DI Kelly Porter is back in the sixth instalment of her thriller series. This time a young girl is found at Castlerigg, a stone circle site, by National Park Ranger Joe Spencer who takes his family up to the circle first thing in the morning to watch the sunrise. The girl is naked and seems to be mute.

DI Porter is called in to investigate the circumstances that led to the girl being left in the freezing cold, however, early into the investigation, the girl disappears and Porter is at a loss as to not only why she was at Castlerigg but who the girl is too.

Not long after the girl mysteriously vanished a woman is found murdered at the same spot and the evidence points to the murder being ritual, DI Porter has a tough case on her hands which is only made harder as she tries to work out how vile letters she believes are from a woman she put behind bars are reaching her, and could her past, and could her past becoming back to haunt her?

Blood Rites is the fourth book in the DI Kelly Porter series that I have read, as I missed books three and four, even I’m not sure how!. What I adore about the series is how realistic DI Porter is and how her mind works to solve her cases. She is also dealing with grieving for her late mother in this book as well as the potential loss of her sister who she hasn’t spoken to in months.

The main plot has numerous subplots that all weave their way into one another and with plenty of twists, turns, and red herrings the cases are all exciting and give you a real thrill.

I also love the setting of the series as the Lake District is one of the UK’s most beautiful, normally peaceful areas. There does seem to be a lot of thrillers set in Cumbria these days for an area not associate with lots of crime in real life, but with vast acres of open or forest land and plenty of lakes you can certainly see why lots of thriller writers are using the setting.

As well as the usual criminal activity, I enjoyed the Pagan/Witchcraft aspect that was brought into the book as well as seeing DI Porter’s tough exterior drop for a while.

Blood Rites was another gripping book in the series. If you are a fan of crime detective novels or thrillers I suggest you give this series a read as it really is worth your time.

About the Author

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.

What did you think of Blood Rites? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!