A psychic
A Witch Burning Ritual
Several Suspicious “religious community groups”
And
A close knit community

But who did it?

Burning Lies is a novel focused on a ritualistic homicide performed in a small community village. This has to be one of the first ritualistic/religious crime novels that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially as one of the characters had my name.

I have rated it 3🌟 as for me I knew within the first 30% who the killer was, which was disappointing. However, I am a crime/thriller lover so I have a keen eye to detail and find I can pick the killer quite easily.

If you’re looking to get into the crime genre this is definitely an entry novel and I would definitely recommend.

I have read other books by this author, but not in this series. I liked the main character, Harrison Lane very much . He takes an unusual view of the crimes and as such comes to unusual conclusions, that might just turn out to be true. Not having read others in this series, this book was fine as a stand alone, though I do have some questions about Harrison's personal life. The investigation is interesting with a couple of twists in the plot. The setting is a pretty English village, but there is something off, which is picked up fairly quickly by Harrison. A good read.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

An unsuspecting walking group discovers a gruesome murder that appears to have ritualistic elements. Harrison Lane is called in to investigate and finds it triggers troubles from his early life. It is a well-thought-out plot with the expected suspects and some unexpected twists. The author's clever sensory imagery lets the reader imagine the characters and events. I have read a previous book in this series, so I knew some of Harrison Lane's background, which improves my engagement with the story. I like the Harrison Lane character and his unusual experiences and skills. I enjoyed following the investigation, which had many suspects and false leads. It is a well-paced crime thriller.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This book was headed towards a 5 star read.


What I liked: I really enjoyed it and was kept on my toes. My main goal was to have a list of suspects and figure out who the killer was along with Dr Harrison. I did find out that this is the 9th book I’m the series and is tempted to read more from the author. I also liked that the book focused on the mystery element and it was enjoyable without being gory. I definitely didn’t guess who the killer was and enjoyed the mental gymnastics. I was so scared from the very beginning!

What I didn’t like: My biggest gripe with the book however, is really how it ended. It almost felt as if the author wasn’t sure how to end the book to ensure that it was well rounded. But at the same time, I understood that many cases are left unsolved in real life and all the evidence was circumstantial. I really wished that justice was gotten. I personally didn’t mind the reference to TikTok and YouTube. However, I didn’t find the fact that people trampled on a murder scene to be realistic and even tried to take souvenirs to be believable. I also find it weird that people suddenly swamped to the place. How did they find out?


My final rating is 4 stars. I really didn’t like the fact that the ending was a cliffhanger.

Yet another winner from Gwyn Bennett's Harrison Lane series. Gripping and expertly written this book had me hooked from page one. Having read all the previous eight books in the series I cannot wait for the next exciting read.
I highly recommend reading any book by Gwyn Bennett you won't be disappointed.

It is always difficult when you jump into a series that is already established and I must admit that, although I enjoyed the story I missed out on the background of Dr. Harrison Lane, Head of the Ritualistic Behavioural Crime Unit.
When a woman's body was found in a field by walkers, a body that had been chained to a stake and burned the local PD needed the help of Harrison Lane.
The small tight knit community of Thistleford banded together, they all extolled the virtues of psychic medium Louise Swift, the victim. Louise had helped many of the villages reach out to their dead loved ones so who would want her dead especially in such a ritualistic way. Was it the residents of Harmony House, a closed community of ex convicts who were being given a second chance, a chance to escape from the world and live off the land, or could it be the members of the Thistleford Community Church which was more like a cult ? Many red herrings are thrown out, few clues were picked up by the police but Harrison had a completely different way of looking at things and gradually, through observation and the IT skills of his assistant he was able to reveal his findings.
I can't really say that I connected with Harrison's character but that could be because I hadn't read the previous books, he obviously had issues that needed sorting but I did like the way his mind worked. I was a bit disappointed to be left hanging at the end .
Thank you Storm Publishing and Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is totally voluntary.

