This is the third book of the series, affectionately known as “the Jazz Queens” with Jazzy Solanki at the helm. Jazzy and Annie McQueen have their work cut out to catch the serial killer, who is also Jazzy’s step sister Mhairi before she strikes again. However, it’s not that easy, as the powers that be upstairs are not happy at the jazz queens investigating due to the familial relationship, which is brought to light again in this book. Even a high ranking police officer is connected to Jazzy which I’d actually forgotten about.

What follows is a game of cat and mouse trying to find Mhairi before she kills again. Despite the team being excellent detectives, Mhairi is the master of disguise. She watches and waits and strikes. I think even if you knew her, you’d pass her in the street, she’s that clever.

This is one very cleverly crafted and written book and will keep the reader guessing until the end. Saying that I’m trying to write this without giving too much away, but the ending isn’t what you’d expect even in your wildest dreams, can’t say anymore, you’ll have to read it to find out!

My thanks to Liz, and the publishers for the ARC and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Welcome back to the Jazz Queens - DS Jazzy Solanki, DC's Annie (Queenie) McQueen, Fenton Heggie, and Geordie McBurnie. I love the chemistry between them all! Jazzy is out for a family day with her Mum, guide dog, Crumble and her two young friends, Ivor and Benjy, when she spots something odd. Jazzy goes away to investigate, which leads to dangerous game with her sister, Mhairi. Is it revenge? Then a young girl disappears, which Jazzy and her team to wonder how they are connected. It was full of twists and turns, grippy, gritty, highly charged and unputdownable. And that ending, I was not prepared for that!

Deadly reckoning is the 3rd book featuring Jazzy Solanki. I've read all 3 of them and this one was absolutely top notch.
Great plot with very well written characters.
5 stars!

While on a day off, Jazzy is out with her family and they come across local police who have found a body. It doesn’t take long for Jazzy to believe that her half sister is back, and will be gunning for Jazzy.

And that is all I’m going to say about the plot, you need to read this book yourself.

This is an author whose books I never want to miss out on. Her characters come to life and there is something special about The Jazz Queens.

The story is dark and gritty, with the addition of subplots, this makes for an intriguing read.

Thanks to the added humorous antics of McQueen, the story manages to not be all doom and gloom.

I do hope that there will be more stories to come from this fabulous team.

My thanks to HQ and the author for a copy of Deadly Reckoning.

I absolutely love this series of books, the third in the series featuring Solanki and Mc Queen. From Queenie to Elliot, with all their flaws and quirks, they feel utterly believable. Jazzy is a complex character, consumed by guilt and her past but I just love her! I love the character descriptions from the author, they are brought vividly to life and the humour throughout, especially from Queenie. The pacing and the story flow really well in the multi-layered plot, due to the skillful writing from the author who is one of my favourites in the crime fiction genre. I highly recommend reading the first two in the series for background information. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Deadly Reckoning by Liz Mistry is book 3 in the Solanki and McQueen series. It is published on 3 July. I was so looking forward to reading this, as I love this series. But then I love all the author’s books. Thank you to HQ Digital, Netgalley and the author for the advance copy to read and review. Jazzy is sure the nightmare with her sister, Mhairi, is starting again. Mhairi is pure evil. Jazzy is planning her brother, Simon’s, funeral and it is hoped this might lure Mhairi back. She may already be back though as a body Jazzy is familiar with, is found in the old Bottle Kilns in Portobello. Mhairi stays in the shadows and is great at disguises as she controls the investigation. I love Liz’s descriptive writing. Her description of Queenie – ‘one small, rotund, feisty, foul-mouthed woman in her mid-forties’ – had Queenie standing right in front of me, as clear as day. Her writing is superb and very powerful. It draws me right in to the story. Queenie, together with Jazzy, DCs Fenton Heggie and Geordie McBurnie are known as the Jazz Queens. Together they form a tight-knit group and watch out for each other. The partnership of Queenie and Jazzy is just perfect and the four of them together provide so much entertainment. Such a fabulous read and series.

The Jazz Queens just get better and better.

"Deadly Reckoning" opens a short while after the events of "The Revenge Pact". Everyone is still reeling from the events of that book - Jazzy is at an all time low, in the aftermath of her personal losses, while Queenie is trying to be supportive despite her own troubles. The Jazz Queens as a whole are side-lined on any further investigations into Jazzy's sister - a new team has been handed that responsibility, leaving the Queens to carry out the menial work. However when Jazzy is in Portobello with Ivor and Benjy and they uncover a murder, events are set in motion which will cause further grief for the team.

