4.5★s
Lethal Vengeance is the eighth book in the Erika Foster series by best-selling award-winning British author, Robert Bryndza. Erika is first on the scene when the body of Conservative MP, Neville Lomas is found, trussed up in an apartment in London’s OXO building, but she is excluded by a West End Central Superintendent eleven years her junior. Some aspects make it look like murder, but pathologist Isaac Strong rules it an open verdict and, really, she has more than enough on her plate.
But two months on, she is first on the scene again when famous young Chelsea footballer, Jamie Teague is found in the same position, same injuries, same extraneous items at the scene, and this time, she’s not going to let anyone sideline her. And yet, she’s having to battle with the brass who seem to be in damage-control mode and trying to sanitise each of the murders to protect reputations.
The unusual thing about Teague’s murder is that he and his mates met up with a group of five girls in a very exclusive club, five identical girls, identically dressed, identically accessorised, like “a glitch in the machine”. One tiny clue from one of Jamie’s drunken mates is followed up, leading to the discovery of yet another murder.
Meanwhile, a database search nets Erika another victim with the same MO, several months earlier, but where the MP and the footballer both have a history of accusations against them from women, Terry DeVille is a casting agent for male wannabe stars: does he fit into this series? A search of his flat helps to establish that.
A nasty grey-suited type seems intent on stymying the investigation into the MP’s death, even to the extent of threatening Erika and her cat: will that slow her down? Also distracting are: a new team member foisted onto her, whom she’s not sure she can trust; and, getting more involved in her romantic partner Igor’s life means occasional responsibility for his teenaged son, Tom, which doesn’t always mesh well with her work.
This is a gripping police procedural and Erika and her loyal team prove their worth many times over, but the resolution is a little lacking, unless you like the cliff-hanger aspect that leaves you waiting for the next book.