I’ve read a couple of books by this author, which I enjoyed (particularly Secrets In The Blood) but didn’t find this one quite up to the same standard. I liked Harrison Lane, a different type of investigator in a lot of ways. He’s a bit of a loner, a biker, and has a back story that affects him in numerous ways. I found the tight knit community setting a bit claustrophobic, there were a few cliches, such as the house with ex cons and the quasi religious ‘cult’, both immediately being suspects for no other reason than what they were assumed to be up to by locals. The story is nicely paced, but the ending I felt was disappointing, almost a non event. There were some interesting parts of the plot that kept me going, the policing side of the story was good and I’d certainly look at whatever the author writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Just finished Burning Lies, and I’ve got to say, this book was such a fun ride! The mysterious small-town setting completely pulled me in—it’s got that perfect blend of charm and creepiness that makes you feel like there’s a secret around every corner.

The best part? It’s a quick and easy read. I flew through it in no time, and the story kept me guessing the whole way. There were so many directions the plot could’ve gone, which made it even more exciting.

But I’ve got to be honest, the ending was a bit of a letdown for me. I’m a sucker for a dramatic finale, and this one didn’t quite deliver the bang I was hoping for. It wrapped things up nicely, but I wanted just a little more oomph.

I was really enjoying this book, woman burnt at the stake, and by all accounts everybody in the village thought she was wonderful, and would get in touch with their dearly departed, but like a lot of charlatans cracks were beginning to show.
Then another murder up at Harmony house which was home to ex-cons that were re-habilitated, but it was Finn the owner who managed to get himself killed.
We have a Dr Harrison who is helping the police, he is a Behavioural Phycologist, and he seems to have his own problems, helping DS Gibbons.
As I mentioned I was really enjoying this book, but near the end last few chapters Dr Harrison goes away on another case and left DS Gibbons to cope, then the story just seems to fizzel out.
I really can't understand the 5*'s as their is no ending, reminded me of "Murder on the Orient Express".
I would like to thank StormPublishing and Netgalley for an advanced copy.

An interesting read. I enjoyed the psychological approach from Harrison as the case unfolds. Engaging from start to finish.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Written in the third person, which isn't my favourite I found this mystery mediocre and the ending a little predictable.

This is a new to me author and I thoroughly enjoyed their work. Even though it's book 9 I didn't feel out of the loop. Dr Lane is an interesting character, I'll assume he assists the police when it comes to Ritualistic Behavioural Crimes.
A unique murder in a small village. Villagers who tell the same story. Something suspicious is happening here.
I really enjoyed the way the author wove this tale as pieces started to fall into place. I do like the way it ended, it would seem that karma took care of justice.
Great story, I look forward to looking at more from this series.

Dr. Harrison Lane is called to the scene of a burned body on a cross in the small community of Thistleford. The killing looks to be ritualistic. Dr. Lane begins investigating and talking to community members- but they all claim not to have seen or heard anything. He then discovers that there are two suspected cults in the area. And the story is propelled forward by another murder.
The atmosphere is claustrophobic and a bit dark. Dr. Lane observes and sees things others miss. The investigation is driven through his observations. The plot is set up nicely and kept me intrigued to discover what was going to happen next because there are a lot of suspects in this small town.

Likes:
1. The story line (mystery) had me intrigued and drawn in!
2. The observations that Dr. Lane made.
3. The atmosphere- well written and adds to the feeling of the story.
4. The dry humor!
Struggles:
1. The constant influx of pop culture. While I do feel it is relevant in the story, it was a little excessive.
2. The over-explanation of the investigation- very repetitive in some areas.
3. The reminders that Dr. Lane is not like other psychologists, he is "buffed".
4. I feel the story was too short. We did not really get to know much about Lo9uise, and i really wanted the author to dig into her story so we could understand why this happened to her. There are explanations, but it is vague.
5. The ending! It leaves you hanging- so you will have to read the next book to find out.

Overall, the book kept me interested, then frustrated! I will probably try one of the earlier books to help me better understand the character of Lane- but I have to get through my big pile of TBR's first!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest, voluntary review.

What? What was that? What the hell was that?
Why did it end like that? I have so many questions... Like, why does it feel like an open ending?
Is it just me, or was it on purpose? I'm not satisfied with the ending at all.
I need justice. The victim needs justice. I want to see those two people in jail and suffering from what they did.
Okay, that's too harsh, and I'm not supposed to feel like this when it's just fiction, but hell, I literally needed that satisfying ending. 
I want to give this book a 5-star rating, but I am not a big fan of the ending, so I'm giving it a 4-star rating instead.
Overall, I am 100 percent satisfied with the whole story. 
I just hope in the next book justice will finally be served.

