Kindle | 360 pages

Publisher – Bookouture March 31st 2017

He’s your perfect date. You’re his next victim.

When the tortured body of a young woman is found in a dumpster, her eyes swollen shut and her clothes soaked with blood, Detective Erika Foster is one of the first at the crime scene. The trouble is, this time, it’s not her case.

While she fights to secure her place on the investigation team, Erika can’t help but get involved and quickly finds a link to the unsolved murder of a woman four months earlier. Dumped in a similar location, both women have identical wounds – a fatal incision to their femoral artery.

Stalking his victims online, the killer is preying on young pretty women using a fake identity. How will Erika catch a murderer who doesn’t seem to exist?

Then another girl is abducted while waiting for a date. Erika and her team must get to her before she becomes another dead victim, and, come face to face with a terrifyingly sadistic individual.

Hello book 4! I kind of took a break between finishing book 3 and starting book 4. I suddenly remembered I had other books in my library to read but it wasn’t long before I was coming back to read book 4. This series by Robert Bryndza has made my year worthwhile. I’m so glad that I discovered his writing and this series. From the first chapter, I was through back in with the characters, watching as the drama unfolded and the hunt was on. These characters have transformed and grown over the series and have a special place in my heart now.

I had no issue in reading this. The stories in this series have become very familiar to me and Bryndza’s writing style is easy for me to read and understand. I read this in two days, because I was so hooked on the story and the climatic ending.

I lived for Erika here. I mean, I’ve seen here in pretty much every situation by now but in this book, I felt that I particularly connected to her emotions and saw her exhibit emotions that she has kept buried or forced away at a sign of weakness. It was very powerful to see her open up more in terms of her emotions and jump over hurdles that I honestly didn’t think she’d ever be able to get over.

It is wonderful seeing her back in her natural habitat and to see that she is being given a second chance at doing what she loves the most. Reuniting the trio of Erika, Moss and Peterson was something that I craved during the split faze that happened and I was happy to see them all back in a working environment, like oiled cogs, working towards one goal.

Peterson has become so much more than ‘just a police officer and potential romance’ to me. He makes up 1/3 of the strong policing that I have enjoyed throughout this book and the books before it. I’m seeing more of his character and the growth I see is sending his character where I believe he should go.

There was a shift in characters with this book, some that were more featured have taken a back seat and some that were less featured have taken a front seat. I think the shift around was necessary to compliment what Erika had been though and how she was going to move forward. It was a nice touch that added to the enjoyment of the narrative.

The dynamics between Moss, Erika and Peterson are something that I’ve come to rely heavily on while reading. Each have different qualities but together they make a well-rounded force to be able to fight crime with.

The developing dynamic between Erika and Peterson – which has been simmering from book 2 – was more prominent in this book and I felt that all the decisions Erika made fell in line with her character. I’m expecting good things to come from books 5 and 6.

As with Characterisation, I’ve pretty much been living in these books since I discovered the first back in August. My ability to visualize has only grown stronger with each book. I don’t have to put that much effort into what I am visualizing anymore because it comes naturally as soon as I open the book. I can clearly and quickly bring up the image of what I am reading.

Every day is for reading, but on Monday’s I’m always looking for a distraction from the start of a new week, and the eight hours of staring at a computer screen! I thought this would be the best start to my Monday evening. I didn’t realise I’d actually read half the book! And then stopped. (I had to go back and refresh on what I was reading.) However, I managed to pick it up quickly and read the rest of the book on Monday. I get excited to read this series because I know I’m going to be in for a wild ride, a lot of adrenaline and an explosive climactic ending.

I really did have my heart in my mouth during the final pages of this book and it has renewed my excitement for reading (I haven’t read anything in a week!) and I will probably start reading the fifth book in the series quite shortly!

I like the way Bryndza tells the story, and how developed the killer becomes. I like that I get to learn about the killer as Erika is trying to find him, it makes me feel like I’m getting a better understanding of the two. The duel narrative is something that I really enjoy with this series.

I mean, I could stand on a podium and gush about this book for days. I could bore you for months rattling on about my love for this series. I’m reading this series on my Kindle, but I have loved it so much that I’ve gone out and bought it in paperback (the first 3 at present), and to me, that’s the biggest incentive that this series is worth being read. The characters are never idle, they’re always moving and growing. Erika displays the biggest growth in the series. Each action she makes has a consequence, but she doesn’t care because she’s fighting for justice. I have loved watching her grow as a character and seeing how her mind adapts and learns with each new case. Erika has faults but I find her character to be genuine and lovable. Her determination, drive and strong nature drive the plot forward and make me excited to read on and discover all.