Kate and Tristan are asked to try and solve the coldest of cold cases... one that might have ties to Peter Conway.

The story is compelling and moves along quickly. I began to rethink who "did it" about half way through. (And I was right, in part... wow what a great ending!)

We see Tristan and Kate really working brilliantly together and their partnership really is one I enjoy!

I very much recommend this series, Bryndza is a masterful writer and keeps you on the edge of the page!

Thank you to Netgalley and Raven Street Publishing for the advanced digital copy. This book was published July 11, 2024.

Thank you Netgalley, #partner, for the advanced copy of The Lost Victim in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the audiobook for my own collection.

This is the fifth book in Robert Bryndza’s Kate Marshall series and I just love this series. I have been a fan of this author ever since discovering his other crime fiction series, The Erika Foster series, which I also really like, and I have to say, it’s a really close tie as to which series I love more!

As I typically say when reviewing books in a series, this latest book of course can be read without reading the earlier books, but I HIGHLY recommending reading the series in order. Yes, the author does give some bare-bones highlights of what has come before, but of course I always think it is best to have read the earlier books in order to have a richer reading experience. And while each book is a self-contained case, this one does have some threads to tie to plotlines that potentially could spoil what happened in earlier books.

I loved the direction this book took. I loved that Kate and Tristan’s case led them back to the beginning – Peter Conway and the Nine Elms Cannibal. But more importantly that this installment saw Kate and her son together in a most vulnerable way. This book had so many twists and turns and I could not get through it fast enough to see how it would all play out! As fast-paced and adrenaline-fueled as the book was, it also hit that emotional level once again that Bryndza seems to write so well.

I can’t wait to see what is next for Kate and Tristan…especially with them in London this time – maybe they will cross paths with Detective Erika Foster sometime? Oh how I’d love that and apparently that is something the author is already considering! Oh, please so…I am already loving the idea!!!

Another Great Read
Reading has been a bit hit or miss for me lately, but when I need a guaranteed dose of joy, I turn to Robert Bryndza. His latest Kate Marshall installment, The Lost Victim, did not disappoint. From the first word to the last page, I was completely captivated.

As a devoted fan of Bryndza, initially through the Erica Foster series, I eagerly followed him to the Kate Marshall series. Each book in this series is immensely enjoyable, and The Lost Victim is no exception. The story is absorbing, filled with suspense, and the characters are as engaging as ever. Kate and her partner, Tristan, are well-developed, and the supporting characters add depth to the narrative.

The Lost Victim sees Kate and Tristan running a holiday park when they are approached by a team of true crime podcasters. They ask Kate to investigate the cold case of Janey Macklin, a London teenager who went missing in the late 80s. Although a man was initially convicted of her murder, he was later acquitted, leaving Janey’s case unsolved. The podcasters believe there might be a link between Janey and the infamous Nine Elms Cannibal, a case that ended Kate's police career and made her infamous.

For fans of the series, the Nine Elms Cannibal needs no introduction. If you're new to Kate Marshall, starting at the beginning of the series will provide valuable context. However, Bryndza ensures that The Lost Victim can be enjoyed as a standalone mystery. He provides enough background to understand the characters' history, but knowing the full backstory enriches the experience, especially with the twists and tribulations along the way.

The opening chapter sets a tense tone that keeps you on edge. Even without immediately connecting it to Kate’s past, the narrative draws you in. The story’s 80s setting, with its distinct risks and naiveté, adds a layer of nostalgia and tension. I was fully invested in Janey’s story and the investigation, making it hard to put the book down.

Bryndza masterfully uses misdirection and misinformation. Despite the decades since Janey’s disappearance, Kate and Tristan’s determination shines as they navigate through old witnesses and records. Their ability to get under people's skin proves crucial in solving the case. The investigation touches on personal and emotional elements, especially for Janey’s family and Kate herself, adding depth to the narrative.

I had my suspicions about certain characters, but Bryndza’s pacing and clue placement kept the story’s revelations perfectly timed. The narrative is tense yet balanced, with characters that are both frustrating and endearing. The ending, though contemporary and authentic, is inevitable and satisfying.

In summary, The Lost Victim is another absorbing case in the Kate Marshall series, filled with characters I love to spend time with. I highly recommend this book and eagerly await the next installment.

So enjoyed this return to Kate & Tristan’s world. They are complex and interesting characters with a close, trusting relationship between them. It’s a great read, fast paced and very addictive. I particularly found the inclusion of Peter Conway fascinating. I didn’t want it to end and I really missed it once I’d finished! It certainly kept me guessing right to the finish. All in all, I’d thoroughly recommend this title. The series keeps getting better and better with each book. I can’t wait for the next instalment!

