Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fear in the Lakes is the 3rd installment with DC Beth Young as our lead and although I enjoyed it I definitely feel like I would have enjoyed it a lot more having read the two earlier installments. I really liked Beth Young as our female lead, she handles herself well, she's smart and all around a character I would love to continue to read about.
The storyline was exciting, I loved the opening with a wife finding her husband near death after literally having every bone in his body broken. There are more victims and you really get into the mystery of who the sick and twisted offender could possibly be and why are they targeting these seemingly perfect citizens.
The part I felt that I missed out on was Beth's backstory which was a huge ongoing part of the book. I will definitely go back and read the previous installments to really feel who Beth is as a person and a police officer.

I recently bought a new kindle after my old one broke. For some reason I was unable to download this title from the cloud onto my kindle, therefore I will be unable to review this title. I am sorry for any inconvenience caused

Thanks yo the publisher and NetGalley for my early copy of Fear in the Lakes.

This was fun. I love books that pay homage to antagonists. It can be hard to read sometimes - you want to scream - but it also makes the experience that much more thrilling. I also love the water - growing up in and around the water makes stories with water that much more fun.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and Netgalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for a unbiased review of these works.

I love crime books that are really cleaver that focus on the "antaganist" in such intresting ways, this had this in abundace.

cleaver, engaing and quite tense, another thrilling read by this author

A welcome return for Beth Young and her colleagues as murder yet again disturbs their worlds. Having read the previous books I was looking forward to seeing how the character of Beth had progressed, I was not disappointed. From book one where she was a fledgling adjusting to her new surroundings and not knowing her place within the team , she journeys through book two. Settled in she allowed herself to start to feel she had found her place in work if not life. Book three see’s a very confident Beth , not afraid anymore that she doesn’t belong. She’s an established part of the team that has welcomed her and protects her from the jibes of a temporary new member. In this book we see her not only chasing down a murder suspect but also her coming face to face with her past. The past that saw her scarred , that set her on a mission to bring to justice those behind the incident. The Beth we have now is more prepared, resilient and can see the long game not just the immediate satisfaction an arrest will bring. A Beth you know will be tenacious and dogged in getting to the truth. Amidst a snowy backdrop that threatens to derail the investigation the team are in a race against time to find the killer. This book throws up all kinds of twists and turns, dead ends and random acts. These all come together to give you a satisfying, enjoyable, time well spent reading book. The revelation of who the murderer was brought a gasp from me , a real out of the blue moment. Beth is a character you can look up to , relate to and look forward to reading lots more about. A plot line that runs through the books will keep you wanting to know how it turns out and keep you invested in Beth as a character , one you want to carry on learning about. May I put it out there that these books and Beth would work well on the small screen.

Dang! This book by Graham Smith has quickly become one of my favorite thrillers yet! He really did an excellent job at making the characters come to life and the story line was fantastic.. another one that will keep you on the edge of your seat and not know what is going to happen!

#FearInTheLakes #NetGalley Having read the previous two books in this series I was keen to read the next installment in the life of DC Beth Young. As always, there is drama and action right from the start when a wife arrives home to find her husband beaten to a pulp. The action continues throughout the book as Beth does what she does best to solve a selection of puzzles so that the team can connect the dots and solve the case. As in the previous two, I enjoyed the fact that Beth's own story of how she had been attacked 5 years previously runs alongside the main story and I look forward to seeing how this develops in future installments. For me, I would have liked to have seen some of the loose ends tied up a bit more. For example, I felt I needed to find out more about how Kevin and Owen Grantham survived with their injuries and whether they were reunited with Michaela, if only briefly. Also, whilst I love the Cumbrian backdrop, the endless descriptions of the snow and road closures could have been curtailed a bit. Nevertheless, this didn't detract from my enjoyment. Fear in The lakes is an excellent book 3 in the series and I look forward to book four!

I absolutely loved this next instalment! Graham’s writing is awesome and it was the perfect follow on for Beth. Tension and thrill would sum this up perfectly!

