There has been a long gap for me between reading Last Request and Broken Silence, and I really regret that now because Detective Sergeant Nikki Parekh and her police partner, Sajid, are absolutely brilliant characters. Nikki is incredibly feisty and doesn't like doing what she's told, which means that there are some very tense scenes as she puts herself on the line to catch the killer. In turn, though, this makes her vulnerable and I loved seeing her human side as it helped me to root for her as the investigation took hold. Through Sajid, Mistry explores some interesting issues around sexuality and culture, but he is much more than a plot vehicle. His relationship with Nikki is brilliant and I love the way he is able to calm her down. 

Throughout Broken Silence, Mistry's sense of place is wonderful. Her depiction of the Bradford area is so clear that it is really easy to picture the locations she uses and get a strong feel for what is happening. I am familiar with the area, and I think this helped, but someone who is not local would also find it impossible not to become engaged in the setting. I'd also like to give a shout out to Cake'Ole Bradford, the scene of a few police meetings in Broken Silence. It is my favourite eating place ever, and reading this novel made me even more sad that I can't go there at the moment. 

There are some difficult themes in Broken Silence, but I feel that Mistry approaches them in a way that makes them easy to understand, without shying away from the atrocity of the crimes the perpetrators have committed. 

As Broken Silence comes to an end, the tension and sense of danger increases massively and it put me right on the edge of my seat! I was desperate to see how Nikki and her team would handle the situation, hoping it would work out well.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fan of Liz Mistry, having read a few of her books. This one was not disappointing, as always the writing was good, plot-line and characters good with plenty of intrigue and mystery. Recommended.

I very much enjoyed this book.  It has a good story and excellent main characters.  I would definately recommend this book.

This is a violent and at times horrific thriller.
It does draw you in though and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
The characters are brilliant although difficult to engage with.
Well worth a read.

An excellent thriller that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading a good detective story.

Enjoyed this book and the interesting characters.  A great story line with the added side lines.  Will certainly staff more by Liz Mistry

It took me a bit to get into this. I think I struggled because I wasn’t a massive fan of Nikki but she did grow on me. I did guess who was involved but the dark topic kept me engrossed. It’s such a heartbreaking story of modern slavery and sex trafficking. 

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

WOW 🤩 another fantastic read in a great series!! I love the main characters in this series and the author enhances their personalities with every book . Storyline was gripping from the start and a real page turner ! Highly recommend this book , series and author

While I admire the authors writing skills, I'm afraid it was all rather grim for toleration during days I'm reading about coronavirus! Just being overly sensitive .. characterisation all too real if not focusing on downside of being drugged ... in opening section (which is what put me off) .. I'm just not right reader this all-too real work .. and, again, depredations of being  female spark off the story .. an old formula

This is a gritty, police procedural focusing on modern slavery. Bradford and its criminal fraternity are brought to life by an author that knows the city well. DS Nikita Parekh is a dedicated police officer who believes in getting the job done. She wants justice for victims. The police team's dynamic and the partnership between Nikki and Saj is believable. It keeps the reader invested in the investigation.

Contemporary and sometimes violent, this is a challenging read.  With a complex pacy plot and relatable characters, this is hard-hitting suspenseful crime fiction.

