A classic mystery book with enough twists and turns to get you dizzy. I kept thinking I had cracked the case but I was so wrong! Fabulous book!

This is a really excellent third installment of the DI Kelly Porter detective thrillers set in Cumbria. It wasn't as gruesome as the first two books and Kelly herself was never in much physical danger, but this didn't slow the pace down at all. Like the other two books it's a 'whodunit' following two seemingly separate cases which turn out to be linked, and there are four clear male suspects for kidnapper / murderer throughout much of the book. For me it was a toss up between two of them right up until the last couple of pages.

The police procedural aspects are clearly very well researched, as is life in the Lake District. As always the action and police work is interspersed with interesting disclosures about Kelly's own personal life and dysfunctional family, with some even more surprising reveals this time. The book is definitely to be recommended - a well-plotted storyline with plenty of twists, tension and suspense, and some excellent writing which truly brings the characters to life.

When the seventh Earl of Lowesdale is found hanging from the rafters at Wasdale Hall, everyone assumes the ageing, hard-partying aristocrat had finally had enough of chasing the glory of his youth. But when the coroner finds signs of foul play, DI Kelly Porter is swept into a luxurious world where secrets and lies dominate.

At the same time, two young hikers go missing and it’s up to Kelly to lead the search. But digging deeper reveals ties to two other unsolved disappearances and Kelly and her team find themselves in a race against time.

Now, as all roads of both investigations and Kelly’s own family secrets lead to Wasdale Hall it becomes more important than ever for Kelly to discover the devious truths hidden behind the walls of the Lake District’s most exclusive estate...

DI Kelly Porter returns for her third book and once again Rachel Lynch doesn't disappoint. As our heroine bucks promotion, she chooses to focus on solving two crimes simultaneously while trying to help her sister who is suffering from PTSD. Fans of Geraldine Steel and Kim Stone will love Kelly Porter's brave, smart but introverted character - who given the genre is pretty 'normal' and undamaged by what she has seen, even if she has a difficult family life. And who wouldn't fall in love with the picturesque setting? A must read.

Missing girls, a dead earl but it wasn’t suicide- sounds promising No? More like a lost opertunity the clues to the plot are dumped upon you and tbh I got it straight away. It was a disappointment to have it laid out like a trail of bread crumbs. Great idea, poorly executed.

Part of a series I won’t be bothering with rest as a result of this.

Although this was the first of this series that I had read, I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn't feel at a disadvantage. The descriptions of the Lake District are superb, the plot is engrossing and the characters really interesting. The lead cop's personal life is fascinating, and I was left wanting to read more.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and could not put it down. All the little twists and turns keep leading you off on a different track. Definitely recommended.

When the seventh Earl of Lowesdale is found hanging from the rafters at Wasdale Hall, everyone assumes the aging, hard-partying aristocrat had finally had enough of chasing the glory of his youth. But when the coroner finds signs of foul play, DI Kelly Porter is swept into a luxurious world where secrets and lies dominate.

At the same time, two young hikers go missing and it’s up to Kelly to lead the search. But digging deeper reveals ties to two other unsolved disappearances and Kelly and her team find themselves in a race against time.

Now, as all roads of both investigations and Kelly’s own family secrets lead to Wasdale Hall it becomes more important than ever for Kelly to discover the devious truths hidden behind the walls of the Lake District’s most exclusive estate...

I really liked Kelly as a heroine - she is pragmatic, smart and compassionate. I enjoyed her relationship Johnny I was dreading him turning out not to be as he seemed. The descriptions of the Lake District landscapes wonderfully described and there was a decent mix of characters. The reveal was a little too obvious.

All in all a great read

Many thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for an advance copy in return for a fair and honest review

Third in the series and in my humble opinion probably the best to date.
Love the central character and as someone that knows the Lake District very well this is just an added bonus for me. Keep up the good work Ms Lynch

This is the first book that I have read by Rachel Lynch and it certainly won't be the last.
This is the third book in a series about DI Kelly Porter and after I had read it the first thing that I did was to buy the first two books in this series. I initially wanted to read the book because they were set in the Lake District where we live, so it made a change to read about crimes that could have taken place in our local area.

It had me reading well into t

I like Rachel Lynch’s creative plots. I reviewed Dark Game and gave it five stars, I would like to do the same for Dead End but I have a few issues with it so I’ve knocked one star off. The opening few paragraphs seems to give the Domesday book as two hundred years old, I’m sure it’s just poor narration structure but it irked me from the off. There are quite a few sentences which are clunky too, requiring rereading to try and get the gist and even then you wonder. Finally, why have a romantic picnic for two in a chopper? Especially when the lady in question detests the things, which Johnny knew full well. The plot however was full of intrigue and excitement. We are left with a few questions though....…is Ted the father of Kelly or was it one of the other men her mother had relations with? I was almost thinking it may have been Xavier but perhaps that’s for another day.

