I loved this book! I haven’t read the others in the series, yet, but I didn’t need to. It worked well as a stand alone book and I can’t wait to see how it fits into the series. The characters were believable, so much so it made me worry if this actually happens in places like the Lakes. Having spent a lot of time in the Lake District I could picture where things were happening, it was as if this was a true crime. I will be recommending this to my friends, family and colleagues, with a view to it relating to child subcultures. An excellent read!

I had seen this series mentioned and was intrigued by the setting - the glorious Lakes - and the premise of a Met inspector returning home, so when this book showed up on Netgalley I bit. What I hadn't realised was this was book 4 and I Cannot Read A Series Out Of Order. Now, if I had read the first one before seeing this on Netgalley the I might not be writing this review. The editing was sloppy, the writing overwrought and full of head hopping, the main character Too Good to be True and the book was full of really gratuitous torture and sexual violence plus the most inept villains who ever built an empire. But I had three more books to read, so a little wearily I embarked on book 2. The copy editing was still a little off (looking at the pub dates there seems to be a quick turnaround which might account for that), loose ends remained flapping and DI Kelly Porter still remains frustratingly gorgeous and brilliant with added fell running skills and a house overlooking a lake and a hot boyfriend, but despite the macabre murders the gratuity was dialled down and secondary characters and sub plots all added a layer of depth which meant I enjoyed it much more. book 3 was better still.

So here we are, Book 4. DI Kelly Porter, still gorgeous, brilliant, fit, respected by her team, working out her family issues, driving a cool car etc etc is hosting Christmas for her family so she isn't altogether displeased when work comes calling. Only a teenage girl is missing, a toddler has been kidnapped, and a fairground worker has been pursuing young girls. At the same time she's investigating allegations against a once-popular teacher and looking into another teenager's suicide. Most of the leads lead back to the local secondary school where bullying and drug taking are rife.

This was a fast paced and enjoyable read, with the development of Porter's wider family and their issues, and increasing focus on her team providing continuity and depth. The plots all weaved together nicely with a good layer of suspense and some really well executed twists. It was almost a 4 star read, but the depressing view of teen life, their seemingly ubiquitous access to and consumption of drugs, state education and cliched characterisation left me a little cold, hence the 3 stars.

So will I continue with the series? Despite some reservations there are things I really like about these books. The sense of place is absolutely superb, and despite the many murderers etc prowling the lakes in these books it makes me want to head over there right now. I like her wider team, her family and the plotting improves book by book. So yes, I will read on. And I will recommend the series. Only I would say start with book 2.

Bitter Edge is the fourth in the series featuring DI Kelly Porter. Set in the beautiful landscape of the Lake District this book can be read as a stand alone.

I love finding new crime writers to read and I've certainly found one here. Kelly Porter is a sympathetic and likeable protagonist, dedicated to her job and refreshingly without the idiosyncratic tendencies that so many fictional detectives have. She's got issues, of course she has, she's human after all but she doesn't stroppily continue to investigate cases after being suspended as so many of them do.

This novel shows an underside of Cumbria which you'd never guess at as a visitor to the Lake District. A teenager is found dead having jumped off a mountain. Kelly is reluctant to see it as suicide, it just seems such a waste. The girl had been a promising athlete and now her battered body has been found half way up a tree. Reluctantly she accepts it is suicide but continues to interview teenagers uncovering two suicides within the past two years. Are they linked? And how does the teacher accused of molesting another teenage come into it? When another young girl goes missing, Kelly pulls out all the stops to try to find her.

The plot is complicated with many twists and turns and makes for a very satisfying read. I enjoyed it very much though I did feel that the view of teenage life it presented was perhaps unduly pessimistic. I've bought the first in the series - no better recommendation. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I've read all three previous books in this series, and of them all I would say this has been my favourite. Although saying that I do think that about each one. I great thriller that kept me wanting to keep on reading to find out what happens next. I love Johnny and am so pleased that he's featured so much more in the past two books.

