Sarah Reviews… Bold Lies by Rachel Lynch

Title: Bold Lies

Author: Rachel Lynch

Publisher: Canelo

Publication Date: 27^th May 2019

Format: eARC

This book was received from the publisher in return for an honest review

About the book:

An investigation leads Kelly back to her former command… and the ex who betrayed her

A brutal murder in the Lake District.

A double assassination in a secret lab in London’s west end.

Seemingly unconnected, unexpected links between the gruesome crimes emerge and it’s up to DI Kelly Porter to follow the trail – all the way to the capital.

Back amongst old colleagues and forced to work alongside her calculating ex, DCI Matt Carter, Kelly must untangle a web of deceit that stretches into the highest echelons of power. A place where secrets and lies are currency and no obstacle is insurmountable.

What I Thought:

I have been lucky enough to take part in the blog tours for the first four DI Kelly Porter books so when I got an email asking if I’d like to take part in the blog tour for Bold Lies there was only ever one answer – yes of course!

When a dead body is discovered on the bridge of The Lady Of The Lake the last thing DI Kelly Porter expects is for it to lead her back to the life, and the ex, she left behind in London but that’s exactly what it does. Kelly finds herself caught up in a case much bigger than anyone could possibly have expected, and having to work closely with DCI Matt Carter to discover the truth behind the series of deaths.

In Bold Lies Rachel once again works wonders with the plot, the pacing is fantastic, drawing the reader in as crimes are revealed and new leads are followed sending Kelly back to London. Personally I found it hard to put down, I was desperate to find out who was behind the murders, the reasons for it, and most importantly would they get away with it.

I must confess to being slightly nervous of the action moving out of The Lake District, Rachel does such a wonderful job of describing the area I really feel like the setting is almost a character in its own right and I adore picturing the scenery as Kelly travels throughout the local towns and villages. In the end I really enjoyed the scenes set in London, and the comparisons between life as a detective in the Met and a detective in the Lakes.

Anyone who has read any of my previous reviews will know I’m a huge fan of the character of Kelly Porter, and really enjoy seeing her character develop as well as enjoying reading about the crimes she’s investigating. Bold Lies is no different, I once again got to enjoy seeing Kelly’s relationships develop as she continues to deal with the revelations that have come before (I won’t spoil them for anyone who hasn’t read the earlier books) but I am enjoying watching her familial relationships change and develop – If you have read the past books you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about!

Bold Lies also introduces us to the reason Kelly left the Met Police in the first place, the first novel in the series, Dark Game, made it clear that Kelly had left under a bit of a cloud, and I’ve been wanting to find out more ever since. Bold Lies gives a little more information, making it clear that DCI Matt Carter sold her out to their superiors to save his own career. I would have loved to get some more detail on what exactly happened in the case, but I fully understand why it wouldn’t have been right for the plot. It would have slowed the pace down without adding to the narrative, we got just enough to understand the relationship between Kelly and Matt. That said I wouldn’t mind some sort of prequel novella that dealt with the case that forced Kelly out of the Met!

Final Thoughts

I’m yet to read a Kelly Porter book I wouldn’t recommend! Once again the setting, the case and the character development fit together in perfect harmony to create a wonderful story I absolutely flew through. I’m really looking forward to seeing what comes next for Kelly both personally and professionally.

You could certainly read Bold Lies as a standalone but I would definitely recommend following Kelly from the beginning and picking up Dark Game to start. It’s currently 99p on Amazon (in the UK at least) so you’ve no excuse for not delving into the world of DI Kelly Porter!

The DI Kelly Porter series – Via Goodreads

More Rachel Lynch on SWB

About The Author

Rachel Lynch grew up in Cumbria and the lakes and fells are never far away from her. London pulled her away to teach History and marry an Army Officer, whom she followed around the globe for thirteen years. A change of career after children led to personal training and sports therapy, but writing was always the overwhelming force driving the future. The human capacity for compassion as well as its descent into the brutal and murky world of crime are fundamental to her work.