When a second body is discovered, similar in nature to the first, Jazzy and Queenie push to have their colleagues investigate links to Mairi. When this fails, it falls to them to take up the case. As they move forward, their higher-ups recognise the implications and that the team might be in danger.

As the story unfolds, the Jazz Queens come up against enemies, new and old and old friendships are renewed. Fans of the series will enjoy their forays into and across the Lothians, Threads begun in the previous book are nicely developed, and we learn more about Jazzy's childhood. Benjy's mental health continues to worsen and we get deep insights into the horrors of depression. That said, there is still the humour that fans enjoy in the books. And the ending will have everyone gasping in disbelief.

Liz Mistry has scored another win, with this latest story about people linked by family, friendship and loss.

Heartily recommended.

Another episode of Jazzie/Queenie scots police drama. Jazz is preparing for her brother's funeral, and full precautions are being taken in case her serial killer sister decides to attend in some way.. A body is found in an old pottery kiln and there are subtle clues that Mhari (serial killer sister) is involved. the hunt for Mhari has been handed to a specialist ubit, headed by two of the most obnoxious senior officers - who don;'t want Jazz anywhere near it. More bodies pile up, all with some link to Mhari and Jazz's family and the stage is set for a bloody endgame. fortunately the Jazz Queens continue to be able to get away with dissing the seniors and also pull up the ideas and the answers.. Gripping.

I always like Liz Mistry's writing and have recently been enjoying the company of the Jazz Queens, but I must admit the continuing exploits of Jazzy's dysfunctional family are really pushing the bounds of plausibility and I hope the author's next book will concentrate on a different team of officers.
Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book

Great sequel in series.****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Having enjoyed the previous ‘Revenge Pact’ title in the same series I was looking forward to ‘Deadly Reckoning’, and - to be sure - the same fast paced action and rising tension continue to be powerful features of Ms Mistry’s writing. For this reader, though, the continuing heavy reliance on DS Solanki’s complex family background makes it somehow less fresh. There is still plenty to like though and, certainly, Ms Mistry’s many fans will find much to enjoy, but from this perspective it would be good to see a move to more conventional crime fiction, whilst retaining some of the idiosyncrasies that make the lead character so real.

Deadly reckoning by Liz Mistry is another book in the DS Jazzy Solanki police series. Jazzy is taking a walk around her favourite area on her rare day off, which is interrupted when a body is discovered in her path. Jazzy doesn’t believe in coincidences and wonders if it has been dumped in her path by her stepsister as a revenge for the death of her brother, the two of them were responsible for the murders of a number of people before her brother died in jail and her step sister hold Jazzy responsible.
Then a child disappears in a seemingly random event but Jazzy believes that her step sister is responsible for the child’s disappearance. Tensions mount as her step sister is believed to make an appearance at her brother’s funeral, which Jazzy has had to make the arrangements for.
The whole team has to disappear because of the treats that have been made and they need to find the stepsister and the missing child before it is too late. Another tension packed thrilling ride by the author.
Highly recommended

Deadly Reckoning by Liz Mistry is a gripping contemporary crime novel. It is the third book in the Solanki & McQueen series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the books in order as there is a storyline running throughout the three books.
I enjoyed meeting up with familiar characters including the police team D headed up by the two leading ladies.
Once more the team sets out to solve fresh murders that have links to the past. The crime busting quartet are all different, with different skill sets but they all work well together.
Past crimes are having an effect on present day as the team once more are on the hunt for a murderous character.
Nature versus nurture rules its head as a theme. We cannot choose our family. Are some genes just pure evil?
Families are complicated affairs as we see, as we follow the families of some of the officers. Even upstanding members of the community can have troubled offspring.
A young teen is tormented by a past crime that he witnessed, as he ‘hears’ a familiar nursery rhyme in his head, the reader is also transported back to the crime. Every line of the rhyme has sinister connotations.
Liz Mistry has constructed a marvellous plotline, grabbing the reader’s attention from the start. We see the action from alternating points of view.
Dead Reckoning is a comprehensive read that will have you glued and guessing.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Good book but found it a bit heavy going at times..
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

It was so good to be back with the reluctantly named 'Jazz Queens' and the book opens with DS Jazzy Solanki relaxing on a day off with her family which rapidly descends into chaos as a body just happens to be found in the nearby brick kilns. I enjoyed seeing Jazzy switch straight into police mode as she took over the crime scene seeing that the two police officers who found the body were out of their depth.

Although the Jazz Queens have been taken off of the investigation into her serial killer sister, Mhairi, Jazzy has a gut feeling that her sister is involved. 

After another serious crime - involving a missing child - Jazzy is convinced that Mhairi is baiting her to get her attention... and it's working.

It soon becomes clear that there is a massive risk to Jazzy and everyone close to her, including the team: Queen, Haggis, Geordie and Elliott. But things take a dark turn when they underestimate how far reaching Mhairi's vendetta against Jazzy will go.

While it is evident that Mhairi is pure evil, this book shows a bit of Mhairi's POV and the pain that she is in. It was good to have more of an understanding of the reasons driving the intensity of the hatred and the connection between the siblings. Liz Mistry is good at showing the 'human' and flawed side of people, no matter what their professional role.

My thanks to the author, Netgalley and HQ Digital for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the humour of the Jazz Queens. With the first book, I wasn't sure I liked the new team, but it has definitely grown as me and this book cemented that. Jazzy is being taunted again by her half sister Mhairi who always seems to be one step ahead of the police teams searching for her. There are lots of insights in to how Jazzy is feeling and the impact it has on her and her relationships as Mhairi's crimes become more chilling. Jazzy has to deal with doubts of her trustworthiness by other professionals, and faces a fight to prove the crimes are connected to her. The ending is very emotional, wish I could say more without spoilers!

This is the third book in the Solanki and McQueen Crime series. I was so happy to be gifted the ebook from HQ because Liz is a sublime author, and this series just ticks every box!
I was straight back with Jazzy and Queenie as soon I opened the book. These characters feel like real people to me. They are so well developed, and both hold a special place in my heart.
Deadly Reckoning picks up after the events of book 2, which saw the Jazz Queens sidelined from the investigation into her half-sister. She is having a rare, quiet day with her mum and crumbles the dog, Ivor, and Benjy. They are having a walk in one of her mums favourite places when a body is discovered. She instinctively knows that it's connected to her. The police don't agree, but Jazz knows it's a message for her. The question is, how far is Mhairi prepared to go to get her message across?
Wow! What an emotional journey this book is! I have to say I cried, but I am not saying a word! Read the book! Liz Mistry just gets better and better as she releases more books. I raced through this too fast for my liking!
The story is told from multiple viewpoints, and I wondered how everything fitted together, and then the final reveal came. The penny dropped, and I was marvelling at how Liz Mistry does it.
There are plenty of twists, surprises, and even jaw-dropping moments inside these pages! It's well worth the couple of pounds to buy, believe me! I have read it now and have still pre-ordered! Yes, it's that good! I am now going to wait so patiently for book 4! It has to be here within the next 2 years, right?
In conclusion, I have to say this series and this book are superb. Mystery, tension, intrigue, and sadness at times. It's packed to the rafters, and I love it!!

DS Jazzy Solanki is enjoying a rare day out with family members, when a body is discovered in the location where they were all headed. Jazzy feels in her heart that it’s more than possible that her estranged half sister Mhairi is responsible.

Shortly after, a child goes missing, and again Jazzy believes there’s a connection to Mhairi too. You see the thing is that Mhairi is a serial killer and Jazzy just happens to be top of her revenge list, and these recent events could be Mhairi’s way of luring Jazzy in.

With the race on to discover the whereabouts of Mhairi (no easy task as she’s extremely devious and a master of disguise) it makes for a gripping storyline, full of tension and some seriously heart stopping moments, together with an unexpected incident towards the end! All this is alleviated somewhat by the great banter between the Jazz Queens, - Jazzy and Detective Annie McQueen and two younger detectives, DC’s Fenton Heggie and Geordie McBurnie!
No question, this is another winner for Liz Mistry and a great addition to the Tartan Noir genre.

Wow!!!
I thought the first & second book in this series was tantalising & exceptional but this one surpassed both of them, I loved Jasmine Solanki (Jazzy), The Jazz Queens - Queenie, Geordie McBurnie (Geordie) & Fenton Heggie (Haggis), & all the new characters. This book had twists & turns in it,as they all do but this one took it to another level, loads of murders and of those who shouldn’t & should have died. No spoilers but I loved the ending & hated it at the same time. I can’t wait for the next book, to see where the story takes us next.

Deadly Reckoning is a great addition to the authors Solanki and McQueen series and a read that really hit the mark with me. Here Jazzy and the team investigate a murder with links to one of Solankis historical cases and fear The Bitch is back for revenge. The story begins well and I was pulled in quickly. It is told over a short period of time and the author has ensured there is plenty of action, suspense and thrills to keep me entertained. I think the authors writing is very good, the story flows well and the pacing is perfect. The plot is multi layered with so many story threads that had me guessing what would come next. The tension leading to the ending is expertly done and had me enthralled. If you like good, solid police procedurals I'd recomend this book and series although if you're new to Liz Mistry as an author you really need to read the series in order to get to know the characters and their histories from the beginning.

4 stars