"The Sculptor" what a befitting title for this person. And a little bit disturbing to read how the sculpting is done. It needs a special kid of heartlessness to even consider doing the things The Sculptor does. And with the few leads the police had on this suspect it wasn't an easy case. I liked how Beth's brain works just a little bit different than everyone else. It was particularly good to see how she sets McKay in his place and isn't afraid of him because he's higher ranked. I'm really wanting to see which way Beth will go to bring justice to her own attacker.

A book that follows a very intricate killer who not only chisels and sculpts his victims but sends out cryptic messages. DC Beth Young has her work cut out for her trying to find this vicious killer, dealing with her own troubled past and working with some needy colleagues. The detail of the killings is very explicit as it the police procedures to solve these crimes. The ending is tense as events unfold quickly.

What an opening!!! I think anyone would be as shocked as Laura was, if they found their partner with a pulse pretty much giving up the ghost, and injuries which would make anyone wince. Who did it though, and why? Laura claims that her husband has no enemies and hasn’t upset anyone enough to warrant this sort of comeuppance. But could there be more to the situation?

For sure!!! Detective Beth Young is back and, whilst shes good at reading between the lines and thinking things through a lot differently to her colleagues, by golly shes a bit on the irritating side! I often wondered where her ‘oooomph’ was as she seemed to go about things at a day to day speed instead of a sense of urgency.

The premise of this book is very intriguing and left me wanting more. I definitely think that Graham Smith delivered the suspense of James Sinclair’s situation very well, and I was impressed by the journey he took his characters on.

Even though I wasn’t a fan of the characters in ‘Fear in the Lakes’, I still enjoyed the gritty storyline and uncertainty the author filled his words with.

This is a police procedural featuring DC Beth Young of the FMIT out of Cumbria.

What it's about: A man, James Sinclair, has been found, barely alive, after surviving a horrendous attack that has resulting in all the bones of his lower legs and arms being systematically broken. The team first runs into a problem when James is found to have no past, no history. Who is he and why would someone do this to him? Even as the baffled team at FMIT tries to trace a clever killer, a pair of local hoodlums is killed with intricate carvings left on their heads. Did "the Sculptor" do that too, and how are they related to the James Sinclair case? Even as they race to identify future possible victims, the codes in email, the lack of evidence, and the frustration is about to do them all in. Will this serial killer escape? NO SPOILERS

Do you want to read? Well, first things first. I don't like the main character, Beth Young. Everything about her irritates me. Her "sideways thinking brain" is a joke and her personality is as flat as a pancake. There's nothing about her that makes me relate and her stupid obsession with finding the man who wielded the broken bottle to cause her scar has gotten really old here in book #3. At least she's gotten some information and answers in this outing, but I'm over it. Apparently, however, she's the DI Zoe Dowd's pet and she gets special treatment because she's oh so smart. There is also way too much narrative fluff that does nothing to move the plot forward so this story could have definitely been shortened. I found myself putting the book down many times and delayed picking it back up again and that's never a good sign for me. So, slow read. There's little to be said about the other members of the team as they are virtually only names on a page in this particular installment. What did I like? Well I do like police procedural novels where clues are found and suspects are detained and questioned. Unfortunately, since we heard the "voice" of the killer, we had a little motive there. I like the setting, but endless descriptions of snow don't do anything for me. All I can say is that this isn't my favorite. The whole plot really wasn't that interesting to be honest. And of course the worst part was when Beth ends up in the killer's clutches. I mean, really????

Anyway, I'm sorry this didn't do it for me. I did finish it and I'm not saying it's a bad book, and I figure anyone who's started the series will probably pick it up anyway. Overall, just disappointed in the thin story and in Beth as a character. I need a lot more to find a story gripping or thrilling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. Will I be interested in reading #4? Well, it depends.

