The Girl in the Ice: A gripping serial killer thriller (Detective Erika Foster crime thriller novel) (Volume 1)

I like mysteries, but this has got to top the list of the most dull i have read in a long time. It seems the bulk of the book was centered on whether Detective Foster was going to again be in trouble with her boss or what antic she was going to pull next. The killer remains obscure until close to the end of the book. I kept reading hoping something meaningful would develop. There were only a few incidents that peaked my interest. Most of the book was filled with redundant themes, excess verbiage and just a waste of print in an attempt to create a book. There is far better our there.

I bought this book on the strength of previous reviews. The books main character was all over the place. I know this is fiction but as a police detective I couldn't fathom how anyone would hire her to work in their police department let alone someone in charge. All the characters were uninteresting and not well developed, I felt the author was just scrambling near the end of the book to put it altogether. I was happy to be done.

I've been to England several times and loved it, so it didn't take much to entice me to read this. I must admit to having a soft spot for the Brits. They are so quaint. There's a passage where three cops leave their squad car and take a subway to a victim notification! No American cop would ever do that, we'd be too afraid to show weakness!The story involves a brutally murdered socialite and is actually pretty mundane. There's really nothing new here. The characters are okay, but we've met them all before. The actual crime is horrific, but we've read a lot worse many times over (ever watch an episode of 'Hannibal'). It's an okay book that held my interest - except for one huge, glaring problem: Erika Foster.Apparently the author is building a series based on the main character Erika and I would say 'Please don't!' This woman is as irritating as nails on a chalkboard. She has too much baggage. She has a temper. She can't keep her mouth shut no matter what, continually irritating everyone around her. She does a lot of stupid things (besides mouthing off to her victim's parents, her boss, and her colleagues) - like going to dangerous pubs alone in the middle of the night while not getting any sleep. She previously stupidly led her team into an ambush, getting her husband killed in the process. This cop would have been removed from the force in a minute after what she pulls. Even the murderer thinks she's stupid. I am all in favor of strong female leads and every one of my books and my favorite books has one - so why does this one have to be irritating and dumb?Besides Erika, the book is awash with technical errors. When is the last time you heard a camera flash whine? That went out with the advent of digital cameras. The killer slips an envelope into Erika's jacket and she doesn't discover it for a week? She never puts her hands in her pocket for a week? Right. And then there is the killer. The author vainly tries to hide the killer's identity ('the figure did this or the figure did that), but as in any book or film there are only a limited pool of suspects no matter how many characters are introduced and it soon becomes obvious who the killer is, and when said is revealed this person seems physically incapable of performing the murders. A good thriller would just expose the murderer at the outset and thumb its nose at the police as he wrecks havoc - that would have been immensely more enjoyable. Or just make Erika a clever detective who gets to the bottom of things with her intellect instead of her mouth.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was my first Kindle read. here is what I thought...The prologue was a good way to start off. It provided clues to us, the reader, that the investigation did not have. We then got to watch as the investigation tried to solve the case. As so often happens the world at large, especially those who want to do good are divided, not on what needs to be done, solve the case, but in how to go about it. No one should be surprised that the investigation latches on to a suspect right away, and brushes aside details, evidence, that might disprove the first lead, but Bryndza dramatizes this failing in our justice system. No one should be surprised that the press wants headlines that sell, not an accurate investigation, or that prime movers may well have something to hide, but Bryndza develops this with a delightfully light touch, not getting away from the gritty delving into the murder of the girl. No one should be surprised that the victim is trashed, but Bryndza gives us all a model of how that should be treated.So much for "the plot." The writing itself is a page turner, I hesitated to buy this book when my favorite writer of crime fiction had a book available, but I am so glad I took a chance. You won't be disappointed.I recommend The Girl In The Ice without hesitation.

It's a police procedural that I would strongly suspect was written by a cliche bot if it wasn't so poorly researched and executed.This should be reclassified as a 'mystery', the main one being how Erika Foster could rise the ranks of the police force despite being completely incompetent, tactless, insubordinate and apparently lacking in any common sense. The supporting cast is so cartoonish that I wouldn't be surprised if they were written in crayon. Utter garbage. Only 99p but I felt robbed.