Loved this book so much I went back and bought the rest of the series.... Which is about the best compliment I can give.
Set in the Lake District, Kelly Porter is faced with apparent suicides of young people who had previously had everything to live for. She unravels a net of drugs, social media and tables the issues of being young head on.
Clearly familiar with the environment of the Lakes, Rachel Lynch has written a gripping series and third latest instalment is no exception.
The characters are developing well from one book to the next but their side stories do not take over.
Highly recommended

With thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

Sixteen year old Jenna Fraser was a champion fell walker until she broke her leg a year earlier. Jenna became addicted to prescription painkillers, when they stopped she turned to illegal drugs. One morning she went to the fells and ran off a cliff, killing herself instantly.

DI Kelly Porter was upset that a young girl would choose to end her own life. She hoped someone else was involved but it was deemed a suicide. Weeks later teenager Faith Shaw went to the local fair with her best friend Sadie Rawlinson and her friends. Faith went missing after going to the toilet at the fair.

Coincidentally Jenna and Faith went to Derwent Valley Academy. English teacher Tony Blackman was also.suspended from the school after Sadie Rawlinson accused him of molesting her. Suspicious Kelly decided to find out what was happening at the school.

BItter Edge is the fourth book in the DI Kelly Porter series. The story was quite dark focussing on bullying and drugs. It was my least favourite in the series , but the story flowed nicely and there were twists and turns a plenty.

I liked Kelly and found the dynamics in her family interesting.
Kelly was still seeing her boyfriend Jonny who is a mountain rescuer. In the last book Jonny`s teenage daughter Josie came to live with him. Josie is a typical teenager but gets along well with Kelly.

Meanwhile Kelly`s mum and Ted had rekindled their relationship. Kelly knew Ted was her biological dad and invited him over for Christmas dinner. The scenes with Ted and the family in hospital were particularly moving and sensitively done.

I recommend I look forward to seeing how Nicki reacts to Ted once she knows the truth. I recommend this book.

At last, a well written story with pleasant characters who have reasonably normal lives set in a beautiful part of the country. . The case for DI Kelly Porter and her team is not pleasant, dealing with drugs and teenagers as it does but it is dealt with sensitively and realistically. The personal relationships of the characters are complex but certainly do not takeover from the detecting. A thoroughly enjoyable read. This must be the 5th or so in the series but can be read as a standalone; it might be better to have read the previous books in order to understand some of the relationships but the detecting is a one-off story. I look forward to more in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading a Detective Kelly Porter novel by Rachel Lynch but I was hooked after a few chapters.

Bitter Edge is a thrilling and addictive thriller, that deals with the difficult issues of drug abuse, bullying and social media. The story is well thought out and will leave you guessing until the very end.

I love crime novels and Lynch has created an endearing and strong character in Det. Porter. I look forward to reading previous novels in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

This is the first book in the DI Kelly Porter series that I've read - in fact, it's the first book I've read by Rachel Lynch at all, but she's definitely now an author who I'd like to read much more from.

Bitter Edge is a well-written, multi-faceted police thriller/ crime novel that features a great lead character: Kelly Porter, a Detective Inspector with her own problems to contend with, as well as trying to solve various cases including a missing teenager, a very dodgy fairground worker and a spate of drug-related crime in the area. Kelly is likable, tough and fair, and I really enjoyed reading about her, as well as her partner Johnny. I don't know all the backstory with the two of them, or what else may have happened in Kelly's past (it talks about an 'old foe'), because I haven't read the first three books, but I don't feel that this hampered my enjoyment as I understood what was happening and who was who regardless. 

The descriptions of the Lake District, where Bitter Edge is set, creates a really atmospheric but at times eerie setting, and as you're reading it's easy to imagine getting the danger of getting lost in the bitter winter months whilst hiking or climbing. This adds a sense of danger to Kelly and her team's investigations, and to the work that Johnny does in his position as a mountain rescuer. This also echoes some of the more shocking and uncomfortable themes that Rachel Lynch tackles in Bitter Edge, which soon become apparent.

The pacing of this novel felt just right to me, with plenty of developments keeping me interested, along with the more personal touches where we find out some of what Kelly has going on in her personal life, and these make her seem like a much more real and interesting character.

Various storylines come together towards the end (I love stories that do this!) to make a gripping and enjoyable read, despite some aforementioned dark themes and occurrences. I will definitely be reading more from this series!