I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Broken Silence is dedicated to Baroness Lola Young and Kevin Hyland 'for opening my eyes to Modern-Day Slavery' and it is also 'mostly for all those victims of this appalling abuse of human rights.' Although the story itself is fictional, the fact it is inspired by the awful reality for so many people who are currently enduring terrible abuse at the hands of modern-day slave traders is utterly heartbreaking. It's not an easy subject to read about but I commend Liz Mistry for shining a light on the subject; it's vital that people are made aware so they can take action if they suspect it is happening near them. With this in mind, there are links at the end of the book to organisations who can help.
The book opens at the end of what seems to be a chase scene, as a character called Stefan is captured by his aggressive pursuers and informed by the ominously named Bullet that he has been told to hit him where it hurts - and that he is going to enjoy doing it. It's a disturbing prologue but who Stefan is and what is happening to him isn't revealed for a while as the storyline then switches to following DS Felicity Springer, the morning after the night before. It seems that a heavy night of drinking resulted in her making a choice she bitterly regrets and she leaves the 'Making Bradford Safe' conference she attended wracked with guilt. On her drive home she follows a white van and becomes concerned when she spots a hand waving for attention through the rear light. She calls 999 and demands assistance but the falling snow means visibility is poor. She crashes into the van and before she has a chance to react, a figure in a balaclava points a gun at her. Broken Silence is the second book in the DS Nikki Parekh series and in Last Request, Springer ,'The Spaniel' is Nikki's nemesis so it's fascinating to not only see a different side of her here but also to follow Nikki's confused thought processes as she investigates the disappearance of a colleague she detests but desperately wants to find safe. It's not necessary to have read Last Request but I would recommend it if you can to truly appreciate the development of the characters - and because it's a cracking read!
Nikki is a wonderful character and is rapidly becoming one of my favourites. She is such a complex woman, at work she is a dedicated detective who struggles with following orders and at home she is trying hard to be more present in her family's lives but finds it difficult to open up to her partner, Marcus. She is a strong woman but it's clear she is tormented by events in her past and the rubber band she wears on her wrist to snap against her skin when she finds it especially hard to cope is testament to how fragile she really is. One of the most intriguing aspects of Broken Silence is the juxtaposition between how Nikki is viewed by different people and how she sees herself. She might be a thorn in Felicity's side but a taunt by their boss, DCI Archie Hegley that she should be 'more like Parekh' actually spurs Springer into fighting for her survival as she questions what Nikki would do in a similar situation. Meanwhile, both her romantic and professional partners, Marcus and Saj respectively, know Nikki is more damaged and vulnerable than she lets on and in a book which exposes the worst of humankind, their constant love and support for her, even if she lets them down on occasion, is heartwarming.
Saj - DC Sajid Malik - also faces his own issues as a gay Muslim officer. His boyfriend, Langley is keen to move their relationship on but Saj is terrified how some of the more devout members of his family will respond. As always, Liz Mistry encapsulates the challenges of living in a diverse, multicultural city like Bradford, acknowledging both the sense of community and the racial and religious tensions. The vivid sense of place extends beyond the urban however, and the remote, rugged countryside also has an essential role to play in the story. 
I've purposely not mentioned too much about the plot because I don't want to give anything away but I wish that what I read wasn't reflected in the current reality for too many people in real life. There are harrowing scenes of violence and abuse which highlight how easily people who were just trying to do the best for their families can be cruelly tricked and manipulated until they are trapped in situations it's almost unbearable to imagine. There is also a subplot which empathetically examines another important contemporary topic and I suspect the ongoing impact of what occurs here will continue to be explored in future books. Parts of the novel follow the mastermind behind the organised crime gang targeting Bradford and although I guessed their identity, I found these chapters to be uncomfortably compelling as they give a glimpse into the mind of a truly corrupted individual. Broken Silence is a chilling, poignant reminder of the worst of humanity but even more vitally, it also gives a voice to those who are suffering at the hands of these people traffickers. Gripping, perceptive and poignant from start to finish,  I can't wait to see what comes next for DS Nikki Parekh in this superb series.

This book is an explosive fast paced thriller. The story is riveting. I just could not put it down. With a cast of complex characters and a  story that draws you in,  you will find yourself turning pages long after midnight.. I definitely recommend this thriller.

Nikki and her sidekick Saj find themselves embroiled in a massive human trafficking and modern slavery ring. A catalogue of associated crimes are protecting the profits from this business and distracting police from the heart of the business.

And who are the mastermind characters Xavier and Cyclops behind this lucrative business. They seem well connected. Will they be unmasked in Scooby Doo fashion at the culmination of this drama.

I was grateful to NetGalley for a pre publication version of Liz Mistry’s novel. This caused two frustrations however. First I hadn’t known this was the second book in a series and there’s a lot of back references that get in the way. Second lots of the chapter titles were missing and wholly new scenes ran into each other without even a paragraph break. So I did need my wits about me. Set in Bradford there was a good sense of time and place. All in all 4 stars.