Pleasantly surprised with this having stumbled across it as a 99p Kindle deal and been persuaded by the number of positive reviews. I’m not sure it can accurately be described as a ‘police procedural’ as there isn’t really much in the way of investigative process, but it’s a decent enough thriller nonetheless. True, parts of the plot are a bit weak, perhaps even far fetched, but I enjoyed the easy writing style, which carried me along at a good old clip. The action scenes are especially well done. It’s not a page turner—I never felt I couldn’t put it down—but anything that holds my attention to the final page deserves a half-decent review.I have to disagree with reviewers who have criticized the character of DCI Erika Foster as irritating and unconvincing. I loved her! She has a great background story, which makes her very relatable, and I like the contrast between her emotional vulnerability and exterior toughness. Okay, so she’s a bit of a maverick and has made mistakes (once at great personal cost), but why pick on her? I can think of a dozen or more fictional male detectives who are hailed as heroes for their ‘maverickness’. So leave Erika alone! Women can be mavericks too. I look forward to reading about her next case.Thanks for reading my review. I hope you found it helpful. You can find more candid book reviews on my Amazon profile page.

Found the writing sadly wanting and as others have said lots of adjectives pointlessly used. Characters clichéd and gave up very early as just didn't care. Once again fooled by positive score and something iffy about volume of reviews. Seriously don't bother, I'm not fussy and can read anything but this was drivel.

The Girl in the Ice is a riveting read, a real intense page-turner, deeply engrossing with twists and turns at every angle.The story is set in London (present day) and begins with a gripping extract of a lone girl on her way home from a night out, realising that someone is following her in a blacked out car, and that she is very much alone in the dark with no mobile phone signal. Then a young man heading off to his work placement finds the body of a young woman submerged under the ice in a frozen lake.From the outset, thoughts are that this is a random killing, that is, until DCI Erika Foster is called in to investigate. As she begins to investigate, eventually realising she is looking for a serial killer, she starts to unearth events and secrets that certain people would rather were left buried and unheard.DCI Erika Foster is a great character, tough, stubborn and gutsy. She became a widow following a police raid that ended in the unimaginable tragedy of the death of her husband and several work colleagues; and although still grieving, she has returned to work determined to catch this killer and unearth the truth. Often reckless and not averse to taking risks, Erika will push herself to get at the truth, however unsavoury that may be, even defying her superiors who are tiptoeing around the influential social elite in order to avoid any scandal.The relationship between Erika and the rest of the team, particularly that between her and her DI’s, Moss and Peterson, is a good one, they respect her for the hardworking, straight up policewoman that she is, and it’s good to see the characters develop and to learn more about their lives along the way.Looking forward to reading the next instalment.

I've read just about every crime fiction book going & was beginning to read some over again in desperation. Then, I came upon my first book by Robert Bryndza & I've enjoyed this so much that I've bought another & will probably end up with even more. It certainly kept me turning the pages even though I initially couldn't warm to DCI Erika Foster. However, I soon changed my mind...she's some girl!! I love the fact the book is set in London which is always a favourite location of mine with crime fiction. I also liked that the book is quite wordy & descriptive & something to get your teeth into. As an avid but "quite selective" reader, it was great to discover a new author & DCI. Thanks Robert Bryndza, pleased to meet you & look forward to getting to grips with more of your books. London, serial killer, bodies mounting, red herrings....Book Heaven!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, not having heard of the author before, but I loved it, from start to finish, great twists and turns- keeps you guessing all the way through, never a dull moment! The writing is fluent, extremely well written & I'd definitely recommend this book and of course , the author to anyone who enjoys crime-horror psychological thrillers! This reminded me off Lee Childs style of writing, I literally couldn't put it down once I'd started. A great novel, length -wise too, which pleased me & I got this for free I think, or 99p! An absolute bargain... 5* from me! Enjoy fellow readers, if you love a great plot, twists n turns, a really decent long novel that you can really get your teeth into & totally lose yourself in , enjoy this fantastic writing - this thriller is perfect for you, it would be a crime not to try it, you will be hooked from the first few pages! I shall definitely be purchasing the next three novels, I'm so pleased Iv found this author, up there with the best in my opinion.