I have burnt the midnight oil to finish this book. It was impossible to put down. First of all, may I say what a fantastic series this is. It's informative on so many issues like policing, questioning, forensics, autopsies, drugs, personal relationships, teenage behaviour, bullying, schools, social media, the rise in suicide in teens, misplaced loyalty and cancer. It was a huge learning curve for me in the detail. At first, I believed it was a little disjointed, but it all melds together into a complex network of misdeeds. (understatement) My mind was screaming for answers all the way through and there a surprise at the end which turned my sympathy upside down. LOVED the snow. I thought the imagery was particularly good as ever. Having said that, I spent my childhood there so knew all the places, the sudden changes in weather patterns and the need to respect its unpredictability. A personally nostalgic journey. I did considerable mountaineering and was part of the Borrowdale Mountain Rescue team in the sixties. My only dislike in the story was the raw, ripe language employed in dialogue and narration (reported thoughts which weren't only from low-lives) As for the school's' lack of support & cooperation I was disgusted. Even the teachers use bad language. I really think the way things are going especially in inner city schools that random drug tests should be performed, bullying policies strengthened that work and not a glossy rhetoric to impress Ofsted, phones forbidden in schools and playground duties performed by specialists on spotting the signs of bullying instead of untrained dinner ladies as in many schools. More information to parents and pupils should be issued on the drug abuse. Security should be tighter on guns and knives too and visitors to the schools. I often wonder if there should be higher age restrictions on social media. This book brought out that none of the parents knew what their youths were doing. The saddest and most emotive quote from an addict of 15/16 "She needed the high more than she wanted to break the cycle." That sounds SO hopeless. Well done again to DCI Kelly Porter and her ingenious team. Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo

This is another brilliant page turner featuring the kick-ass Kelly Porter! What's great about these books is that no two stories are the same, and they often taken the least expected path. Bitter Edge is no exception. At times it's a gritty, uncomfortable read, featuring missing children and the scourge of drug use amongst teenagers. Aside from that it's an excellent story with a host of characters that you will either love or hate!

This is the fourth book in the DI Kelly Porter series.

Rachel Lynch has continued to develop this interesting group of detective characters, based around Kelly Porter. Within this novel, a criminal from an earlier book makes a reappearance.

I particularly liked the use of very up to date themes involving the negative aspects of social media on young people.

I like the use of real geographical locations in the Lake District. I also like the sensitive way the back-stories of the police characters, is interwoven into a fast moving crime thriller. The tension builds to a dramatic ending. I won't say any more for fear of spoiling the story.

If you can, try to read the books in order. However this book also stands out well on its own merits.

I pass on my thanks to Netgalley and Canelo books for a copy in exchange for this review.

This was exactly what I needed to get me out of a bit of a reading slump. I have read this series from the start and the familiar characters and setting made it an easy read. I feel I have to counter that comment by saying that the storyline is a bit dark and in that respect not so easy to read. Kelly Porter is a likeable character and there’s a good mix between her home and working life here. This now feels like a series that could go on for many years and I hope it does.

Once again Rachel Lynch has written a first class thriller mixed into the landscape of the Lake District, this time as snow and freezing temperatures make the area even more picturesque and dangerous than usual.

The death of a young, talented, athlete is determined to be suicide but as the victim is linked to first one new case and then another Detective Inspector Kelly Porter finds herself shocked at almost everything she and her team unearths in a case which covers an area larger than just her beloved Lakes. The description of the sordid side of life should be at odds with the location but the desolation, the loneliness and desperation of teenagers to fit in can occur anywhere. Ms Lynch adds that to the perceived invincibility of those who care only for themselves and the money they can earn from their young victims to make an excellent read.

Main characters from previous books are also present and the insight into Kelly's private life is a welcome relief from the tensions of her working day and were also vividly drawn. I was delighted there were no well used cliches in this story; things I felt sure would happen didn't and things which did surprised me in a good way.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone following this series, enjoys a mystery set in an area they know or is just looking for a good read. This book is all of these things.

I have read the other DI Kelly Porter and was looking forward to this one and it certainly didn't disappoint! The plot was brutal delving into drug abuse in the teenage community in the beautiful countryside of the Lake District, where everything looks so wonderful. This was fast moving, gritty and certainly keeps you in there. Very distressing at times as this is a real problem.
Would definitely recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for my free copy.

