Dark Game by Rachel Lynch is the first in a police procedural series.

It follows DI Kelly Porter as she navigates leaving the MET police and returns home to the Lake District and the Cumbrian Constabulary.

This book offers the reader a suspenseful read with a few twists and turns along the way. It is well written and researched and I look forward to reading about what kelly gets up to next.

The content of the book is quite graphic.

DI Kelly is working on a cold case, the abduction and brutal murder of ten-year-old Lottie Davies along with a current case of an abandoned baby of an illegal immigrant, and the death of local businessman Colin Day. What Kelly does not realize is that they are all connected in ways that might shock the community.

A gritty police procedural Dark Game is an interesting start to DI Kelly Porter Series by Rachel Lynch. Looking forward to reading more in the series .

I would like to thank Canelo & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review

I was a bit late to the party on this one and I'm not sure why as it is exactly my kind of novel.
Suspenseful and twisty with an excellent conclusion that doesn't hold back makes this an excellent read.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Dark Game was a great start to a police procedural novel. Protagonist DI Kelly Porter worked at the MET but events lead her to return to her hometown. A 10 year old is is found murdered and abused after already being abducted, Kelly must crack the case wide open and solve it.

This novel had everything I would expect this genre to have. I almost felt like I was in another episode of Law and Order. Great read!

Boy was this a dark and difficult subject matter.

We are quickly introduced to DI Kelly Porter who has gone back home to live with her mother after a career implosion in London. Seemingly starting over, Kelly is quickly handed multiple cases that don’t seem to be connected. Kelly starts adding the pieces together and finds that all cases start to merge and it’s much bigger than she had ever imagined.

As mentioned earlier this was a very dark mystery and some elements I felt weren’t needed. Despite that, I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see where the story goes.

DI Kelly Porter has moved home and is now working with her local police force. Having reopened a cold case when she is called in because a man has had a heart attack. She also agrees to investigate a downtrodden foreign woman who has given birth in hospital and cannot speak English.

The story begins with the man dying in a hotel room during sex with a prostitute. From here an entire operation begins to unravel and Kelly soon realises that all of her cases are connected by one person of interest. From here she proceeds with the investigations to tear down the lives of the dangerous criminals involved.

Not the book I was expecting to read or be hooked by, but one I did enjoy.

"After a scandal forces DI Kelly Porter out of the Met, she returns to her home turf in the Lake District. Crimes in the Cumbrian constabulary tend to be of the minor sort, but Kelly begins work on a cold case that shocked the local community – the abduction and brutal murder of ten-year-old Lottie Davies."

This was a great book and a lovely introduction to DI Kelly Porter (I am not sure if Rachel Lynch has written more books with her as the main character). The twists and turns and shocks and surprises along the way kept me enthralled and I loved the dark style of writing of the more sinister scenes.

A new Author for me to look out for.

Fantastic novel with a tense storyline throughout. Great characterisation. Will look forward to reading more of Rachel‘s books.

I liked the setting for this crime novel in Cumbira, seemingly the first of a new series, and I liked the main character detective Kelly Porter. It was a gripping read with a good plot and I think it will all develop into a good series.

DI Kelly Porter has returned to her childhood home in the Lake District after a scandal forced her out of the Met in London. She begins to work on 3 seemingly different cases but as she investigates further oils they be linked in someway? These people are dangerous and will stop at nothing to get what they want.

This is the start of a new series featuring a tough female cop. She is somebody who won't let things go, and is not afraid to push the boundaries. A great character and makes for a fast read. This story is dark and intriguing.

I loved Rachel Lynch's first book and was eagerly anticipating this next one. However, I was a little unenthralled. it wasn't as fast-paced and was more predictable. Solid read and I'd still recommend to fans.

I really enjoy a good thriller and last year I had the pleasure of reading several that were published by Canelo so when Ellie got in touch and asked if I’d like to take part in a blog tour for the first book in a new crime series I jumped at the chance, and Dark Game certainly didn’t disappoint.