Another brilliant novel that I couldn’t be put down. I really enjoy Kate and Tristan's relationship and how they interact. The characters are so realistic and interesting that strengthen the storyline. Robert Bryndza never fails to deliver quality writing and exciting novels that leave eager for the next novel to be written. I am a big fan of Robert’s work as I know that I will never be left disappointed. It is getting a little predictable from me, but again a well-deserved 5-star from me.

A gripping read !
Kate and Tristan are private investigators and are asked to look into a cold case of a missing girl .
If the pair are successful in reaching a conclusion to the case it will be the agency’s most lucrative contract to date and the money is much needed.
The investigation moves on and Peter Conway the Nine Elms cannibal killer puts in himself in the middle of the case from his prison cell.
The history between Conway and Kate runs deep.
Not only did she bring him to justice he is also the father to her son , so this stirs memories in Kate which she would rather forget.
The book moves on at a fair pace and the writing style makes for an easy and enjoyable read.
Plenty of twists and turns and it certainly kept me guessing.
This series gets better and better !
Thanks to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing

The Lost Victim is the latest excellent investigative thriller by talented author Robert Bryndza, and the fifth entry in his Kate Marshall series. Kate is a private investigator, formerly a police detective in London, whose career become tangled with the dark doings of fellow cop and boyfriend, Peter Conway, aka the Nine Elms Cannibal. After the notoriety of the case, the subsequent years saw her dismissal from the police force for her behavior and reaction to the trauma of realizing she was having a child by this monster. Now, years later, Kate has a modest PI business and son Jake is a young adult pursuing a career in Los Angeles, California.
In need of cash, Kate agrees to look into the cold case of a school girl, Janey Macklin, presumably murdered 30 years before, and whose body was never found. A team of national podcasters are willing to pay Kate well to discover new information and solve the case.
The plotting of this story is intriguing, complex, and well-paced, with several threads involving predators, prisoners, and victims. It becomes quite a cat and mouse game, and the intensity and excitement mounts toward the conclusion.
Bryndza is very skillful at juxtaposing the dark reality of contemporary criminal activity with the human drama and feelings of the victims and their survivors. So this is also a character-driven story, as world-weary Kate struggles with her past but rises to defend against the real world evils. Her partner, Tristan, is a younger and more optimistic defender of right, and a complimentary character to Kate.
This book can definitely be read as a stand-alone novel, yet I would encourage new readers to go back to books #1-4 to enjoy the richness of the arc of Kate Marshall’s story.

Thank you so much to Raven Street Press, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC. It is a pleasure to read and review Mr. Bryndza’s new thriller.

I always look forward to the nine elms series, and this didn't dissapoint!
Kate and Tristan are as real, and likeable as ever. The plot is intricate enough to keep you guessing while drawing you in.
I thought how it tied in to the previous books was super clever and added another dimension to the book, to really make you think.
As always you are there in these pages, the setting and its description on point and adding another level of atmosphere and murkiness, that ties in beautifully.
An absolute triumph of a read!

This one was off as compared to the other books. I lost interest when Peter Conway was brought in just as a red herring. Surely the author could create a new character for the purpose. A cold case investigation with new characters would have worked better.

Kate Marshall is trying to keep her new detective agency afloat and is offered a lucrative cold case. She and her partner Tristan are hired to look into the 1988 disappearance of Janey Macklin. They discover that their client may have ulterior motives because they are trying to connect Janey's disappearance to Peter Conway who is an infamous serial killer and also the father of Kate's son. As Kate and Tristan investigate the events of 30 years ago, it seems as though none of the stories are adding up. Was Peter involved in another murder? Is he still trying to manipulate Kate? Or is someone else much closer to the case trying to influence their investigation? This book hooked me from the beginning and kept me turning pages to find out what really happened to Janey. #NetGalley #TheLostVictim

Best one yet! I already loved this series, but this newest addition cemented it for me! Well done!

Thank you #netgalley and #ravenstreetpublishing for the eARC.

📖 BOOK REVIEW 📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheLostVictim by @robertbryndza

➡️synopsis

I really enjoyed this latest offering in the Kate Marshall Series; it felt full and comfortable in its own skin. Kate has really settled into her role bringing a confidence to the narrative that I really liked. The mystery was well plotted, quicksilver and addictive. All I can say is that I’m desperate for more (especially a Kate and Erica cross over!!!)

With thanks to author #robertbryndza #ravenstreetpublishing and @netgalley for allowing us to read this one! Sorry a migraine meant I missed posting on publication day!

OUT NOW

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

Book 5 in the brilliant Kate Marshall series. And for me the best one yet. My heart broke for Janey and I just wanted her to get justice. A cracking page turner that will keep you reading way past your bedtime. Loved it.

When school girl Janey Macklin disappeared from the seedy side of London in 1988, her case went cold, with no body and no witnesses. Now, thirty years later, private detective Kate Marshall has been approached by a true crime podcast producer with an intriguing question they need her help answering: What if Janey was killed by Peter Conway, the notorious Nine Elms Cannibal?

