Two locations, Three murders and an unwelcome trip back, to her troubled past for DI Kelly Porter, in this, book five of the Cumbrian based detective series. The murders, appear professional, but are the Lake district and London killings connected?

It is symbolic that as Kelly’s personal life improves, her past has to be faced, on both a personal and professional level. Even though much of the investigation takes place in London, the Lake District references are welcome to all who love the region.

Suspense, clever plot twists and unexpected connections, are all found in ‘Bold Lies’, the true perpetrators of the crimes, think they are above the law, but DI Kelly Porter and DCI Matt Carter, need to prove they aren’t. The crimes are savage, premeditated and carried out with ruthless intent. This is a different crime for Porter to investigate, but every bit as deadly, and menacing as her previous cases.

The characters both old and new, antagonist and protagonist are believable and complex. The psychopathic isolation of the main antagonist is truly chilling, and makes solving the crimes much harder, as little or no emotion is involved. DI Kelly Porter is a true professional, but someone who values her personal life, and lets it balance her. Her humanity is what makes her easy to empathise.

A riveting read, and I eagerly anticipate the next case for DI Kelly Porter.

I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

When the body of a man is found in the Lake District, DI Kelly Porter is shocked when connections are made to the murders of two scientists in a secret laboratory in London. With a case involving the upper echelons of society, Kelly finds herself back on familiar territory when she heads to the capital to assist in the investigation. Reunited with her ex, and the reason she left the Met, DCI Matt Carter, Kelly finds herself in the midst of a challenging case where it is difficult to determine who to trust.

Bold Lies is the fifth in the Kelly Porter series and is very different to the previous books, with the action moving away from the Lake District for much of the novel. We also see a very different plot from what we are used to, dealing with crime involving those with the finances and contacts to do what they want. Those involved in the conspiracy are a truly horrible bunch and it was good to see the detectives slowly tighten the net, even though those involved thought they were untouchable.

Circumstances helped us to see a completely different side of Kelly in Bold Lies. Usually driven by her work and focused on the task in hand, we got to see a more vulnerable side when she returned to her mother’s house to sort out her belongings. I love the relationship she has with Ted and can see how vital he has been to help her with the grieving process.

In previous books, we learned how Kelly left the Met after she was betrayed by a colleague, and we finally get to meet Matt, her former boyfriend and man responsible for her relocation to the Lakes. Matt is not a likeable character and I could understand Kelly’s reluctance in wanting to spend too much time with him. I loved her partner Johnny’s reaction when she told him about her history with Matt, and almost wish he had followed through with his threat!

I’m really enjoying this series although, like Kelly herself, I am glad that she has returned to the Lake District as that is where she belongs! I look forward to seeing her back among the lakes and fells investigating her next crime.

What if a drug could be created that would save millions from the misery of substance abuse? And who might not want that to happen?

A body is found shot to death in a boathouse at Derwent Water. Two scientists are killed in a hidden lab in East London. Are these deaths related? DI Kelly Porter has the case in the Lake District but travels to London to work with her old flame, DCI Matt Carter. This is a complicated investigation that involves the upper levels of the government and a pharmaceutical giant. NO SPOILERS.

I really enjoy this police procedural series. The characters have definitely grown on me and I can relate to Kelly Porter -- she's a woman who has her act together, is tough when she needs to be, and can handle her job without doing stupid stuff. The other important aspect of this series is the setting: the Lake District descriptions make me want to visit and I love the details of the area. I suggest that these books be read in order to get full appreciation. I know I'm looking forward to another!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Once again Rachel Lynch has produced a terrific book from the world of DI Kelly Porter. Here we have a murder in the Lake District which leads Kelly back to her old stomping ground in London, not only that but working directly with DCI Matt Carter – her ex!

Her relationship with Johnny is moving along and this adds to the complexity, on the personal side, of having to work with Matt. We know from the previous books something happened to send Kelly back to her roots in Cumbria are we, at last, going to find out what?

Still there’s a murder for Kelly to solve and it has links to two deaths in London. It’s quickly established that the three dead knew each other. They worked together and so did a fourth person who’s gone missing. Is he another victim? Or is he the perpetrator?

