I have loved Rachel Lynch's work since I read the first Detective Kelly Porter book Dark Game. I was really interested to see if the author could deliver what both the prologue and synopsis was offering and boy did she deliver! We meet a new protagonist in a new setting in #TheRift Helen Scott, a Major in the Royal Military Police who's current assignment is to oversee with the security at a Nato summit in Versailles.

With the kidnap of Hakim the son of Kalil Dalmani, an exceptionally influential and wealthy Algerian business man. Hakim studies in Paris and because his father was so high profile he had been on some kind of "worst case scenario courses", he also had a guard of his own, Jean-Luc. Following the kidnap someone with Major Scott's talents and experience was needed in Lyon to liaise with Interpol ASAP! This is the stuff she lived for and it's what she does best, at least that's what the reputation which preceded her tells us. Grant Tennyson is the newly employed head of security for the Dalmani family so obviously his first job is to figure out where his one and only suspect Fawaz bin Nabil has got him held. Sadly the 2 older men where friends many years ago but they are sworn enemies. Fawaz is also an extremely weathly man, he was the CEO of Nabil Tradings Incorporated.

As always it's good to meet a new set of characters making sense of who fits where and why, immediately in this book one of my firm favourites was Grant Tennyson, although every time I saw just his surname I thought of Jane Tennyson it did make me smile. Major Helen Scott initially comes across as what I'd call a bit of a coldfish and more than a little standoffish it wasn't long before I wanted to know her backstory and why she was that way. We also had Sylyvia Drogan now I'll be honest and admit that for some reason I didn't quite trust her but she did appear to come good in the end.

I have noticed over the last 3 or 4 years that the majority of my reads have been home grown crime thrillers by home grown authors. Maybe becasue it's been a while since I've had to dust off my passport but I definitely needed it for #TheRift especially as we jaunted off to Paris and Morroco just to name a few places. I think that could have been part of the reason why it took me a few chapters to get as caught up as I normally would be with something from the author. I didn't realise until recently that this has been written as a standalone but theres definite scope for a series following the antics of this dastardly duo.


Read for an honest review. Thanks to the author Ms Lynch, #Netgalley and Canelo

Enjoyed this read far more than I expected to given it wasn’t the type of read I would normally go for but I was recommended the author by a friend. Great detail and thought went into the writing and the final few chapters had me gripped and chewing my lip as it all came to a head. I’ll certainly be looking into other books by Rachel Lynch.

Major Helen Scott is very good at what she does and her reputation usually precedes her. A serving officer in the Royal Military Police, when she is assigned a case her superiors, whatever they think of her, know she will get the job done.

As the lead security expert for the forthcoming NATO summit in Paris, Helen has no doubt she can do the job even if the city holds painful memories for her of a life almost lived. Before she has even had time to unpack however, she is sent to Lyon to liaise with Interpol after the kidnapping of the son of Kahlil Dalmani, a vitally important and exceptionally wealthy player in the trade between Europe and North Africa.

Grant Tennyson is ex-military and has recently been hired as head of security for all of Dalmani's business interests and it falls to him to try to locate Hakim before the unthinkable happens. With time against him, Grant finds himself working in unwilling tandem with the Interpol investigators trying to locate witnesses or those close to his number one suspect, Kahlil’s childhood friend, but present day enemy, Fawaz bin Nabil before the local authorities close in on them.

With the clock ticking Grant and Helen find themselves chasing down the same leads from different angles until a devastating piece of information changes their focus completely as they realise just what they are up against.

This is a standalone from the author of the excellent DI Kelly Porter series and although totally different is every bit as captivating as her previous books. I don't usually read thrillers but as with Helen, Rachel Lynch's reputation precedes her and I loved it. The amount of research undertaken must have been staggering because this novel moves through so many different scenarios and never feels wrong or factually weak. I don't know if there will be any future outings for Helen or Grant but I will definitely be looking out for them, just in case.

Helen and Grant are great protagonists and although I wasn't sure if this book, being so different to Ms Lynch's previous series, was my kind of read I was totally hooked very early on. The gradual discovery of what happened to Hakim was only one part of a mystery which didn't become clear until the finale took my breath away with its complexity and audacity.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller even though it was outside my comfort zone.  I am delighted I took the chance on it.

