Darkness Falls (Kate Marshall #3) by Robert Bryndza

EXCERPT: As soon as Joanna reached the top, and stepped out, he slipped the bag over her head, yanked her backward, and used the handles to pull the plastic tight around her neck.
Joanna cried out and staggered on her feet, dropping the large handbag she carried. He pulled the bag tighter. The plastic sat flush over her skull and bulged at the mouth and nose as she sucked in and out the remaining air she had in her lungs.

ABOUT ‘DARKNESS FALLS’: Kate Marshall’s investigation into a journalist’s disappearance sends her down an unexpectedly twisted path in a riveting thriller by the author of Shadow Sands.

Kate Marshall’s fledgling PI agency takes off when she and her partner, Tristan Harper, are hired for their first big case. It’s a cold one. Twelve years before, journalist Joanna Duncan disappeared after exposing a political scandal. Most people have moved on. Joanna’s mother refuses to let go.

When Kate and Tristan gain access to the original case files, they revisit the same suspects and follow the same leads―but not to the same dead ends. Among Joanna’s personal effects, Kate discovers the names of two young men who also vanished without a trace.

As she connects the last days of three missing persons, Kate realizes that Joanna may have been onto something far more sinister than anyone first believed: the identity of a serial killer hiding in plain sight. The closer Kate comes to finding him, the darker it’s going to get.

MY THOUGHTS: Although this is #3 in the Kate Marshall series, it is easily read as a stand-alone. Although, once you’ve read this, you’re going to want to go back and read the previous two books anyway.

This is developing into a great series. The plotting is spot on, the narrative flows easily, there’s plenty of suspense and the characters are developing nicely.

Kate is more confident in herself and is developing a closer relationship with her son Jake, who is now at University. Myra has, unfortunately, passed away, but has left the caravan park to Kate. Tristan is becoming more comfortable in his own skin and his sister Sarah is slowly accepting his sexuality.

The case Kate and Tristan so gratefully accept is a cold one – the disappearance of a young female journalist twelve years earlier. Bev, the missing girl’s mother, wants Joanna’s body located so that she can bury her and find some closure.

While looking at what Joanna was working on at the time of her disappearance, Kate and Tristan stumble upon stories about young men disappearing and they start to form theories about what might have happened. Of course, we know what happened to Joanna because of the prologue. What we don’t know is who . . .

Unusually for me, I cottoned on to the killer very early on. It was just a feeling that became stronger as the book progressed. This in no way diminished my pleasure in reading this book.

I’m now all caught up with this series and eager to read #4, Devil’s Way, due for publication January 2023.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#DarknessFalls #NetGalley

I: @robertbryndza @amazonpublishing

T: @RobertBryndza @AmazonPub

#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #murdermystery #mystery #privateinvestigator #serialkillerthriller #suspense #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Robert Bryndza was born in the UK and lived in America and Canada before settling in Slovakia with his Slovak husband Ján.

When he’s not writing Rob is learning Slovak, trying to train two crazy dogs, or watching Grand Designs all in the hope that he’ll be able to understand his mother-in-law, build his dream house, and get the dogs to listen.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas &Mercer via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

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