When the seventh Earl of Lowesdale is found hanging at his home, Wasdale Hall, by his grandson, Zac, it seems as though the elderly man has taken his own life. After doubts are raised by the coroner, it looks as though DI Kelly Porter has a murder to solve. Meanwhile, the disappearance of two young women from a nearby camp site shows similarities to the case of another woman who vanished without trace nearby. With years-old secrets starting to rise to the surface, Kelly has a race against time to solve the cases before there are more deaths.

Dead End is the third book in the DI Kelly Porter series and sees the detective having to deal with the fall-out from her previous case. For this reason, although this could be read as a standalone, there are a few spoilers as to events in the previous book, so I would advise you read the others first. Both of the previous books, Dark Game and Deep Fear are excellent reads, so you definitely won’t regret it!

I love the character of Kelly Porter – determined and devoted to her work yet without the bloody-mindedness so often seen in fictional detectives. Her relationship with Johnny is developing but her family are posing other problems. I liked the twist regarding Kelly and another character (no spoilers!) and could see how this story has been developed through the previous books. I look forward to seeing how this particular plot progresses!

The setting, the Lake District, provides a perfect backdrop for a missing persons scenario – picturesque yet incredibly dangerous to those not familiar with the terrain. Throughout the book, we spend time with some of the missing women but not their captor which is usually what we see in similar books. This made for a very tense read at times as we read about the horrific conditions they are being kept in and the strength of character of one of them in particular.

There are plenty of potential suspects, each of them equally as shifty. The plot comes together nicely to provide a satisfying conclusion with all loose ends neatly tied up.

This is a series which is going from strength to strength and I am already eagerly awaiting the next book!

A elderly earl is found hanged at home. Suicide is assumed. Two girls go missing while camping in the Lake District. Not an unusual occurrence in the wild and unpredictable terrain but it is soon discovered they are not the only ones to have disappeared from the area. DI Kelly Porter investigates the two cases and soon uncovers much more to both than is at first thought. The story unwinds and reveals its many secrets and eventually reveals the truth behind each event. An enjoyable read with interesting characters but slightly lacking in depth and fear which could have enhanced the whole story. Nevertheless I would be happy to read another in the series.

I really enjoyed reading this latest book in the DI Kelly Porter series ,having loved Dark Game I was looking forward to reading the new book Dead End in the series and I was not disappointed .Set in the Lake District the descriptions are glorious of the area and the story is told so well ,gripping you from the start making it very hard to put down .I really like DI Kelly Porter,a very strong woman and brilliant Policewoman .This book has missing girls ,death of an Earl ,a dead body and a murderer on the run .Wonderful story telling .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

This book was so well written by Rachel Lynch. Three young women have gone missing over a few
months in the Lake District in Cumbria. One of them is found murdered. The main character DI Kelly
Porter has personal issues to deal with along with being in charge of the case. I am going to read the
other two books in this series and look forward to more.
Thank you to the Publisher and Net Galley for introducing me to the author.

For fans of the Lake District and a good thriller you cannot go wrong with this book for the suspense builds and builds until the last few chapters which are absolutely gripping. To think, I nearly gave up at the beginning as it had quite a slow start , perhaps a subtle ploy by the author.

Dead End Rachel Lynch

This is the third book in the DI Kelly Porter series.

Kelly is one of the most realistic of fictional cops, and as such I find it really easy to empathise with her.

Coupled with the fact that I think Rachel Lynch is writing some of best crime fiction out there at the moment, means I was really looking forward to this book.

I wasn’t disappointed.

When the “Lord of the Manner” Xavier Paulus the second is found hanging by his grandson it appears to be nothing but a tragic suicide.

When the Police first look at the scene they tend to agree but somethings not right. As Kelly and her team start to look into the family, its history, and the strange relationships that seem to have been forged in the mansion, they become aware of its hedonistic past.

Meanwhile 2 girls go missing from a camp site in the Lakes. Kelly and her team also become involved in the hunt for them and start to find a history of girls, who look similar, also going missing.

As they investigate both cases a body is discovered, but who is it. With so many girls having gone missing it could be any one of them. It’s a surprise when they find out which one it is, and how long she’s been dead for.

Then there is always the red herrings that Rachel Lynch always writes into her stories so wonderfully. Find me a Police Officer who hasn’t gone barking up the wrong tree, I don’t suspect there are many around.

This book had me reading into the early hours. At times it’s a bit of a cosy read. Then just when you least expect it, it grabs you by the throat.

Can this be read as a stand-alone? Yes, but why would you want to miss out on the first 2.

Pages: 299
Publisher: Canelo
Available now

Despite being a busy working mum, I stayed up into the night to finish this thriller! I love the main character, Kelly Porter, like many of other characters in the book, she is complex and intriguing. There is some jumping back and forth from the past to present, which seems to be de rigueur, but it isn't excessive and fits the narrative. I haven't read any of the other books in the series but it didn't dampen my enjoyment of this instalment, I will now be hunting down the other books!

Set in the North of England around Lake Ullswater this novel opens with the discovery of an elderly Earl being found hanged in Wasdale Hall by his grandson Zac. DI Kelly Porter picks up the investigation when it becomes apparent the Earl's suicide was assisted. Also she is investigating two missing girls. Rachel Lynch draws these incidents together into a coherent mystery which pulls the reader in. Clearly Lynch has closely researched both police and pathology procedures and, resultantly, Kelly Porter's investigation comes across as entirely believable. The tight plot, well-drawn characters and overlaying family issues combine to create a very readable novel.

