Fantastic, this series just keeps getting better. It had me gripped from the start, with a rollercoaster of emotions I laughed and cried......I think it's my favourite book of the series. I look forward to reading the next book.

DS Nikki Parekh and DC Sajid Malik have just been given a new case: a homeless woman has been found dead under Bradford’s railway arches - but with nothing to go on. This is the start of a harrowing and gruesome case involving two other murders seemingly unrelated.

Ms Mistry does not shy away from any scenario in the descriptions of each crime. Whilst this book is basically a police procedural one, she writes brilliantly about revenge, love, family and abusive relationships,

I do not usually commend any prologue in a book but Ms Mistry uses it to really set the scene well. As does the book cover.

I had not read the previous books in the series and sometimes found it difficult to deal with some references. Looks like another one due in the series?

Note to all authors - please can we have less of the abusive father storylines? These are too prevalent now.

Thanks to Net Galley and HQ Digital for the chance to read and review.

I was excited to read this latest Nikki Parehk and it did not disappoint. Right from the start the story pulls you in. Nikki and her team are trying to link 3 murders after Nikki has been sent some anonymous 'clues'. Suddenly she finds her past catching up with her, and realises this is personal and dangerous to her family. This is a real page turner, though you need a strong stomach at times. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

I am in two minds about this book. I agree with other reviewrs that it is very well written and plotted but there are scenes which are very hard to read, dealing as they do with child abuse and domestic violence. Some of the story is told from the perspective of the killer and these seem to me to be just dwelling too much on the darkness in his head. I was compelled to read to the end but ultimately it left me feeling unsettled and depressed. So, very good but I won't be reading any of her other books.

I really enjoyed reading 'Last Request' and 'Broken Silence', the first two books featuring DS Nikita Parekh , I am looking forward to reading this, my third Liz Mistry novel.

The story begins with a haunting prologue, the significance of which unfolds in an extremely distasteful manner, as the narrative unfolds. I won't go into any detail about the subject matter of this case for Nikki Parekh and her team. To do so would spoil the theme which underpins this book.

Whilst this book rates highly on it's own merits, I think that it would be helpful to read these books in order if you can. Liz Mistry, has created a plethora of intriguing characters, which are well-crafted and help to add to the fast-moving plots.

As with the previous novels, there are some dark and disturbing themes within this book. Both in terms of the crimes, but also the social and cultural attitudes of different groups within society.

I like the way that the reader is kept guessing right up until the end, to find out whether the main suspect will be apprehended. The strength of this story is definitely the constantly changing pace of the investigation. There is certainly scope for at least one more novel in this series.

Once again I give my thanks to Netgalley and HQ Digital for an advance copy in exchange for this review. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

This is book three in the DS Nikki Parekh series, it can be read as a standalone but I would recommend reading the earlier books for the back story.

This is a very well written and compelling read with well drawn characters. It is a dark story that covers domestic abuse and child abuse but not in grisly detail.

Fans of police procedures will enjoy this book, I highly recommend it and am looking forward to reading more in the series.

Dark Memories by Liz Mistry, the third book in the DC Nikki Parekh series, is a fast-paced and nail-bitingly tense crime story.
Last year I reviewed Broken Silence (the 2nd book in the series), a gripping and taut Northern Noir thriller. As soon as I saw that the next book in the series was available for reviewing, I knew I had to read it.
Liz Mistry doesn't shy away from the darker side of crime in her stories. Dark Memories has scenes which are very hard to read.
There are potential triggers in this book - such as child abuse, domestic violence, murder.

We observe the plotline unfolding from different perspectives: we watch Nikki and her team conduct the investigation.
Alongside it, the story is being told from the perspective of the killer. We're inside his head, and while we might not be complicit, it feels distressingly voyeuristic.

Dark Memories is a tough, edgy, uncompromising and thoroughly absorbing thriller. I cannot wait for Nikki's next adventure.

Lock the doors and find a comfortable place behind the sofa because Liz Mistry is back with a terrifying new serial killer chiller: Dark Memories.

