DI Kelly Porter returns to her home turf of the Lake District after things went wrong at the Met. Getting broken in gently she starts to look into a cold case of an abducted child. Then a woman abandons a baby, she is found and brought to hospital but no one knows what language she is speaking.

Trying to get used to living back home with her widowed mother, the animosity of her sister & getting to know her new colleagues Kelly finds herself busier than ever. As the two cases collide she finds herself wondering if the quiet life she thought she was coming back to was an illusion.

This is a fast paced police procedural with a lot of action and interesting characters. It kept me interested and I will be interested to see what her next case brings.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this.

I started this book and only got part of the way through before it expired; the story as far as I read it was not very interesting.

Dark Game is an accomplished detective thriller introducing DI Kelly Porter, recently transferred from London and now based in Cumbria. The story combines a horrific cold case and a far reaching investigation discovering a web of crime, including people trafficking and murder. The writer successfully combines the tensions of police work with the lead character's complicated personal life. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys detective/crime fiction and I hope there is more to come from this author.

First Class, Action Packed Thriller:
The first in a series of novels featuring D.I. Kelly porter, "Dark Game" is based in the Lake District.
D.I. Kelly Porter has returned home after years with the Met in London. If she expected a quieter time with the Cumbrian Constabulary, she is in for a shock. Criminality is no longer confined to the urban areas: criminal gangs are spreading their tentacles out and Ambleside is in their sights. Perhaps the gridlock of the M25 is reducing their time for crime in the South.
In essence Kelly investigates one Cold Case (the murder of a ten year old girl 5 years previously) and two current cases (the death of a local business man in what might be described as sexual circumstances, and the abandonment of a new born baby whose mother is found, but is found hard to interrogate, as Cumbrian Schools don't yet teach any Slav languages). Before long these cases cause the uncovering of crimes which have no place amid the beauty of the Lake District: prostitution, sex trafficking, money laundering, paedophilia and boxing. Boxing may not appear to be a crime, but it is when it's a fight to the death. Author Rachel Lynch, introduces some fine criminal characters: Marko and Darren. Marko is bad. Real Bad. Darren is inept, even when he's killing.
After a hard day at the police station D. I . Porter returns home. Unfortunately she's living with her mother who treats her as though she were still a little kid. Well mothers tend to be like that. Kelly's sister, Nikki, is a real pain in the proverbial tonsils. She and Kelly may be sisters but they share nothing in common.
The novel also sports an enterprising journalist who will sink to any depth to get an exclusive.
Kelly notes how much has changed since she last lived in the area: the friends she once had have moved on, married, had kids , got divorced and now have very little in common with Kelly who remains single but has eyes for Johnny, of Local Rescue. (Mountain that is.)
This crime thriller will keep you on the edge of your bed as we find the various crimes under investigation converging and the tension mounting. With twists and turns to throw us, "Dark Game" is exceptionally well plotted and boasts some excellent characters. A great start to the series. It has a bit of everything. A great read.

Hopefully the beginning of a series of books about a strong new detective set in the North. Great start with detective Kelly and the murky underside of the lake district.

Fast paced police drama set in the Lake District. For the past 10 years the DI has been in London and then circumstances bring her home to the Lake District, living with her mum. The characterization is what make this book work - all the characters come to life and even the Lake District itself seems to take a persona with the village of Ambleside playing a role.

It can get gritty at times as do most crime novels - its not cozy that's for sure. Migrants and human trafficking are not especially new however they are current and probably form the basis of much of our policing these days.

It is listed as book one of a series and I will be reading the next one !