This is the third book in the series featuring DC Beth Young. She is called out when Laura arrives home to find her husband James barely alive. As a result of this brutal attack he has had every bone in his arms and legs broken and if he survives his life will be totally changed. Beth and her team are at a loss as to why anyone would target James as he is a quiet man with no enemies. At the same time two bodies are pulled out of the lake. They were members of a local gang and someone has used chisels to make patterns in their skulls. Are these three attacks connected to the Sculptor? Beth begins to investigate James’s past and on checking his emails finds a hidden folder with coded messages between James and two other people. Beth is determined to solve the code and when one of the two people James was in contact with is found with very similar injuries to James, Beth has a race against time to save the third person from a similar fate. I enjoyed the chapters from the Sculptor’s point of view and all the personal aspects of Beth and her team. I can’t wait for book number four.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Fear in the Lakes is the third in the police procedural series featuring DC Beth Young, however, I read it independently without any issues and the author, Graham Smith, provided enough background to allow me to feel comfortable with the characters and setting. Set in Cumbria, DC Beth Young is a member of the Force Major Investigation Team (FMIT).

This novel was a fantastic and solid police procedural and I liked Beth Young from the outset It was a well-balanced thriller that had me glued to the pages and I didn't want to put it down as I was desperate to know the outcome of the story. The sense of time and place provided a superb contrasting backdrop to the story's gruesome killings,This really was a spectacular thriller that grabbed me hook, line and sinker. Beth embarked on an exciting and exhilarating race against time to find the killer and all the time the tension was being ratcheted up a notch before Graham Smith smacked me with a huge out-of-the-blue twist. The writing flowed effortlessly with a swift pace to it. Fear in the Lakes explored topics of problematic relationships, small community mentality and unresolved childhood issues with doses of deception, lies and gossip.

A brilliant, nail-biting and highly recommended thriller.

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

I had read & enjoyedthe previous books featuring Beth Young, so I was really pleased to get hold of the next in the series.

James Sinclair didn't seem to have an enemy in the world. Mild mannered & placid he went about minding his own business= so why was he so badly beaten that his arms & legs were totally shattered? Injuries that were done systematically & with skill. But who WAS James? No-oneseemed to know much about his past, not even his wife. Beth & her team discover emails on his laptop & using her problem solving skills they discover that there are others in danger.

Two bodies are found inone of the lakes. Their injuries, although differentf rom James' have been inflicted by the very skillful use of chisels.Who is 'The Sculptor' & what is his endgame.

Set in a snowy winter, it was a nice contrast to the heatwave endured when I was reading it! The characters in this series develop with each story. It could be read as a standalone but it would be more enjoyable to be read in order I think.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for lettingme read & review this book- I'm already looking forward to thenext one!

Young Beth does it again! She's smart, she's suave, and she's determined (and she's also a fan of spreadsheets and has a really great choice in music ). Graham Smith is better known for his Jake Boulder series (and I'm yet to make a start with that one) but this is an up and coming police procedural that has really great potential and so far has been excellent. I've been a fan of this series ever since reading the first book Death in the Lakes/The Silent Dead and I'm glad I follow Beth Young and her team around charming Cumbria whilst she has her 'adventures'.

When James Sinclair's wife Laura returns from her sister's she expects to find James content and possibly drunk with happiness from his time away from his wife. But what she finds shocks her to the core. James is found badly beaten n his very home. When the FMIT team is called to investigate Beth and her team makes the most terrible of discoveries. Each of James's bones has been left pulverized. With James in a coma, the investigation takes a standstill when James's past is unknown cannot be traced, by anyone at all. Then when two local thugs are left with the same injuries and bizarre sculpting on their heads, Beth and her team step into gear to stop "The Sculptor" before he strikes again. Soon the body count begins to increase and Beth and her team must stop the killer before the hunters become the hunted.

I found this series to be very high in action and drama. Beth's character is multi-faceted and with each book, a little is revealed and every time I learn something about her its something really admirable. We see Beth's love for puzzle's and a lot of how her 'side-ways thinking' brain works. We also see her address an issue from her past, but only a little is teased out. I hope to learn more in the next book! All other characters were as usual excellent. The plot is dark and thrilling and makes the book very compelling. The ending is really good and is something you mostly will not see coming! I can't wait to read the next book. I'm sure Graham Smith will come up with something more entertainingly horrific, twisty and thrilling the next time!

Thank you, NetGalley, Bookouture and Graham Smith for an arc!

I have to admit that I really like the character of Beth Young, and am very happy to have just read the third book in the series.

