Book 1 of the Detective Jamie Day Series
Robert Bryndza has become one of my favourite thriller authors over the last few years, ever since I first discovered the DI Erika Foster series in 2016. Then he brought us Kate Marshall, the PI, and now he brings us Jamie Day.
The book is set in 1987, and Jamie Day is a young detective from a seaside town in England, who has joined the Metropolitan Police (the Met) in London. On his first day, before he’s even settled in, he’s called to the crime scene of a dismembered young man.
Jamie and his new, experienced team realise they are hunting a clever and manipulative serial killer. Jamie must navigate big-city prejudices, earn his team’s trust, and survive a dangerous case that puts his loyalty and safety on the line.
Maybe it’s because Jamie is the first male main character in Bryndza’s books (or at least that I’ve read), it took me a while to get into the book. This character is so different from the flawed female leads he’s written about. Erika is a DI who is weighed down by guilt over her husband’s death, and Kate is a PI, a former police officer, who was an alcoholic. And in this book we have Jamie who is just about dry behind the ears and is just starting out.
Once I got into the story, it just grabbed me and would not let go.I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about Jamie Day.
Read for The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2026
Prompt 42: Includes a handwritten interior font
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