I’m not usually a massive fan of police fiction, but as this was set in the Lake District, where my father is from, I had to read it. I was pleasantly surprised. As a police heroine Kelly was likeable and relatable (opening the book with her leaving a one night stand was genius!)
Both Kelly’s professional and home life were interesting. Often, when the plot centres around the main character’s profession the home life is either not written about or is boring and one dimensional in comparison to the working life. I found her relationship with her mother and sister really well drawn and I found my hackles rising when her sister entered a scene along with Kelly’s!
By far my favourite character was Gabriela. Lynch’s use of this waitress/receptionist from Poland as a dispassionate observer of Britain today was very clever and made a much needed point about the fate of many tea rooms, hotels and guest houses if Brexit does end in our European cousins unable or unwilling to staff them any more. Gabriela is also our window upon how badly young Eastern European workers can be exploited once they arrive in the U.K. The book is very timely, as what is happening in Ambleside is something happening up and down the country, even in ‘nice’ areas like the Lakes. Lynch makes a good argument that it is probably more prevalent in these areas because of the nature of seasonal work in tourist areas.
This book is packed full of current events and social commentary, along with very well researched and accurate police procedure. Ms Lynch has also dropped in the names of popular television shows and games consoles etc which makes for very easy reading because the context is all so familiar. The flip side of that is that it makes the heinous crimes seem much more vivid. The local area is painted perfectly and for anyone familiar with the area it is lovely to read of characters going to familiar places.
I will definitely be reading more of Lynchs work and I hope to ‘meet’ DI Kelly Porter again soon.

If you like gritty crime novels, this debut novel is a must read. The main character, DI Kelly Porter, relocates to her home ground of Cumbria from London after a fall from grace. She has to cope with living with her mum again and her sarky sister. At work, she is assigned three investigations, which include a cold case involving the murder, rape of a 10 yr old girl and a baby abandoned at birth by it's mother who is an illegal immigrant, not speaking a word of English and the death of a local business man. The characters and stories come together in a nail biting climax. I felt I was actually in Cumbria. Well written and cannot wait for Rachel Lynch's next book.
This is a brilliant contender for a tv series, producers take note!!

DI Kelly Porter is a fantastic heroine! She is strong, troubled with an inherent need to do right! A great thriller that will keep you reading till the end!

A good story that kept you riveted to the book. Kept you enthralled tight up to the end. Definitely recommended.

Kelly Porter is a Detective Inspector in the Cumbria police. She previously worked for the Met. but left under a cloud. Kelly is working a cold case - a ten year old girl went missing five years ago and her dead body was found. Kelly and her team become aware of people trafficking and need to interview Darren Beckett, who is also a person of interest in the cold case.. Kelly soon realises she is up against dangerous and ruthless people who will murder witnesses if necessary. She is aware a polish girl - Gabriela Kaminski knows a great deal, but will she locate her in time?.

Review: This is a book unfortunately that I had to stop reading. It was far to detailed and graphic in parts for me. It is a good story from what I read of it. So if you like a thriller and like the sounds of the blurb give it a go.

Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy of this book.
It was indeed a gripping story. Somehow I found it difficult to read, maybe too many twists and turns int he plot. I would read another one by the same author, though.

I enjoyed the plot of this crime thriller very much. Set in the Lake District, it gave a stunning backdrop to a complicated and twisty thriller about missing girls, prostitution and various other criminal activities.

The reason this isn’t a 5* for me is because the one thing I couldn’t get my head around was the graphic violence of certain points that I believe added nothing to the story. I’ll go out of my way to not read a book if it contains cruelty to animals, I think it’s a line that should never be crossed and this contained a sub story on illegal dog fighting that was extremely graphic in description. This left a sour note on the novel for me unfortunately.

A dark, oppressive read. Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace to fully enjoy it. It was definitely immersive, but not a world that I personally enjoyed spending time in.

Dark Game is the first book in a new detective series. It’s a detective thriller featuring a female detective trying to solve a cold case. Set in The Lakes Detective Inspector Kelly Porter is back home after working in London.
Focusing on child abandonment it’s a tense and gritty read. It also looks at family rivalries and relationships.

dark game by Rachel lynch.
After a scandal forces D. I. 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
a fantastic read. loved the story. Kelly was a strong character who was also my favourite character. didn't like her sister. hated how she treated Kelly. I simply couldn't put it down and read into early hours as I was so engrossed in the story and wanted to know if my theory was right. 5*. would give more if I could. highly recommended.

For once I'm unsure where to start with this review; I certainly found the book hard to put down and read the last third in one intense high-speed reading session. It's unarguably, therefore, a good read that is likely to carry its audience along in an exciting tale of crime and police investigation. The action centres around a female detective recently returned to her home district as a Detective Inspector, where she is quickly caught up in a number of apparently separate investigations that quickly reveal a disturbing common theme of violence, prostitution and modern slavery.

