[REVIEW] The Night Stalker

title: The Night Stalker (Detective Erika Foster #2)
author: Robert Bryndza
genre: adult fiction, crime fiction, thriller, mystery
publish: June 2, 2016 by Bookouture
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 5 / 5 stars
goodreads

If the Night Stalker is watching, you're already dead... 

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. 

The global bestselling author of "The Girl in the Ice" is back with a heart-racing, electrifying thriller. If you love Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Karin Slaughter, you'll be hooked on Robert Bryndza.

MUST READ thriller series!

I cannot believe it took me forever to read this book! I hate myself for that! But better late than never, yeah? I read this book basically because: (1) the first book, The Girl in the Ice, was amazing and thrilling and was easily one of my fave crime thrillers!, (2) the writing of the said book was great and Erika Foster easily became one of my fave detective inspectors to read; (3) Bookouture thrillers are bloodydamn amazing!

Don't let your personal feelings cloud your judgement. When the time is right, if it's right, then we'll get him. Okay?' -loc905; eARC

Even though I read the first book around a year ago, I was immediately absorbed into this one. Bryndza is an amazing thriller author. The Night Stalker is about a serial killer who kills his victims through suffocating his victims with a 'suicide bag' and leaving them in their place. What's interesting about the case is the fact that the murderer perfectly knows the background and moves of his victim. Aside from this, he also has an extensive skills and knowledge in getting into his victim's place -- actually, he gets there even  before his victim gets home (bloody creepy i know, thus the title).

The serial killer case presented here is very intriguing. I like how the victims have entirely different background and do not have much direct relation with the murderer. The way the victims were killed was also an interesting aspect of the novel -- how the 'stalker' creeps into the victim's place even before he gets home; how the 'stalker' checks the highly secured home before killing the victim; and the use of the 'suicide bag' is something really new to me.

'My point is that bad people are everywhere. The world is filled with good, but it's equally overwhelmed with bad. People who commit horror and evil. You have to concentrate on what you can do, what you can influence. -loc2296; eARC

Bryndza's gripping writing is perfectly shown here. The murderer was revealed around 50% of the book (if earlier than that, I probably missed it). Anyway, there was a private message between two anonymous chat users and one of which is the murderer. I like their conversations. They also makes me more intrigued of who the murderer is.

Once the murderer's identity was revealed, it still had that intriguing and thrilling atmosphere. It never lessened. The murderer's background/story was strongly written. His experiences were painful and it was easy to see why he's taking revenge. The connections of his victims to his story were slowly revealed. This was done along side Erika's pursuit of him. He's a perfect murderer -- his plans everything out, he doesn't leave traces of his presence (aside of course from the victim's lifeless body, DUH!).

But as I always say, love. Be brave, but don't be stupid.' -loc2940; eARC

Aside from the thrilling and highly intriguing case, there was also a great deal of development on Erika Foster's relationships. Let's get through them one by one real quick: (1) Peterson --  I ship this. I highly, strongly, OMG, ship this! (I read a review of book four and when I found out about their relationship, I knew I should read this already!) Also there was development on Peterson's character which is really great; (2) Isaac -- his involvement in the case as well as the initial look on the case brought him into such a terrible mess. Thank the stars for Erika's strong sense of justice (and love for her friend), he got out of this horrible case; (3) DI Sparks -- this bloodydamn detective who possible doesn't do anything but take credit for the works of others! When I saw him back in this book, I knew something that's NOT GOOD will happen. and it did happen. I was infuriated by the outcome of a particular aspect of the story (SPOILER: DI Sparks getting promoted instead of Erika. UGH!). However, it didn't exactly break my love for this book. Actually, it made me look forward for the next one even more!

OVERALL, The Night Stalker proved that Robert Bryndza's DI Erika Foster series is a MUST READ thriller! It has a gripping and edge-of-your-seat writing packed with twists; a strong and further developing detective inspector and a really great team to back her up; and a writing so intense that I was easily absorbed in both the case and Erika Foster's personal undertakings.

trigger warning!! violence; abuse

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