Thd Earl of Lowesdale is found hanging by his son, two hikers go missing. DI Kelly Porter has a mystery to unravel is there a connection, and as she investigates is she discovering something about her past. Brilliant crime book would really recommend.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is the third book of the series regarding DI Kelly Porter but it can be read as a standalone. Set in the Lake District the story was pacy full of twists and turns

This is the third book of DI Kelly Porter series which is becoming a real favourite of mine it is wonderfully written and the continuing back story of Kelly is becoming more and more interesting adding to the addictiveness of the series. The characters in the book are all believable and of course the setting is beautiful. A real compulsive read with a lot going on makes this a book that I can fully recommend, I just loved it and can't wait for the next ..Congratulations Rachel Lynch it was fabulous!!
My thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for a chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another good outing for DI Porter, this is really turning into quite a series! Enjoyed this book as I have the others

These are not fit the faint hearted- it’s not cozy crime, it’s gritty and fast paced

You can read this on its own or as part of the series- well worth reading and I will look forward to the next instalment

An excellent book set in the Lake District , a number of girls going missing over a number of years and not linked up at the time , the suspected suicide of an Earl at the Hall , how are all these going to tie in to each other. Marital infidelities , incest , all covered up for many years and in the end all come home to roost in a really grabbing story .

This is the third book in the series featuring DI Kelly Porter and you wont be disappointed. There is mystery and intrigue and secrets from the past. Old family secrets which refuse to remain buried. All the while Kelly struggles to feel like she fits in with family, the relationship with her sister is particularly difficult. This book grabs you and pulls you into the lives of Kelly and the rest of the tieam as they search for the girls and also look into the death of the Earl.

I love this series, and this the third book is as good if not better than the preceding two. Kelly and her team are looking for missing hikers in the beautiful Lake District, meanwhile a local aged aristocrate is found hanging in his bedroom and Kelly’s family continue to grapple with illness and trauma from what’s happed in the past. Cracking main plot and excellent character development and story development in the sub plot. Looking forward to #4 already

Thankyou to NetGalley, Canelo and the author, Rachel Lynch, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Dead End in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
I thought this book was well written with engaging characters. It was fast paced and a very compelling read.
Well worth a read.

I am a huge fan of this gritty series set in the gorgeous Lake District. I really enjoyed the first two books – Dark Game and Deep Fear – so was very happy to be invited on to the blog tour for this, the third book in the series. It will read as a standalone, but I definitely recommend reading the first two first as there a few recurring themes throughout and they are both really good!

We are back with DI Kelly Porter not too long after the events of the last book and she is still dealing with the fallout of her run-in with ‘The Teacher’. Not so much in herself because, as we have come to expect with Kelly, she is taking it all on the chin and coping with it in her own special way – wine, running and her blossoming romance with Johnny. But it has hit her family hard. Especially her sister Nicky who instead of being grateful for Kelly’s actions, she actually blames her, which does little to help their already fraught relationship. Thankfully for Kelly, it’s not long before she is distracted by work and with two cases to deal with, she quickly has her hands full.

Two young hikers have gone missing from a local campsite, but nothing in the case sits right with Kelly. Something seems familiar about the girls and she is convinced that it isn’t as straightforward as them just getting lost in the beautiful, but sometimes dangerous terrain. While over at Wasdale Hall, the elderly seventh Earl of Lowesdale, Xavier Paulus II is found hanged in his study in what is thought to be suicide, but Kelly isn’t convinced and her investigation threatens to uncover long-held secrets and lies that could devastate the remaining family members.

This is another fast-paced, well-plotted story with an excellent cast of characters. The lead role of Kelly is such a believable character and I have especially liked seeing her more vulnerable side this time, which she hasn’t been able to show before. Being the boss at work and having to be the strong one in her family means it is really hard for her to let her guard down. Johnny seems to have broken that down and I feel that it has made her an even more rounded character and I love their partnership. Looking forward to more from them in the future!

My thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for the copy of this ebook in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
A point to note; I do not do spoilers or dwell on the plot and story. If you want these I suggest you read the publisher's blurb and other reviews - my interest is in the author and her/his craft.
Each Kelly Porter novel gets better and better. The characterisation of the writer and her ability to weave back stories into the narrative without detracting from the main story keeps one turning the pages.
Add to this Rachel Lynch's ability to keep you guessing makes the whole a delightful read and also means one looks for more.
A thoroughly satisfying read, five stars all the way.
PS it also meant I now want to re-visit Cumbria.