Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A great read in this series, which I have come to love. Gripping as always and I couldn't put it down. I read it in one evening.

This was another brilliant crime novel in the DI Kelly Porter series by Rachel Lynch. I loved the way that Kelly's personal life developed in this one: it was nice to see her relationship with Johnny and his daughter Josie progressing, and how her relationship with Ted progressed. Her pregnancy and the way she reflected on it throughout the book was really interesting to read.
The crime in this book was difficult to read at times, it is a particularly dark theme, but Rachel handled it well. As always Rachel's writing was brilliant and drew me into the story. I didn't want to put it down. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

This is a good solid police procedural which shows just how much work goes into solving a murder. It is refreshing to read about a police officer who has a good relationship with both senior and junior colleagues and is able to put her ego aside in order to work with a neighbouring force. There isn't a lot of tension in the story, your heart won't be in your mouth throughout, but it is an enjoyable read and the identity of the killer came as a total shock.

This is another addictive book in the DI Kelly Porter series set in Cumbria. It's an intriguing medley of noir crime, police investigation, and the personal lives of the detective team. Kelly is a likeable detective who is motivated by the need to seek justice for crime victims. Although career-driven, she does have an increasingly important personal life which shows another side to her and sometimes makes her professionally vulnerable.

Although the violent crimes featured are disturbing to read about, the detailed descriptions are necessary to the story. There's an authentic team dynamic with a good mix of personal and professional interactions.

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

"A waste removal lorry crawled along at a plodding pace." - LOST CAUSE BY RACHEL LYNCH

With an opening line like that you and I know something is being found in a bin! However for the refuse collectors in the Lake District the last thing they expect to find while emptying the bins of a little village is a body in the bin, but that is exactly what they do find and before long DI Kelly Porter and her team are involved and investigating a murder that may also have links to other missing women and a foreign component.

Firstly reading a chapter about people discovering a torso in a wheelie bin was probably not what I needed to read the night before I had to go and sort my bins out for the week but nonetheless I read that chapter and I was hooked. Now you have only recently read my review of Little Doubt which was the 7th book in this series. Unlike that book which took me a little while to read, just because some of the subject matter was a little bit close to home at the time in terms of and some of the racial and class elements, I absolutely flew through this book in Less than 24 hours.

I won’t lie as ever there is some parts of the story that were quite difficult to read, some bits were pretty brutal to be honest. If you’ve ever watched the TV show Criminal Minds, you’ll probably know some of the things to expect here. The case here is dark, in fact possibly one of the darkest cases that Rachel’s written but it was certainly gripping. I really welcomed the personal aspects of the book well some of Kelly’s home life I think that the warmth and positivity there was definitely needed as a counterpoint to some of the slightly horrific things that will going on.

Now at the end of Little Doubt that was a fairly major personal development for Kelly and I won’t spoil it for those who aren’t up to date with the series but I was glad to see the way she is approaching it with positivity. I really love seeing her, Johnny and Josie all together as a family. Looking back to some of the earlier books where Josie first arrived, she has grown so much as a character, I have really enjoyed seeing her develop and slowly become a more prominent character within the series. This is one of the things I enjoy most about Rachel’s books, the level of detail she puts into developing her secondary characters. It would be so easy to just develop Kelly’s character and some of her team given that we are reading crime fiction but rounding out some of these additional characters creates a really satisfying depth to the stories. As always it’s great to see Kelly’s relationship with Ted and I was relieved to see him busy working again after some of the events of the last book and I really enjoy his relationship with Josie and that sort of grandparent grandchild relationship that they have developed.

I think that the newbie Dan is an interesting character, I bet he is not the only person out there that sneaks a sausage from a breakfast buffet when they are supposedly following a stricter diet! I think he is already fit in well within the team and I’m really interested to see how his character continues to develop in future books.

Final Thoughts…
I won’t lie I am a little bit obsessed with this series from Rachel Lynch as dark and difficult as some of the crimes may be to read she never fails to create an intense plot line that draws the reader in and leaves them needing to keep reading to find out the conclusion. The team have faced some changes recently and I am sure there will be more to come going forward and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what Kelly and her family get up to in the next story.

I can’t believe that this is the eighth book in the series featuring Detective Kelly Porter and I think one of the best. The books are set in the Lake District and described beautifully by Rachel, especially when you know exactly where she is describing. It is winter in the Lakes and Kelly is called out to investigate the body of a young woman who has been abused , dismembered and left in a wheely bin. On investigation Kelly realises that the woman has been kept in a cage and abused over a number of months and that she was reported missing over three months ago. She also discovers that a number of young women have been reported missing and they all seem to have been sex workers. A young man, Kevin Flint, becomes their main suspect as he likes to creep around and watch, he has no friends and everyone thinks he is odd. We are introduced to a new detective on the team and also learn more of Kelly’s private life and her unexpected pregnancy. I couldn’t put this book down and can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Sadly I am a newcomer to Rachel Lynch and having now read number 8 I have had to order all the others!
I feel that being late to the party did put me at a slight disadvantage - but I certainly kept up and thoroughly enjoyed it. I love the Lake District is that was an added bonus! Hopefully when numbed 9 comes out I will be caught up! Loved it!

A gripping and highly entertaining story that kept on the edge till the end.
I love this series and this is an excellent addition.
The characters are well thought and interesting, the description made me wish to travel to Lake District and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
I can't wait to read the next installment.
It's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I’d like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Lost Cause by Rachel Lynch in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
This is now book eight in the series and I have read them all. Pleased to say that the standard of story telling set in book one by Ms Lynch has been maintained throughout.If anything I felt this book was a little "darker" than the previous ones had been.
All the usual characters feature and although this could be read as a standalone book, I feel you might well miss out without the background to the various ongoing relationships of the characters.
Thanks again and here's to number nine .

