Chasing Shadows by Rob Bryndza

My enormous thanks to Robert Bryndza for sending me a surprise copy of his latest Erika Foster novel Chasing Shadows. I’m delighted to share my review of Chasing Shadows today.

It’s far too long since I reviewed one of Robert’s books, but you’ll find my thoughts on Devil’s Way here. 

Chasing Shadows is published by Raven Street on 5th June and is available for purchase here. 

Chasing Shadows

In a deadly game of cat and mouse, Detective Erika Foster confronts her greatest nemesis-where the lines of justice blur and secrets unravel. A collapsed ceiling. A dead body. What starts as a routine 999 call takes an unexpected twist when Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster arrives on the scene and discovers the body of a woman in an empty flat, with all DNA evidence scrubbed away. 

When forensics find cocaine residue coating every surface of the ceiling, Erika calls in the drug dogs, who lead her to a mysterious parcel locker on the outside wall of the property. Chasing down the locker’s owner leads Erika back where she never expected to be – staring into the eyes of Jerome Goodman, the drug dealer who murdered her husband, Mark, ten years ago. She arrests him on the spot, but there’s just one problem. His passport and his solicitor say his name is Kieron Bagshaw, and his record is squeaky clean. 

With top brass demanding she take leave to deal with her PTSD and even her closest colleagues questioning her sanity, Erika decides to use the time off to do some digging of her own. Trawling for clues through old newspapers, encrypted messages, and secret underground passageways, Erika makes a series of shocking discoveries that move Mark’s murder from cold case to active investigation, all while flying under the Met’s radar. 

The revelations will push Erika to the brink, forcing her to confront the trauma of her past and the truth about what happened the day Mark died – and who among her friends was involved from the shadows.

My Review of Chasing Shadows

With a Robert Bryndza Erika Foster thriller, the reader knows that it will be an engrossing and fast paced read, but the opening of Chasing Shadows is a real triumph. Not only is it dramatic, it answers questions about what happened to Erika’s husband some ten years previously. That said, this story can be enjoyed as a stand alone narrative too.

The plot is an absolute belter. Ripples from Erika’s past permeate the story and the pace is breath-taking. I had no idea if Erika and her team would be able to resolve the case – or the other tendrils of crime that snake into the story. The title couldn’t be more appropriate as Erika is chasing shadowy memories of the past, people whose identities seem to dissipate and reform like smoke and she discovers murky half-truths and lies. I found the whole of Chasing Shadows exciting, engaging and absorbing. 

Settings are akin to characters. There’s a truly evocative sense of place with a visual element that enabled me to visualise where the action occurs. There’s a filmic quality that means Chasing Shadows would make a superb television series. 

The characters themselves are so well drawn. Erika is the star of the series, but other recurring personalities ensure even more interest and depth. I even loved George, Erika’s cat. But it is Erika’s grief over her husband’s death that adds such texture to who she is. All the human emotions are illustrated by her. Alongside that grief is rage, guilt, determination and self-doubt, making Erika such an intriguing and memorable individual. 

The themes present in the story feel authentic and actually rather disturbing. Of course there’s crime and murder, by the very nature of the genre, but the exploration of identity, organised crime, the exploitation of foreign workers, and the presentation of layers of corruption hidden in plain sight in society feel realistic and unsettling. Chasing Shadows is a book that made me think. 

I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed Chasing Shadows, not least because the author displays a humanity and sensitivity towards his characters. He may expose the dark underbelly of crime and corruption, but he tempers it with people of integrity so that in the bleakest of times there is always hope. Chasing Shadows is jam packed with action, entertainment and, perhaps surprisingly for a police procedural crime thriller, quite a lot of emotion. I thought it was brilliant. 

About Robert Bryndza

Robert Bryndza is the author of the multi-million selling Detective Erika Foster and Private Investigator Kate Marshall series, as well as a bestselling stand alone crime novel. Before he turned to crime, Robert wrote a series of romantic comedy novels. He has sold over 7 million copies of his books and is published in 30 countries.

For further information, visit his website or find Robert on Facebook and Instagram.