Thank you for the ARC!

This book is definitely centered around the law enforcements perspective and is well done in that sense. There is a lot of teamwork, communication, and research that is put into solving this case. That is the way the author intended this book the be read and viewed. I do not believe that I am the intended audience for this book, since I would have preferred another perspective, every few chapters, just to freshen up the dialogue and take away from the research perspective.
I think someone who enjoys Criminal Minds, or any show of that nature, would very much enjoy this story.

Burning Lies by Gwyn Bennett

When a woman is found burnt at the stake on the edge of a pretty English village, the police suspect this is no ordinary murder. Dr Harrison Lane, Head of the Ritualistic Behavioural Crime unit, is quickly summoned to unravel the mystery.

As Harrison investigates, he uncovers a web of deceit woven through the tight-knit community of Thistleford. The villagers claim the victim, Louise Swift, was a gifted psychic, beloved by all… but Harrison immediately senses darker forces at play.

Although this book is far down in a series ( ninth I think ) this way a first time read for me.
I really enjoyed the character Dr Harrison Lane and the way the author wrote the book , lots of twists and intrigue to keep you interested .
I now have the joy of going back to book 1 and enjoying this brilliant authors work.

3 Stars.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for this arc. The first chapter really had me hooked and I really thought this book was interesting. There's third person narrative which isn't my fave and be aware that this right from the beginning has strong themes of religion and cult talk. For this being a murder mystery I feel like there were things missing as well as it not being long enough to even explore it all. 199 pages isn't the greatest. Besides the heavy religion topics and the cult being involved this was actually really good, I just wanted more. Right in the beginning of this story there's a group of people who are in a field and there's a huge bonfire but also there's a person chained to a cross and burned. We don't know who this person is at first but it's obvious as time does progress. Louise Swift goes missing as the "ritual" killing happened. Louise was a beloved person in the community of Thisleford. She is popular on social medias such as TikTok and Youtube and she is considered by a lot of people as a which. This was interesting overall I just didn't connect with the characters and I honestly pushed through only because I wanted to give a review honestly. I wasn't invested in the characters, I just wanted to learn more about Louise.

DNF at 60%. I tried to finish it but I have read it for the past 7 days and just can’t. For a book that is less than 200 pages I’d have had it done in one sitting. It just didn’t grab my attention or make me eager to keep reading.

Definitively sounded promising and certainly sounded intriguing that the main character was not a DCI or whatever but the head of the Ritualistic Behavioural Crime Unit. I was therefore expecting rather more of a psychological aspect. I got a blackened burnt cross with body attached - an apparently gifted psychic loved by everyone in the impossibly twee, sorry 'sleepy little', English village; I got a bizarre, isolated household comprising ex-cons seeking redemption or at least getting back into the real world and I got an enthusiastic but appalling bunch of an alleged Christian sect, brainwashing as only they can. The police work on the two murders seems weak and not enthusiastic let alone dedicated; Our Dr Lane had promise although, typically, had personal problems with murdered mother and 'wanting' girlfriend; trouble with that promise is that he had vague thoughts, convinced the police that he was right and didn't really get to grips with anything. Kept being thought of as a Sherlock Holmes type apparently. I guess that he might feel better if I'd read any of the previous books but, as a standalone, he felt annoying to me.. 3.5* but, with the cliff hangers I cannot bring myself to upgrade to a 4*. Thanks to NetGalleu and the publisher for an advance copy.

Another gripping crime mystery featuring Dr Harrison Lane. Gwyn really keeps the reader engrossed until the end. Now waiting for the next one in the series. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long!

This was a really great mystery and it kept me hooked the entire time that I was reading. It was a quick read and the plot was really interesting and complex and the characters were very dynamic and well developed. Would highly recommend if you enjoy a good mystery.

Dr Harrison Lane is dispatched to a small town to aide in the investigation of a woman who appeared to be burnt at the stake. Will he be able to help find the killer or will everything go up in smoke?

I didn’t realize prior to starting this book is it was technically part of a series but luckily even without reading the first 8 Harrison Lane mystery books, I was still able to enjoy this book. It has sort of a standalone feel while also letting the reader know some stuff went down in other books that the MMC is still working through.