The contract would be the most lucrative of Kate’s career, but it comes with a price of its own, dredging up a sordid, complicated past that she would sooner forget . . . one that the paparazzi are determined to keep in the headlines.

As Kate and her partner, Tristan, scour King’s Cross for clues, no two leads seem to point in the same direction. The last person to see Janey alive has already been tried, convicted, and then acquitted of her murder, Peter Conway is in poor health and fading fast, and the line between their clients and their suspects is blurring with each new revelation about the case.

With little to work from, can Tristan and Kate wade through clandestine phone calls, decades-old secrets, and deteriorating DNA evidence to solve Janey’s murder, or will she remain one of London’s countless missing persons, forever lost to time?

The story starts with a young girl sent to buy cigarettes for her mother, who accepts a lift home and is never seen again. Robert, the lad who gave the lift, is tried and convicted for her abduction, but denies murder and will not or cannot tell where she is now.

Forward to the present and Kate and Tristan are offered an opportunity to work on this cold case, although the appeal appears to be her connection to Peter Conway, another serial killer in the area with whom she had a child. Together they try to piece together Janey's last hours and whether Robert and his friends are guilty or if other forces were at play that December night.

Its a gripping, well told story that kept me guessing till the end and on the edge of my seat to find out just what had happened. An excellent read. Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for ARC.

This is the 6th in a series featuring private detective Kate Marshall and her business partner Tristan Harper.
Business is slow, and the venture that normally keeps them afloat (Kate's caravan park) is going to need major investment or it too will go under. An offer comes in to research a cold case of a long-missing teenager for a publishing house. They want to link this decades-old disappearance to the notorious Nine Elms Cannibal, a case Kate is all too familiar with. The detectives investigate and rapidly realise the publishers may have ulterior motives for the search.

As you'd expect, there are dark themes of violence against women and girls, misogyny in all walks of life, and some grisly forensic details. All of this is compellingly told and I found myself reading on into the wee hours to get to the heart of this mystery. No one is unscathed by the fall out of this gruesome case.

It can absolutely stand on its own merits (I haven't read all the prior novels in this series) but the strength in this is always the gritty reality of life and so starting from the beginning would be rewarded.

The Lost Victim is book 5 in the Kate Marshall series by Robert Bryndza. The book can easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone. I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Victim and really liked Kate and her partner, Tristan. Kate and Tristan are investigating a cold case from 1988 in which a young girl, Janey Macklin, went missing. Janey's mom worked at the local pub and she and her sister often hung out playing video games while she worked. Janey had gone out to buy her mom a pack of cigarettes at a store she could walk to. That's the last time her mom and sister saw her.

A true crime podcast producer approached Kate and Tristan about their interest in this case. They offered really good money and a flat in London that they could use during their investigation. They wanted Kate and Tristan to find out what happened to Janey. They thought that Kate's ex, a serial killer now in prison, might have been Janey's killer. They thought Kate would be able to get it out of him since she had a relationship and son with him. His name is Peter Conway and he's in bad shape with major dental problems. Kate can't stand Peter and wants nothing to do with him, but her son is conflicted.

As Kate and Tristan work the case they get phone calls from people, hear noises in the London flat, and interview everyone that might have seen Janey that night in 1988. Somebody's hiding something and maybe more than one person. As they get closer to the truth, danger lurks around them. Someone doesn't want the truth to come out and they're willing to kill again to keep it quiet. Will Kate and Tristan be able to solve the case before they're attacked or worse? I rate The Lost Victim 4 stars with a high recommendation. If you like a suspenseful book, this is a must read. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for an advanced copy of The Lost Victim in exchange for a fair review. #TheLostVictim

I like Robert Bryndza's crime books and this fifth installment in the Kate Marshall series kept me reading until I finished it. I could not put it down. I love Kate and Tristan working on solving cold cases. Reading the author's notes and the possibility of a Kate and Erika case made me interested in future books. The idea of a crossover between Kate Marshall and Erika Foster is exciting. Both characters have compelling stories and strong personalities. It would be fascinating to see how they might work together on a case.

I was captivated by the way this book circles back to Peter Conway, the Nine Elms Cannibal. Kate and Tristan receive an intriguing proposition from a media agency: a true crime podcast centered around a potential victim of this notorious serial killer. As they delve into the investigation, they uncover unexpected layers, and Kate grapples with her deeply personal connection to Peter Conway.

The case is brilliantly crafted, and full of surprising twists.

