Sudden Death (D I Kelly Porter Book 10) by Rachel Lynch @CANELOCRIME @CANELO_CO #SuddenDeath

Scores are dead or injured. But who was the killer’s true target?

Book blurb

On a misty morning in the Lake District, two men depart by helicopter from a private estate. Below, they see the stunning views of Wast Water, with Scafell Pike ahead, where fell runners are competing atop England’s highest mountain. It’s at this moment that the pilots lose control, and crash into the mountain top. Runners and bystanders are caught in the devastation.

This is the scene that greets DI Kelly Porter. She attempts to coordinate the rescue efforts, though it’s clear many won’t make it, including occupants of the helicopter. Three are dead, and the fourth is badly injured. When it emerges that the survivor is none other than the Right Honourable Lord Donald Reilly, and the person who chartered the flight was notorious billionaire Bartholomew Kennedy-Craig, the media frenzy is intense. Reilly is high up in government, and his contact with the magnate provokes speculation.

When it is learned that the helicopter had been tampered with, Kelly and her team can’t afford to make a single mistake. Who was the intended victim, and why? With the scrutiny of the government, the public and the press on her, just how confident can she be that the trail of evidence is leading her to the right conclusion?

My thoughts

Sudden Death opens with D I Kelly Porter travelling to court for the trial of Ian Burton.

We are then drawn into a dramatic scene were the Right Honourable Lord Donald Reilly and notorious billionaire Bartholomew Kennedy-Craig, the person who chartered the flight, are travelling in a helicopter. Lord Donald Reilly hates helicopters but Kennedy-Craig is insistent on flying him back to London via a scenic route over the Lakes National Park.

They are flying over the park when something goes wrong with the helicopter which crashes into the mountainside of Scafell Pike causing multiple casualties and deaths as there is a fell race in progress.

D I Kelly Porter now in court where the trial of Ian Burton from the storyline of the previous book is taking place. This was the case that caused Kelly and Jonny to break up. As the jury go out for deliberations both Kelly and Jonny receive calls – it’s the helicopter crash – they will both be needed for their advanced first aid skills. They rush off together minds focused on what they will encounter up the mountain.

It’s a mess and Kelly immediately assesses the situation and gets on with dealing with the many injured as does Jonny. The crash site is a devastating scene as the helicopter had crashed into the runners with many injured and dead. Of the four travelling on the helicopter three died at the scene and the fourth Lord Donald Reilly although alive is very badly burned and in a critical state.

The helicopter was carrying a Tory MP Lord Reilly and a well known businessman so this will be a high profile investigation with pressure from above to get results on what happened quickly and not to ‘overthink’ the situation.

Although this is an investigation by The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) Kelly finds herself in overall charge as various things come to light most particularly concerning the helicopter crash, the helicopter had been deliberately sabotaged but why?

Then two girls who are wanted as witnesses in the investigation go missing. A Private Investigator working for Lord Reilly’s family goes rogue.

Kelly and her team discover how much more there is to this investigation. It’s an investigation into the crash, yes, but as things come to light there was a lot going on with Lord Reilly and Kennedy-Craig. This is a murder investigation with lots at stake for the helicopter passengers and their families not to mention the political fallout from what happened.

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.

I really enjoy this series and Sudden Death is a terrific book with a really good storyline that is a little different from the usual. Rachel Lynch seems able to find those unusual angles that make the story individual and interesting. Her sense of timing is good as she builds up tension towards the end whilst keeping it all believable.

I highly recommend this book and the other books in the series (see below). I’m also looking forward to the next instalment of the D I Kelly Porter series Silent Bones.

Information

Published: Canelo Crime (10 Nov. 2022) |eBook – ISBN: 9781800321069 | Paperback – ISBN: 9781800327276 | Audio – ISBN: 9781804362761 – (Published: 7th April 2023) – Read by Clare Kissane

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.

Books

Detective Inspector Kelly Porter series

Coming Soon: Silent Bones – The discovery of a skeleton in Thirlmere Reservoir has shaken the tight-knit community of Pooley Bridge.

Helen Scott Royal Military Police Thrillers series

The Rift | The Line

One response to “Sudden Death (D I Kelly Porter Book 10) by Rachel Lynch @CANELOCRIME @CANELO_CO #SuddenDeath”

#WWWWednesday – 14 June 23 – Love Books, Read Books

June 14, 2023 at 9:33 am

[…] I’ve now finished sharing my thoughts on When The Guilty Cry by M J Lee and Sudden Death by Rachel Lynch which I read in […]

LikeLike