This is a gripping thriller and D I Kelly Porter is an engaging and fascinating lead character. The attention to detail in the writing stemming from sound knowledge of police work makes for a fantastic read. I loved it. This is the first Kelly Porter novel I have read and I will certainly be catching up with the first two in the series. I strongly recommend it.

My thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for the copy of this ebook in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
A point to note; I do not do spoilers or dwell on the plot and story. If you want these I suggest you read the publisher's blurb and other reviews - my interest is in the author and her/his craft.
Each Kelly Porter novel gets better and better. The characterisation of the writer and her ability to weave back stories into the narrative without detracting from the main story keeps one turning the pages.
Add to this Rachel Lynch's ability to keep you guessing makes the whole a delightful read and also means one looks for more.
A thoroughly satisfying read, five stars all the way.
PS it also meant I now want to re-visit Cumbria.

Tough police thriller set in the Lake District. Lead detective struggles with her family while solving two homicides.

I have never read anything by this author before but i'll be on the look out for more after really enjoying this book. Some of the stuff was a bit lost on me as it happened in previous books but there was more than enough in this book to keep me absolutely hooked. Great characters + gripping storyline = a good book to recommend!

I have just finished reading Dead End by Rachel Lynch. Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley.
This is the third book featuring DI Kelly Porter and I have read the others. Set in the Lake District, which is beautifully described, Porter investigates a suicide of a 95 year old Earl and girls going missing whilst walking in the Lake District. A thrilling story in which Kelly Porter has to deal with family problems, a boyfriend and has a brilliant police team. Doing what she enjoys best, police work, Porter is on the case. This is a great novel and the storyline does not disappoint. I await further novels from Rachel Lynch.
#DeadEnd #NetGalley

I really don't like starting a series part way through, and when I requested this from NetGalley I thought I could catch up with the first two in time, which is the thinking that has got me so far behind... So, trusting the reviews which said this could be read as a standalone (which turned out to be correct) I decided to break my rule, which I have mixed feelings about. On the one hand it means I have discovered another great author and series to continue, but it means that when I read the previous books (and I have bought the first already) I will be a bit spoiled - although happily not for the identity of the villains.

DI Kelly Porter loves her job, her new man, and her outdoorsy Cumbria lifestyle. Life isn't perfect - her family are hard work, her boss wants to promote her - which would take her away from active investigations, and it rains a lot. Assigned to the case of two missing hikers, she is shocked to discover their resemblance to another young woman who disappeared months earlier, and as the days roll on, the chances of something suspicious having befallen them increase rapidly. Then the local earl is found hanging in his decrepit stately home by his young nephew, and the pathologist doesn't think it's a suicide...

I really liked Kelly as a heroine - she is pragmatic, smart, compassionate, and refreshingly undamaged for the genre. I enjoyed her relationship with hunky Johnny (although that's my fluffy cat's name so entirely the wrong mental image kept popping up). I was dreading him turning out not to be as he seemed. The descriptions of the Lake District landscapes had me wondering why I've never done more than drive past when I lived in the UK, and there was a decent but not confusing array of characters. The reveal was a little too obvious, so I hadn't actually expected it as I suspected something a bit more elaborate, but neither did I feel cheated. I look forward to finding out what happens next, as well as filling in the earlier gaps.

My thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a voluntary honest review, and my apologies to the author for it being a few weeks after the deadline.

Dead End
by Rachel Lynch
Canelo


General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 08 Oct 2018



I am reviewing a copy of Dead End through Canelo and Netgalley.

After the seventh Earl of Lowesdale is found hanging from the rafters at Wavesdale Hall, everyone assumes that this aging hard partying aristocat committed suicide, after tiring of chasing the glory of his youth. After the coroner finds sounds of foul play it is realized this is not the case, soon DI Kelly Porter is brought into a world where secrets and lies dominate.



During that same time, two hikers end up going missing and Kelly leads the search. Digging deeper ends up revealing ties to two other disappearances that have gone unsolved. Kelly and her team end up in a race against time.


All roads as well as Kelly's own family secrets leads to Westdale Hall. Making it become more important than ever for Kelly to find the devious secrets hidden behind the walls of the most exclusive estate in Lake Distric.


I give Dead End five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Dead End is the third of Rachel’s books to feature Kelly Porter, but trust me when I say you don’t have to have read the other two to enjoy this; it works perfectly well as a standalone. I hadn’t read either of the other two and I still loved this. I loved it in part because it’s set in The Lake District which is sort of local to me and a place I love a lot and also because it ticked all the above boxes – it’s twisty and turny with a story that really hooks you from the get go and characters you find yourself drawn to, there’s a bit of a romance which I’m always a sucker for – it’s nice here because it’s nice to see Kelly outside of the investigation; I really loved the stuff with her family, and Johnny – the guy she’s seeing and the whole things moves forward at a satisfying pace doing the thing thrillers do when their done well - sending you in one direction only to laugh in your face when you get there and send you somewhere else.

An old Earl is found hanging in his dilapidated estate in the Lake District - seemingly a suicide until the coroner takes a look... meanwhile two young women have gone missing from their campsite in suspicious circumstances. Nothing seems to connect the crimes at first. DI Kelly Porter must investigate both, fighting reluctant locals and frustrating family members along the way.

