As the number of books in the series increases, the plots get better and better. A really down to earth (as always) tale full of real people, many of whom pop up and surprise us. This volume also caught me up on some 21st language but it is the detail, the story and the people that continue to enthrall. A seemingly simple tale about two murders which soon descends into a highlight of the senseless behaviour that seems to pervade parts of our society but also highlights the latent talents of the neglected.

An excellent book that I strongly suggest you discover for yourself.

I really enjoyed this thriller - I have enjoyed the DI Kelly Porter series and felt that this one was particularly good. It dealt with some quite difficult issues - gangs, drugs, police informers, police corruption while still maintaining interest in Kelly and her team. Two murders - very different women - are they linked? She has to deal with a hostile local community and undue influence from her superior. She also has concerns about one key member of her team as well as personal issues to work through.

A really good read - I await further instalments!

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy of Little Doubt. This is the second in the DI Kelly Porter series that I have read and enjoyed. There are, I believe seven to date, and maybe if I had read them all I might be tired of the format which involves a gritty, and definitely of our times, police based drama alongside the developing story of Kelly and her new found family, but I loved it.

The added backdrop of the Lake District increases it's appeal although in this book we see more of the disadvantaged social housing environment than the natural beauty of the area.

The image of the young, idealistic and of course female young cop dethroning the older, bent copper at the top is becoming a bit cliched in police novels lately and if anything this was the weak spot in the plot. All in all though the story caught my imagination and I found it engaged to the very end.

Very clever and very well written!! Fully enjoyed this one and was read in one sitting!! Cannot wait to read more from this author !!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of Little Doubt, the seventh novel to feature DI Kelly Porter of the Cumbrian Police.

When Ella Watson is stabbed to death while jogging in a Penrith park. DI Kelly Porter and her team are baffled. There is no robbery and it looks like gang activity but why would they want to kill the rich Ella? The a second woman, Keira Bradley is stabbed to death on the nearby Beacon Estate. Are they linked? Kelly’s keeping an open mind but her boss, Superintendent Neil Ormond has his own fully formed theory.

I thoroughly enjoyed Little Doubt which is an action packed read with several strands extrapolated from the original premise of the stabbings. These strands are explored through the eyes of various characters so the novel has multiple points of view. This is a good thing in such a multi faceted novel and does not detract from the main thrust, the hunt for the perpetrator. It is apparent to the reader early on who did what so we follow the team as they catch up. This might sound boring but the author has more than a few twists up her sleeve to surprise the reader. It’s exciting stuff.

I must admit that I am too old and rural to have much interest in gang culture so much of that side of the novel passed me by, fam (is that the correct usage?). I was much more interested in the other side of the coin, the community outrage at Keira’s stabbing and the ambivalence of some characters to the gang culture. I thought it was hopeful and provided some statistics to back it up but perhaps a touch naive. I really don’t know. I also liked the way the different characters dealt with their grief as everyone had a different reaction.

The plot of the novel is fairly wide ranging but it never seems disorganised or rambling as it all ties together tightly. It holds the attention throughout and gives the reader plenty of food for thought. I don’t think there was ever a dull moment.

DI Kelly Porter is an every woman, smart, capable and honest, who has the same worries as the rest of us, fear of being thought incompetent and losing her job as she is threatened with or wanting a warm, loving family. She is very likeable. I am very interested to read the next instalment of the series as there are strong winds of change in this novel and, no, I’m not going to say anything more.

Little Doubt is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I started thinking this was just another murder mystery but soon realised it is much,much more than that. Two woman are stabbed to death but one is a wealthy middle class mother out jogging,the other a single woman from a troubled council scheme. That makes certain members of the police see the two stabbing shin a quite different light. One is a tragedy. The other had it coming to her. Fortunately one police officer,Kelly, doesn't see it that way and pursues both crimes equally. The attempt to solve the murders creates a compelling story in itself. In addition,the book offers a perceptive analysis of life in the crime ridden estate which reflects issues requiring to be dealt with in contemporary times. The characters and their vocabulary are very well constructed. The issues are examined in a readable and important style. The differences in our society between middle class life styles and living in areas where there is no employment,little family life and serious crime are carefully,and readable,described. Then,there is a further story trail woven into all that. Police corruption has been managing the estate and Kelly has to deal with that too. I strongly recommend this book.