This time around, Beth is trying to figure out who is killing people on her patch in such a specific way, and if they are connected somehow? It speaks to the author's skill as a storyteller that I had no clue about the identity of the killer until right at the end. The other thing I liked is getting to know the different members of the team better (although that could have been expanded upon a bit more, I thought); I thought the use of codes was a good idea too.

All in all, this is a very solid book and I enjoyed reading it.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

A new case for DC Beth Young and her colleagues. A man is found alive but with devastating injuries. James Sinclair is a quiet man who stays in the background so why has he been attacked? Next, two bodies belonging to hgang members are pulled from the river with gruesome damage to their heads. Can there be a link?
We see the perspective of the Sculptor who has been given a contract to attack 3 people. The police uncover secret emails from James Sinclair to two other people but can they reach them before the Sculptor does…?
Meanwhile, the personal side of the police are brought out in Fear In the Lakes. Beth has discovered the identity of one of the men responsible for her facial injuries that have left a significant scar. A misognistic temporary cop joins the team while Thompson struggles following the death of his wife from Alzheimers.
Graham Smith’s third book in this series is just as good as the previous two. The cruelty that one human can inflict on another is graphically described but from a forensic point of view. This allows the reader to have revulsion for the end result whilst not reading the attack as it occurs so there is a slight detachment.
Some chapters are written from the perspective of the Sculptor so we can get a sense of anticipation as the next victim is hunted. Meanwhile, the personal side to the police officers makes them more human and the continuing narrative about Beth’s face injury unites this with other books in the series.
In summary: brilliant plot, great characters, can’t wait for the next in the series!

Yes I’m back in the beautiful county of Cumbria with the tenacious, puzzle solving Beth Young and what a treat Fear In The Lakes is.
Through the previous two books, I’ve loved the way Beth’s mind works and this latest outing is no different. She has her three word thought process that is totally unique and I admire the way she throws out the most random but surprisingly obvious suggestions when you look back at the case in hand.
Now then that aforementioned case in hand. Oh bejeezus what a psycho killer has hit Cumbria. The injuries that James Sinclair suffered seriously made me wince and his battering isn’t one I’ll forget in a hurry. Graham Smith seems to have a rather sick way of making his characters suffer but kind of equally weirdly, I like it. The imaginative tortuous injuries and deaths that come out of that man’s head are addictive making me come back for more each time!
And the imagery Mr Smith uses is bang on! As I read the various scenes in the snowy backdrop, my head was alive with images; this section I think most people will get….
“driving in snow to those moments in sci-fi films when a spaceship travelled at warp speed and the stars streamed past the windscreen.”
Fear In The Lakes is another cracking addition to the Beth Young series. It is a stand-alone read but Mr Smith keeps that ongoing story of Beth and her scar bubbling away in the background. So if you’ve read A Body In The Lakes, you need find out what happens next….and if you haven’t read it….WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!??

I have followed this series from the beginning. I love Beth Young, and was delighted to see her back in this third adventure.

The victim of the first crime Beth has to investigate has suffered such horrific injuries, it's amazing he's still alive. But his life will be dramatically different and much harder going forward. The expertise of pathologist Hewson is called upon, and the discussion he has with Beth about the nature of the injuries made me quite queasy. The perpetrator is clearly very skilled at their craft. As is the author.

Nothing that Beth and the rest of the team learn about James Sinclair, the victim, moves them any closer to a solution, and when two other bodies are discovered with similar injuries, the waters just get murkier.

It's so great to see Beth back. I love her respectful but sparky relationship with her boss, Zoe O'Dowd. Her superior has recognised Beth's unique 'sideways-thinking brain' and the way she often sees things differently from others. And her talents are definitely called on here. And I have always enjoyed her exchanges with Hewson.

It's great to see some developments in Beth's personal life - I so want her to be happy! And there is also some movement in her overarching storyline - I'm really interested to see where that goes in future books.

The writing is great, with a fabulous cast of characters. They are very accessible, and very human, flaws and all. The pacing is great, moving towards a shocking denouement. This is probably my favourite in the series so far, so I'm really looking forward to seeing where Graham takes Beth next!