This is the first book I’ve read from the DI Kelly Porter series and I’m seriously impressed by Rachel Lynch’s plotting skills. There’s a LOT going on here - teen drug use, missing children, a parent out for revenge and potentially unfounded accusations. To throw out so many different strands at the start of a book is ambitious but she totally pulls it off. I also loved the fact that she sets the book in the Lake District yet doesn’t purely portray it as chocolate box scenery, but also as an area with significant social issues. Many thanks to netgalley and Canelo for this advance copy.

Bitter Edge Rachel Lynch

This book has the best opening chapter I have ever read. In that one chapter the story of a young fell runner with everything to live for, until she gets injured and becomes hooked on prescription drugs, which leads to her taking illegal drugs until she can’t take it anymore and kills herself, is laid out and sets the tempo for the whole book.

The book looks at the pressures put onto children at secondary schools and sixth form colleges. The on-line bullying, we all hear about, but more surprisingly the often ignored on-line peer pressure. The pressure that is not just put on impressionable youngsters by their immediate peers, but also by the new breed of celebrity, the “Influencers” on sites such as Instagram.

It looks at the boredom of the youths in smaller countryside towns and the way the drug dealers are moving into the countryside to target these kids.

Rachel Lynch has written some great books in this series. DCI Kelly Porter is a great charter and easy to engage with, but for me it’s the crimes and the locations which make these books so stunning.

Everybody would have an idyllic view of the towns around the Lake District, but I suspect that Rachel Lynch’s version is much closer to the truth.

In this book Porter investigates the sudden deaths of students from the same school. She is convinced that somehow the suicides are linked, and her and her team start to uncover a tale of bullying and drug taking. One teacher is suspended following a complaint by a student which leads to the discovery of some illicit images on his computer, but is he being set up.

The head teacher lives in ignorant bliss, whilst teachers are losing control of the school. Rumours are rife and the investigation is sent off in all directions, but is there any truth behind the rumours, they can’t all be lies.

As the investigation continues a girl goes missing and the team fear she is going to be the latest in the long line of suicides, or if Kelly is right, the latest murder victim.

As well as carrying out the investigation Kelly’s personal life is in turmoil following revelations about her mother and father. Her Mom is battling a terminal disease and trying to find peace in her life before it’s too late.

All of this takes place over Christmas which seems to give an added poignancy to the story.

I started this review by saying the opening chapter was the best I’d ever read. It had me hooked into the book straight away.

The rest of the book?

It certainly didn’t disappoint. There were times when I couldn’t put it down, and there were times when I had to put it down, and just take a breath.

This book could be read as a stand-alone.

It’s the 4th in the series and I would recommend reading the others first, just to get the full impact of this one.

Pages: 296
Publishers: Canelo
Publishing date: 25th February 2019

I have the others in this series and this doesn’t disappoint on any level l particularly like the sub plot following Kelly’s personal life this storyline in particular was very current and quite shocking with its detailed description of the volume of drugs in our schools and their dire consequences l also enjoyed the picture of the fells that was built up but again also the harshness and unpredictability of the weather - all round very good book

This jumped straight to the top of my "to read" list! I've read two of the three preceding DI Kelly Porter novels, and thoroughly enjoyed them. This was no exception.

As usual in Rachel Lynch's Kelly Porter novels, the book has multiple strands, expertly woven together to form a gripping plot. This book has hard-hitting themes - as the mother of a teenager, the awareness and avoidance of teenage drug use is a subject close to my heart, and the idea of drug dealers profiting from the misery of others fills me with a constant rage.

Highly recommended for those who like police procedural novels with a cast of excellent core characters. Looking forward to the next one.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

#BitterEdge #NetGalley Another five star cracker of a DI Kelly Porter investigation!. Rachel Lynch is a brilliant crime writer. Kelly is a strong character who keeps getting better with each novel. Perfectly able to be read as a standalone, it does add to the enjoyment to know more about the characters. Gritty plot and sub plots that keep you guessing but I always know that Kelly will get to the bottom of it! Love the Lake District setting too. I am looking forward to seeing how Kelly's relationships with Johnny and Ted develop.