I have enjoyed this series set in the Lake District. This one was rather different as it tackles the drugs problems on an estate in one of the towns. Not what you might expect from in the picturesque surroundings! It is a faced paced and twisty story. Behind the drug issues are all the familiar faces and the characters that have developed in the past books. A good read.

This is the seventh book in the DI Kelly Porter series set in Cumbria. I've read all but one of the previous books (one was released without me noticing!) but I think this probably works fine as a standalone novel. It helps to know Kelly's family background, but their story is much less foregrounded here than in previous books, so it's far from essential.

In this installment, two women are murdered in close proximity, but their lives could not be more different. One is a middle class, wealthy mother who was innocently jogging in a Penrith park. The other is a young woman from a nearby estate who has none of the same privileges. As the media furore builds around the wealthier woman, DI Kelly Porter tries to ensure equal resources are allocated to the two killings which have obvious connections. The families of the dead women get involved, with some surprising consequences, and Kelly comes up against problems from within the police force.

This is quite a bleak story in many ways - it's about gangs and drugs and corruption and abuse. However, it's also a compelling police procedural as you see Kelly and her team make progress in the investigation. I personally liked that Kelly's family were less involved - I prefer a detective yarn without too much personal baggage on the part of the investigator. Instead, it was interesting to gain some insight into gang culture and see another side to the picturesque Lake District.

Personally, this tale of gun crime and drug wars was a bit too depressing for me, but the DI Kelly Porter series is one that I will stick with. Rachel Lynch writes clever, twisty plots and this is a satisfying (albeit dark) read.

Ella Watson a wife and mother while jogging on a November afternoon in Penrith is stabbed to death. A mile away Kiera Bradley a young girl is stabbed and left to die. Could the two be related?
DI Kelly Porter on her return from the Florida Keys starts to investigate both murders. Superintendent Ormond keeps up the pressure to solve the case quickly.
I have loved all the books in the series and this one is equally good. I was gripped throughout and picked up at every opportunity. I enjoyed the twists turns and cliff hanger. I hope there will be a new book soon. I would highly recommend.

A wealthy woman out jogging is fatally stabbed and a young woman from a nearby housing estate is also fatally stabbed. Is there a connection? Kelly is called in to investigate the murders and quickly discovers that someone on her team is corrupt. This is another well written book in the DI Kelly Porter series and a sure fire winner for the author. I loved the setting and the character development with the ending leaving me impatiently waiting for the next in the series. An easy 5* from me and I recommend this series of books to lovers of crime thrillers. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I have enjoyed several of Rachel Lynch's books and this one was no exception. The characters are well rounded the backdrop of the Lake District is beautifully described. Was Ella the target of a fatal knife crime or was she just in the wrong place? When a second girl is fatally stabbed on a notorious estate Kelly thinks the crime deserves equal investigation but her boss disagrees. does he have a hidden agenda? Avery topical subject tackled well.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this excellent book

a nail biter of a book that rachel lynch has written that will keep you on the edge of your seats and will keep you up at night to finish

a fatal stabbing of a runner
knife crimes abound and kelly porter and her team are up against the clock trying to find the perps that committed this crime

only there is another stabbing and the repercussions keep coming...

with her chief on her back kelly is faced with impossible odds and can there really be a traitor on her team, its all hands on deck for this one

what a book...could not fault it at all one of the best ones yet...roll on the next one in this series as its getting better each time

#7 in the DI Kelly Porter series by Rachel Lynch, but can also be read as a stand-alone.

This starts with the murder of Ella, a wealthy, middle-class woman, while out for a run.

Then a young woman, from a very different background is stabbed to death on a nearby rundown estate.

Are these two deaths related?

DI Kelly Porter begins her investigation, treating each case with the same determination to find the killers and the truth. Her boss, the truly reprehensible Superintendent Ormond knew Ella begins interfering with Kelly’s investigation. He wants a quick result, but at what cost?

Kelly is concerned with his methods and feels there is something else going on….just who can she trust?

So well plotted, this is so topical too, with the current prevalence of knife crime it feels very close to home. Kelly is a great character, with her determination and lighter moments with family make her well rounded.

