Review: The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza

Friday 3 June 2016
Title: The Night Stalker
Author: Robert Bryndza
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 2nd June 2016
Pages: 384
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 5/5
Purchase: Amazon
In the dead of a swelteringly hot summer’s night, Detective Erika Foster is called to a murder scene. The victim, a doctor, is found suffocated in bed. His wrists are bound and his eyes bulging through a clear plastic bag tied tight over his head.

A few days later, another victim is found dead, in exactly the same circumstances. As Erika and her team start digging deeper, they discover a calculated serial killer – stalking their victims before choosing the right moment to strike.

The victims are all single men, with very private lives. Why are their pasts shrouded in secrecy? And what links them to the killer?

As a heat wave descends upon London, Erika will do everything to stop the Night Stalker before the body count rises, even if it means risking her job. But the victims might not be the only ones being watched… Erika’s own life could be on the line.


It's no secret that Bookouture are one of my favourite publishers and it's almost at the point now where I think people might see my reviews and think can every book he's read really be that good? But, I can say with absolute certainty that every book I have read by Bookouture has been brilliant and I can easily recommend them with great confidence. That said, some savvy marketing and low pricing means that their books are often sitting pretty at the top of the UK and US Amazon charts and so I think most people are aware of just how amazing a publisher they are.

Robert Bryndza was first known as a romantic comedy writer but The Night Stalker firmly cements his place as an extremely talented crime writer, it's a genre that he was made to write in and his comedic background actually allows the story, which is quite dark throughout, to be softened somewhat with little touches of humour in places, and this all feels very natural. This second crime novel from Robert is much more polished than the first, and given how good The Girl in the Ice actually was, means that this really is an outstanding crime novel and one that veteran readers of the genre will enjoy. It's often said that it's a busy genre and that one needs to pick out the gems, this is a gem.

Readers of my blog will know that Angela Marsons' Kim Stone is my favourite female detective, and my ultimate reading fantasy after finishing The Night Stalker is for there to be a crossover where she meets up with Erika Foster. I think it would be absolutely brilliant, even as a short story. In my head I can see Robert and Angie writing a each chapter from their own characters POV as they ponder a case. I'm getting a little carried away with myself but I have always enjoyed crossovers of my favourite things (e.g. the CSIs) and so for these two crime authors to write together would be incredible. Erika is a really well-created character and the passion and effort that has been put into creating her is clear to see. Yes she's got the baggage and history most fictional detectives carry around with them but it doesn't feel like we are being led down a path we've walked down a hundred times before. It all feels very new, she's a believable character and likeable too. And, a really good detective, but you'll have to pick up the book for more on that.

I enjoy my crime fiction on the more brutal end of the spectrum and Robert seemingly never fails to deliver on that score. His writing is intense, gripping and totally compelling throughout and some incredibly descriptive writing means that you are right there in the thick of it watching everything unfold. His plotting is precise and my attention was held the whole way through and, despite everything I've had going on personally at the minute, I had this book read in just a couple of sittings. It's the best kind of addictive crime fiction and I am already eager for more from Robert. As if these Bookouture authors don't write quick enough as it is! I'm addicted. I've said it in the past that the sign of a truly excellent crime novel lies in the twists, how the plot itself unfolds and then ultimately, how an author finishes the story. Especially in that last third. The last third has to be really good to get a faultless score from me and Robert has got it absolutely bang on here. Every element I look for is present here and then some, the ending was thrilling and satisfying and will leave every reader desperate for more. It's no surprise that everyone is already raving about this book and at the time of writing it's been out just one day. Phenomenal.

Just to close on a slightly vain note and say that the cover for The Night Stalker might just be one of my favourite ever covers and I so wish Bookouture's paperbacks were widely available as their covers are just to die for. All in all this is another winner from Robert that was storming the charts even before its release and as expected, people are already going crazy for it on social media. So, there's not much else I can actually say apart from I hope you enjoy reading it! Because surely your copy is sitting on your Kindle right now. If it's not, then head straight over to Amazon and rectify that for the absolutely criminal price of £1.99.

1 comment:

  1. Great review and I agree I wish Bookouture books were more widely available. The covers are always wonderful and eye catching and whats inside the pages is just as good.

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