Enjoyed reading this book, kept you guessing right to the end, A real page turner with good plot and believable characters, well written, would recommend.

This third book in the series with Kelly Porter as the lead detective can be read satisfactorily without having read the first two as it stands alone well.

Two storylines gradually merge: the apparent suicide by hanging of the aging but vibrant Earl of Lowesdale at Wasdale Hall; and the search for two young girls, last seen hiking off into the fells. As the days pass, all roads seem to lead to Wasdale Hall, and questions start falling over each other - was the earl's death suicide or something more? Were there more missing girls in the past that could be linked to the current investigation? Family secrets become exposed at Wasdale hall, leading to all kinds of possibilities about past and present involvement of the characters surrounding the story.

The Lake District itself is a star character in this book, the author clearly knowing the area well and appreciating its beauties and dangers.

I was a little disappointed to have guessed in the first quarter of the book who the main 'baddy' was, but still found the book interesting and entertaining, with plenty to maintain interest.

The characters are sympathetic and Kelly has her own family problems and demons to overcome, all adding interest to the story. Unlike some reviewers, however, I haven't warmed particularly to Kelly as a character. After reading three books in the series, I don't feel really keen to find out what happens to Kelly and I also find the lack of team interaction a bit disappointing; there seems to be no feeling that you often get of comradeship and relationships developing there.

In summary, then, I found this an enjoyable read and I think the individual ingredients are really great - but there seems to be something I can't quite define not really binding those ingredients together for me to make the 'perfect cake' in this book and the series.

This book wasn't for me unfortunately. I am a mood reader and couldn't connect to the plot or characters. I believe this has nothing to do with the novel itself. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy.

A DI Kelly Porter crime novel set in the Lake District. Two girls are missing, and Kelly begins to suspect they are not the first. An earl commits suicide, or so it seems, and his family history throws up some puzzles. Plenty to keep you guessing, and Kelly Porter has some family issues of her own. Lots to keep the interest going, a decent read.

This is the third book in the Kelly Porter Series. I had a little trouble getting hooked on the story, but I stuck with it. I have not read the first two books in this series, but bought them on Amazon today, so I could get the full picture of the story line.

This is another excellent offering from Rachel Lynch set in the Lake District, which - as ever - comes alive in Ms Lynch's carefully crafted prose. DI Kelly Porter, the lead character, suffers from her share of the travails that beset senior detectives in crime fiction, with her on/off relationships and troubled family. Happily, this never strays too far into cliche territory. Ms Lynch's plots tend to be topical and Dead End is no exception. Her writing is again fluent and evocative of the wild and beautiful Cumbrian landscape. She deals with a complex 'is it murder - is it suicide?' storyline woven around a darker tale of sexual predation and abduction. Whilst the perpetrator's identity was reasonably obvious from an early stage this did not detract from the enjoyment, which is more about the overall experience. Very highly recommended.

An excellent novel, well written and paced. Well drawn characters and plot. I have not read the previous books in the series, and felt that this did not detract from the pleasure I had in reading this book. I hope the writers continues this series

This is the third book in the series featuring DI Kelly Porter. I gave the other two books five stars and this book was even better. Once again we are in the Lake District around Ullswater (one of my favourite places) and Kelly is investigating the disappearance of two young women who were hiking on the Fells. She is also trying to find out if there is a link to another missing girl. Alongside this case Kelly is also investigating the death of the Earl of Lowesdale who, when found hanging in his bedroom, was believed to have committed suicide. This book is told mainly from Kelly’s point of view and there’s are lots of interesting characters we come across. I enjoyed the glimpses of Kelly’s private life, her relationship with her boyfriend Jonny and also her relationships with her sister and mother. Dead End is an engrossing and enthralling mystery thriller and a highly recommended read. I cant’t wait for book number four in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rachel has the ability to suck the reader into the story with just the right amount of suspense delivered at exactly the right moment. With plenty of red herrings and three major suspects, it is anyone's guess as to who is killing young women on the fells. This is no cosy murder mystery though as the narrative can be quite graphic in parts. Offsetting this we have the relationship between Kelly and her boyfriend as well as Kelly's relationship with her mother and sister. As she struggles to solve the crimes, she's also struggling with a revelation that will affect her future.

An elderly earl is found hanging in his home by his grand son, and two hikers have gone missing from their camp site.
DI Kelly Porter has returned to the area and is so far resisting promotion, as she wants to be close to the action.
I haven’t read the other two books in the series but was given the chance to read this one via net galley. Really enjoyed it and will be looking to read the others.

The third instalment of the DI Kelly Porter series has two separate storylines that appear unconnected but are intricately woven together to produce an absorbing mystery, detailed police procedural and riveting thriller.

Kelly Porter is such an exciting character, driven, caring, yet vulnerable, and your empathy with her grows with every story. The cast of characters both antagonists and protagonists are complex, and the storytelling draws you in, deepening the mystery with every clue it reveals.

I hope there's another one as I'm hooked and set in the lovely English Lake District the dichotomy between its raw beauty and the ugliness of the crimes it conceals is what makes this addictive.

I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

2.5 stars

I found this an ok read at best, however it struggled to maintain my interest and I sped read it to reach the conclusion.

What was good were the descriptions of the lakes, having visited Penrith myself recently, it made a nice change to see a crime/thriller book based somewhere other than one of the big cities, eg London/Glasgow/Manchester..

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.