Book 9 Dr Harrison Lane Mystery series. I haven't read the previous books in the series but really enjoyed this one and already looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Storm publishing for allowing me early access to this book, all opinions are my own!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The story starts off by introducing us to a group of women on a community stroll, as they walk in the countryside they spot what they think is a scarecrow or a puppet…however on closer inspection they find it is remains of a burned body on a cross.

When DS Gibbons notices the religious connotations in this murder he calls one of his buddies Harrison Lane Psychologist and Ritualistic Crime expert.
Dive into the minds of DS Gibbons and Dr Lane while they uncover what happened…

This book was a wild ride I enjoyed the small town muder mystery vibe and it was a fast gripping read, however I didn’t love the ending hence the 4⭐️’s. I felt like it ended a bit abruptly like I thought it could have carried on for a few more chapters…Technically the mystery was solved but mentally not on page. Discarding this small dislike (for me) I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will DEFINITELY read more by this author im the future!!!!❤️

Burning lies by Gwyn Bennett is another excellent book. The story Starts with a body found burned beyond recognition in the village of Thistleford and it also looks like it could be a ritualistic murder. Detective Sergent Ross Gibbons needs help, so he brings in Doctor Harrison Lane who is the head of the ritualistic Behavioural Crime Unit.
Once the police find out their victim is a physic called Louise and talk to the locals, they find the locals think that people living at Harmony House could be involved. Lane discovers that Harmony House is a home where ex cons stay and they are all trying to turn their lives around. After Lane’s visit, he suspects the locals could be prejudice and he believes that they have nothing to do with the murder and just want to be left alone. Then the Thistleford Community church which is very secretive invite Lane to visit and he finds past demons return to haunt him. After a second killing Gibbons, Lane and the detectives find they have a story of secrets, red herrings, tight lipped locals, and a lot of things that have disappeared from Louises home and a mystery that must be solved quickly before there are any more murders.
This is the first book I have read in the Harrison Lane mystery, and I am sure to read the other books in this series after reading this is a standalone book. Lane plays a big part in solving the crime with the local police of this small village. I loved Lane Character as he works hard reading body language and spending a lot of time reading crime scenes. A fast-paced book with a great plot which I Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This book begins with a horrific discovery of a woman's body who has been burned beyond recognition in a ritualistic manner that is even more disturbing. At this point, I am getting a little creeped out. Because of the manner of death, Dr. Harrison Lane, is called to the scene. He is the head of the Ritualistic Behavior Crime unit. This, of course, gave me vibes of the BAU and Criminal Minds.

The more you learn about the victim, pieces of the puzzle fall quickly into place. The mystery was good and kept my interest. I also liked the characters. However, I felt like I did not get any resolution. You got some answers, but it was a little bit of letdown. Then you are left with a hanging scene at the end. Overall it was still a good, creepy story if you enjoy the creepy vibes from this type of murder mystery. It is definitely one of those books that is best read during the daylight hours.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I read this book while trying to get out of a reading slump, and it worked. This book was an easy, fast paced and intriguing read. I was immediately drawn in by a mystery involving a person found burnt on a cross.

The small town atmosphere, a religious cult-like group and a happy haven for ex cons added an immense amount of thrill and mystery.

Highly recommend this book if you're looking for a quick, interesting mystery to read.

*If you have found this review it was meant to be seen by you at this very moment. You must be destined to read this book.* (IYKYK)

Thank you, Net Galley for the advanced read. I really appreciated this book. It got right to the action, and it kept you wanting to turn the page. The author takes you on a Journey with the Main Character and makes you want to keep on reading about his career. The book opens with a woman burned at the stake. Dr Harrison Lane was asked to help investigate the case because he is the Head of the Ritualistic Behavioral Crime Unit. Throughout his investigation, he encounter challenges in his personal and his career. The author did a great job describing how Dr. Lane navigated them. However, I wish there was a little more information about the case. I took off one Star because the information about the case that is missing would have only enhanced the book. I would recommend this book to a friend. I can't wait to read the next book if there is one!