This is the fourth title in a series of novels centred on DI Kelly Porter and based in the Lake District, the northern lakes in particular. Bitter Edge begins with the traumatic death of a young girl and Kelly Porter's team is responsible for discovering just what happened to her. When a young girl from the same school goes missing the team must try and find her before it’s too late. Are these two cases connected? Is there any connection to two previous suicides at the school? And how is this all connected to a case from Kelly’s past? The plot is well paced and hooks the reader in as the different strands are twisted together and the story moves towards a satisfying conclusion. Having not read any of the previous books this did not spoil the plot as a standalone story although the reader would obviously benefit from having read the previous books in order to get the most out of the developing personal elements. I would definitely recommend Bitter Edge to anyone who enjoys crime fiction.

This book caught me by complete surprise. This is a crime thriller novel that starts off with a punch. You witness a young girl killing herself by running off a cliff deliberately. From there, you jump around perspectives to police and other characters as you get thrust into a confusing narrative. I continually found myself questioning what on earth is going on and also how can this all possibly be linked?

I found the multiple perspectives incredibly confusing. I've been known to knock stars off ratings of books for this in the past, except this book does an incredible job of suddenly making all the different plot threads fit. Suddenly I understood who everyone was, and how things may start linking together. I was blown away with how intricately this was all achieved.

I loved that the crime novel wasn't just heavy on the procedural side of things. The reader also gets in incite into Kelly Porters life, which is what helped get this book to five stars for me. I loved how her life was intertwined with the story, and that I actually cared just as much about her personal life as I did with solving the crimes. This is particularly impressive because this is the first book I've read from the series, and this is the fourth one. I have every intention of trying to read the rest of the series ASAP, as if all the other books are even half as good as this one ending up being, then I am in for a treat.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves thrillers, and those who will dabble in crime books, but which enjoy a good side plot.

Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an unbiased review.
First things, first, I'm a big fan of Ms Lynch and the character she has created in these publications.
Now onto the fourth in the series of books, there is no sign of any let up in terms of quality.
Every one as good as the previous and looking forward to book five.

This book is full of mystery and is a whodunit from the beginning. It kept me hooked and turning the pages. The characters are believable and we'll written. I had not read the previous books but still enjoyed this book in its own right.

Book number 4 in the DI Kelly Porter series. If you’ve read the previous books you’ll love this. I would recommend reading them in order to fully understand them although they can be read as standalone. I love the beautiful setting of the series, Rachel’s description of the lakes and mountains makes me want to travel there. I don’t want to give anything away but this one is a litter darker than the others but definitely didn’t put me off. Great stuff as usual.

absolutely loved this book. I love how all the side stories and characters tied into it.

not only did you have a case to investigate but Kelly was also showing us her personal worries and family problems and it was wonderful to read.

author has hooked me on these books

Set in my favourite place- the Lake District- with a strong female detective and a bunch of deaths and inter relationships this ticks all the boxes. It doesn't fail to thrill. Got to read the rest now!

Although this has a lot of characters which at times made the story difficult to follow, it slowly pulled me in and by the end I did not want it to finish.
All the characters were so well developed and the background of the Lake District made it refreshingly different.

The fourth DI Kelly Porter novel and another fantastic story.
When a teenage athlete commits suicide, DI Porter has to solve the case of why a popular girl kills herself for no apparent reason. But when another teenage girl goes missing, and she discovers 2 recent suicides of other students, it become clear someone is lying.
Kelly soon discovers a web of drug taking and bullying, with the relationships and misplaced loyalty wrecking havoc on the school.

I haven't read the previous books in this series but this one is a police procedural, crime thriller. A D.Is' instincts has her being suspicious of the supposed suicide of a teenager. There are lots of themes in the story which is a challenging read.

A shocking tale of suicide, drugs and very unsavoury characters. It is all the more shocking given the beauty of the location, the Lake District is somewhere I have always thought of as peaceful but there is even danger in the landscape. DI Kelly Porter previously worked for the Met and is well equipped for the task of unraveling the various crimes that have surfaced in her new domain. A thought provoking book.

My first book by this author and I really enjoyed it A crime novel with lots of interesting characters Set in the lake district a perfect winter setting for this interesting and page turning book loved it

Rachel Lynch is slowly working her way up my list of favorite authors. This is the 4th book in the Kelly Porter series, the 4th one I've read, and the 4th one I've reviewed! I'll link to the others either during or after my review.

