Dark Game by Rachel Lynch
Published 29th January 2018 by Canelo
Genre - Crime, Thriller, Police Procedure
Star Rating - ***
Goodreads Challenge - 5/75
I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis
After a scandal forces DI Kelly Porter out of the Met, she returns to her home turf in the Lake District. Crimes in the Cumbrian constabulary tend to be of the minor sort, but Kelly begins work on a cold case that shocked the local community – the abduction and brutal murder of ten-year-old Lottie Davies.
Meanwhile, Kelly is also investigating two seemingly straightforward crimes: a case involving an illegal immigrant, and a robbery following the death of local businessman Colin Day. But evidence comes to light that reveals a web of criminal activity beyond anything Kelly imagined. Behind the veneer of sleepy, touristy towns lies a dark and dangerous underworld. As Kelly threatens to expose those with much to lose, she risks paying the ultimate price to get to the truth…
Don’t miss this taut and gripping debut from a crime writer to watch. Perfect for fans for Carol Dwyer, Patricia Gibney and Angela Marsons.
My Thoughts
This was a dark and gritty crime novel that intrigued me in places and kept me wanting to read until the end. It does get quite dark in places so be warned but if you can cope with some darker themes in books then I would recommend this one. Covering topics such as prostitution, human trafficking and money laundering there are several plot lines woven together into one final climactic moment. I'll be honest, I am in a bit of a reading slump, so the pacing of this one didn't feel as fast as I would of liked. However, I think if I was in my usual reading mood this would of moved along at a much faster pace. The chapters were fairly short which always keeps me wanting to read one more and this is something I really like in a thriller.
Kelly Porter was a great character. She was passionate about what she did and was determined to solve the case throughout the book. I also found it interesting to see her family relationships between her mum and her sister and I would like some more of this in subsequent books. There were lots of other characters in this book too but I didn't find them hard to keep track of. They all played their own part in the story and I thought everything fitted together well.
Overall I enjoyed this story, it was just a shame I was in a bit of a reading slump whilst reading it as I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I wasn't. That being said it was a dark and gritty fast paced thriller with a twisty turny, interwoven plot that had be excited to reach the climax.
Overall Rating
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Author Bio
Rachel Lynch grew up in Cumbria and the lakes and fells are never far away from her. London pulled her away to teach History and marry an Army Officer, whom she followed around the globe for thirteen years. A change of career after children led to personal training and sports therapy, but writing was always the overwhelming force driving the future. The human capacity for compassion as well as its descent into the brutal and murky world of crime are fundamental to her work.
Twitter: @r_lynchcrime
