Member Reviews

ARC kindly received from Netgalley for an honest review

Since my friend introduced me to Robert Bryndza books a couple of years ago, I haven't met a book I haven't enjoyed. 

This is the 4th Kate Marshall book, and whilst I have enjoyed them all, this story was my least favourite (not that that is a bad thing, the quality of the whole series is great).

It is also a harder story for me - stories involving kids are always a harder read for me. I kind of picked the culprits earlier on in the book, however Bryndza's storytelling had me second guessing myself right until all was revealed.

Devil's Way was a slower tale to unfold, with many interwoven lines all coming together in the last 25%, which was a fast paced, adrenaline packed punch to the guts

I liked how well Kate's character is developing throughout the series, and I just love Tristan.

I look forward to seeing where Bryndza takes the series in the future.

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An amazing read! Bryndza takes readers on a mystery with a missing child which leads to further clues, murder, and plenty of twists and turns. I was captivated from page one because I can always count on his writing to be exciting. I’ve missed Kate and her partner Tristan, the two of them seem to have a connection where they think alike and finish each other’s thoughts. The descriptions of Devil’s Tor, the river and trees peaked my interest enough for a Google search. The details gave a lovely image of the area where the boy went missing and it’s easy to see how the whole incident played out. A new reader could easily read this book without the others, it’s a new case and enough backstory on Kate is mixed in a bit to understand her. I’m proud to say I’ve been a reader of Bryndza’s for years and plan to read more of his books. After reading an early copy I wrote this review voluntarily.

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Kate Marshall is a strong swimmer, swimming daily in Thurlow Bay where she lives, so nobody is more surprised than her when she gets caught in a riptide and nearly drowns. Whilst recovering in hospital she meets Jean, another patient on her ward, who tells her how eleven years earlier her three year old grandson Charlie disappeared during a camping trip on Dartmoor, whilst in Jean's care and has never been found. Jean is desperate to find out what happened to him and Kate agrees that she and her colleague Tristan will take on the case, believing it to be a straightforward missing person case they are unprepared for what they begin to uncover, especially the brutal murder of a social worker who had links to the family, is there more to this than Jean is letting on?

I'm a huge fan of Bryndza's work and was so excited to hear that Kate Marshall was returning in the fourth book of the series. Devil's Way had me hooked right from the first page and didn't let me go till the end. It's a fast paced, tense rollercoaster of a ride with many twists and turns along the way. A missing child would be the stuff of any parents worst nightmares, but the not knowing how, why or even if you'll ever see them again must be tenfold and Bryndza depicts this perfectly but he has the best team on the case to solve it. I love the relationship between Kate and Tristan, they work so well together and it was great to see him step up while she was in hospital and prove what a worthy partner he is in the business. The plot is well crafted with some really interesting characters and eerie Dartmoor really was the perfect setting for the story. If you've never read any of this series I would recommend that you start from the beginning to get the background of the characters. I'm looking forward to this authors next book which will be his first standalone thriller!!

I'd like to thank the author, Raven Street Publishing and Netgalley for the approval and imagine my delight when I then received auto approval for this publisher too! I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

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Kate is hired to find out what happened to 3 year old Charlie, who went missing from a family camping trip 11 years previously.

When she and Tristan discover a social worker who was connected to the family was brutally murdered not long after he went missing they must work out if the two incidents are connected.

As usual from a Robert Bryndza book I was totally hooked from the start. I barely moved once I started.

A fast paced thriller that keeps you guessing to the end.

I can't wait to read the next one.

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Robert Bryndza beings Kate Marshall back in the mystery Devil's Way. Set in England near a river and gorge called Devil's Way, Kate is asked to solve an old missing child case. Charlie disappeared when he was three years old. His family had been camping near Devil's Way and it was assumed he fell in the river and disappeared. He was even declared dead, but now his grandmother "feels" that he is still alive. Can Kate and her partner connect Charlie's disappearance, the murder of a social worker who investigated Charlie's family, and the story of a child buried near Devil's Way to solve this mystery? This book will tear at your heartstrings while keeping you on the edge of your seat.

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This is the fourth in the Kate Marshall private detective series; it is the second I have read.

In 2007, three year old Charlie went missing from a campsite. He had been sleeping in his grandmother’s tent, while his parents were in a tent nearby. Eleven years later, after a chance meeting, the grandmother hires Kate and her partner Tristan to find out what happened to the boy. Did he really drown in the river as the police supposed? The discovery that a social worker who had investigated the family was murdered after Charlie’s disappearance nags at Kate.

Bryndza writes fast moving, quick reading, entertaining police/detective procedurals and Devil’s Way is no exception. Although the resolution to this case was not a big surprise, I couldn’t put the book down. As in prior novels, Bryndza creates a good sense of place; I could picture the fast moving river, the boggy terrain, the “ear” tree.

Kate is a bright, capable, strong, but vulnerable female character despite her earlier difficulties in life. Tristan, her once research assistant, is growing into being a valuable partner. I enjoy these characters.

Although this is part of a series, I think it can work well as a standalone. This series along with Bryndza’s Erika Foster stories are both on my “don’t miss” list.

