📖 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!

The Lost Victim
Robert Bryndza

“Are you famous?” He asked as she closed the door and put on her seat belt.
“No. More like infamous.”

I’ve read all of Robert Bryndza’s Erika Foster and Kate Marshall books and they always entertain and impress me. The Lost Victim is #5 in the Kate Marshall series but could still be read and enjoyed as a stand alone if you wanted to test the waters.

“You have your thirties, your forties, and in your fifties, you either turn to vinegar or wine. It’s up to you.”

This particular case hit somewhat close to home for Kate, in that Peter Conway, the notorious Nine Elms Cannibal (covered in book one) was a viable option for the disappearance of school girl Janey Macklin. But to add to the mystery and drama, there was also another serial killer active in that same area.

“And you don’t think this would make the most amazing true crime podcast?” Said Jake. “Two serial killers. Multiple suspects. A juicy mystery.”

Kate and Tristian are hired at their Detective Agency to research and look into Janey’s disappearance from 1988 - so they are dealing with another cold case to solve.

This case was compelling and I always enjoy his books. If you are a fan of crime mysteries and detective novels, check these series out.

“To live is the rarest thing in the world.
Most people just exist”
- Oscar Wilde

Thank you @robertbryndza for always delivering great books.


REVIEW POSTED 14th JULY 2024.

The latest installment in this excellent series sees private detective Kate Marshall and her partner Tristan take on a cold case that may be connected to Kate's history with Peter Conway, the notorious Nine Elms Cannibal and father of Kate's adult son. Thirty years ago, fifteen year old Janey Macklin disappeared days before Christmas and her body was never found, but after a tip that Peter Conway may have been involved, Kate and Tristan are hired to look into the case, with the client obviously hoping Kate can use her connection to Peter to find out the truth. It's not so easy, though, when 30 years has completely changed the neighborhood where the crime took place, and many of the key players hold back information. Kate and Tristan are "real" and likeable main characters, and the story held my interest from start to finish.

The Lost Victim is the fifth book in the Kate Marshall series. I have been reading this series from the start and always look forward to the next instalment. In book #5 private investigators, Kate and Tristan, investigate a cold case involving the disappearance of Janey Macklin, a teenage girl. Meanwhile, Peter Conway (the Nine Elms Cannibal) is still rotting away in prison however, his health is declining. The Lost Victim is another great crime novel from Robert Bryndza. Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC.

In the book The Lost Victim, author Robert Bryndza continue the Kate Marshall series. Kate and her private investigation partner Tristan search London for clues to a cold case from 1988 in which Janey Macklin disappeared. Hired by a true crime podcast company, they begin to look at leads the police did not examine. And what they begin to find is intriguing. But can they find the answer to what happened to Janey? I would recommend this book. I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series starring Kate Marshall and Tristan; it's so good and whilst this may not be the best out of the 5 books so far, it's still pretty damn good and had me racing through it to find out how it was all going to pan out.

Kate and Tristan make a brilliant partnership, I love how they bounce off and support each other; they are very believable and very likeable and their appeal grows with each book that comes along.

With great characters, an intriguing and clever plot with twists and turns aplenty and whilst it was written at a slightly slower pace and with less scenes of peril than his previous books in this series, it was no less riveting.

I am definitely a Mr Bryndza fan and would recommend his books to anyone who loves a great thriller and many thanks to Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this latest outing for Kate Marshall and Tristan and I can't wait for the next.

A brilliant read, Bryndza is a master story teller. I couldn’t put this down! This book takes us back to the beginning of the series with Peter Conway.

Another excellent instalment in Sarah Ward's impressive Mallory Dawson series. Beautifully written and with a real sense of place (the Welsh countryside really comes to life), the series getas better and better. These are not conventional police procedurals as Mallory is no longer a cop; however, she is in demand and works closely as a consultant with local detective Harri Evans. In addition to an intriguing plot, the relationships between Mallory and Harri, and between mother and son, add to the interest. Very enjoyable.