What an absolutely fantastic book!
The pace was brilliant, the knowledge of the author was second to none. The story was incredibly believable and the ending was just perfect, a very brave writer to break away from the norm of crime writing.
I liken this to the successful Strike Back TV show, but without the sex and constant swearing with a courageous female lead.
Fabulous!
Wish I could give it more stars!
I do hope there will be more?

“The Rift” is an explosive and gripping crime thriller written by the brilliant British fiction author, Rachel Lynch. With well-honed crime writing skills, Lynch writes to show that to save one life, sometimes you have to risk others.

Major Helen Scott, 35, is a high ranking officer in the Royal Military Police. She’s been pulled in to lead a NATO summit security team in Versailles and then dispatched to Lyon on a mission involving international kidnapping. Driven towards success, Helen does whatever it takes to get the job done, even when it means having to trust someone from her painful past.

Fawaz bin Nabil, a native of Algiers and a billionaire, built his empire on illegal trade at the cost of his friendship with a family friend. He’s been under surveillance by the Americans lately, and although there’s no link to illegal arms dealing, they suspect him of being responsible for Morocco’s hashish export. Needing help to transport items for his business, Nabil Tradings Incorporated, he asks his estranged friend if he can use his ships between Algiers and Marseilles. When refused, he does what he knows will hurt Kahlil the most; take the most precious thing he owns. More precious than his trading deals, his tankers, his oil and his pipeline with the Americans, Nabil kidnaps his former friend’s eldest son, Hakim.

Kahlil Dalmani, also a native of Algiers and a billionaire, is an oil magnate and has inherited an empire, AlGaz. His eldest son, 20 year old Hakim, attends university in Paris. Knowing the nature of his own lifestyle and its hazards, he has employed a bodyguard for his son. Unfortunately, despite precautions, Hakim has disappeared from the airport in Paris.

I believe Lynch’s personal knowledge of the military has helped with the success of this book. Not only does it show in her well-crafted characters and their reactions, it also shows in the plot and the manner in which the background information is shared with readers. It was fast-paced with lots of twists and I was on the edge of my seat wondering if they’d get to Hakim in time. I thought it sad that Fawaz had to push everyone away from him because he knew he lived in a world where they couldn’t be protected. Is it worth it to be a part of that world? I hope to see Helen and Grant in a sequel as I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them yet! You won’t have to read too far to agree that this novel has amazing potential for screen adaptation.

Thank you to Rachel Lynch, Canelo, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Publishes April 22, 2021

A standalone crime thriller by the author of the DI Kelly Porter series Rachel Lynch. I really enjoy the DI Kelly Porter series and can’t wait for the next instalment but was interested to read this standalone thriller.

Major Helen Scott is a high-ranking woman in the Royal Military Police and has a well deserved reputation for achieving her goals. So what better choice would there be than Helen to oversee the search and rescue of the kidnapped son of successful businessman Kahil Dalmani.

Kahlil Dalmani and Fawaz bin Nabil were close when growing up in Algiers and are both now successful. Fawaz’s empire is built on illegal trade, and when Kahili refuses to grant a favour he arranges the kidnap of Kahil’s son to try and persuade him.

It is Helen’s task to unravel the lies and return Kahlil’s son to the family home. The big concern is who to trust in a sea of lies and deceit and while trying to save the life of one she is potentially putting several others at risk.

I enjoy Rachel Lynch’s writing and although I do enjoy her regular series it was good to see her let loose on a fast paced standalone thriller with completely new characters. Overall I think she did a good job and produced a very good entertaining page turner.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Canelo for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Im a big fan of the Kelly Porter series written by Rachel Lynch so was looking forward to reading this. It was such a different style but one that gripped from the start and I just couldn’t read it fast enough. An excellent plot with great characters made for a great read I highly recommend this author

It was very difficult for me to keep track of the characters, other than Major Helen Scott. The characters were a bit more complicated and confusing for me. As a result, I found myself putting this book aside. That’s not to say it’s a bad book, because I have read the Kelly Porter series by Rachel Lynch and they are outstanding. Maybe I was expecting something along those lines. The book seems to be more of a conspiracy thriller. I am going to do my best to continue reading the book and perhaps do an edited review later.

