This another very good addition to this series and had me hooked from the very start. For me the characters are the strongest part of this series, so well described and developed that I feel like I know them and would love to watch a television series based on the books.

Overall, it was a good read, and I would say this book is for people who love mystery – suspense novels and those that enjoy intriguing characters.Another immersive read from Rachel Lynch who not only has a wonderful sense of place – the Lake District is such a part of the story breathtakingly brought to life as always by the author – but gives the reader well plotted and well executed stories and Sudden Death is no exception. The characters are like family not just Kelly and Jonny but also their wider family and Kelly’s team who are emerging in their own right as the series goes on. Helen finds everything secure, but she is pulled from that job by the British ambassador to work with Interpol on the kidnapping of the son of an international businessman.

Kelly suspects these two crimes are linked. But if she’s right, that means there’s a ruthless killer somewhere in her community – someone who will do anything to keep the truth buried… Major Helen Scott is a high-ranking woman in the Royal Military Police and has a well deserved reputation for achieving her goals. So what better choice would there be than Helen to oversee the search and rescue of the kidnapped son of successful businessman Kahil Dalmani. Silent Bones is a gripping crime thriller that takes place in the picturesque Lake District in the UK. The story revolves around DI Kelly Porter, a determined and tenacious detective who is investigating a mysterious case involving a skeleton found at the bottom of the Thirlmere reservoir during a drought. Each time she absorbed the impact of a murder—of seeing somebody who was once alive and vibrant, like her own family, on the mortuary slab; of seeing the pain and mess they left behind—it carved off a little piece of her."

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

DI Kelly Porter was certainly a character—one that I could get behind supporting. She's a highly successful career woman who balances work and home, but not so much that readers are unable to relate to her. Even though I knew nothing about her beforehand, it was just so easy to start to root for her. I was surprised at my strong feelings towards the story once I finished the book. Similarly, the other characters were easy to remember and understand; there was not a single character that I felt disconnected to. There was just enough context to flesh out each character that appeared, whether they were a new character or one that appeared in past volumes. In Kelly's case, the parts of the novel that took a break from the case, like when she went out with her family, for example, really helped humanize Kelly in my mind. She appears as much more than just a detective, she is a mother, a friend, a childhood acquaintance turned local celebrity... Pros – The prologue grabs you from the start. Strong female lead, good level of mystery and surprise around some of the victims, suspects.