DS Nikki Parekh and DC Sajid Malik have just been assigned a new case: a homeless woman has been found dead under Bradford’s railway arches. Unfortunately, with no clues and no leads to go on, it looks like Nikki is going to have quite a challenge on her hands trying to get to the bottom of this mystery. This case is already complicated enough so the last thing Nikki and Sajid need is further upheaval and obstruction, but Nikki cannot help but wonder why somebody had gone to all the trouble of sending her a clipping from a newspaper taunting her lack of progress. When another body is found, Nikki thinks the two cases are unrelated – until she discovers yet another note. Could these two cases be linked? And could Nikki be the missing link that connects the two cases? When another body is found on Nikki’s old street, she realises that she can no longer deny the truth and that the key to solving this mystery lies in visiting horrific old memories of her childhood that she has tried her hardest to suppress.

As Nikki reluctantly finds herself revisiting dark memories she has spent a lifetime running away from, will she find the strength and courage to dig deep within herself to find this twisted killer? Or should some memories be kept dead and buried?

Tense, gritty and sinister, Liz Mistry’s Dark Memories is a top-notch police procedural that is not for the faint-hearted. Dark Memories is not only a heart-pounding thriller that will have you chewing your nails to the elbow, but it is also an emotional and heart-wrenching drama as Nikki finds herself facing her past demons and trying to put old ghosts to rest.

A superb police procedural you won’t be able to put down, Liz Mistry’s latest DS Nikki Parekh novel Dark Memories is another winner fans of Angela Marsons and Rachel Abbott will not want to miss.

This is a dark and twisted read, full of mystery and very interesting characters that will keep any reader addicted to the story, believe me. This is the 3rd book of the DS Nikita Parekh series, you can read it as standalone, but once you enter Nikki’s world it would be impossible to stop.
Looking from the point of a detective it has not been easy trying to investigate a serial killer, without knowing the motive of the killings or who will be next. So, when Nikki starts receiving threatening letters of the case, she starts wondering if she has a personal link to the case.
This is a race against the clock, where the past of Nikki will be revealed, sharing with us her difficult childhood and how she had surpassed all her fears becoming a very brave and remarkable detective. Sometimes it will not be easy to read, but it makes you discover the real Nikki, the darkness she hides from everyone but it’s always there, inside of her.
The case is interesting, but what keeps you reading is the characters, Nikki and her partner DC Sajid Malik, they trust each other, but what’s more important they have each other’s backs, and in this book it will be the most important thing, because you can have friends, but not everyone will poke you for good.
I have to say I loved this book and I really can’t wait to read the new case with these two inspiring detectives, they make the police real and trustworthy.
Ready for some “Dark Memories”?

This series is getting better and better. I love how the author is allowing Nikita to grow. In this story we learn more about her tragic back-story. The mystery has it all child abuse and murder and multiple suspects. And it all ties back to Nikita's past forcing her and her family to address some family secrets.
I was given a copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

'Dark Memories' by Liz Mistry is the third book in the Detective Nikki Parekh series, set in Bradford, Yorkshire. I have always enjoyed Liz Mistry's books and this series is no exception. In fact the previous books in the series have been excellent and I always wonder when I have finished the last book how Liz can top that particular book. Well, just let me tell you...she can and she does!
This story starts with a homeless woman being discovered murdered in a popular sleeping place under the arches of Bradfords railway. Ds Nikki Parekh and her partner DC Sajid Malik begin to investigate. At the same time she receives an anonymous message which drags things up from her past that she has been trying to put behind her.
A death hundreds of miles away results in Nikki receiving yet another message and Nikki doesn't have time to tell Sajid as they receive a callout to a street and a house that are inextricably linked to her horrific childhood she realises that the deaths are all connected to her past. She knows her family is in danger and that the truth needs to be told.
Her past has been kept in the past, only the people who were there to witness it know about it. As Nikki prepares to unleash her truth to everyone her worries from the past rise back to the surface and she knows this situation will get so much worse before it can be put back where it belongs...in the past. Will she be able to face the massive challenges never mind the consequences in her life and career to put everything behind her?
This book delves in Nikki's past like never before and it gives us more of an insight into her life and how her past has shaoed her into the woman and copper she has become. She is definitely a strong woman as none of what has happened to her stops her from doing her job to her best abilities.
Liz Mistry has an inbuilt skill to bring to the fore a delicate topic and highlight it in a way that it is emotional, touching and with such sensitivity that you will definitely be needing tissues close at hand. She has a knack of creating characters that feel like they are someone you really do know and the way she writes about the city creates a picture so clear that you could almost be part of the story.
Always a thrilling read a Liz Mistry book but this one is definitely true to it's title 'Dark Memories'. The depth of the darkness took me on an emotional journey alongside Nikki Parekh and the many twists had me turning them pages like never before! A exceptional addition to the series! I loved it.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, HQ and NetGalley for my place on the tour and my copy of the book.