In this fifth book Kelly shows how good her instincts are as well as how good a detective she is. We get more insight into her past, her current thoughts and a fascinating, curious plot. This is a well written and really enjoyable read which I would highly recommend.

I’ve read all of the previous books (Deep Fear, Dark Game, Dead End, Bitter Edge) and even though I’ve received them from the publisher via NetGalley I have also bought each of them because this is a series I would have continued to buy and read regardless of being asked to take part in the Spotlights, although I’m delighted to have done so, or not.

I love the setting in the Lake District, mind you this book spends some time in London too. The characters – Kelly, her team who we are also getting to know, Johnny and the rest including the peripheral characters necessary to the storyline are not all lovable but they are believable, well drawn and add layers to the books. Rachel Lynch allows you to discover more of Kelly without distracting or loosing any of the plot. The plots are always excellent and Rachel Lynch never shies away from difficult situations or subjects even though they can be a bit dark but then that’s the nature of crime and she is never unnecessarily graphic. Her writing is tight and gripping. This really is a series that’s well worth reading.

Blog Spotlight

Many thanks to Ellie at Canelo for the invitation to Spotlight #BoldLies by Rachel Lynch. Like to hear more about this terrific book? Take a look around the rest of the Tour… https://lovebooksreadbooks.com/2019/06/04/bold-lies-by-rachel-lynch/

Kelly has settled into her new job in fact she just came home, having got herself a boy friend and moved on from the disaster that happened at her old place of work. Things end up following you though and these murders that are so spread about could e linked. Kelly is going to have to go back and face them all, in particular her ex who she really had no wish to see again. Nothing goes to plan and the murders are far from easy to solve who in the government is pushing their buttons? Very intriguing and brilliantly written, I love this series of books and am looking forward to the next one.

This is the fifth book in the series featuring DI Kelly Porter and I couldn’t wait to read it as I loved the first four books, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I do recommend reading the series from the beginning but it can be read as a standalone. Kelly and her team are investigating the murder of a man shot with a single bullet to his brain and found in a boat in Derwent Marina in the Lake District. At the same time a robbery has taken place at nearby Allendale House. Are the two linked? They discover that the dead man is a scientist called George Murphy who was on holiday and staying at Allendale House, owned by his friend, in London two more bodies are discovered in a secret laboratory and are found to have been work colleagues of George. Kelly is then sent to the Met in London to find the link between the bodies. She finds herself working alkngside DCI Matt Carver, her former colleague and boyfriend, sparks soon begin to fly between them and Kelly realises that she can’t wait to bet back to the Lake Ditrict and her current boyfriend Jonny. Matt and Kelly have a difficult case on their hands when they discover clues that lead them to Ravensword, a large pharmaceutical company being involved. On investigating they find that there are government ministers involved. This is a fairly complex plot but very original and fast paced, leading to a dramatic conclusion. A great read, can’t wait for abook number six.
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A bold detective thriller! In this fifth outing for Kelly Porter, we find her investigating what appears to be a murder in a Lake District boat yard, but it soon becomes evident that a number of murders are linked, including two in London. As a result, DI Porter is forced to liaise with her former colleague and lover Matt Carter, who is based at the Met in Bethnal Green. They come up against a group of men who, with incredible arrogance, truly believe that their wealth and influence puts them above the law.

The story has a much wider scope than some of DI Porter's previous adventures - it involves 'big pharma', former Oxbridge rowing crew members, a top gentlemen's club in London and some very dodgy civil service advisors and military personnel.

The plot is complex, well-paced and cleverly woven together. There is a large cast of characters but as with all of Rachel Lynch's books they are all well drawn and distinctive, and the characters' personal lives are every bit as important to the book as the police work.

BOLD LIES is a great mystery/suspense novel. Rachel Lynch does a great job with the character development and an exiting plot. This novel was a great, easy read.

This is the fifth book in the series and every bit as good if not better than the previous books. Kelly's relationship with Ted is moving forward but it is her relationship with her boyfriend that is under threat when Kelly encounters her ex Matt. The story shifts between the Lakes and London and we see both through Kelly's eyes as she is forced to work with Matt in order to solve a double murder in a London lab. The story is intricately plotted and kept me reading well into the early hours - the kind of thriller to really make you think.

