Nine Elms: The thrilling first book in the electrifying Kate Marshall series (Kate Marshall)

by Robert Bryndza

'The perfect book for Erika Foster fans. It has all the same vibes - but MORE. I actually think this is Robert Bryndza's best book yet'

'A gripping read that I could not put down'

'What an absolutely stunning start to what promises to be a brilliant new series'

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From the breakthrough international bestselling author of The Girl in the Ice, a breathtaking, page-turning novel about a disgraced female detective's fight for redemption. And survival.

Kate Marshall was a promising young police detective when she caught the notorious Nine Elms serial killer. But her greatest victory suddenly became a nightmare.

Fifteen years after those catastrophic, career-ending events, a copycat killer has taken up the Nine Elms mantle, continuing the ghastly work of his idol.

Enlisting her brilliant research assistant, Tristan Harper, Kate draws on her prodigious and long-neglected skills as an investigator to catch a new monster. But there's much more than her reputation on the line: Kate was the original killer's intended fifth victim . . . and his successor means to finish the job.

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'Twisty, dark and layered . . . A superb start to what promises to be another stand out series' M. W. CRAVEN

'Gripping from start to finish. I will wait with bated breath for the next Kate Marshall thriller' RACHEL ABBOTT

• ISBN10: 0751572705
• ISBN13: 9780751572704
• Publish Date: 1 November 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Sphere
• Edition: Digital original
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 90000
• Language: English

Reviews

[lessthelonely]

I'm really sorry, Mr. Bryndza. Believe me, I am: I bought this book for the sole reason you were the one who wrote it, as I really enjoy your Erika Foster thrillers!

I would say this book mirrors "The Girl in The Ice" in the sense that it deeply dissappointed me: that book is absolutely thrilling fest! It only drops the ball on the big reveal and even still manages an impressive climax. The thing is, even though this book has obviously a good body count... it feels pretty uneventful:
- The one character struggle Kate has is with alcooholism: is it realistic? Sure. Is it described in any new way? I don't think so. Did I ever believe Kate was going to have a drop of alcohol in the first book? Not in the slightest. It felt like cheap internal strife.
- While Erika Foster's plot is usually a bit more filled with conflict, mainly because Erika struggles against superiors, Kate Marshall... doesn´t really do that? There are clear attempts at this, but they are solved immediately and don't really feel as big as I believe they're meant to.
- The structure is very similar to "A Girl in The Ice", but way less thrilling, in my opinion: I pretty much realized all the reveals before they came. I wasn't able to do that with "A Girl in The Ice", even if it dissappointed me.

Also, just for me: dialogue didn't seem as present? The descriptions, for the first time in a Robert Bryndza book, TRULY bothered and bored me the heck out. Sorry to say, Mr. Bryndza... this one's just generic and doesn't even win points in execution... Most of what I believe the author believed to be "quirks" of the book (for example, a masturbation scene), really just felt like they were there for shock value. And I mean... Alright? It added nothing of value.

If you were interested in this book: sorry to burst your bubble. Please read the Erika Foster series instead.

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Nine Elms is the first book in a new procedural series by Robert Bryndza. Released 1st Dec 2019 by Amazon on their Thomas & Mercer crime imprint, it's 385 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a well written procedural with an engaging but flawed protagonist. The story arc develops slowly at first but the tension ratchets up and careens toward the inevitable denouement. There are some rough spots in the dialogue and main character Kate's interactions with others didn't quite ring true for me in some places. That being said, it -is- very well written and the plotting and narrative are very well done.

For readers who enjoy modern procedurals, this is a promising start to a new series written by a proven author. I tend to read more classic golden age type mysteries and admit that some of the descriptions and material in this book were a bit over the top for my taste personally (sexual psychopathology, murder and torture of young girls, body horror, discussion of cannibalism, etc). The language is not egregious and there's no direct sexual content. I would definitely call this more of a thriller than a classic murder mystery.

Four stars. I enjoyed it, but it's worth knowing what's in store to at least a general degree before committing.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Baroness Book Trove]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Nine Elms by Robert Bryndza is a fast-paced trail of murder spanning the tragedy that marks Kate Marshall's life.

Will Kate find the murder? If she does, will she lose more of herself?

Kate Marshall

Kate Marshall is a rising detective until she makes some serious mistakes and solves the Nine Elms serial killer case. She finds that even though she figured out that her boss was the serial killer they were searching for, nothing would be the same. Kate's life spins out of her control after the events of the arrest, and trial. 

The thing I like most about Kate is that she is so completely believable. She faces each day with as much strength as she can muster. Even when the odds are stacked against her, she doesn't give up. Kate is a fighter. I hope to see that she continues to stay realistic in the next installment.

The Mystery

I should say that there is more than one case being worked throughout the story. Kate and Tristen are working a cold case, and they are also involved in the copycat serial killer case. They do some serious old fashioned police work, by knocking on doors and going back over the crime scenes is my favorite part. I love the way they figure out what is happening. Let's just say that Peter Conway is one sick dude.

Five Stars

Nine Elms by Robert Bryndza is such an amazing book. I couldn't put it down and had to finish it before I could sleep. So, that makes it a five-star rating. I can't wait for the next book, and I highly recommend this to all of you thriller readers out there. 

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi14GfRqXbM[/embedyt]

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Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove