Peggy Dyson was in her sixties and hadn't worn well. She was a drug addict and was living under the arches in Forster Square Station in Bradford. Her killer thought that he was probably doing her a favour by putting her out of her misery. DS Nikki Parekh and DC Sajid Malik are on the case. Nikki can't quite understand why she's been sent an anonymous letter with a press report of the death. It had been impossible to make any progress in the case and the note seemed to taunt the police. Then another note arrived with a report of a seemingly unconnected death in Cambridge. The third death - in the street where Nikki lived as a child - brought another communication, with a further clue under the victim - and Nikki was sure that there was something personal in the case.

Nikki's childhood had been far from happy. Her biological father was Freddie Downey but Nikki preferred to think of him as nothing more than a sperm donor. She still bore the scars of his attacks. Her mother, Lalita, had finally plucked up the courage to get her two children, Nikkita and Annika, and herself out of the Downey home and to a place of safety. Downey had gone to prison for what he had done to the three of them but not for long enough in Nikki's view and as an adult, she'd had a private investigator keep an eye on Downey to ensure that he could not threaten the family again. But now everything suggested that Downey was back in Bradford.

In this part of the West Riding, Bradford has always seemed like the poor cousin of the more prosperous city of Leeds, but in Dark Memories Liz Mistry gives us a rich tapestry of what the city is really like - and, boy, does she bring it to life. There's a splendid mixture of ethnicities and wonderfully-supportive communities: I worked there for many years and Mistry has it perfectly. You'll be able to walk the street with DS Parekh. You'll smell the curry houses for which it's so rightly famous. In this series, the city is very much a character in its own right.

The characterization is good: I loved Nikki's family. It felt as though it was drawn from personal experience. Mistry herself was born in Scotland but came to Bradford to study for a teaching degree. Her husband is Indian and she's now part of a bustling, extended family. Nikki Parekh is mixed race and married to Marcus, a landscape gardener. It's a community where race and colour seem not to matter: I was quietly envious.

The plot is excellent. I couldn't see where it was going at first or how the police could establish the identity of the killer. Mistry does confusion well and you have to concentrate to follow how the case is resolved - and it certainly wasn't how I was expecting. I'd like to thank the publishers for making a copy available to the Bookbag. You could read it as a standalone but you wold get more out of it if you've read earlier books in the series.

Another stonking great read in this fab series' This time it's personal as DS Nikita and her family are being stalked by a serial killer.

The plot is complex, but the book is fast paced and tense as the team hunt for the killer. We see a lot of Nikki's family in this book, and I really feel like I know them all personally. The book is sometimes difficult to read, dealing with paedophilia and abuse, but it is dealt with sympathetically.

Nikki is a fabulous, flawed but very realistic protagonist. I love the banter she has with her work partner, Saj. I might even love Nikki more than I love Gus McGuire from Liz's other series!

There is also some sadness in this book, so be warned and have the hankies ready.

Can't wait for number 4!

I love this series, and this latest book did not disappoint. Story is capturing from the start, and kept me hooked throughout. Have to say this time some of the subject matter was a little hard to read, but Liz Mistry's writing is awesome.
Nikki and Saj are teamed up to find a killer. As the bodies pile up, so does the mystery.
While part of a series, can be read as a standalone easily.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is another great, fast paced thriller from Liz Mistry. Nikki and Saj are a great team and I love the dialogue between them. The subject matter is dark, characterisation is good and there is a perfect ending! I highly recommend this series. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC
This is the first Nikki Parekh book I've read and it won't be the last. Hooked from the very beginning and the fast pace was maintained. Hard to read sometimes but an absolute cracking story. Really liking Nikki as a character. Well written and very well crafted characters and plot

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: sexual abuse, child abuse

This is the third book in the DS Nikki Pareks series, and the second one that I've read. I enjoy the main characters, Nikki and Sajid, and this was a fast-moving police procedural. Readers should be aware that the content of this book deals with child sex abuse and domestic violence. It is not graphic. This was a well-plotted mystery, but I could have done without the chapters from the killer's POV; they were kind of weird and not well-written in my opinion.

