Wow! How good is this?! Having walked us through the mean streets of Bradford in the company of Gus Maguire and then Nikki Parekh, Liz Mistry now introduces us to Police Scotland and, in particular, two wonderful cops, Solanki and McQueen, two wonderfully tough ladies! This is dark and gritty stuff, starting as it does with a girl finding her parents dead at the breakfast table. And the case becomes personal for Jazzy...Tremendous!

I’d like to thank HQ and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Blood Promise’, book 1 in the new Solanki & McQueen Crime Series written by Liz Mistry, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DCs Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen at Livingston Police Station have both been demoted from DS and as their boss DCI Dick hates them he puts them in ‘D’ team, D for Dunce, where they join forces with DCs Geordie McBirnie and Fenton Heggie. As there’s no one else available, they’re sent to Azalea Close to investigate the gruesome killing of Bob and Shirley Clark but from the start Jazzy gets the feeling that this killing is somehow personal to her past.

As a fan of this author’s previous thrillers I‘ve been looking forward to reading ‘The Blood Promise’ and can honestly say that I haven’t been disappointed. I can definitely recommend it for those who enjoy Scottish crime with satire and humorous characters who aren’t your regular run-of-the-mill police officers. From the start I’ve warmed to Jazzy and Queenie who form a rapport that gradually grows until they have a close partnership with an underlying respect for each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The storyline has had me gripped and I found it hugely entertaining although gruesome and bloodthirsty at times. I’ve loved all of the characters but especially Jazz and Queenie who both have past history, and I’m very much looking forward to reading more in this delightful new series and watching as their characters develop.

3.75*
My first Liz Mistry book. I enjoyed the gruesome, thrilling element to the story and the killings themselves were not for the faint hearted. The characters worked well together and there was a great comedy element between their interactions.
I enjoyed the Scottish slang and jokes as it made the story come alive more. The mention of certain areas within were good to read about as they are well known to me.

It has good depth and it kept me interested for the most part. For me there were little chapters that didn't work for me as well as others but on the whole and enjoyable read.

Many thanks to the Author, HarperCollins publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.
Publication Date 23/5/24

Imogen was living out every young persons worst nightmare. I wasn’t sure where this one would be going but I’m obsessed with the storyline and true crime vibes.

The Solanki and McQueen Crime Series Book 1.

A deadly gift.

Imogen Clark wakes up on her sixteenth birthday to find her parents dead at the breakfast table, along with a message from their killer.

A twist of fate.

Detectives Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen join the investigation, but the more they discover, the more Jazzy suspects that the killings are a twisted message for her. Jazzy shares the same birthday as Imogen, and believes that this is more than a coincidence.

A race to catch a killer.

When Jazzy discovers the connection between the killer and the stalker who has been following her for years, she is forced to confront the dark past she was desperate to keep hidden. She must stop at nothing to solve the case, before she becomes the next victim.

This is the start of a new series from Liz Mistry, and it does not disappoint. The two main characters are both troubled souls, but have great camaraderie and banter together. They have both been demoted from Detective Sergeants for separate disciplinary offences. They are investigating the murder of the parents of Imogen Clark. Connections are made between the murders and previous murders that were somehow linked to Jazzy. This is quite a gruesome read., but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Published 23rd May

I would like to thank #NetGaLLEY #HQ #HQDigital and the author #LizMistry for my ARC of #TheBloodPromise in exchange for an honest review.

A good solid start for this new series from Liz. Set in and around her home area, you can feel the passion in her writing as she describes the locality and both McQueen and Solanki are certainly headed for the higher echelons in the police force, both - like the others in the team - having been recently demoted to the D team. Having met the author, I really do wonder at how such a lovely lady has the capacity to get so gritty in her writing ( this also applies to her other series')but she does and does it well too. Look forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the ARC to review

What can I say, I loved the dynamic duo of Jazzy and Queenie. What a group of what at first seems to be misfits, but that soon changes. A well written storyline that had me gripped from the start. I had some inclinations but most of them so far off the mark, just as I like it. Cracking police procedural, and I hope there is much more to come from the Jazzy Queens.

I enjoyed the Nikki Parekh series so I was pleased to receive a copy of the first in a new series. I am Scottish but I found it just a bit over the top and not really how anyone would speak to this degree. I enjoyed the storyline and plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. I would definitely read her next book . Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

What a fantastic read and a blinder of a start to a new detective series! Utterly brilliant!

The first couple of chapters had me wondering about Queenie, fully prepared to hate her, but nope! WOW! What a woman! With someone like Queenie in your tribe, you can’t fail. Jazzy’s not sure about her new partner either, but they very quickly form a breakable bond, which goes far beyond the fact that they have both been recently demoted.

