Alba in bookland: Robert Bryndza

Title: The Girl in the Ice (DCI Erika Foster #1)
Author: Robert Bryndza
Published: February 12th by Bookouture
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice…She is not the only one.

When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation.

The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in water around London.

What dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding?

As Erika inches closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is closing in on Erika.

The last investigation Erika led went badly wrong… resulting in the death of her husband. With her career hanging by a thread, Erika must now battle her own personal demons as well as a killer more deadly than any she’s faced before. But will she get to him before he strikes again?

A page-turning thriller packed with suspense. If you like Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Karin Slaughter, discover Rob Bryndza’s new series today – at a special launch price.

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: The Girl in the Ice is Robert Bryndza's first psychological thriller and what a thriller. It had been a while since a crime novel had captured me so much, reading for hours without even realising, devouring every page with my heart on my mouth. Robert managed to create such a dark atmosphere that actually gave me shivers while reading it, starting with the first chapter when the girl in the ice is found. I could tell then that this was not going to be an easy journey, but I certainly couldn't wait to know more.

But the star of the book was DCI Erika Foster. She was a force to be reckoned with. Her tireless search for the truth was admirable and made me feel as invested as her in the case. We did not know a lot about her, only that after a horrible trauma she hadn't worked for a while. She seemed to have no friends and no family, only a compulsive need for justice. She was always prepared to go a step further to unveil the truth even if it means risking her own life. Something she seemed to do quite often. But as the story progressed and we got bits and pieces about her past, we started to understand her better. She was a mystery I wanted to unveil and I'm sure that in future books we'll get to know her even better.

I found it very interesting that some of the chapters were told from the murderer's point of view. Being inside their mind and knowing what they were doing and planning without knowing who they actually were was kind of addictive. I knew something was going to happen sooner or later and I all I wanted to do was shout to Erika to warn her.

Erika's team, especially Moss and Peterson, added the perfect spark to this dark story. Even without really knowing her and her past, they sensed she was special. Their loyalty to her, who was not a bit fan of rules and liked to make things her own way, was admirable. There were also some members of the team though that didn't exactly approve of her and her methods so I couldn't wait for Erika to solve everything and prove them wrong.

The Girl in the Ice is a fantastic psychological thriller. Dark and addictive, its plot twits and unravels in the most unexpected ways. For a moment there I thought I had everything figured out... I was wrong... Robert Bryndza completely surprised me and shocked me to the chore. Well done sir! I'm already looking forward to next installment.

Rating:

A new month calls for new books, doesn't it? Here are the titles I can't wait to read this month:

The Canal Boat Cafe: All Aboard by Cressida Mclaughlin - February 4th

Blurb: Hilarious and touching, The Canal Boat Cafe series will appeal to fans of Game of Scones, Wickham Hall and The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Cafe.

Summer Freeman returns to the waterside village of Willowbeck to help with the Canal Boat Café, which used to belong to her mother. Valerie, a fortune teller, has been running things, but the business is in a pickle. The coffee machine is jammed, the cake offerings are paltry, and not all of the locals want to see the café succeed. And then there’s the handsome wildlife photographer, Mason, from the boat next door, whose Border Terrier steals some bacon right under her nose. Her Bichon Frise, Latte, loves their boating neighbours, but Summer is less sure.

As her old life and the community of Willowbeck begin to entwine, Summer finds herself setting sail on a new adventure but will she find herself navigating choppy waters instead?

Why so excited: I adored Cressida Mclauglin's first serialised novel and this one sounds equally amazing. I can't wait to pick the first part! Plus, the covers for the fours parts are gorgeous and when combined, form a canal boat. How cool is that?

A Home in Sunset Bay by Rebecca Pugh - February 9th

Blurb: There’s no place like home…

Enough is enough! The always perfect Laurie Chapman had jumped in her car and raced as fast as she could from London heading to Sunset Bay and (she hopes!) the open arms of her estranged sister…

Mia Chapman loves running Dolly’s Diner in the picture-perfect coastal Cornish town of Sunset Bay. Now that her and Grandma Dolly’s dream is finally a reality Mia has never been prouder! Until Laurie suddenly turns up on her doorstep… How can she forgive the sister who walked away?

Once upon a time Mia and Laurie were best friends. Back together after so long, the time has come for the sisters to figure out what went so wrong all those years ago – and whether they can ever put it right!

Why so excited: I had the pleasure of reading this one already and it's the kind of book I love, sweet and full of love and friendship. You all are in for a treat with this one!

The Stylist by Rosie Nixon - February 11th

Blurb: When fashion boutique worker Amber Green is mistakenly offered a job as assistant to infamous, jet-setting 'stylist to the stars' Mona Armstrong, she hits the ground running, helping to style some of Hollywood's hottest (and craziest) starlets. As awards season spins into action Mona is in hot demand and Amber's life turned upside down. Suddenly she catching the attention of two very different suitors, TV producer Rob and Hollywood bad boy rising star Liam. How will Amber keep her head? And what the hell will everyone wear? The Stylist is a fast-paced, fun-packed rummage through the ultimate dressing up box.

Why so excited: I'm taking part on the blog tour for this one and I can tell you it's a fantastic book. I laughed so much! Rosie's style is witty and fresh and I'm sure that everyone will love The Stylist.

The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza - February 12th

Blurb: Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice…She is not the only one.

When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation.

What dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding?

As Erika inches closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is closing in on Erika.

Why so excited: I read some of Robert's comedy books and really enjoyed them so I'm curious to read his first thriller. Plus, the blurb sounds really intriguing and the first reviews have been ravishing about it.