ARC REVIEW: The Line – by Rachel Lynch

Title: The Line
(Helen Scott Royal Military Police #2)
Author: Rachel Lynch
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: July 28th 2022
Publisher: Canelo Crime
Finished reading: July 3rd 2022
Pages: 328

“Her worst fears had as good as been confirmed: this was a diplomatic game.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Canelo Crime in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I can never resist a thriller with an international setting, and I admit I was sold as soon as I first read the blurb of The Line. The setting on Cyprus and the diving angle alone were enough for me to convince myself I wanted to read this story, although I confess I didn’t realize at the time it was actually the second book of a series. Thankfully I’ve had time to catch up before reading this sequel, and both books have brought this series firm on my radar.

Technically it’s not too difficult to read The Line as a stand-alone: the case is a completely new one and you will only be missing out to minor character background not important to the understanding of the current situation. I’m personally glad to have read the first book The Rift though, because it gave me a better understanding of what the main character Helen Scott is like and what she is capable of. I enjoyed this sequel a tiny bit more than the first book, but both books were highly entertaining and solid reads.

The Line is mainly set on Cyprus, where we get to explore various parts of the island during our time with this story. The descriptions made the setting come alive for me, and I liked how the setting also played a role in the plot itself. There were a select few chapters set in Aleppo, Syria as well, although they weren’t the main focus of the story. Instead, the plot evolves around the mysterious death of a fellow RMP Captain Paul Thomas and the case he was investigating. It almost had that conspiracy plot and spy thriller feel with the leaking of state intelligence and the secrets and lies everywhere… And it definitely made the story more exciting and suspenseful.

The plot uses a multiple POV structure where we switch between the different characters in play to slowly get a full picture of what is really going on. Helen Scott is the character that anchors them all, and while it seems like there are a lot of different characters in play to keep apart, somehow it’s quite easy to do so and it doesn’t slow down the pace at all. Helen herself is really growing on me and I like the way she isn’t afraid of stepping on important toes and get the results. The story itself has a fast pace and just the right amount of action, twists and suspense to make you keep turning those pages.

All in all The Line was without a doubt a successful sequel for me and I loved the combination of the international setting with the action, intrigue and conspiracy feel. I definitely hope to hear more of Helen Scott in the future!