There’s also police corruption, secrets and of course murder in this gripping and tense police procedural. Another great read from Rachel Lynch and I’m already looking forward to Book #8.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC for free. This is my honest and unbiased review.

Again, I'm a fan of this series of books so really enjoyed getting the opportunity to read this early!

A good police procedural which I enjoyed a lot. Would recommend!

Ella Watson was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was out running in the park when she was randomly attacked and stabbed to death. Her husband, Thomas, and children, Jordan and Millie were devastated and Detective Superintendent Neil Ormond was outraged that a decent, middle-class woman should be the victim of knife crime. Despite being a golfing partner of Thomas Jordan he declined to distance himself from the case and told DI Kelly Porter that he would be taking a great deal of interest in how the case was handled. He wasn't anywhere near as interested when a second woman was stabbed to death a few hours later. Keira Bradley lived on the Beacon estate and Ormond's view seemed to be that anyone living there should expect this sort of thing to happen. He could hardly bring himself to mention Keira's name.

Kelly Porter hoped that Ormond would leave her to get on with the investigation, but she wasn't going to be that lucky. Ormond even had someone he was convinced was guilty and lack of evidence was something which could easily be rectified. Normally Kelly would have been able to rely on her team, but this time she was concerned about DS Will Phillips, who seemed to have something on his mind, but was unwilling to discuss it. His only confidante was PC Liam Brook: in fact, the two seemed to be inseparable.

I've long been a fan of Rachel Lynch's DI Kelly Porter series. It's great to see the real Lake District - not the one the tourists know. This one has sink estates with people who are never going to get a reasonable chance in life. Lynch does an exceptional job of bringing out the life the residents of Beacon Estate lead - and how they get into crime and violence, frequently through no fault of their own. It was great to see Keira's mother, Sharon Bradley, bring the estate together to fight the injustices which she saw all around her.

Kelly Porter is a great lead character: determined to see justice done and non-judgemental about the lives the people on Beacon Estate. She sees no need to go in mob-handed just to show who's in charge. Her team works well with her, although on this occasion Kelly tended to dominate with just a little heard from Rob and Emma. We had a pretty good idea as to who the baddies were from early on. The ne'er-do-wells on the estate are more nuanced than Detective Superintendent Ormond, who is a bit two-dimensional, but that's a minor quibble in an otherwise very readable book.

There's a twist at the end which I suspected was coming, but it's certainly left me looking forward to the next book in the series! I'd like to thank the publishers for making a copy of the book available to the Bookbag.

The book reads perfectly well as a standalone, but you will get more out of it if you've read the series from the beginning - and it's really no hardship!

DI Kelly Porter has returned from a lovely relaxing holiday with partner Johnnie only to find the murders stacking up. Ella, a well-to-do wife and mother, is brutally stabbed and killed whilst out on a run. Shock, horror and senior detectives say it must be solved now. Second murder of Keira, mixed race girl, out of work, living on the rough edge of town - what do you expect attitudes. Kelly is convinced that the two are related and sets out to investigate with her old team whilst her boss breathes down her neck to solve Ella's murder. She has plenty to investigate ably aided by her team, although some issues there, frustrated by her boss and supported by family. Mostly the crimes are drug-related but historical events are brought in too. A good read all round although I really would not like to be a Senior police officer these days - novelists just so like them being 'bent' . Thanks to Canelo for inviting me to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Two women are stabbed. One is a wealthy woman out jogging, the other is a drug addict on a run down estate. Surely their deaths should be treated the same?
DI Kelly Porter is the woman in charge.and wants to do just that. However, her immediate boss is a friend of the first woman's family and is on a mission to find the culprit. But what else does he want and what is he hiding.
Kelly needs help and trust from the residents of the estate to find the killer but can she achieve this?
Brilliant!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Did not realise this was book but I shall be looking out for more titles from this author. I really liked Kelly Porter and this was a great story.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all the previous books in the series & this one did not disappoint.

This had me enthralled from the outset. So many twists & turns to keep you guessing.

I’m already looking forward to the next instalment.

I read the previous instalment and fell in love with this series.
This is another excellent story, gripping and entertaining.
I love the fast paced and action packed plot, the interesting cast of characters and the solid mystery.
Can't wait to read the next story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.