Tag Archive | Liz Mistry

The Revenge Pact by Liz Mistry

Nov22

Heroes & Villains

The Revenge Pact by Liz Mistry is a gripping contemporary crime thriller that totally consumed me. It is the second book in the Solanki & McQueen series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading book one first as there is a background story, begun in the first book, which runs underneath the main story. The ending reminds us that there is unfinished business which will be carried over to the next book.

I have to say the writing is superb. I loved the juxtaposing of opposites within a single sentence. “I’m clinging to life so that I can cause death.”

We follow gang-related crimes in Edinburgh and Glasgow, as decades old feuds continue. Turf wars between rival gangs mean trust is in short supply and memories are long.

A cold case is resurrected and reignites a desire to bring the guilty to justice.

All the characters were well drawn and realistic. They are rough, tough and ready – the criminals and police. There is no honor among thieves. In contrast the Jazz Queens in the force have each other’s backs.

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The Blood Promise by Liz Mistry

May24

Who Can Stop The Killings?

The Blood Promise by Liz Mistry is a marvellous contemporary novel that drew me in from the start. It is the first book in Solanki and McQueen series which promises to be gripping.

Solanki and McQueen are an unlikely pairing – a young police officer with a troubled past, and a more experienced officer whose daughter was murdered. Both their pasts haunt their days but they are determined to bring a killer to justice. Their personalities complement each other as they also build their relationship.

The reader is drawn in from the start as the book opens with a crime scene fifteen years earlier. We skip to present day and another crime scene – could they be linked? As the body count rises, it suddenly becomes personal. Can Solanki and McQueen catch the killer before more murders are committed?

The landscape and weather are dark and brooding, which mirrors the action.

All of the novel is set in villages in Scotland, around the Inverness area. It is a wild and rugged landscape which helps to heighten the tension.

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End Game by Liz Mistry

Apr20

Gripping

End Game by Liz Mistry is a gripping contemporary crime thriller. It is the sixth book in the DS Nikki Parekh series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The action takes place in and around Bradford as present day murders seem to be linked to crimes spanning decades. As the book progresses, the reader tries to join the dots.

As we work our way through the book, we ‘hear’ the voice of the crime boss, one of the victims, and watch the action alternating between present day to an undisclosed time in the past.

With comprehensive descriptions, the landscapes spring to life. As my daughter lives in Baildon, I was familiar with many of the locations which added to my enjoyment. The weather and dark nights all build on the dark atmosphere.

Nikki Parekh and her side-kick Sajid are likable, hard-working coppers. They leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of justice.

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Last Request by Liz Mistry

Oct13

Gripping

Last Request by Liz Mistry is a gripping contemporary murder suspense that I just could not put down. I read with heart racing as I sped towards the conclusion.

A serial killer is on the loose in Bradford. The reader ‘hears’ the killer’s voice from the murky depths. I was clueless to guess who it was.

The literary device of pathetic fallacy is employed as the weather becomes as murky as the action.

Cold case files mingle with present day crimes as the police battle to solve them and the clock ticks down.

The lines between the criminals and the cops blur as characters put themselves on line for their families.

As the criminals wander the streets of Bradford, the reader is surprised by the depths to which some will stoop.

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