Overall, 3 stars because I liked the story and like the characters. I enjoy British procedurals, and I appreciate the diversity Mistry brings to her characters.

Overall 4.5*
Although the third book in the series, it reads well as a stand alone too as Liz gives any relevant detail where necessary. Featuring DS Nikki Parekh and DS Sajid Malik nad based around Bradford, it starts off with the murder of a down and out woman, one who is known to Nikki from her childhood. She then starts to receive newspaper cuttings and diary excerpts leading her to another murder in Manchester which initially seems to have no relevance to theirs until yet another body is found.
The story throughout highlights both adult and child abuse in all formats and the long term affects which this has plus delving into Nikki's own abusive past. Fast paced and for all the content, it is not too graphic as Liz relies on her readers' imagination to fill that in. I've not read the first two books however I would now like to go back to the beginning!
Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the ARC to review.

Another great book from Liz Mistry.
DS Nikki Parekh and DC Sajid Malik have their hands full with lots of murders in this gripping crime thriller.
This story is closer to home for Nikki who begins to suspect that a number of murders are connected when she starts receiving newspaper clippings in the post after the first two deaths.
When the third murder happens on the street she grew up on, she realises they all link to the past.
We find out about Nikki's childhood in this book and it’s difficult to read at times.
I love the relationship between Nikki and Saj and their banter made me smile.
This is a gripping crime thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow! Fantastic, just mind blowing. The third DS Nikki Parekh book is even better than the first two. The familiar and much loved characters really go though the mill in this one, it had me sobbing. I love this series.

Book 3 in the Nikki Parekh series and omg it's a cracker!

The plot is very dark and at times harrowing. I'm an emotional wreck now.

I absolutely love the relationship between Nikki and Saj and I can't wait to read the next one.

When the body of Peggy Dyson, a homeless woman is found under Bradford’s railway arches, 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. This time on Nikki’s old street, opposite the house she used to live in as a child. And there’s another message… underneath the victim’s body. With nothing but the notes to connect the murders, Nikki must revisit the traumatic events of her childhood to work out her connection to the investigation.
This is the third book in the series & could easily be read on its own. I found it to be a very well written book but a light read it isn’t & it took me a few days to read it as I needed to walk away from it at times but was compelled to go back & finish it. This book also explores Nikki’s childhood & we learn about what made her the woman she is today & my admiration for her grew in leaps & bounds. A gritty powerful read
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Fantastic read. I have been completely unable to put this one down. I cannot wait to read more by this author.
Full review to follow on publication.

Having read a previous book by Liz Mistry I was looking forward to this and wasn't disappointed. I live in West Yorkshire so like knowing where some of the places are which adds to the enjoyment. I find her writing engaging and the book a page turner.

If you thought the others were good, this is the best yet! This book delves deep into the lives and the past of Nikki and her family and as the title tells you it’s full of dark memories. It gives you more an insight into her life and what shaped her.

Nikki is one ballsy lady and even her past experiences don’t stop her from doing what she does best and that’s catching criminals.

I really felt for Nikki and her family, I don’t know how people recover from that sort of trauma (without saying too much) and remain level headed. I’d want to kill them myself!

All the characters in the book are likeable, Saj with his endless supply of linen handkerchiefs made me laugh, and Archie is a good boss too. All the team work well together.

The book continues at a cracking pace, and I was a bit shocked at the end. I hope Liz will continue with Nikki (think she’s my favourite now - Gus is second!) and we can see what happens to her and the family in the future. Please bring her back.

My thanks to Liz, the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

An enjoyable, fast paced police procedural that looks at the long term effects of childhood trauma. Without ever going into gory details Liz manages to convey the horror that stays with a child for the rest of their life after suffering from abuse at the hands of someone who ought to have been a loving protective presence. She explores why some people are resilient and determined to treat the next generation with love and respect while others are so badly damaged they can do nothing but repeat the cycle of abuse and harm.

There was a lot to like about this book and I would happily recommend it, however I found the formatting strange, this might just be because I read an ARC, but occasional the viewpoint would change from one person to another, even one place to another, in the middle of a paragraph without any indication it was about to happen. A couple of times I had to reread a few sentences to make certain I knew who was actually centre stage at any particular point.