I read the first two books in the Detective Kelly Porter series last year – Dark Game and Deep Fear but then I never got around to reading books three and four, so when book five appeared I wasn’t sure whether I should read the other two or just jump straight in. After a discussion with the publishers they said it should be fine as I’d read the first two, so I tentatively began.

I shouldn’t of worried though as there were only small sections I didn’t really follow such as Kelly’s relationship with her father, I don’t actually remember him in the first two books so this was new to me. The book also features less about Kelly’s personal life than the first two in my opinion.

The pace is fast throughout and Kelly is at her best. She is a character I have come to enjoy. She is feisty and strong-willed but also human and flawed, basically, she is very realistic. I also loved that she has toughened up since working in Cumbria and now back on her old stomping ground she isn’t going to bow down to anyone, especially those that did and do try to make her life as uncomfortable as possible.

I enjoyed this book immensely and I believe anyone who enjoyed the TV series ‘Line of Duty’ will love this book too as there is plenty of corruption to go around.

Bold Lies by Rachel Lynch is not for the feint-of-heart. The title reminds me of a Pretty Little Liars quote “The bolder the lie, the less people question it”. DI Kelly Porter fans will absolutely love this gruesome, gripping narrative which dives into the detective’s past and gives the reader even more of an insight into her life while she tackles yet another brutal, deceptive crime scene.

I do love how Lynch decided to bring London into the mix and show DI Porter’s existence before this series. It’s a gentle reminder that you cannot run from your past and sometimes you have to face up to old demons in order to carry on. Porter is, as ever, a great heroine to follow, taking risks and making mistakes just like we all do on the course to justice. Lynch has made such a likeable character and seeing the interactions with her ex come into it reminds the reader further just how human and vulnerable she is, making her more relatable still. Lynch has done it once again for me. This novel is insightful, well-researched and highly intelligent. I have no idea about the high society’s currency of secrets and lies, but Lynch’s narrative is so compelling, I think I’d believe whatever she told me from the eyes of Kelly Porter.

Overall, I think that die-hard fans and new readers will adore Bold Lies. If you like M.W. Craven, you will love Rachel Lynch. The deep topics Lynch dives into would also suit readers of The Dangerous Kind by Deborah O’Connor, with the gross misbehaviour of society’s upper class at the forefront of Bold Lies. Thank you Canelo, NetGalley and Ellie Pilcher for my e-arc of Bold Lies by Rachel Lynch in exchange for this stop on the blog tour.

Rachel Lynch prevails again and is fast becoming one of my favourite female sleuth writer.
Kelly Porter is back in the lake district with another intricate murder mystery which swiftly moves on to extend the enquiry to incorporate with the Met. The SIO and Kelly have a history how will they find working together again.
Packed with intrigue, fraud, corruption not to mention London's elite gentry this book will keep you riveted.

Yet another superb book by Rachel Lynch featuring DI Kelly Porter. Each of these books so far in this five book series feature a very different crime which Kelly and her team must try to get to the bottom of.
This one was different, not only in the nature of the crime, but also the setting as it takes her back to her old stomping ground of London (as well as the usual Lake District). How will she feel when she encounters her old colleagues?
Reuniting with Kelly, her friends, family and colleagues is always such a pleasure. I know that I am in for a treat and am never disappointed.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have followed this series from the beginning and they have all been 5 star reads for me. I usually read them in a day, purely because they are so compulsive!

This one was different as in a different setting, but, it was still brilliant and so well thought out.

I do hope that we will be hearing more from Rachel Lynch in the near future.

Thank you to Netgalley, Rachel Lynch and Canelo for the opportunity to read and read this thoroughly engaging police procedural series.

"Bold Lies" by Rachel Lynch

A well written and captivating story! Fast paced, not boring! Keeps you wanting to turn the pages to find out more!
Interesting and believable characters. Well developed story.

I am glad my "wish" was granted because this was a really good read! Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Greed – how far will companies go to make money?

DI Kelly Porter and her team are called when the naked body of a man is discovered on a boat in dry dock at the Derwent Marina. Porter and her team must also investigate a robbery at Allerdale House. Can the man’s body and the robbery be connected? Who is the man?

In the meantime, two bodies are found in Bethnal Green. They are quickly identified as being members of a team in the neurocellular research section at Ravensword pharmaceuticals. It’s not long after the discovery of these bodies that Porter's team can finally identify the body found in the boathouse as the third member of this research team.