The Lost Victim is the latest book in the brilliant Kate Marshall series by Robert Bryndza. I love private investigator Kate Marshall and her partner Tristan so was very excited to read the latest book. This cold case procedural picks up on a 35-year-old case that happened in an area of London that changed drastically. A gripping plot with the usual twists and turns from Bryndza makes this another smash hit for me 🤩 could be read as a stand alone but the series is fab so I’d say read them all!

The Lost Victim is the new Kate Marshall book from Robert Bryndza.

"Kate is asked to look into the cold case of a missing girl. Janey Macklin disappeared 35 years ago. The man convicted of her death was later acquitted, because there was no body. Now the client thinks that Peter Conway, the Nine Elms cannibal, might have been the one to kill her. Kate is apprehensive because that area of London has changed so much. Plus she was having an affair with Conway when he was an active serial killer. Her son is Conway's child. Can she and her partner, Tristan, find the answer to who killed Janey?"

This is a cold case procedural. A 35-year-old case that happened in an area of London that changed drastically. Memories are older and witnesses are gone. And old serial killers have other things in mind. I did guess a big plot point but it was just a guess - kind of a "What if that were the case?" It's an interesting way that Bryndza solves a case. And an unexpected ending for Kate. (you'll like it)

Crime fiction fans will enjoy this new book from Bryndza.

Private Investigators Kate Marshall and Tristan Harper are approached by a creative agency who want to commission them to investigate a cold case for either a true crime podcast or a book. In 1988, young teenager Janey Macklin was on the way back from an errand to the local newsagents for her Mum in London’s King’s Cross when she disappeared. An employee of the shop, who offered her a lift in his van was convicted for her murder without her body being found, but later acquitted. Now a new theory has emerged, that Jenny may have been another victim of the infamous Nine Elms Cannibal serial killer, Peter Conway, who was in the area at the time.

Kate at first hesitates to take on the investigation as she was having an affair with Peter Conway as well as being responsible for his arrest. Also, she and Tristan will need to base themselves in London during the investigation, but her agency really needs the money on offer. It turns out to be a challenging case. With a gap of thirty years since Janey disappeared, places have changed, people have moved on, died or changed their names. But Kate is as tenacious as always in following leads and unearthing the truth.

The gripping plot moves at a good pace with plenty of twists and blind alleys to build the suspense and ramp up the tension. Kate and Tristan form a good team who are in tune with each other and there are a range of interesting secondary characters, including Kate’s son Jake and Peter Conway himself, who Kate really had hoped never to have to face again. Well written and absorbing, this is another excellent addition to the series.

I’ve been following Kate Marshall and her assistant Tristan throughout all their adventures as private detectives so I was excited to receive a review copy of “The Lost Victim”.
In this book they are asked to look into a cold case of a teenager who went missing in the late 1980s. Her body was never found and although an arrest was made, the suspect was eventually acquitted. Kate’s old nemesis, the Nine Elms Cannibal, Peter Conway, is implicated. Although in prison there is some evidence that he met Janey, the missing girl.
Hired by a literary agency with a view to a true crime podcast being written , Kate and Tristan start to look into the case. However, Kate has to work very hard to try and not get too emotionally involved, particularly as it also concerns her son Jake who is Peter’s son.
Did Peter commit this murder or was it someone else and why has the body never been found. When another murder occurs and some papers go missing, Kaye and Tristan realise that someone might not want them to find out the truth.
I really enjoyed this fast paced and well plotted story. The setting of London, in the newly developed Kings Cross area made for an interesting change of scene from the previous books which were set in the Exeter area.
The author obviously knew Kings Cross very well as he was extremely accurate in his descriptions of Granary Square. I’ve walked past the Midland hotel many times and have always fancied staying there- I actually got to vicariously enjoy a sojourn in this imposing building when Kate and Tristan splash out towards the end of the novel!
I really liked the two main characters and their development in “The Lost Victim” - they fitted really well into the London setting but both appreciated the peace and indeed contrast of their normal milieu.
I definitely recommend this as a five star read and eagerly await the next book in this excellent series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.