I really like this series and main characters.  I have to admit though that, having read a lot of crime novels, it would be worrying if all police officers had the kind of issues portrayed - maybe I'm naive!?
Liz Mistry doesn't hold back so the descriptions are quite gruesome at times but for me that just makes it more real.  Another good read!

Unfortunately not for me. The story sounded great, but I found it difficult to get into.  I haven't read the first one in this series so maybe that was a problem.  I ended up finishing it  as I felt that the publisher had given me an ARC and it would be unfair not to.  Reading other reviews, I am obviously in the minority as most readers enjoyed it.

This is the second book in the series featuring DS Nikki Parekh and DS Sajid Malik. I hadn’t read the first book and certainly wished I had as I was completely hooked on this book, it gripped me right from the start and I couldn’t put it down.  I did enjoy reading it as a stand-alone but really felt that I had missed out on the background of Nikki and the events that had happened in the first book.  This book opens with one of Nikki’s colleagues, who she doesn’t get on with, DS Felicity Springer going missing.  She was driving home and started following a van which had a suspicious arm hanging out of the back. She crashed into the back of the van and when Nikki and Sajid got to the scene she had disappeared.  As well as trying to solve DS Springer’s disappearance, there also seems quite a lot of unrest going on in Bradford and also a number of murders.  Nikki and her team are then thrown into a dangerous investigation into Bradford’s underworld.  There appears to be links to prostitution, drug dealing and modern day slavery, all organised by one man.  Can Nikki, Sajid and their team track him down and will they find DS Springer alive?  This book is full of suspense and drama with an action packed ending.  I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley the publisher and author for this ARC.  

This is the second book of the DS Parekh series.   I thought it got off to a great start when a work colleague of DS Parekh goes missing after seeing something suspicious.   DS Parekh and her team investigate this along with a number of murders.   I really enjoyed this book which takes place several months after the first one.  Nikki is growing on me as a character - she is very likeable and I loved reading of her working rapport and friendship with her DC.  I thought the book was very well written, the plot line current and the story incredibly fast paced.    There were lots of twists, most I didn’t expect which for me added to the thrill of reading this book.   I had no idea of who the main culprit was and was shocked with the end reveal.  Overall, a great and thrilling read which had my attention from the first chapter to the last.  Can’t wait for the next book in series

I received my Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. 
This is the 2nd in the series and I had not read the first.
Nikki And Saj from Bradford Police Force dealing with daily bodies appearing over the city as well as one of their own missing.
Very likeable characters with their own stories going on alongside the main story.
Easy to read and quite a page turner.
Looking forward to reading the 1st one now while I wait for the 3rd!!

DS Felicity was missing and it was up to DS Nikki Parekh and Sajid Mailk to find Felicity and the secrets she was hiding.

My second book by this author, the core story had murders and slavery at the backdrop. With body count rising and a cop missing, Nikki and Saj had to work fast to get to the truth. The story was fast paced, the writing crisp. Pages turned almost continually on my need to get to the truth. 

Nikki was gutsy and quite frank in her repartee. She was a kick-ass heroine who got results. My eyes were drawn to her and it was she who compelled me to read it at one go.

A fun read, though a difficult topic of human trafficking

I received an ebook Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Broken Silence is book 2 in the DS Nikita Parekh series.  I have not read book 1, nor any other books by this author, but I felt like I could get into the characters of the book and the setting well enough to follow along without having read the first book.  I do suspect, though, that it might be more enjoyable to read the books in order, so I'll be looking for book 1 in this series.

I enjoyed the character of DS Parekh and her take-charge/put up with nothing from no one attitude, but found some of her inner dialog a bit off.  And the small police force handling such a large case seemed a bit odd to me, too, but maybe that is because I am reading this as an American, not familiar with other countries police forces.  

I found the book to be captivating and exciting, I wanted to see what would happen next, and I will look for Ms Mistry's next books.!