Once again, several seemingly separate strands are woven together, forming one fantastically written story. Bitter Edge opens with Kelly living in her new home, her relationship with Johnny from Mountain rescue progressing well (even with the addition of his teenage daughter), her sister has taken a back seat despite all her issues, and Kelly's mother is desperately ill but doing her best to hide it. Certain revelations were made at the end of the last book, Dead End, which Kelly is still unsure how to deal with. As it involves someone she works with she's finding it harder than usual to keep her personal and work relationships separate.

The story starts with a teenage runner committing suicide, Kelly is not convinced and wants it to be murder but the postmortem conclusively proves it was suicide. There's also a situation with a teacher at the dead girl's former school, another missing pupil whose friends may or may not be more involved than they're willing to admit to, and the unwelcome reappearance of a character from a previous story.

As always, the spectre of the Lakes is always hanging over everything and everyone, it may be a delightful place in summer and a fabulous place to visit, but it has its dark side as Kelly and her team know all too well. The fact that it's Christmas and it's snowing adds to the urgency to find the missing girl, time is really running short and it's up to the team at Eden House to solve the all the strands of this once simple case. Thanks to DI Porter's tenacity she doesn't give up on the fact there were also two other suicides at the Derwent Academy and pushes hard to uncover just exactly is going on with the teenagers involved in the case of missing Faith, the connection to the teacher currently suspended and under investigation for child pornography, the kidnapping of a toddler, and the return of a very unpleasant chap who everyone thought had disappeared for good.

Bitter Edge makes excellent use of the very current cyber-bullying of young people and the pressure to conform thanks to sites like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. It's more hard-hitting than the previous books but no less readable. In fact, it was harder to put down than my previous favorite in the series, Deep End, and I was absorbed from start to finish. I had no clue how things tied together until an extremely large hint was dropped and from then on it was so easy to see how it worked. Well done to Rachel for writing another fabulous page-turner and I'm now sitting here (im)patiently waiting for the next installment!!!

This is the fourth book in Rachel Lynch's crime series featuring DI Kelly Porter. Set in the Lake District, this was a wonderfully dark and bleak story.

"Bitter Edge" was incredibly compelling and this story was gripping, heartbreaking and twisted. The characterisation was brilliant and the multiple threads eventually connected well. I really took a liking Kelly who was so determined in her pursuit of truth and justice. I'm so pleased I gave "Bitter Edge" a try as I have discovered another truly wonderful crime thriller series worth reading.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Canelo via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This book sums up for me all that I have gained from having a book blog. Before I started Books, Life and Everything, I wouldn't have even thought of reading this genre. But how I would have missed out on some wonderful writing with an intricate plot and superb characters. DI Kelly Porter is such a great character. She is doggedly determined and has a real forensic approach to detection. However there is more to her than that. I loved her back story and the family dynamics which continue to unfold in this fourth book.

The setting in Cumbria is stunning but also forms part of the plot. It is not there as a pretty background. The story lives and breathes within the environment and the weather. It is perfectly captured in the cover. At first, it seems initially confusing as the various characters are introduced but then the links between them become clearer, There are some heart-breaking moments as the lives of the young people come into focus and in parts, the story is a shocking indictment of our social media dominated society.

In short: A police procedural set firmly in the 21st century.
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

Having read a few other books in this series, I was delighted to read another one. I love the Lakeland setting and can imagine where she is, which always helps to understand a story. This one has the added delight of snowy Christmas scenes.
It was a good book, if a little sad in parts, but I did enjoy it and will look forward to more.
Excellent

This book was a very busy book but in a good way. The characters were all a little unique, I thought. The story line for me kept me reading more to find out what would happen next. I like that the author made it makes sense in the end by tying everything up. I have not read any of the other books in this series so I think I should go back and catch up but I didn't really lost reading this book. "This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review."

A great read. Highly enjoyable with well developed character.
Would highly recommend reading this bopk

A great read, well recommended. I like Kelly Porter as a character, she is easy to identify with. In this thriller you will find yourself empathising with her, and yet at times screaming at her inside your head.

This is another real treat for fans of Ms Lynch’s heroine, Kelly Porter. As ever, the stories are set in the real world, complete with the dirty side of life associated with criminality. The writing is fluent, with a pace that draws the reader into a whole series of ‘just one more chapter tonight’ moments. If you share Ms Lynch’s obvious love for the Lakes - as this reader does - the evocative descriptions of the settings for the various events add a further layer of reading pleasure. If you haven’t yet been hooked on the Lakes this book offers another reason to invest in some waterproofs and stout walking shoes. Highly recommended and a real pleasure to read.