This is part of a series but works well as a standalone.

I've read a few books in this vein lately - a killing in rural UK, competent and sympathetic DI, good pacy story. This was an enjoyable read and I did like the location, resolution of the crimes, Kelly's character growth.

My only 'complaint' as such as in tone it felt a bit similar to the others I've read, as above. But I think as more books come out the author will continue to develop her voice and could well be worth watching.

A fast paced police procedural. At first there seems to be little connection between an aristocrat's suicide and two missing girls, but soon the pace hots up. Set in the beautiful Lake District, this is a refreshing change from the usual gritty, criminal ridden cities.
A real page turner.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

When I received Dead End as a digital ARC from Netgalley I didn't realize it was the third book in the DI Kelly Porter series. It feels like a stand alone novel. When Xavier Paullus II, earl of Lowesdale, is found dead it looks like a suicide. The coroner discovers it wasn't suicide, and Kelly Porter leads the case to find his killer. Kelly is also investigating the disappearance of two young women, Hannah and Sophie. Dead End is an atmospheric mystery with two storylines told mainly from Kelly's perspective weaving a twisty, intense narrative about family secrets, betrayal, and self-acceptance.
As a character Kelly is well-rounded. Definitely active, with wants and needs, internal conflict, all that good stuff. The other characters felt flat to me, especially the killer. I didn't get a good sense of the killers motivations, wants, needs, strengths, or emotions.

The story has too much going on. Xavier's death, the missing women, Kelly's new boyfriend, relationship with her sister, and father. Cutting one or two of these would have made the plot feel less cluttered.

Told from mainly Kelly's perspective, the writing is fantastic, and easy to understand. I guessed the killer early on, yet I still enjoyed the uncovering of details because the characters and setting are so well-written. Dead End is a twisty-turning ride, with a great page-turning pace. A great read for mystery/thriller fans.

Plot 3/5
Writing 5/5
Characters 3/5
Overall 3.65/5- Rounded up to 4 :)

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

With a hanging and girls going missing there seems a lot going on for DI Porter, is it connected? This was a really good story to get your teeth into and I loved it. This series about the DI is great and I am looking forward to the next one already. Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Two hikers disappear and an elderly aristocrat is found dead the story has a number of threads with weave in and out of these two events and combine with the personal circumstances of the detective DI Kelly. I wish I had read the previous two DI Kelly books but not having read them did not detract from the enjoyment, I do plan to read these in the future. I thought the plot was intriguing and kept my interest throughout. The characters were well dawn and their interrelationships well described. Why have I not given this 5 stars. I think it is because although this is a very good book, it is a page turner but there are now an awful lot of books with a female detective who has 'issues' at home and a great many books about serial killers. Many of these are also very well written and enjoyable reads. This raises the bar and makes it much harder to stand out.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book by Rachel Lynch and it was the first book that I have read by her and I will be reading more of her books in the future.
Detective Kelly Porter is based in the Lakrre District and I enjoyed the descriptions of the landscape. I also enjoyed the interaction of Kelly Porter with the people around her. The story was interesting and whist it may have been predictable who was the villain, it was a good read.
Recommended.

Throughly enjoyed this book, keeps you guessing. Characters are all very believable and you’re willing them to do well

Enjoyed this book and the twists and turns leading to the conclusion. Would read other books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

Two women go missing walking on the Fells and DI Porter is called in to investigate, she realises their looks are similar to another missing woman who disappeared in similar circumstances some months earlier.

‘Dead End’ is an exciting thriller I really enjoyed Rachel Lynch’s writing style, which makes for captivating reading. The story plot is gripping, it kept me guessing and rerading long into the night. I look foward to more books in this series .

DCI Kelly Porter takes on another case set in the wonderful surroundings of the lake district. Bond pretty girls are being abducted and murdered, Kelly becomes involved as two more go missing. Her beau Johnny is there to support her. I like the dynamics between these two characters and how to read more about them in the next books of this series.

This is my first time reading the author. I really enjoyed Dead End, it’s my sort of thriller, full of misdirection, unexpected twists, a balance of light and dark and compelling characters. I haven’t read the other two books in the Kelly Porter series and after enjoyed this book so much I will definitely check them out. I really liked the way the suspense is built up in the book, gradually, layer by layer, sometimes barely noticeable. At first it seems the disappearances have nothing to do with the Earl’s death but Kelly starts to unravel the threads between them. I like books that surprise me and books where plot developments come out of the blue. Dead End is a great example of this. The twists and suspense are thick and fast at the end of the novel with the last few chapters rattling along. All in all, Dead End is a find example of a good thriller.

In "Dead End" Rachel Lynch has really teased out DI Porter's personality and character, showing her strength and fragility.

The story leads the reader on a merry dance following one hinted at villain after another, believing them to be the end villain, but Lynch cleverly conceals the ultimate baddie right up until the end.

Wrapped around the thriller, was a story of the relationship that continues to develop for Porter, even including the green eyed monster of jealousy, and the negative impact that has on a relationship.