I bought this book on the prompting of Amazon's 'recommendations.'I hadn't heard of the author, but I do like police procedurals with a gripping plot. This book definitely has that. It's set in south London, which I enjoyed. The police ranks, procedures and banter seem authentic to me - I've never worked in a police force but I am a Clerk of the Court.I really liked the accurate portrayals of different parts of the country - for instance, streets that I know like the back of my hand. I liked the fact that the main character lives in London but hankers somewhat for her life back in the north, sometimes going back physically, which allows the reader a flavour of different places and attitudes.There isn't any actual sex or gratuitous violence in this story but there are plain spoken descriptions of injuries and body parts, twisting, gripping plot lines, hellish situations and police officers who act like real professionals. The team aren't angels but in the main, they cope with a difficult job via team-work, squabbling, grit and humour (some of it rather murky).Love it, so glad there are lots more to read.

The story follows detective Erika Foster in her search for a murderer who has brutally killed a young woman named Andrea Douglas-Brown who happens to be the daughter of a wealthy, high profile and powerful businessman. We read about Andrea’s personal life, including her fiance, parents, friends and her brother and sister in the search for her killer, and the author has done a fantastic job in confusing, covering up and surprising us with each twist and turn we take.During the book we also learn a lot about Erika Foster’s personal life and tragic past. We learn that her husband (whom worked along side her) was killed in a police raid which resulted in Erika taking a short time out of the MET, and we begin to understand how her brain works and what makes her such a great detective.Erika spends almost 100% of her work and personal time on the case, even when her bosses decide to suspend her after she takes a couple of things into her oen hands. She is so determined to track the killer down, but is utterly blind to the fact that the killer is also tracking her.I really liked that the first chapter was us actually witnessing her being followed and murdered, and then found under a layer of ice in a local pond. I also loved the ending and the suspense it created. 1If you follow me on my instagram and/or Goodreads, you will know how much love I have for Helen Grace, the detective in the Helen Grace series by M.J.Arlidge.Well whilst reading this book I found another strong, female detective to follow and love just as much.I gave this book 4 Stars and am excited to pick up the next book in the series “The Night Stalker”.

‘Cold Blood’, book five of the DCI Erika Foster books was the first-ever crime fiction books that I ever read. Not only of this series but of the crime fiction genre as a whole. It is what got me started loving these type of books. So, of course, I had to find time to go back to where Erika started. Unfortunately, I’ve just not had the chance until now. So, when I was creating the Pink and Dizzy reading challenge for 2020, I included the category ‘the first book in a series’ knowing exactly which book I would be reading! Then Modern Mrs Darcy added a category to read ‘three books by the same author’ in her reading challenge, so I will be reading books two, three and four! Sorted!Anyway, onto the book itself! It was great to find out what makes Erika tick and to discover her back story. It was genuinely heartbreaking what happened to her husband and her colleagues in Manchester. It really added to her character and to the way it drove her responses to the current situation and investigation.I did find her to be very reckless. I didn’t agree with how she handled a lot of things, and I thought some segued scenes were needed as we did seem to jump a little jarringly from one thing to the next or the actions were a bit nonsensical. Such as after the first appeal, where she hijacks it with different information than agreed. She does this for a reason due to the phone call she receives prior to going on. However, she decides not to explain this to anyone but runs off and doesn’t resurface for days. This made no sense, was unprofessional and inappropriate. It caused herself problems that didn’t need to happen. So this was quite frustrating.This aside, however, I did find the investigation to be suitably brutal and intriguing. There was twist after twist. I couldn’t guess the killer or motive. There was so much intertwined that at one point, I wondered how it would all be solved in time for the book to finish. I think I was about 85%-90% of the way in and there was still so much to unravel, I actually wondered whether it would spill over into book two. It doesn’t, though, it does all get answered, and we aren’t left wondering anything.Apart from the few dubious choices that Erika makes, this is a very well put together book. A few people have promised me that the Erika Foster books only get better and having read book five already I have no doubt that this is true. I am already chomping at the bit to read book two, but I am going to be patient and get a few of my obligation book reads read first before revisiting this world. It will do me good to build up my anticipation once again.

