have not read the previous books, you soon get to know all the important people in her life.
The book touches some serious topics and for me it was a very quick read or rather listening. The audio version is performed in a pleasant way and kept me nice company!
Thannks #NetGalley #Raven Street Publishing

Fatal Witness is the seventh book in the Erika Foster series by best-selling award-winning British author, Robert Bryndza. The audio version is narrated by Jan Cramer. On her way home from the chippie to her newly-acquired fixer-upper, Lewisham Row Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster stumbles on a murder. Tess Clarke screams at the grisly scene she discovers in her sister’s flat, and Erika draws her away from the body of a young woman, brutally stabbed multiple times.

Apparently, Vicky Clarke was an actor who had branched out into true crime podcasts, and the team wonders if she was getting close to exposing someone who decided to thwart her intentions, but her computer hard drive has been wiped, and her notebooks are missing. Then, a day later, Forensic Pathologist Isaac Strong has some puzzling news for Erika: the body he has examined is not Vicky.

Now, Erika has an unidentified murder victim and a missing woman. The team engaged in plenty of excellent detective work and they spend a great deal of time looking at CCTV, some of which yields useful information, some of which is frustratingly ambiguous.

Eventually, the team has a number of potential suspects: one with a very influential family member; one previously convicted of rape; one with an hour gap in the CCTV cover of his movements. The astute reader may settle on the likely perpetrator but there are enough red herrings to have them second-guessing their choice right up to the nail-biting climax.

The back cover blurb is a little misleading, the ending seems a bit rushed, and there are a number of continuity issues that do distract from the story, which have hopefully been corrected for the final version of the novel. There’s also a little plug for Bryndza’s Kate Marshall series included.

Erika does seem a bit more mellow, and therefore likeable, in this instalment, which could work as a stand-alone, as there is sufficient spoiler-free recap to inform new readers. The continuing development of regular characters and the introduction of a potential love interest for Erika are both welcome. Gripping British crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing.