I almost gave up on this early on when Parekh was cracking up early on but I'm glad I didn't. I really like this group of characters, but it's hard to see where it can go next. Somewhat unbelievable in places but a real page turner.

After a series of machete attacks leave a number of people dead , D.I. Nikki Parekh returns to work after a breakdown. She is under the care of a psychotherapist , Dr. Mallory , who is not convinced she is ready so soon. The few clues they have point to the fact that these are possibly "honour" killings for various reasons but all family members of the victims have solid alibis. Schoolchildren are being paid to keep an eye on people who may be going against traditional customs (The Eyes) . After the son of Nikki's friend Ali goes missing Ali gets involved and rescues his son . Everything leads to someone called "The Fixer" who is contacted on the dark web and arranges the murders . Can Nikki and her partner Saj find out who the Fixer is before any further killings take place? A well written exciting story set in Bradford .

This is book number 4 featuring DS Nikki Parekh and the first that I have read. Set in Bradford the main character is a strong female lead (similar but different to the brilliant Kim Stone created by Angela Marsons) and there is a lot going on. I was able to read and enjoy as a standalone but feel that having read the other 3 (Last Request, Broken Silence and Dark Memories) I would have got more satisfaction out of this.

A few of the ingredients that make up this book (list is not complete) - machete killings, racism, kidnapping, the dark web, an unknown criminal mastermind, misogyny, homophobia, ruthless political ambition, contract killings, honour crimes, a breakdown of the main character and a cast of many, many characters. No one can accuse this book of being shallow and at times there was almost too much going on. The story ends with a clear indication that there is much more to come from Mistry and her creation DS Parekh

Overall I enjoyed this and would give the story 3.5 out of 5 (rounded up to 4).

Would I read something by this author again - probably.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an impartial review.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ for the electronic copy.

This is Book#4 in the series and I hadn't read the previous ones. Although it is readable as a standalone I think reading in sequence would give a better understanding of the main characters' backgrounds.

Set around Bradford where a spate of machete attacks are taking place, initially targeting Asian youths; DS Nikki Parekh and DC Sajid Malik are called to the edge of a reservoir where the mutilated body of a young Asian man has been discovered. Nikki's mental health is unstable since the death of her mother a few weeks previously and she mistakenly thinks the body is that of her Nephew. She's sent home on sick leave; DI Zain Ahad is drafted in to take over, and Sajid keeps Nikki informed of their progress.
Another body is found and this time it is a white youth; then another Asian youth goes missing. Community officers try to get the youth of the area to talk, but they won't. Only when Nikki's Nephew starts to open up it seems there is something going on in the surrounding schools - all to do with inter-racial relationships. However, all the victims appear to have nothing to link them and, unusually, their family members all have rock solid alibis.
What exactly is going on?

This is a contemporary storyline, with a major twist. However, I did find it rather hard-going - there are just so many characters to get to grips with - sisters, brothers, cousins and uncles, It was a bit overwhelming.

I've not read any books by Liz Mistry before and was not aware that this was the fourth in a series but was happy to find, apart from a few references to previous events, that it works well as a stand alone. The story is intense and involves some strong cultural and racial issues.
It starts as DS Nikki Parekh and DC Sajid Malik at a crime scene - the latest in a series of a machete attacks on Asian youths. Parekh, who has mental health issues (this is held over from previous books) believe the victim to be her nephew and contaminates the crime scene resulting in her being put on sick leave.
A new detective arrives at the station to help the work load while Nikki is off. Sajid does not much take to him and keeps Nikki in touch with what is going on. Nikki is in therapy with Dr Mallory, as required by the police before she can return to duty.
Meanwhile an old friend, Ali Khan's son, Maz, is abducted and his ears is sent to his parents. Ali asks Nikki for help, which she gives, along side the official police enquiry. As she and Sajid find out more about what has been happening in their city it becomes clear that the young people in the town are living in fear as someone is enforcing extremist rules upon communities and terrorising them into submission.
The story is told mainly from Nikki's view point, although we do have insights into the actions of The Fixer, the overall player in this, who is pulling the strings and deciding who will live and who will die. The intentions and purposes of the players are well investigated and meaningful and the characters of Nikki and Sajid are well drawn, both of them coming across as very human and very real, and touched by the same concerns and anxieties as everyone else.
Some of the issues dealt with are very real and the interaction between different cultures is well handled. It all makes an excellent crime read, but probably best is the way Liz Mistry handles the pace of the book, revealing just enough to keep the reader continuously guessing throughout.
Very enjoyable and I will happily look for more books by this author. With many thanks to Netgalley and HQ Stories for a chance to read an arc.

A powerful storyline. This is the fourth Nikki Parekh mystery and once again Liz Mistry has written a brilliant, multi layered book which covers the main investigation and so much more in a shocking and thrilling way. Through the main protagonists however, there is also a caring and hopeful response to the victims and those unintentionally caught up in this compelling storyline.

It's the second book I read by this author and I love it as much as I loved the previous one.
A twisty, gripping, and compelling plot that kept me hooked and on the edge.
Good character development, a solid plot that surprised me till the end.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

After DS Nikki Parekh suffers a very public breakdown at a crime scene, she is forced to seek medical help from the flamboyant Dr Mallory, whose sessions help Nikki find herself again. But as she starts to recover, she gets pulled back into the murder cases - all seemingly unconnected apart from the machetes used in each case. Will she help or hinder the investigation?

Based in Bradford, Blood Games deals with so-called ‘honour killings’ of teenagers, with the mysterious Fixer using his army of Eyes to carry out the attacks, I did feel the story lost its way a little in the middle, in the run up to the vigil, but then it came back with a bang for the ending. I had worked out the identity of the Fixer before it was revealed, but not early enough to ruin the suspense. With a strong cast of characters and an intriguing plot, this was a great book to read.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

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Blood Games
(DS Nikki Parekh #4)
by Liz Mistry (Goodreads Author)
4.42 · Rating details · 124 ratings · 77 reviews
THREE MURDERS. ONE MISSING BOY. THE GAME IS JUST BEGINNING…

When a body is found at the edge of Chellow Dene reservoir Detective Nikki Parekh and DC Sajid Malik are quick to arrive.

This is the third murder in the space of a few weeks. Each murder has a completely different MO, but there is one common theme… all the victims are teenagers. The dead boy reminds Nikki of her n ...more
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Kindle Edition, 417 pages
Published January 26th 2022
ASINB09MN1526W
SeriesDS Nikki Parekh #4
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Blood Games (Nikki Parekh #4)
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January 28, 2022 – Finished Reading2 Show more
Review I have been a fan of Liz’s work for a while now. I simply love her books and DI Gus McGuire (a different series to the one featuring Nikki Parekh) and DS Nikki Parekh are two of my all time favourite characters. When I heard that Liz was due to release another book in the Nikki Parekh series, I just knew that I had to read it as soon as I could. Well ladies and gents, the wait is over because the fourth book in the DS Nikki Parekh series is called ‘Blood Games’ and it was released in e-book format on 22nd January 2022 with the paperback to follow on 31st March 2022. I loved reading ‘Blood Games’ but more about that in a bit.
I love the character of DS Nikki Parekh and it didn’t take long to feel as though I had been reunited with an old friend. ‘Blood Games’ sees a different Nikki in the sense that she isn’t in the best place mentally and she is in a vulnerable state, which isn’t surprising when you consider what she has been through of late and what she continues to go through. I felt a great deal of empathy towards her because I ended up having a breakdown at work so to a degree I knew what she was going through. I found that I kept wanting to jump inside the pages of the book to give her a huge hug and reassure her. Nikki is one tough cookie though and you can’t keep her down. Nikki is determined, stubborn but she is also kind and compassionate. I kept everything crossed that she would recover and be able to return to her career as a police officer. 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 as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my word, as soon as I started reading ‘Blood Games’ I knew that I wouldn’t be putting my Kindle down any time soon. My Kindle wasn’t glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. I was so wrapped up in the storylines and in the characters that I had to keep reading to discover what happened and how events impacted on the various characters. The more of the book that I read the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the story. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘Blood Games’ and I had to say goodbye to Nikki and her team. I found ‘Blood Games’ to be a tense, dramatic and gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Blood Games’ is superbly written and then some. Liz has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Liz certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story and then some. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. Reading ‘Blood Games’ felt like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns to it than you would find on a Snakes & Ladders board. Just when you thought that you could take a moment to gather your thoughts and catch your breath then off the action would go again. I love the way in which Liz makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action. That’s how I felt anyway.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Blood Games’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will most definitely be reading more of Liz’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*

This is a series but fortunately can be read as stand alone books without having to know what happened previously. A good storyline on but this occasion I found myself getting lost with the amount of different characters. A good thriller storyline with several.twists and turns.but didn't quite do it for me this time.

This is a powerful story about a series of murders, mainly carried out on young people who are chopped to death with a machete. Nasty.

One of the things that is good about this series of detective investigations is that the main character, D.S. Nikki Parekh, is not merely someone who works at the police station putting together the clues to find out who the serial killer is. Instead, she lives in the challenging area of Bradford where the investigations take place, and is part of fabric of the community. She has her own issues, having been brought up in a dysfunctional family herself, so she can clearly understand the perspectives of the perpetrators as well as the victims.

Blood Games is the fourth book in the series, and is written clearly with tough uncompromising realism about the cultural issues of the Yorkshire city. The narrative is apt and from the points of view of the police, victims and perpetrators so the story is broad and balanced. In this book the themes are grief, family, loyalty and social expectations.

A non-stop, earthy journey of a read, visceral and sometimes gory, but the relentless ride is well worth it.

Blood Games by Liz Mistry is the first book that I’ve read from this author, however, it’s Book 4 in the Detective Nikki Parekh series. Yes, it can be read as a standalone but I think it probably works better if you have read the previous books in the series.
In short, we follow Detective Nikki Parekh, starting with her mental breakdown which ultimately leads to her being signed off work. However, she is soon swept up in the latest brutal hate crime cases which are happening at an alarming rate around Bradford which soon becomes clear that it’s personal.
I did find this hard going in places, lots of characters to remember, many with similar names which didn’t help the momentum of the read for me. It is action packed and at times horrific, unfortunately it does relate to the sign of our times today which makes it uncomfortable…definitely a dark, eye opening read. I did guess who the main players were but that didn’t spoil the story.
Big thanks to Liz Mistry, HQ and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

Another really good read from this author, Just started reading her books as a result of NetGalley and have a lot of catching up to do. Well written and great plots with believable characters

I feel like this series just keeps getting better and better, Nikki continues to show more depth. The storyline is a bit scary with a puppeteer running many kids to commit crimes. It all gets very complicated!
I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is my first book by Liz Mistry and although it is part of a series can be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed the book, it is a good read. The characters were good, well developed and interesting. The plot dark and compelling. I will now look out for the rest of the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers HQ digital for an Arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

Blood Games is the fourth in a series by accomplished crime writer Liz Mistry featuring DS Nikita Parekh (Nikki). Having read the first three books I jumped at the opportunity to read this one.

In this latest instalment, Nikki and her work partner, DC Sajid Malik rush to the edge of Chellow Dene reservoir. The body of a teenager has been found; the third in a matter of weeks, all with a different MO. Nikki thinks initially that it's her nephew Haqib and has a meltdown so her boss, DCI Archie Hegley puts her on leave, pairing Sajid with DI Zain Ahad a newbie at Trafalgar House. When another boy goes missing his parents receive a package... it contains an ear.

The author's pacing was spot on, there was always plenty happening and there was certainly never a dull moment. Liz Mistry really knows how to write a story that is compelling, entertaining and all-consuming, with characters that are perfectly drawn. I have really taken a liking to Nikki who is stoic, bold, vulnerable and flawed, yet always real. DC Sajid Malik has also left an impression on me; he is caring, straight-talking and protective. All of the characters had a great part to play, whether or not they were likeable. Liz Mistry delivered an exuberant, taut and compelling, story of drama in this clever police procedural. It was a cracking story that brought no disappointments and the clever plotting paved the way for a satisfying denouement. I can't wait to see what is in store for DS Nikki Parekh next and I am delighted to recommend Blood Games.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from HQ Digital via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

I cannot finish this one . I am 20% in and not engaging with the book, the characters or crimes at all. Lots of reviews are very complementary. It is obviously not the book for me

Gritty thriller set in Bradford. Who are the eyes,the headhunter and the fixer?
Exciting and gripping story with lots of twists. Shows very well the all too human side of the main character as she struggles with the job and her grief.
A good read.

Blood Games is not my first read by Liz Mistry and it certainly won’t be my last. She writes fantastic crime thrillers, so I was excited to get into this one.

Themes of mental health, grief, and loss are weaved through this story, which I appreciated. It made the characters more believable and relatable, and it added more depth to the story. I think the themes were handled well.

This is fast-paced and gritty. The writing is descriptive and compelling. I was invested from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would recommend it to crime thriller fans.

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the free review copy. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

Something is going on in Bradford, young people in school are afraid that their every move is being watched, their friends and family are dying in frenzied and violent attacks, and the police are failing to piece together the clues. Racism, honour, religion, love and greed.!
This tale takes us to a world of honor and dishonor,and the freedom to love. This book is full of interesting characters, however, maybe a few to many to keep track of them all. Not quite a page turner, a good story nonetheless.