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The fourth novel in PI Kate Marshall series, Devil’s Way is an interesting mystery. I enjoyed the main characters immensely and even though this was my first time reading a book in this series I don’t feel like I missed anything. I’m sure the previous books would provide more depth to the characters and I enjoyed this so much that I am adding the others to my tbr.

**Thank you NetGalley for an electronic ARC, I enjoyed the opportunity to review this novel.

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This is the 4th book in this excellent series and, as usual, although the main story is self-contained, I am going to recommend you start from the beginning to get the best out of the characters.
So... Kate is still doing well in her recovery. One of the things she finds helpful is her early morning swim. It really invigorates and sets her up for the day's shenanigans. She is usually good at reading the conditions but one morning is caught up in a deadly riptide and ends up being rescued and taken to hospital. She is knocked for six by what has happened to her, understandably. But she is taken out of herself when the lady in the next bed to hers starts to talk about a tragedy that happened to her family 11 years ago when, on a camping trip, her young grandson Charlie went missing.
After a short period of recuperation, Kate is released and starts to look into what happened to Charlie. Did he wander off and get lost, did he wander off and get into trouble, or was he taken? With Kate still a little shaky, it falls to her partner Tristan to step up and between the two of them they start to discover the truth. But not before they link the case to another brutal murder...
I do love this series. Kate is a cracking character in herself but when partnered with Tristan, who takes a bigger role herein, forms a formidable crime busting duo. No stone remains unturned as they try to work things out. They have a knack of getting information where others have failed. Tenacious is an understatement!
The story ramps up as more of the truth comes out, culminating in a wholly satisfying ending the half of which I never saw coming.
All in all, a worthy addition to what is rapidly becoming a cracking series. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

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Book 4 in the series and another classic detective thriller featuring Private Investigor Kate Marshall and her assistant Tristan. Brilliantly constructed police procedural style book with two great characters in Kate and Tristan who are both considering their life choices which is causing some emotional strain in their working relationship.

Briefly, 3 year old Charlie goes missing one night on a camping trip in Dartmoor. Despite extensive searching he is never found and is presumed dead. 11 years later his Grandmother Jean approached Kate who is in hospital, recovering from a near fatal swim, to see if she can find out whatever happened to him as she has a belief he may still be alive. Kate agrees to look into the case but her investigations soon uncover some surprising information about Jean.

A slow burn thriller with plenty of twists and turns and a few red herrings thrown in for good measure. It could be read as a stand-alone but to understand the main protagonists I do recommend reading the earlier books. A very satisfying read, I’m loving this series.

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🔎Excellent writing, fascinating plot🔍

4.5🌟stars
The author was new to me but I love a good mystery that keeps me guessing. Devil's Way had all the features I want in a good, suspenseful mystery. With a missing person case that's remain unsolved for more than a decade and two determined private investigators who have great connections with law enforcement and actually do the monotonous research needed to crack the case, the story kept me interested way past the point where I guessed what happened to the boy.

Robert Bryndza is an author whose style I really like and hope to read a lot more of.

Thanks to Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

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Devil’s Way is the fourth book in the Kate Marshall series by best-selling, award-winning British author, Robert Bryndza. While private investigator, Kate Marshall recovers in hospital after almost drowning, she encounters a woman whose three-year-old grandson went missing eleven years earlier: Charlie Julings disappeared from the tent he was sharing with his grandmother, Jean, in June 2007. Police believed he fell into the raging torrent that was Devil’s Way River and was swept into a sinkhole: no remains were ever found.

But even though the courts have declared Charlie dead, Jean wants Kate and her business partner Tristan Harper to find out what happened. Eleven years on, trace evidence is non-existent, but they can examine the scene and talk to those involved: the police at the scene, the boy’s father, the tenants of the nearby farm, Jean’s lover. Their thorough research makes it apparent that Jean is being a little economical with the truth.

As they explore all avenues around the disappearance, and when they focus on a social worker with whom Jean had an altercation, it seems a bit as if they’re going off on a tangent but, intuitively, they persist despite the seemingly tenuous link to the case. A late-night episode with a ground-penetrating radar unit nets Kate and Tristan a dose of mace in the face along with a grisly result. Have they found the boy’s body?

While their agency is gaining a good reputation, Kate doesn’t hesitate to mention her police experience where it might facilitate cooperation with investigating officers. Tristan is proving himself capable and innovative.

The backstory fill-in is a little clumsily done but Bryndza throws in a good number of red herrings and twists to keep the reader guessing in the lead up to a dramatic climax and a very satisfactory resolution. Very readable British crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing

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I’d like to thank Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Devil’s Way’ by Robert Bryndza in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

While recovering in hospital from a near drowning, private detective Kate Marshall befriends elderly Jean Juling in the next bed who asks for Kate’s help in finding out what happened to her grandson Charlie who was aged just three when he disappeared on a camping trip eleven years ago. Kate’s interest is piqued and on her release from hospital she decides with the help of her business partner Tristan Harper to look further into the case.