The storyline itself was able to hook me right away and I found it super refreshing that the written dialogue sounded realistic and not the cookie cutter every word is perfect that some authors can give you. While I definitely started to get early on who the killer(s) could be, that didn’t take away from the plot development and twists/turns that the story had. Overall I really enjoyed this book & would recommend it to others (but maybe read the first 8 books beforehand).

Thank you #netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with an ARC of Burning Lies for my honest feedback.

Unfortunately, this book just didn’t do it for me. While the storyline showed promise, I felt the book had a lot of filler chapters that weren’t necessarily needed.

I was really disappointed in the ending as I initially thought the book hadn’t completely downloaded to my Kindle.

A lot of potential that just wasn’t reached sadly.

This book just didn’t do it for me. From the description I expected a thriller, with more suspense and action. This was definitely more cerebral than action, more thought provoking than suspenseful. I did like the main character, Dr. Harrison Lane, a psychologist with the Ritualistic Behavioural Crime unit. His character was really well developed. But I didn’t connect with any of the other characters in the book. I also didn’t like the ending. I was looking for more. 3 ⭐️

An open field is the site of a horrific scene. A burned body is lashed to a cross and Dr. Harrison Lane who works for the Ritualistic Behavioral Unit has been called to the site. As he endeavors to find the motive and the killer, he encounters a mysterious house that houses ex-cons, an enclave of cult members and villagers who are not what they seem. A mysterious read with red herrings, clues and plot twists to keep you interested to the end. Thank you Netgalley and storm Publishing for an early copy. This review is my own perspective on this interesting book.

Although this is book nine in a series, it works well as a standalone novel. The plot was very clever, with multiple possibilities as to who killed Louise Swift in such a macabre way . The exploration of people’s perceptions and vulnerabilities was really well done, especially the techniques that Louise used to interact with the villagers. The backstory of Harmony House was also an interesting read. I enjoyed the way Harrison Lane worked, and would like to read more of this series. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an opportunity to read and review this book.

Such an intriguing plot! A witch burning in modern day. A really horrific crime being investigated by what I felt were amateur detectives.
I enjoyed the ride and the misdirect but maybe because I don’t personally like third person narrations I never got hooked to the book.
The main ‘expert’ Harrison wasn’t impressive enough for me. The ending left me feeling like the book ended abruptly and didn’t resolve the mystery satisfactorily.
This is a good book to read in between other books.

A gruesome tale of witch burning. Plot thickens and is interesting. Good story line and characters. Interesting read

Could not put down!!! Read this in one sitting, the most unputdownable book I've read this year! Captivating and engaging the entire time!

As far as mysteries go, it's okay. I guessed the twist at the end, despite the many red herrings but I wasn't bored while reading it. I didn't care much for the repetitive description that Harrison Lane is buffed and not like the other psychologists and every man is intimidated by him and full stop. Honestly, being large and solving ritualistic crimes is his only personality.

I also didn't like how Sherlock Holmes-like he was. He doesn't really do much detective work or psychoanalyzing, he just takes a look at the crime scene and exposits a bunch of jargon I can't help but roll my eyes at.

I love mysteries and I love the art of solving mysteries but this didn't have much of the latter. Plus, the ending was just so meh and I'm left wondering what the point is. I don't wanna spoil it but there is more than one way to make sure someone gets their comeuppance, js.

That said, this is a much more intriguing mystery than the ones I've read this year so far. I'd recommend giving it a shot.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in an exchange for a review.

A little drawn out for me in place but with some great characters and an interesting premise - who could possibly have killed the beloved community member in such as way without anyone noticing?
The investigation dwelled in places but the pace overall is good and the resolution great!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC for my honest review.

This book is hands down one of the best in the series. There’s so much going on which means there’s so much to distract you from the plot twists. You’ll have yourself wondering if you’re ever going to get it right. This story has everything - small town, intertwined relationships, history, and so many lies. Who is there to trust? You’ll be obsessed once you pick this book up!

Dr Harrison Lane returns to help with another case. This time he is asked to assist a police team dealing with a case in a small village. Harrison has to clear is mind of is own issues to focus on the facts of the case.
Yet another winner for me. Was hooked from start to finish.

Things really aren't what they seem in this perfect little village! Dr Lane, a specialist is brought in to sort through the lies. This is my first Dr Harrison Lane Mystery and I love it! Well paced, interesting murder mystery story that keeps you guessing til the end. Highly recommend!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.