‘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. 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 Bradford’s 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 shaped 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 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 its title ‘Dark Memories’. The depth of the darkness took me on an emotional journey alongside Nikki Parekh and the many twists had me turning the pages like never before! An 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.
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