Somehow, I got fascinated by the cover. Not only that it is the same as the original book shows, but also in the same color style and when you hold it in your hand and move it a bit, you can see some ice glitter – nice effect. My very first book by the author and my first thriller about Detective Erika Foster. And after finishing it, I am in an awkward mood.
Das Mädchen Im Eis*
by Robert BryndzaDetective Erika Foster #1
Translation Charlotte Breuer, Marion Matheis, Norbert Möllemann
Original Title The Girl In The Ice
Publisher Penguin on September 11, 2017
Genre Crime
Pages 430
Format Paperback
Source Publisher
✶✶✶✶
Eight months have passed since Detective Erika Foster´s last mission, which ended in disaster and cost her husband his life. But it is time to look ahead. The daughter of one of London´s most powerful families was murdered, and Erika does her utmost to find the culprit. As she fights against the demons of her own past, she is facing a merciless killer. (personal translation ©Vi at Inkvotary)
Story
Erika Foster is fighting her demons and somehow the English aristocracy while investigating her case. The daughter of a rich family and a very influential politician was murdered, and her father is giving Erika a very hard time to do her job. But the more information Erika is bringing to light with her unusual method, the more she gets into trouble. The killer is hunting her, and it seems that there will be only one way to solve the case.
Style
I do hope that the way how police work in England is only fictional in this thriller. Because otherwise, I am not sure if that area of English society is good. Erika´s boss Marsh is, literally spoken, an ass, doing almost everything he can to keep her from doing her job properly and the father of a dead young woman is not helpful either. The moment I discovered the truth about the rich girl´s killer, I was shocked and thought holy moly, why on earth would a father do such a terrible thing?
Robert Bryndza´s style is clear, to the point and he uses a direct and sometimes very blunt language. But always with style and on a high level. He pictures a society that isn´t like any other you might be familiar with. And he creates an atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat. You never know what´s going to happen on the next page and while reading I caught myself many times biting my tongue – because of the fantastic thrill this story is giving you.
Characters
Nothing is as it seems. Everything has two faces, literally, and Erika Foster and her boss Marsh are no exception. The only difference between them is, that Erika isn´t hiding anything. Sure, she is pained by her past and has her own demons to fight, but she is also on a point where she says that she´s lost already everything that´s dear to her. So why bother and pretend something else?
Sure, she isn´t doing things the way they are usually done. But the way she brings proof and facts to light that isn´t always comfortable to others. She always follows her instincts. Trusts only the plain facts and it is very hard if not impossible to convince her to work in a different way. She lost her private life with the death of her husband and with that, her working day changed completely. And she stands her ground if she must, no matter what.
Conclusion
This was a very impressive and fascinating thriller. Lots of unexpected twists and turns and written in a soft but very direct tone. In the end, I was in an awkward mood and kind of surprised that, despite the fact, the author had used the normal pattern a thriller and crime novel usually follow, I hadn´t seen it coming until the very end. For sure worth being recommended to every thriller and crime novel fan.
Happy reading
*This book was kindly provided to me by Penguin in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.
The Thriller was originally published The Girl In The Ice by Bookouture on February 12, 2016
Robert Bryndza
Robert Bryndza was born in England and lived in the US and Canada before he moved with his husband to Slovakia. He completed an acting education and is currently working as a full-time writer. His books have sold over 2 million copies and have been translated into 27 languages.
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