This is another fantastic book by Liz Mistry. In this book we get more of Nikki’s history and childhood and a better understanding of her as a person as well as more police investigations.

It starts off slow and with lots of questions and almost no answers. One death and no leads isn’t what police want at all. And then there’s another death, which makes even less sense and again has no leads and lots of questions. But, as the story progresses and Nikki and her team investigate, we soon start to see threads connecting and things hinting at coming together. The story builds nicely from the start I mentioned, and continues to ramp the tension up as it progresses. It drew me in slowly so I didn’t realise it at first but once the second murder investigation started I was completely hooked and wanting answers as much as Nikki and her team did.

If it’s not already clear, I really enjoyed this book. Again we get to see Nikki’s work and home life and how they both impact on her. Much as I love police procedurals and am quite happy to see as little of the detectives home life as possible, I also really enjoy the balance in these books. It’s like being a fly on the wall, watching all aspects of Nikki’s life rather than getting a one-sided view with just police work only and nothing else. Added to that we also get her thoughts and feelings and it makes her whole character come to life really well. Aside from the fact I live nowhere near Bradford I wouldn’t be surprised to see her walk down my street, she’s that real to me.

I’m loving this series so far and am hoping for a fourth book in the not too distant future. It’s taking me out of my usual reads and comfort zone which is brilliant. Finding a series with a strong female lead who has a different background and ethnicity to me has been an excellent way to expand what I read, and I’m really glad I found these excellent books.

Dark Memories is the third book in the DS Nikita Parekh series, and having read the previous one, there was no way I could pass on this one. As expected, it is a thrilling story of murders that all link back to Nikki’s (DS Nikita Parekh) childhood and features a chilling look at child and domestic abuse.

This case is more personal for Nikki as she has to face up to the horrors of her past and also share what happened to her with her children and her work colleagues. Her stoicism and sheer strength are to be admired – she is nobody’s victim.

Linking the murders to letters personally addressed to her, she soon realises her abusive father is back in town. As a result of her connection to the deaths, she cannot head the investigation team and the reins are handed over to her nemesis – Felicity Springer – which only adds more conflict (but wonderfully so!) As always, her partner Saj has got her back, and even when the grimmest events unfold, he is there to keep Nikki informed.

Solving the case picks up pace dramatically towards the end and it’s a real screen-scroller that kept me reading right until THAT ending! (Oh my – no spoilers – but there is some unfinished business come the end)

As i received an ARC, I did find the formatting made it difficult to follow in parts as the point-of-view characters ran on from each other with no clear separation, meaning I had to reread the odd passage just to get it clear in my head who the scene was about. Once I got a handle on that strange formatting, it became less problematic but clearly something I hope was sorted prior to publication.

It’s an entertaining and gripping story, and one I’d recommend to fans of fast-paced thrillers / police procedurals.

Dark Memories is the third book in the DS Nikita Parekh series- I had not read the previous two before reading this and I don’t feel it entirely necessary to do so as anything that crops up from a previous novel has a brief and to the point explanation (could be an eye role inducing recap if you’re very familiar with the series, but as a newbie and someone who usually forgets previous novel plots, I found it perfect).

So how did I find reading book 3? It was so good!

I really enjoyed the close working relationship between Nikki and Saj and their interactions usually bought the right amount of comic relief at the most perfect of times.

Mistry has approached a sensitive and harrowing subject with a compassion that you can only gain from in-depth research and a great deal of insight, which could possibly have been gained over years of teaching at an inner-city school (teachers are exposed to more than you think). I feel utterly compelled to read the previous two Nikki Parekh novels as well as Mistry’s previous series of crime thrillers.

This is a gritty, noir crime series which immerses the reader in a dangerous urban world. D.S. Nikki Parekh is believable and easy to like. The distinction between personal and professional events is an important theme. The characters are relatable and vibrant and bring the twisty plot to life.

This is a poignant story highlighting the future damage of abuse and social deprivation for people. The setting is authentically urban and vividly described. Despite disturbing issues, there is a balance of good and evil which makes this absorbing reading.