The question is, why would these three scientists have been killed, and where is the fourth member of the team?

Kelly Porter needs to travel to London to coordinate the murder investigations into all three murders with the Metropolitan Police. She takes one of her young officers, DC Emma Hide with her to gain more experience. Kelly is shocked to discover that her old flame, and the person she’d fled from, Matt Carter, is the Senior Investigating Officer. He seems hellbent on rekindling their relationship.

This is a complex murder investigation that moves between London and The Lake District. It involves men in high places who think that they are above the law and whose main aim is to ensure that a drug that could cure addicts will never see the light of day.

As with all Rachel Lynch's books, this one has a deep and compelling backstory. I learnt so much about pharmaceutical companies and how their profits often outweigh their desires to find cures, as in this instance, for addictions. It was a brutal storyline, but Rachel Lynch has researched the subject with her usual due diligence.

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

This is #5 in the DI Kelly Porter series and can be read as a stand-alone quite easily.

Kelly and her team are investigating a murder, after a body is found dumped in a boatyard….this is then linked to two further deaths of his work colleagues in London and their secret lab completely dismantled….

So, Kelly has to travel to London to work with the Met for a week, only to find the SIO is her ex Matt Carter…..

The murdered man, George and his colleagues Emily and Mike work for a big Pharma company, Ravensword……just what were they working on that resulted in their deaths…..?

While everyone is trying their hardest to solve these crimes, there are secret meetings being held by more senior men….just who is involved with Ravensword? And what are they trying to keep secret?

I love the determined Kelly, she has really grown in this series and her relationship with Ted, her father, goes from strength to strength, as does that with the ever supporting, Johnny.

A very clever, and totally believable thriller with some great characters and such wonderfully descriptive writing by Rachel Lynch, now I really want to visit the Lake District…..

This series just gets better and better….I can’t wait to see what Kelly gets involved in next….

Thank you to Canelo, the author and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook and this is my honest, unbiased review.

Five star superb storyline.. I have read all in the series and everyone surpasses the last. Great characters and storyline. I would definitely recommend this novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

So happy to back in DI Kelly Porter's world. I am a huge fan of this series and was excited to see where the story was going to go next with book 5!

This time we find Kelly still trying to come to terms with the death of her Mother and having to head back London after a body found in her local area is linked to two more murders back in her old stomping ground. This means facing her ex fiance who is the SIO on the current case and also the person that stabbed her in the back and sent her back to the Lakes three years earlier.
This story delves into the secretive worlds of Big Pharma and an exclusive London Men's Club. How are the two linked and what have the got to do with the increasing body count?
As expected with this series the story is fast-paced, complex and very difficult to put down. With twists and turns and the fabulous Lake District as almost a character in itself, it is an excellent addition to the series.
One of the best things for me in this series is the characters and if there is one possible downside to this story for me, it's that we don't get to spend as much time with the old favourites as we have in previous instalments. But that is a very minor niggle!

DI Kelly Porter is in a good place in her life. She is in a relationship with Johnny, who works for mountain rescue. Kelly and Johnny work together on certain cases. However, the most recent murder case that Kelly is on leads her back to London - and to face her ex, DCI Matt Carter. Kelly's case is critical, so dealing with Matt at the same time certainly is not easy.

Beyond dealing with Matt, Kelly is shocked to discover that the horrid murder, which was actually a double assassination involving a secret lab, has far reaches involving incredible deceit. No doubt this raises many questions that Kelly must unravel.

Bold Lies is the fifth book in the DI Kelly Porter series. I adore this series! I have read all four previous titles and have really come to know Kelly and the other supporting characters. This series keeps on getting better and better and this indeed was my favorite. I really loved how Kelly had to deal with such a serious case, while balancing her old relationship with someone that she was forced to temporarily work with. I must admit to worrying about Kelly's relationship with Johnny. This is simply an example of the layers that Rachel Lynch adds to her stories.

For an excellent addition to your reading library, I highly recommend this entire series. The first four books in the series are Dark Game, Deep Fear, Deep End and Bitter Edge. I am quite eager for this series to continue.

Many thanks to Canelo and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.