‘Devil’s Way’ is the fourth in the Kate Marshall series and although it’s the first I’ve read I haven’t felt at a disadvantage by not knowing what happened previously. The plot is well-written, tense and involving as Kate and Tristan’s investigations become more complex. The number of characters increases, some believable and others not so much, and the cold case of a murdered social worker comes to their attention that they feel is connected to Charlie but are not sure how. The story has had me gripped from start to finish with twists and turns that have kept me guessing until I reached the final pages and the truth is revealed. I‘ve enjoyed it so much I’m now going to look for the previous three books and hope there’ll be a fifth in the series.

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Recovering in hospital after a near-death experience, private investigator Kate Marshall meets fellow patient, Jean who tells her the story of her three-year-old grandson, Charlie, who disappeared while on a camping trip eleven years previously. On leaving hospital, Kate agrees to take on the case not really expecting to discover much due to the length of time that has passed. Not deterred, Kate and her business partner, Tristan, begin their investigation and when they discover that Jean had a dubious private life, wonder whether she, herself, holds the key to the disappearance. When it is discovered that shortly after Charlie’s disappearance, a social worker who had expressed concerns about the family was found murdered, the case becomes something bigger that they ever could have imagined.

Robert Bryndza is one of the authors whose books I read without bothering to look at a synopsis as I know I am going to love them. In Kate Marshall, the author has developed a lead character that more than compares to his more well-known Erika Foster series, her back story providing an intriguing element to the plot. Tristan is also a great character, their personalities complimenting each other perfectly.

What appears to initially be a missing person case, soon opens up into a much more intricate plot, Kate realising that there has been some sort of cover up. The book moves on at a fast pace, introducing us to a range of fascinating characters and providing us with many clues and red herrings along the way. As the book progressed, I had my suspicions as to what had happened to Charlie and I was happy to be right – there were plenty of other twists and turns however that did keep me guessing.

Devil’s Way is the fourth in the Kate Marshall series and while it could be read as a standalone, there are references to previous books which would potentially give away some of the plots should you choose to go back and read them. I can definitely recommend this whole series, however and know that you won’t be sorry if you go back and read them all!

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Book 4 for the private detectives Kate and Tristan. This time they are on the hunt for answers to why a three year old boy went missing some years ago. I though this story was full of twist and turn's and held my attention right to the very end. The characters were all believable and some I liked some I didnt and I particularly liked how they all intertwined. Over all very well written read.

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Thank you to NetGalley & Robert Brynzda for the Devils Way ARC! This was my first Robert Brynzda book as well as my first book in the Kate Marshall series. This book gave me total Law & Order vibes with a chilling mystery surrounding a young boys disappearance while camping with his mother and grandmother. In the beginning it was hard to distinguish between all of the characters and I was a little confused with the dialogue. However as the story progressed I caught on and was swept into the plot! The twists in this book have you guessing up until the end!

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This is a seriously addictive read so much so that I read it in a day. As always what starts out as different storylines come together seamlessly to create one perfectly woven story, I love the characters of Kate and Tristan, they are such likeable characters with a really good relationship and I can’t wait for the next instalment.

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Three year old Charlie disappeared during a camping trip on Dartmoor 11 years ago. Whilst recovering in hospital from nearly drowning PI Kate mets Charlie's grandmother, who asks her to try and find him. Kate knows itsa a long shot she'll find anything at this time but it grips her imagination and she takes it on. There seems to be a link to an historic murder but how it is connected is obscure. Its a complex but believable plot and will keep you turning the pages.

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Eleven years ago three year old Charlie went missing whilst camping with his parents Becky and Joel and grandmother Jean.
2018 Kate Marshall ex MET police, now living on the south coast of England. She and her busines partner Tristan Harper run a detective agency. Kate also owns a caravan park. Kate likes to go swimming in the sea early morning. During one of these swims she gets caught in a riptide. She nearly drowns but two young surfers rescue her.
Whilst recovering in hospital she is approached by the woman in the next bed. The woman explains that she lost her grndchild in 2007 and his body has never been found. Kate agrees to take on the case and to try and find out what happened.
Charlie went missing at a local beauty spot called Devil's Way. Becky his mother began to drink when Charlie wasn't found. Becky committed suicide. His father Joel has remarried.
Kate a recovering alcoholic struggles after her drowning experience, but she soon gets involved in the case. What does the murder of a Social Worker have to do with Charlie's disappearance if anything?
The author is a very good storyteller. I prefer real places and locations being used in books, as you can identify with these, however I can see how fictitous places can give you perhaps more scope!
This is the fourth book in this series. The author has another successful police procedural series as well as other books.
Highly recommended.

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Such a good book! I didn't read the first 3, since this was an ARC read, I didn't realize there were 3 others til after I read the book. I plan on going back and reading the others because I really loved the writing by this author.

If you're looking for a good mystery with in-depth characters, suspense, a mixture of possible suspects, and many twists and turns, grab a copy and get reading!

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One missing child case, uncover many mistery. I enjoy this book, step by step how clue appear. Its like following breadcrumbs.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#DevilsWay #RobertBryndza #RavenStreetPublishing #NetGalley #ARC

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