DI Kelly Porter has left the Met Police under a cloud after a case went wrong, returning to the Lake District where she grew up she’s now trying to find her place in the squad room in Penrith. Dark Game sees Kelly taking the lead on her first cases since returning, starting with a cold case that had shocked the area several years before, she also finds herself investigating an abandoned baby and his mother who seem to have been smuggled into the country illegally, finally she finds herself taking the lead in a suspected robbery after a local businessman is found dead in one of his own hotels minus his expensive watch and a roll of money. As Kelly delves further into each case she soon discovers her three cases might not be as separate as first thought

Once I started Dark Game I couldn’t put it down, making my way through it in one sitting. I took an instant liking to DI Kelly Porter, she’s one tough cookie, determined to regain her confidence after being scapegoated and losing her drive in London. Kelly is clearly a competent detective, and is getting her professional life back in order, we also discover a little about her personal life, back living in her childhood room she struggles to connect with her mother and is the polar opposite of her sister which leads to tension. I think this insight into her personal life really helped me connect to the character, it was certainly something I could identify with. While Dark Game focused heavily on DI Porter as the lead character we were also introduced to a number of secondary characters who work with her, I’m looking forward to them being developed further in the following books.

The plot caught my attention and didn’t let up until I’d finished, it’s not a book for the fainthearted though, it deals with some difficult topics including people trafficking, prostitution and child abduction, and Rachel doesn’t shy away in her descriptions, there are some brutal murders and graphic descriptions, so Dark Games won’t be for everyone but for those who don’t mind their crime fiction more on the gritty than cosy side this book is for you.

Would I Recommend?
Yes, Rachel Lynch does a wonderful job of combining the dark underworld of drugs, prostitution and trafficking with the picturesque setting of the Lake District. The settings are described in detail, so while it’s an area I’m not familiar with I’m sure anyone who knows the Lake District will be able to picture the scene clearly. I may now know more about Darren’s gut than I ever needed to know Dark Game is a wonderful introduction to a new series. One that I will be eagerly following waiting for the next instalment.

Great thriller set in the Lake District.
I am happy to report that this book is geographically accurate! Living in the Lakes, I did enjoy reading about the places and the fells that I love, and it was obvious that the author knew what she was talking about, or rather writing about, when she set this series in Cumbria. That put me in a good mood, so I wasn't too upset about all the nasty things that happened in the book.
Three seemingly separate crimes were investigated, and the plot had been cleverly woven together so that they were all connected. It was obvious to me that this was what was going to happen, so I did enjoy finding out whether I had been on the right track! I did think that the author had done a good job in thinking up the crimes, and how seemingly different things would connect.
The lone female police officer is not a new idea, and there have been many recent series about such a person. However, I did find the main character quite believable, and did enjoy her relationship with her sister, particularly the things said towards the end. I will definitely read further books in this series.

Well, what can I say, except this was a really cracking read, and had me engrossed all the way through. I’m not sure if it was a debut novel, but if it was, this author is up there with the major players. It was grim, gritty and just fabulous. The characters blended well together and were likeable except for the miscreants.

I’d forgotten I’d been given this as an ARC by Netgalley and my apologies for the delay in submitting a review. I was also privileged to receive the 4th one in the series, but you’ll have to wait a few days while I catch up with 2 & 3!!

Thank you to Rachel and netgalley for the ARC.

After a scandal forces DI Kelly Porter out of the Met, she returns to her home turf in the Lake District. Crimes in the Cumbrian constabulary tend to be of the minor sort, but Kelly begins work on a cold case that shocked the local community – the abduction and brutal murder of ten-year-old Lottie Davies.

Meanwhile, Kelly is also investigating two seemingly straightforward crimes: a case involving an illegal immigrant, and a robbery following the death of local businessman Colin Day. But evidence comes to light that reveals a web of criminal activity beyond anything Kelly imagined. Behind the veneer of sleepy, touristy towns lies a dark and dangerous underworld. As Kelly threatens to expose those with much to lose, she risks paying the ultimate price to get to the truth…

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Well, that was a gripper!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. I think this could become one of my favourite detective series and so I am keen to get into the others. There are different threads to the story but well-connected as the main character continues her investigation. I really enjoyed the writing and characters felt real.

A great police procedural book that has the signs of a promising series. Very well written and characters with the strength to keep the reader wanting more.

Another thrilling crime fiction novel. Thank you Negalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Dark Game is the first in this police procedural series and it was a great first book that set the tone for the series.

Detective Kelly Porter arrives back home in Lake District where mysteries and danger awaits her at every turn. She’s an awesome female protagonist with great dynamics to her. There’s more to this story than just crime at the forefront. There are also so many twists and turns! I also found it easy and quick to read. Looking forward to more in this series.

This is the story of things are not always exactly what they seem, two simple cases to solve but they are more than meets the eye. This is a gripping crime thriller, a genre which has exploded in the last year. One that will keep you turning pages until the very end.

I'm sad that I wasn't able to read this book, because it was too much at the same time. I guess that his book was amazing and I would love to try and read it.
Now i will have to buy one!