The plot is detailed and flawless with some clever read herrings and some mind blowing twists. A gruesome murder on a young girl’s 16th birthday, the message left for her, written in blood, the same as the message received by Jazzy in her birthday card on the same day. There's no obvious link, but the coincidence can’t be ignored and so Jazzy is forced to share her horrifying past with her colleagues, leading them to realise that a terrifying serial killer is at large and the crimes are more closely linked to Jazzy than they could ever have imagined.

I found all of the main characters relatable, Queenie, Jazzy, Haggis, Geordie and Elliot; there is so much more to come from them and a very important loose end still to be tied up, so I am very much looking forward to the next installment in this fabulous series.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Liz Mistry and HQ for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Liz Mistry’s “The Blood Promise” is a fantastic Scottish noir that had me hooked from the very first page. Buckle up for a thrilling ride with two phenomenal new lead characters: DC Jasmine “Jazzy” Solanki and DI Annie “Queenie” McQueen.

Mistry masterfully weaves a suspenseful plot that’s equal parts police procedural and personal vendetta. As Jazzy and Queenie, relegated to a less-than-glamorous unit, tackle a complex murder case, it soon becomes clear that the investigation cuts a little too close to home for Jazzy. The past and present collide, leading to a shocking revelation and an ending that will leave you wanting more.

Mistry’s strength lies in her characters. Jazzy and Queenie are a brilliant duo. Jazzy, with her sharp mind and troubled past, is a compelling protagonist. Queenie, the seasoned and no-nonsense detective, provides a perfect counterpoint with her dry wit and unwavering determination. The supporting cast is equally well-developed, adding depth and humor to the narrative.

“The Blood Promise” is a must-read for fans of Scottish crime fiction. Mistry’s sharp writing, combined with the captivating plot and unforgettable characters, make this a truly exceptional debut in what promises to be a fantastic new series. Can’t wait to see where Jazzy and Queenie take us next!

The Blood Promise Liz Mistry
5 stars

A new detective partnership

I have read a lot of Liz Mistry’s previous books and have always enjoyed them.

This book introduces us to a new partnership, DC Jasmine (Jazzy) Solanki and DC Annie (Queenie) McQueen, two totally different characters. They have been put together as a result of demotion into the ‘D’ squad and due to the A, B and C squads being otherwise engaged they are allocated a horrific murder to investigate.

Imogen Clarke is celebrating her 16th birthday and is waiting in her bedroom for her parents to prepare her traditional birthday breakfast. When she eventually goes down to the kitchen she discovers both her parents murdered, decapitated and with various mutilations.

This is the horrendous crime that Jazzy and Queenie are confronted with but the situation is made even worse when Jazzy recognises parts of the murder scene that relates specifically to her own mother’s murder many years ago. Jazzy had been 10 and was left with her twin sister and brother who were 6, in the house with their mother’s body. Social Services had split all the children up and despite Jazzy’s best efforts she had been unable to trace them. However she has had a stalker sending her letters for the past 18 months. Is this all connected in some way?

The plot moves quickly and as is usual with this author there are quite graphic descriptions but they are always in line with the plot which moves very quickly, jumping between the present and Jazzy’s horrendous childhood.

I really enjoyed the interaction between the two main characters and the difficulties for female police officers which drew two totally different people together.

There were two shocks at the end of the book, one of which was completely unexpected. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Karen Deborah
Net Galley

I appreciate that the first book in a series needs to do a lot of scene setting and back stories, but I did find this one quite convoluted and stretching credibility. However, I really liked the characters of Jazzy and Queenie, and Ms Mistry has left an enjoyable cliff hanger for readers to meet them and their disparate team again soon.
Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book
3.5 rounded up to 4

DC Jazzy Solanki and DC Annie McQueen (nickname Queenie) are part of a team that their boss DCI Dick has named Team D - jokingly named for Team Dunces. Although, they are far from it! The book starts 15 years ago, when a young PC Elliot Balloch rescues 10 yo Jazzy and her twin siblings 6 yo Simon and Mhari from a bad home situation. Cut to the present day, Jazzy and Queenie are assigned to a crime scene at the Clark's home to help the start of an investigation. However, all is not as it seems as Jazzy discovers. Soon Team D (Jazz Queens) are linking other crimes to the present day. Who is behind all of this? How is Jazzy involved? Why is this happening? The sub plots come together to a climatic ending! I will be recommending this book.