I absolutely loved loved loved this book. Erika Foster is a fantastic character with a lot of "spunk" who doesn't take crap off anyone. She doesn't care who you are, or how much you earn...her primary goal is to find the killer and she will do anything to achieve that.On a VERY basic level the story is about a young girl who is found in the ice and Erika Foster and her team need to find out who killed her but there are so many twists and turns it is certainly more complex than that. Having said that, although it is complex and has a lot of detailed I never had any problems in keeping up with who was who and what was happening as Robert's style of writing is very easy to follow.I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a whodunit and who likes a very strong female character.I loved this so much, as soon as I finished (very late at night) I downloaded the next one and while typing this am already 60% the way through that!

All right, I admit I came to this book after two magnificent reads and then two very bad ones. But this was dreadful. If you're going to claim to be British, and you're going to write a book set in the UK, then try to get the simple little details right. Someone with a knighthood is not addressed or referred to by "Sir" and then his surname. It's Sir Christian Name and the surname may or may not even be mentioned. That's on about page 6 and from there it gets worse. A semiliterate book written by an ignorant author, who should take this book and stick it where it's always dark and sometimes malodorous. Rubbish. An utter waste of money and - infinitely worse - of time.

I bought this book following a review by somebody else of another book, which they reviewed as inferior to Robert Bryndza. I try many different authors and like to get my teeth into a series, especially where there's an interesting back story. Erika Foster has just that, and although she is flawed and damaged, she does things her own way to get the right results. Although gory and rather unlikely, this story is well written and very detailed, albeit showing how warped the mind of a serial killer can be. Without giving anything away, looking at the book club questions, I felt sorry for the innocents, who had no idea what was going on. Those who covered things up or committed other crimes got what they deserved. It is a tale of severe depravity and greed. As usual, I had a short list of suspects, but when the story twisted in another direction with the introduction of another character quite a way in, I followed the red herring and was quite surprised at the end result. Having read the preview of The Night Stalker, I asked for that book for Christmas, and look forward to reading it in due course.

I should have read the author's biography first. His American/Canadian influences were an immediate problem for me. My 32+ years in the Met ended a long time ago during which I was involved in Murder Investigations under the pre-amip (Area Major Incident .....)regime. "Desk Sergeant" may have a place in U.S precincts. Where we still have a police station at all, the Front Office has long been manned|(or womanned) by cheaper, non-warranted staff. In conversation with my peers, reference was never made to "The Super". I had my share of difficulties with managerial incompetence ( I was a Detective sergeant for 25+ of my 32+) but the almost wholly unrealistic exchanges between this "heroine" and her incompetent management, tested my will to see it through. I always go for the first in any series but probably will not bother with any more unless reviews suggest the author is trying to get it right with some up to date advice and real research . But if the money is spinning why would you bother to get it right?

Erica Foster, this lady is gutsy, tenacious and very good at what she does. Following her gut instincts she is not afraid to throw herself in to the fray even at the cost of losing her job.I liked her and the way she tackled the clues or rather the lack of them and the lovely rapport she has with her team. They all backed her except for one twit (well there has to be at least one) who is rather a nasty piece of work and begrudges her taking his place on the investigation but she sticks to her guns and goes for it.I didn't guess the ending at all and was surprised to discover who it was in the end, very well played Robert.I am so looking forward to reading The Night Stalker, if it's anything like this predecessor I am sure it will be just as good or even better judging by the reviews.Thank you.

DCI Erika Foster , is back on the beat. It's been a while since her last case which tragically resulted in the death of her husband - a fellow officer. But life still goes on and Erika is back at work. A beautiful woman is found dead - strangled and beaten her corpse lies submerged in a boating lake but close enough to the surface to be discovered by a gardener. The daughter of a rich London aristocrat Andrea seems to have been living a double life and one her family disapproved of. The police investigation uncovers some details her father would like to keep private and his close connections with senior officers begin to hamper but not stop Erikas work. Could it be that Andreas killer is closer to home than first thought?The first Erika Frost story and an introduction to how this - outwardly-tough woman works. Gritty police drama set in urban London , good story fast pace it's not long before you are on Fosters' side willing her on.