The writing is very well-paced and occasional effective use is made of good local Lake District knowledge. Dialogue is well used and the plot is reasonably well-developed. Reservations that prevent an overall excellent judgment relate to poor research over whether Polish nationals need work permits (at the pre-Brexit time of writing), which is a non-trivial element in the story; an unnecessarily graphic focus on violence - and the body count did stretch credulity; and an occasional uncertainty over whether the author was trying to convey messages that probably sit uneasily with the book's purpose to entertain. I must resign myself, I guess, to the modern way in which authors routinely defy all police standard operational procedures and expose their heros to implausible risk by venturing alone into situations that require a team response, so I let that pass as it is becoming ubiquitous.

Overall, then, this is a capable author who I feel confident has an even better book waiting to be written if the strengths can be built on and the odd areas for improvement addressed. But, make no mistake, this is a good read and the majority of readers will find much to relish as they read 'just one more chapter' again and again before the book is finally put down for the night. If I could give four and a half stars I would - but it's better than four stars, so five it is. Strongly recommended.

Kelly, a policewoman who'd run into trouble in London, returns home to work in office there:living with her mother and subject to her 'perfect' sister's scorn, she has a hard time fitting back in. But she gets stuck into what turns out to be a people trafficking scheme involving a local bigshot who dies in the arms of an illegal immigrant from a heart attack. The martinet owner of a guesthouse, employing such girls, allows sexual transactions in her place, and soon is revealed to be part of the complex plot -lorry drivers, local thugs and underage illegal immigrants, terrified or world wise depending on their temperaments. A lot of time is spent on Kelly's characterisation as a hard-bitten, yet sensitive, copp - and her concern for a young girl trapped in this situation gets her into physically dangerous position ... despite inconsistencies in the characterisations - the martinet turns out to be sleazy! - and seeming-friends and a non descriptive boyfriend for Kelly who seems just to be filling a space, make it thin at times. The action -packed inhale seems to go on. Competent enough and a planned plot that is comprehensible if convoluted ... a good read for what it is.

There is nothing quite so satisfying to me as reading a British police procedural crime thriller. When it has an engaging protagonist, a Lake District setting, and a compelling and well rendered plot, then it is for me, reading bliss.

DI Kelly Porter grew up in the Lake District, though for the past decade she has policed in London, honing her trade - until a personal betrayal by a co-worker convinced her that it was time to 'up-sticks' and move back to her roots. We meet her as she is settling into her position as Detective Inspector for the Cumbria Constabulary. She is trying to make the most of this opportunity, make a good impression on her new team, and make a place for herself. Her personal situation is tenuous, as for the time-being she is back living with her widowed mother until she finds a place of her own. At thirty-six years of age, this is less than an ideal situation. Also, being the daughter of John Porter, a 'legend on the force' muddies her way further.

"Detective work was liable to put one off people generally; it was the nature of the job."

I'm not going into detail of Kelly's first cases on the Cumbrian force. Suffice it to say that her keen eye and thorough work ethic connects a five-year-old cold case with a current murder of a prominent businessman in a seedy hotel. To say more would ruin it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. The characterization is skillfully done, making the police, the criminals, and the victims all very real. The story shows how even a place as idyllic and beautiful as the Lake District can have a sordid, and brutal underbelly that is thankfully seldom witnessed by the average resident or tourist. Part of the action takes place in hotels and guest houses in the quaint village of Ambleside.

I warn you that this novel is not without its seamy and graphically violent scenes. If you are put off by that type of thing, then steer clear. This is a crime novel with brutal crimes perpetrated upon innocent victims. The criminals put the 'vile' in the word villains. Their scorn for the English justice system and way of life is evident as well.

The story of illegal immigrants and sex-trafficking is not a new one, but Rachel Lynch executes her story so well that this novel stands apart from novels using a similar premise. Also included are descriptions of the appalling and heinous deeds committed by some members of an organized crime syndicate.

A quality series debut like this one ensures that I will be avidly waiting for the next installment in the DI Kelly Porter series. A must-read for those who enjoy well-written, grittily realistic crime novels. Highly recommended!