🎈🎂DC Jasmine has some major trauma to work through😨

The Blood Promise had a good share of twists, some I had anticipated and others a total surprise, and a female lead who suffers, suffers, suffers. There are regular instances when Jasmine/Jazzie spaces out in unreliable memories of her traumatic past dealing with an alcoholic mother. It's not my favorite type of crime mystery (I prefer my police detectives to be a bit less emotionally fragile) but it's an exciting serial murder case with new deaths somehow linked to Jasmine's troubled childhood. The story puts little focus on the victims or their surviving family members and I think that was a lost opportunity for getting me more emotionally engaged. I felt it got much better and faster paced in the last half.

Jasmine's work partner, DC Queenie McQueen, really got on my nerves initially. She's so talkative, abrasive and in your face. Eventually new facets of her character are revealed and I got to not like, maybe accept is a better word, her quirks.

I liked the twist related to Jasmine's uncomfortable relationship with their big boss Afzal. On the other hand, there was a hanging thread, a pretty big one, at the book's end that I wish had been tied off. Seems it will be fodder for treatment in a subsequent book in this new series. I am not a big fan of this technique because I don't want to have to re-read an earlier book to refresh my memory of what went before.

It's not my favorite of the books I've read by Mistry, but I liked the twists and turns involved in finding the killer.

Thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

It's a fast-paced thriller and no mistake. Two twists at the end - one fairly obvious, one a good surprise. The use of Scottish slang or archaic words felt forced when they weren't spoken; a kind of "I have a new word and I'm going to use it lots" type of thing.

Historically, I enjoy books by this author and I enjoyed this too, but it could have been slightly better.

Brilliant loved reading this book I was hooked from start to finish, the story and characters pulled this book together brilliantly for the reader and I look forward to the next.

Detectives Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen are in a group that have been demoted for various reasons.

Luckily for them, the ‘superior’ teams are too busy when a girl finds her parents horrifically murdered on her sixteenth birthday.

Jazzy realises there are factors that are similar to other cases, and the team are soon investigating, in the hope that no one else dies.

What a gripping tale from the author! I have read and enjoyed all her books, but for me, this one tops them all.

The characters are wonderful, Annie McQueen made me laugh a lot, I loved her. Jazzy was a great character, but in a different way to Annie. I felt for Jazzy & was spurring her on the whole time.

It is a gritty and extremely gruesome story. There were some amazing twists along the way, and the ending did make my jaw drop!

I hope that there will be more from Jazzy and Annie, I can’t rave about these two enough. I now have a new and favourite duo.

My thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Blood Promise by Liz Mistry is a marvellous contemporary novel that drew me in from the start. It is the first book in Solanki and McQueen series which promises to be gripping.
Solanki and McQueen are an unlikely pairing – a young police officer with a troubled past, and a more experienced officer whose daughter was murdered. Both their pasts haunt their days but they are determined to bring a killer to justice. Their personalities complement each other as they also build their relationship.
The reader is drawn in from the start as the book opens with a crime scene fifteen years earlier. We skip to present day and another crime scene – could they be linked? As the body count rises, it suddenly becomes personal. Can Solanki and McQueen catch the killer before more murders are committed?
The landscape and weather are dark and brooding, which mirrors the action.
All of the novel is set in villages in Scotland, around the Inverness area. It is a wild and rugged landscape which helps to heighten the tension.
We see the action from alternating points of view and in the third person, except for the killer’s voice which is in the first person. As the novel progresses, we really begin to wonder if anyone can catch the killer?
This was a fabulous start to a new series. The ending is perfectly poised for book two and I cannot wait to read it.
I received a free copy from Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I was really excited to read this book because the synopsis sounded like the kind of book I love. However, this was a struggle. The investigation and twists were interesting. But I found it hard to stay focused because there was a sudden shift on who was telling the story. For instance, when Imogene runs to the neighbors house after seeing her parents, the text shifts to Jazzy’s observations of Wueenie. I had to backtrack several times to make sure I made the shift and know whose voice I was reading. This happened a lot, and so I lost a lot of enjoyment of being immersed in a story. Maybe a change of font for when the killers voice was talking would have made a big difference on the flow of the story.

I also got tired of all the references to her boss “Dick”. We could see he wasn’t a great guy, so I felt hit over the head with the reminders. And I’m not too sure this partnership works.

I did finish, and felt with a few edits I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I have seen reference to her other mystery series, and they have great reviews, so I will try that- might be more my style!

So, yes the mystery is interesting, but due to aforementioned issues, I was held back from really getting into it.

This was a very emotional, and at times gruesome story. Jazzy and her partner, Queen, are the first on the scene to a horrific murder. It doesn't take long for Jazzy to make aa connection between the murder and events from her life. She is convinced the killer is sending her a message, but who and why?
Lots of guessing on my part as I tried to figure things out. Was a bit surprised! My only fault with the book was the ending. It seemed very rushed. But, there was a great set up for the next book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.