I would really like to hear your thoughts! I’m sure it’s a great book so please read it. Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with AC of this book.

A massive 5 star read !!
What an absolutely brilliant book this was the action just never let up and it was a read that grabbed me right from the start ... amazing writing from Rachel Lynch.
Having read all the books in the Kelly Porter series so far and loved each and every one of them I was intrigued to see how this change in direction would pan out and oh boy no worries there it was terrific and I hope that although this is marked as a stand-alone that we may be lucky enough to get to see more from Major Helen Scott.
So the story is one set in Paris where Major Helen Scott a high ranking woman in the Royal Military Police is tasked with overseeing a NATO conference in Paris but she is immediately pulled from that job when the kidnapping of the son of Khahil Dalmani takes place and the suspect is Fawaz bin Nabil and these are both dangerous and powerful men in their own right.
This really is fabulous international thriller full of tension and twists and it races along to an explosive conclusion I loved the book it was different and very compulsive and I found myself completely immersed in the story.
Highly recommended and many thanks to Rachel Lynch for a wonderful read.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Canelo for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love Rachel Lynch’s Kelly Porter series, and read this with great anticipation

I was not disappointed. Different in tone, style and content to her Porter series, nonetheless this is an excellent novel.

Excellent plot, well drawn characters, and an engrossing read

As one of Detective Kelly Porter's biggest fans I was excited to read something completely different from Rachel Lynch (I'm hoping its the start of a new series, as I loved this fast paced and gripping read).

Major Helen Scott of the Royal Military Police is sent on a posting to Paris to take charge of the security for the British Ambassador, Sir Conrad Temple-Gray at the forthcoming NATO summit at the Palace of Versailles. She's to work closely with the Americans and she comes across a couple of people from her past - one with whom she shares some precious if heartbreaking memories.

Before she's had time to bed into the job she's sent to head up an Interpol investigation into the kidnapping of oil magnate, Khalil Dalmani's son. She's got to find out who is behind it and why as well as finding him safe. Could his ex-friend and rival, Fawaz bin Nabil be behind it? And what life changing incident has he never got over from?

The Ambassador of course wants her to do some digging into the pair's background while she's at it She uncovers more than they expected and she's able to experience closure and new beginnings. Absolutely brilliant with twisty storylines and interesting characters. I especially loved Helen. Thanks so much for the opportunity to be a first reader. - I've got my fingers crossed this is the start of a new series!

Loved this. The sort of book that you end up staying awake to finish. I’m a huge fan of the author’s Kelly Porter series so I did wonder what this might be like, because not all authors can cross the divide between a long running successful series and a stand a lone, but I needn’t have worried, she knocked it out of the park.
Helen, a Major in the Royal Military Police is tasked with overseeing the security at a NATO summit, but the kidnap of the son of a prominent Algerian business man causes far reaching problems and Helen is put on the case. It soon becomes apparent that there’s a possible crossover and when someone from her past arrives on the scene she must leave her personal feelings behind her and decide who she can really trust. The plot was tense and a real rollercoaster ride, the descriptions of the various countries so vivid you could feel the heat and the finale brilliant.
I really liked the characters of both Helen and Grant and would love to read more with them in it

Major Helen Scott is a high ranking officer in the Royal Military Police where she travels worldwide working with international security. Helen is called to work with American security at a Nato Conference in the Palace of Versailles in France where world leaders will attend. After checking that all is under control Helen is then notified that the eldest son of Algerian businessman Kahlil Dalmani , Hakim Dalmeni has been snatched from a private plane just after landing in Paris.
Helen is seconded to work with the Interpol missing persons to find out was has happened to Hakim and hopefully find him.
This is a fast moving book which tells of life in the security forces for a woman of high rank. A well researched and well written I totally enjoyed this book and would recommend it a great read.

Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
I am a big fan of Ms Lynch's Kelly Porter series of publication set in The Lakes so was rrally looking forward to this standalone publication.
I'm sorry to say that although a decent enough story it didn't come close to the standards I've come to expect.
Don't know if it was just because it was so so different or if it was the confusion as to all the characters with foreign names but I'm only able to give it three stars.
Can we have more Kelly Porter next time please ?