Title: Blood Rites
Author: Rachel Lynch
Publisher: Canelo
Publication Date: 30th September 2019
Format: eARC
This book was received from the publisher in return for an honest review
About the book:
DI Kelly Porter is about to discover just how dark things can get in the Lake District.
When a young woman is found unclothed, unspeaking at an ancient stone circle it’s not clear if any crime has been committed. DI Kelly Porter and her team start looking into the circumstances, but the mystery girl disappears.
Soon after, a brutal murder is committed and sinister markings at the scene indicate that the killer had a message. The investigation reveals that in the beautiful Lake District there are those who believe in ancient ways, and within those circles old resentments are spilling over into terrible violence.
Kelly has all the pieces to solve the puzzle, but to put them together she must confront a figure from her past: one who nearly destroyed all that she holds dear. Will she avoid the same fate this time, or can the killer stay one step ahead of her to the bitter end?
What I Thought:
If you visit my blog on a semi regular basis you might have notice me raving about the D.I. Kelly Porter series, I’ve enjoyed all five previous books and you can find reviews linked below. I’m always a little concerned when I pick up a book in this series in case I don’t enjoy it as much. I’m pleased to report that Blood Rites is every bit as capturing and thrilling as the books that have come before!
One morning at the ancient stone circle at Castlerigg and young girl is found naked and half frozen. She’s taken to hospital for treatment but doesn’t utter a word before disappearing. Kelly’s determined to discover the identity of their mystery girl, but when a murder is called in Kelly has to decide how to prioritize her limited resources.
Blood Rites felt a little slower to get going than some of the earlier books in the series but before long I was hooked. I very much enjoyed following Kelly across the county as she visited crime scenes and conducted interviews. Trying to pick out clues and figure out what was happening ahead of Kelly, and for once I just about managed it! That’s not to say there weren’t a few surprises along the way though!
Over the past five books I’ve become very fond of Kelly, I think she’s a great character and I’ve loved to see how her relationships have developed over the course of the series. Blood Rites brings further developments in her relationships. ‘The Teacher’ returns from an earlier book, and I found it so interesting to seeing how this affected her, and the way she handled the case. I loved seeing her developing relationship with Ted, and I have great hope for her relationships with Johnny and Josie going forwards!
All of Kelly’s usual team were around and it’s wonderful seeing them develop, whether it’s coming to the fore as someone capable of leading the team in Kelly’s absence or shining as the tech superstar. I really enjoyed the involvement of Demi, a psychologist who previously worked with Kelly in London. She was a breath of fresh air during some of the more tense parts of the story and I’d love to see her reappear in a future story!
Final Thoughts
Rachel has produced another thrilling read! I’ve never been disappointed following a trip to The Lakes with Kelly Porter! Why it is perfectly possible to read Blood Rites as a standalone novel I would highly recommend reading Deep Fear (book 2) first due to a returning character who will mean much more following that book. Naturally I think you should read all five previous books first, they were all excellent! I’m already looking forward to another adventure in The Lakes with Kelly!
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.
Connect With Rachel
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As always if you’ve read the book let me know what you thought! If you’ve not read it yet will my review convince you to pick it up?
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CharlotteSomewhere
I REALLY need to get round to these when I’ve cleared some more off my TBR. Another great review. This one sounds brilliant
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