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

As a child DS Nikki Parekh and her family had been terrorised by Freddie Downey - their father and an abusive partner to their mother. Years later they all suffer but Downey has been jailed and then settled miles away, Nikki knows because she has him monitored. Now people are being murdered, people connected with that previous life, and someone is sending Nikki excerpts from a diary of abuse. The one incongruity is that one of the victims is a research student from Cambridge, not linked to the past at all, but there must be a link.
I hadn't read the previous books in the series so found it difficult to deal with the references to previous cases etc. However this is a gripping thriller. Obviously the Bradford setting had me from the start but, despite the very dark theme matter, this is well-plotted and exciting police procedural

Gosh, what a very different but enthralling series this continues to be!  DS Nikki Parekh lives and works in the Bradford police force. Her childhood was horrendous with an abusive father from whom she escaped with her Mum and younger sister. She's put that all behind her to become a respected member of the police force but someone from her past is sending her cuttings and messages . . . and people she once knew are being killed. Can she discover who the perpetrator is before more folks are killed?

This is a real page-turner, an emotive and entertaining read in which people and events from Nikki's past are impinging on her job and life now. It is a moving, powerful read, showing aspects of the impact of abuse on the victims for years to come, whilst still being an brilliant police procedural and crime thriller. The portrayal of the people, their interactions and feelings are superbly written, bringing them to life as you read. There are twists galore to keep you guessing right to the end. I have absolutely no hesitation in highly recommending this superb addition to this brilliant series and the earlier books in the series, too.

Thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

Very complex thriller with lots of different threads which made for compulsive reading. Excellent characters with realistic interactions and In depth police procedural sections.. Very sad at times but a good , partial conclusion with some closure.

#DarkMemories #NetGalley
A suspensful novel.
DS Nikki Parekh and her trusty partner DC Sajid Malik are on the case.With little evidence, it’s impossible to make a breakthrough, and when Nikki receives a newspaper clipping taunting her about her lack of progress in catching the killer, she wonders if she has a personal link to the case.When another seemingly unrelated body is discovered, Nikki receives another note. Someone is clearly trying to send her clues… but who?And then a third body is found.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advanced copy.

I have been a fan of Liz’s work for a little while now. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed each and every book that she has released to date. ‘Dark Memories’ is Liz’s latest release and it is the third book in the bestselling series featuring Detective Sergeant Nikki Parekh. ‘Dark Memories’ is another corker of a read, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more about that in a bit.
I love the character of Nikki Parekh and I have started to think of her as a friend. Nikki is a dedicated police officer with many years of experience behind her. She has been known to bend the rules slightly during the course of an investigation but she does so with the best of intentions. Nikki is well thought of at work and she shares an especially close relationship with her work partner DC Sajid Malik. They are friends as well as colleagues. As well as being a dedicated police officer, she is also a wife and a mother. Often her work intrudes into her personal life and vice versa. Nikki occasionally feels as though she is being pulled in opposite directions. Nikki has a bit of a strained relationship with her mother at times. This latest case brings Nikki’s work and home life crashing together. What happens? Well for the answer to that question and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out.
It took me no time at all to get into this story. In fact the synopsis was enough to grab my attention and as soon as I started to read, well that was it- nothing else was getting done until I had finished reading this amazing book. That’s exactly what happened too. I became so wrapped up in the story that I managed to shut out all other distractions and focus solely on the book itself. I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. At one point, the pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves. I think part of my addiction to the story was the fact that I liked Nikki’s character so much that I had to keep reading to find out what happened to her and if she managed to solve the case. All too quickly I reached the end of the story and I had to bid farewell to Nikki and her team.
‘Dark Memories’ is brilliantly written but then I have thought that to be true of all of Liz’s books to date. She certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draws you into the story. For me, the story started with a bang and maintained a fast pace throughout. Reading ‘Dark Memories’ felt like being on one hell of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with many twists and turns along the way. Just when you thought that you could take a minute to catch your breath, reclaim your stomach and gather your thoughts then off the action would go again. I felt as though I was part of this story and that’s all thanks to Liz’s very vivid and very realistic storytelling.
In short, I absolutely loved reading ‘Dark Memories’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. For me, the series featuring DS Nikki Parekh goes from strength to strength. I look forward to reading much more of Liz’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.