Title: Nine Elms
Author: Robert Bryndza
Series: Kate Marshall #1
Publisher: Sphere
[Synopsis]
Kate Marshall was a promising young police detective when she caught the notorious Nine Elms serial killer. But her greatest victory suddenly turned into a nightmare. Traumatized, betrayed, and publicly vilified for the shocking circumstances surrounding the cannibal murder case, Kate could only watch as her career ended in scandal.
Fifteen years after those catastrophic events, Kate is still haunted by the unquiet ghosts of her troubled past. Now a lecturer at a small coastal English university, she finally has a chance to face them. A copycat killer has taken up the Nine Elms mantle, continuing the ghastly work of his idol.
Enlisting her brilliant research assistant, Tristan Harper, Kate draws on her prodigious and long-neglected skills as an investigator to catch a new monster. Success promises redemption, but there’s much more on the line: Kate was the original killer’s intended fifth victim…and his successor means to finish the job.
[My Review]
I was excited to read the start of a new series from Robert Bryndza, and Nine Elms did not disappoint! The writing is of the same standard that I’ve come to expect (and hugely enjoy) from this author, and he’s created some vibrant characters who I wouldn’t hesitate to read more about.
Kate is an interesting character – very likable and retains an air of mystery around her. We learn about her past and some of the events that led to her current living situation, but there still seems to be a lot more to unearth about her – I imagine that will come in future books! The fact that she’s ex-police but not currently working for them adds a different spin to the story.
Tristan also seemed a sweet, likable assistant to Kate – I wish we learnt a bit more about him too! Again, this may come in future books.
The plot is tightly written and enjoyable to read (though – warning for people who may want to check trigger warnings – there are some pretty dark parts to the story, but I won’t list them here as I don’t want to give anything away). All I’ll say is, be prepared for a few surprises!
I am really looking forward to book number two and so pleased that Robert Bryndza has followed up his HUGELY successful Erika Foster books with this great new series! A must for crime fans.
[Rating: 4.5/5]
Read the first chapter of Nine Elms over on the Crime Vault website.
[About the Author]
Hello, I’m Robert Bryndza. I’m a crime writer and my books have sold 3 million copies, and they’ve been translated into 29 languages. I’m British and live in Slovakia.
I’m the author of the international #1 bestseller THE GIRL IN THE ICE, which is the first in my Detective Erika Foster series, and to date, it has sold over one million copies. There are six books (so far) in the Erika Foster series, and you can find out more about them at the top pf the page in the ‘Erika Foster Crime Series’ tab.
NINE ELMS, the first book in my new crime thriller private detective series, has just been published!
In addition to writing crime fiction, I have published a bestselling series of romantic comedy novels.