While this book is part of a series, it also can be read as a standalone. I would recommend this story to readers of meticulously crafted investigative procedurals and mysteries

Many thanks to Raven Street Publishing for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

Another great addition to the series, The Lost Victim, is an addicting read, with lots of action, mystery, and secrets that should come to light but people are fighting for them to remain buried. However, a blogger's curiosity and need for notoriety makes Kate and Tristan search deeper in the disappearance of Jayne Macklin, and the mystery unravels for the utter disbelief of perpetrators. Great plot, well-written, and easy-to-read, this book is highly recommended!
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

EXCERPT: They sat under an awning, where a discarded copy of the Mirror was on the other end of the bench. Kate picked it up and turned to the article about Peter Conway: NINE ELMS CANNIBAL HAS JUST DAYS TO LIVE. The close-up photo of Peter Conway's face stared out at her.
'Bloody hell. I don't know if I'll ever escape this,' she said. The photo was the first time she'd seen him in close-up for years. He was so old, and yet it was like the young Peter Conway was staring out at her from inside a mask of prosthetic old make-up. A three-inch scar above his left eye was visible, even amongst the wrinkles. It was a clear curving line. Kate closed her eyes, and the memory of the night she gave him that scar returned to her. The night she cracked the case and worked out he was the Nine elms Cannibal.

ABOUT 'THE LOST VICTIM': When school girl Janey Macklin disappeared from the seedy side of London in 1988, her case went cold, with no body and no witnesses. Now, thirty years later, private detective Kate Marshall has been approached by a true crime podcast producer with an intriguing question they need her help answering: What if Janey was killed by Peter Conway, the notorious Nine Elms Cannibal?

The contract would be the most lucrative of Kate’s career, but it comes with a price of its own, dredging up a sordid, complicated past that she would sooner forget . . . one that the paparazzi are determined to keep in the headlines.

As Kate and her partner, Tristan, scour King’s Cross for clues, no two leads seem to point in the same direction. The last person to see Janey alive has already been tried, convicted, and then acquitted of her murder, Peter Conway is in poor health and fading fast, and the line between their clients and their suspects is blurring with each new revelation about the case.

With little to work from, can Tristan and Kate wade through clandestine phone calls, decades-old secrets, and deteriorating DNA evidence to solve Janey’s murder, or will she remain one of London’s countless missing persons, forever lost to time?

MY THOUGHTS: The Lost Victim is a real page turner! How wonderful it is to be back with Kate and Tristan again. I enjoy their tenacity and commitment.

The dreaded Peter Conway makes another appearance in this, the 5th book in the Kate Marshall series, as does Kate's lovely son, Jake. Sometimes I wonder if Kate will ever be free of her ex-partner. In light of what happens in this book (no spoilers here), it will be interesting to see what happens in the future.

I can't imagine living for thirty years, not knowing what had happened to my child, yet Janey Macklin's mother has done just that. Kate and Tristan come across some previously ignored and undiscovered clues, some of which may point in Peter Conway's direction. Or, is that someone just trying to muddy the waters? It is a complex enough situation trying to solve a disappearance 3o years after the actual event, but when a page of evidence goes missing in a burglary, Kate and Tristan know they must be on the right track.

As well as coping with the investigation and all it unearths, Kate is being asked to have contact with her ex-partner and father of her son, serial killer Peter Conway, something she is not sure she is willing to do. There are also money worries as she scrambles to find the funds to repair flood damage in the caravan park before opening for the new season. Tristan is also having money worries and is trying to keep them hidden from his sister Sarah, who likes to micromanage his life. Strangely enough, it is Jake who may just have the solution to both their financial problems.

Able to be read as a stand-alone, The Lost Victim had me captivated and enthralled. The storyline is well plotted and fast-paced and is written in such a fashion that I felt I was there amidst all the action rather than just reading about it. I loved all the twists and turns the plot takes, all perfectly believable and plausible. There were a couple of twists that literally took my breath away! The characters are deftly portrayed and well-rounded and the suspect pool greatly expanded from the original investigation.

A fast-paced and compelling read that has earned the full five stars from me.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheLostVictim #NetGalley.

THE AUTHOR: Robert was born in Lowestoft, on the east coast of England. He studied at Aberystwyth University, and the Guildford School of Acting, and was an actor for several years, but didn’t find success until he took a play he’d written to the Edinburgh Festival. This led to the decision to change career and start writing. He self-published a bestselling series of romantic comedy novels, before switching to writing crime. Robert lives with his husband in Slovakia, and is lucky enough to write full-time.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Raven Street Publishing via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Lost Victim for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Thank you NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for the eARC.
Wow, another fantastic read in the Kate Marshall series, I loved it! Kate and Tristan are such likeable characters - I hope there will be many more of their investigations to come.
The cold case of a missing girl is reopened and it's a heart breaker. Her body was never found and her mother and sister still haven't got over the pain.
As Kate and Tristan search for answers things get very complicated and some very nasty characters are interviewed. The company that hired them to begin with feels more and more creepy as time goes on.
Very hard to put down with an amazing ending!