What a brilliant read again! I really love this series as it’s set in my County. I also think Kelly is an amazing character, in fact in amongst my favourites.

I found Lost Cause to be more shocking that the others in the series, I also read very quickly because I was drawn in and wanted to know exactly what was going on. I would highly recommend this book and author to anyone looking for a good read!

I have dipped in and out of this series since reading book four, and this one, Lost Cause is a cracking addition, featuring DI Kelly Porter, and set in the Lake District.

When a young woman is reported missing and is then found having been abused and butchered, DI Kelly Porter, head of the serious crime unit in Penrith, knows she is searching for a seriously depraved killer, particularly when a spate of women disappearing occurs in the surrounding areas. Kevin Flint is a young man with no friends and a reputation for being a misfit. He has been frequenting an abandoned church with an ancient graveyard, and seems to know a lot about the women. As Kelly and her team begin working closely with DI Craig Lockwood, based in Barrow, Kelly must determine whether the answers lie with Kevin, as her instincts are telling her, or elsewhere.

This is a series where the subplot concerning Kelly's personal life is equally as compelling as the ongoing investigations, and it isn't essential to have read all of the previous books. Kelly is smart, capable and honest, and a tireless and determined investigator who puts everything she has in her mission to get justice for the victims. Some familiar protagonists are present and there are new and secondary characters that are integral to the current investigations, including DS Dan Houghton from Glasgow. Lost Cause is a gripping story of the highest quality and as the tension increases steadily, the final chapters are filled with plenty of frisson and danger. Wonderfully pacy, dark and bleak, and with never a dull moment, this is the most chilling and gripping of the series so far, but all of the instalments I've read are incredibly good. I am already looking forward to book #9, as well as catching up on those books I've missed.

A highly entertaining read as I have come to expect from Rachel Lynch.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Canelo via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
Excellent book and good story line

#LostCause #NetGalley What can I say, this series just keeps getting better and better. A superbly written great crime thriller with plenty of action. I love the way that Kelly's character is developing and the side stories delving into her relationships with Ted, Johnny and Josie just add to the thrill of the book. A new character as joined her team too. Cant wait for more in this brilliant series! A superb 5 stars!

Rachel Lynch delivers such amazing works, her newest addition to the
DI Kelly Porter series, blew me away.
The case and the characters were some of the most interesting, intriguing and dark things I have read in a long time.
DI Kelly Porter, is one of my favorite female characters, she is strong, flawed, dedicated and so relatable.
(Her relationship with her sister!)
Love reading each addition to this fascinating series, I hope there are many more to come.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.
#netgalley
#lostcause

I'm always excited to pick up a new DI Kelly Porter tale and this latest one is jam packed with twists and turns. A body is found in a wheelie bin and Kelly and the team wonder if it could be connected to the recent spate of missing women.

There's a new team member Dan Houghton, who seems to think exactly like Kelly, in fact he wanted to join her team and work with her and he seems to be slotting in just fine.

What is the connection with the holiday let business, which despite being the middle of winter is full to capacity and what is misfit Kevin Flint hiding which could be crucial to the case?

As ever, we meet up once again with Ted, Johnny and Josie. With things having moved up a notch Johnny and his daughter are moving in. Something she's excited about but nervous about too.

As ever the story gripped me until I turned the very last page. I just so recommend it. I just love this series and Kelly Porter!

I would say this is probably the most modern book of the series (book 8)- it deals with consequences and hardships in an honest and brutal manner. Possibly the darkest book as well in the series, it delves into what can turn a child's mind, and how easily that mind can be twisted with subtle coaching. It's an interesting look at how a group can fail to not acknowledge what is right in front of them, until they see the end results, and suddenly see the clues they missed. Perfect for Fall reading, don't miss this entry into the series!

I enjoyed this book, the twists and the turns were plentiful.
A few new characters in it, which is good and I look forward to see how they grow under DI Porter's lead.

Winter in the Lake District, the refuse collectors go about their business. They do not expect to find a dead body in a wheelie bin! The body appears to have been abused for a long time before her death which must have come as something of relief for the poor victim. DI Kelly Porter realises that the victim had been reported missing a good three months ago. There are other missing persons who seem to have something in common with her. One of which is a Chinese girl whose disappearance seems to have triggered attention from the Chinese Embassy. Were the girls sex workers? How come a holiday let firm is so busy at this time of year? What does a troubled mentally challenged young lad have to do with it? Along with getting used to a new team member, Dan Houghton - a nice addition to the team & adjusting to the early stages of pregnancy, Kelly investigates as wholeheartedly as ever.

I have followed this series from the start & each book is like reuniting with old friends & making some new ones. I love how Kelly's character has developed over the series & am eagerly looking forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this boo

Another excellent novel by Rachel Lynch with DI Kelly Porter and her team in the Lake District. This novel begins with a number missing prostitutes including a Chinese National and the discovery of a body in a wheelie bin. Unfortunately for the team two of the prostitutes that were reported as missing were reported as being seen in other areas of the country, therefore an earlier investigation was suspended. This information proved to be false and so the team has to work backwards looking for cctv footage to determine where the missing women are and who has abducted them. There is also a new member of the team Detective Sergeant Dan Houghton from Glasgow, who had requested a transfer in order to work with Kelly. The novel is set in winter and takes us through to the present. My thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.