"A dark, theatrical and gripping origin story that shows exactly why more than a million readers have become hooked on Rachel Lynch’s Detective Kelly Porter series. "
Set in 2008 London as the city prepares for the Olympics, the novel captures a capital buzzing with life. Yet hiding something deeply rotten beneath the surface.
Kelly Porter is 28 and about to begin her dream job on the Met’s murder squad, determined to prove she belongs in London despite her father’s doubts and the lingering sense that the force is still stacked against women like her.
Her first days on the job collide with horror: human remains unearthed at a building site, a mutilated body staged like grotesque theatre, and eerie clues that point toward the Museum of Childhood.
This killer isn’t just murdering, they’re directing a macabre show. The Puppeteer is on the prowl. But they hadn’t banked on Kelly’s nose, her instincts and she unearths a story steeped in abuse, neglect and the long shadows of the past.
Kelly’s fierce love for her work and her refusal to shrink herself make her an instantly compelling lead. She is hungry to prove herself and is clearly the kind of detective you want to follow into a long-running series.
Vivid, unsettling and emotionally charged, First Act is a prequel that stands confidently on its own while hinting at the darkness still to come.
For crime readers who enjoy psychologically twisted cases, strong female detectives, and investigations that blur the line between spectacle and nightmare, this is a powerful and memorable opening act.
It's 2008, and London is a frenzy of activity as the capital demolishes and rebuilds ready to host the Olympics.
Detective Kelly Porter has landed her dream job in the Met's Major Investigation Team - the murder squad.
Human remains are unearthed by a bulldozer. The corpse was laid recently enough to warrant investigation. Kelly does some digging of her own and is led to the Museum of Childhood.
But this is only the start. A fresh murder scene bearing a mutilated corpse soon follows. A legacy of horror and a killer determined to punish their victim awaits. They're setting the stage for a grand finale.
Kelly's choices will make her a spectator to the gruesome theatre, or even a puppet under the command of another, unless her instinct for the truth can get her one step ahead.
More than one million readers have become hooked on Rachel Lynch's Detective Kelly Porter novels. Read the story that started it all.
First Act features in the following genres: Crime and Mystery, Thriller and Suspense, Crime and mystery: police procedural, Crime and mystery: women sleuths, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Politics, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Narrative theme: Social issues, Fiction, Crime and mystery: police procedural, Crime and mystery: women sleuths, Thriller and Suspense, Fiction: narrative themes, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Politics, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Narrative theme: Social issues
First Act is available in Paperback, Hardback
First Act was written by Rachel Lynch and published by Canelo Crime an imprint of Canelo
First Act has 352 pages
Yes it is part of Detective Kelly Porter series
£8.99