While I found the style annoying the story itself was compelling enough for me to continue to read and enjoy right through to the end.

Dark Memories is a very dark gritty Police Procedural,DS Nikita Parekh is back ,I have read the other two books in the series so was delighted to be given the chance to read this new book and I wasn't disappointed .This is a story of domestic abuse,child abuse,revenge and murder.Nikki has an abusive past and when a woman is found murdered and she realises that she and her Family know the murder victim the case suddenly becomes personal.I enjoyed the relationship Nikki and her sidekick Sajid have and I love Archie .All the characters are very realistic and believable .A very exciting read ,I look forward to reading the next book in the series .Many thanks to the Publishe ,the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

Having absolutely loved the previous book in this series, 'Broken Silence', I was very pleased to be able to read 'Dark Memories' before its publication date. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in the (so far) excellent crime series featuring DS Nikki Parekh and DC Sajid Malik who work in Bradford. The last book was dark, gritty and so compelling so this one had a lot to live up to!

And it absolutely delivers. This story is closer to home for Nikki who begins to suspect that a number of murders are connected when she starts receiving newspaper clippings in the post from an anonymous sender. When the third murder is on the street she grew up on, she makes connections that link her past to the current horrors unfolding in Bradford.

Without wanting to give any spoilers, it is worth noting that Nikki's childhood was not a happy one and this book touches on lots of hard-hitting issues. Regular readers will expect this of Mistry (whose last book tackled the grim world of people-smuggling), but I thought was worth mentioning for new readers.

One of the strengths of the novel is the relationship between Nikki and Sajid. Both are happily in relationships elsewhere (so it isn't that kind of will-they-won't-they scenario for so many reasons!), but their friendship is warm and genuine. There is lots of good-natured teasing between them that readers will recognise as being part of an intense working relationship. However, Saj is also really supportive when the truth about Nikki's past comes out and this proves to be a positive in a book that otherwise would be extremely dark. Similarly, Nikki's partner and children are also lovely - while the revelations about her past are sad and awful, she has the support network around her.

Another strength for me was the detail in the way the investigation was carried out. I love police procedurals, although I can't claim to be an expert, and this felt realistic and methodical. There was a sense of the police being clueless at times and having to undertake lots of boring work in order to make any progress which felt real. That's absolutely not to say it was boring to read though! Mistry manages the pace of the novel well - there are moments of high tension as well as more measured investigations.

As already mentioned, the themes are gritty and Bradford's streets are populated with some awful people! As excellent as the plotting and characterisation is, I did find the grimness a bit of a challenge at times, especially the investigation involving children.

Overall, this is a tightly-plotted and tense police procedural. The fact that Nikki is surrounded by love and support helped to temper the dark themes a little and I'll admit I raced through this to find out what happened!

Another engaging instalment in this series with Nikki's childhood being revealed in a horrible case of historic child abuse and Kurds linked to the past. The book sees the return of several characters and would read better as part of the series as previous books are referred to regularly

The clue is in the title. The discovery of a body close to where lead detective Nikki grew up brings back childhood memories she has been hoping never to have to face again. Then there are three bodies and it becomes clear that the perpetrator was a close relative she wants to forget about. The relationship between Nikki and her trusted professional partner Saj is well drawn and adds moments of humour to the story. Once started, this is a compelling read not least because of the dark and emotional issues it deals with. The reader must pay attention too as it moves from place to place and from character to character without any warning. There are many themes to the story and many characters requiring close attention but all rewarded with a satisfying if partially sad conclusion. The location in the north of England, mainly Bradford, works well too. This is an important book because of the issues it deals with and a compelling read. I recommend it.

Dark Memories is the latest book in the DS Nikki Parekh series by Liz Mistry and it is another excellent read.

Accompanied by her trusty partner DC Sajid Malik the case they investigate proves to be very personal for Parekh as some childhood memories are reopened and family issues brought into focus.

The author provides a good balance between work and home life that helps push the narrative along and keeps the pages turning

Definitely recommended