Really enjoyed this story as it offered both a great who done it as well as an emotional back story leading through to the situation. Well written and very enjoyable

Loved this book. Suck interesting characters, and the interaction between them. The storyline was difficult in places, and you really felt so many emotions for the main character Jazz, and her sidekick Queenie. The ending was a little rushed but I am so glad that there is an opening for a follow up. Can’t wait.

This was smy 1st time reading this author so I wasn't sure what to expect but the premise had me intrigued! It does start off pretty gory and it doesn't get much more discreet on the descriptions of the crime scenes but in saying that, it also doesn't feel like pointless gore thrown in for shock value! It does make sense and adds to the tension and dark undertones of the book. Its well written, the characters were brilliant. Original and well written. I loved the atmosphere and how well the environment was captivated and put over.

The Blood Promise by Liz Mistry

Publisher HQ

Time to read less than a day

Stars 5

Review

Having read and loved Liz's Nikki Parekh I was really excited to get my grubby paws on her new series.

This lived up to the same expectations I had from her other series. I really enjoyed this. I could not put it down so thank you once again for the opportunity to lose myself for a couple of hours

I totally devoured this book and I was totally engrossed. Would Def recommend to all. It kept my attention from the first to the last page

Thank you Netgalley and HQ for the opportunity to review.

A new detective series featuring detectives Jasmine (Jazzy) Solanki and Annie (Queenie) McQueen, from the pen of the talented Liz Mistry.

Jazzy has a secret past, one that she’s managed to keep from her colleagues, however it’s about to be revealed in a most gruesome and disturbing manner, and more importantly it will put Jazzy’s life in serious danger.

Imogen Clark was awake early, she was looking forward to her 16th birthday, but nothing could have prepared her for the horrific, stomach churning scene awaiting her as she descended the stairs and entered the kitchen, and discovered her parents had been killed in a gruesome manner, not only that but the killer had left a message.

Jazzy and Queenie attend the scene and Jazzy believes the message was meant for her - she shares her birthday with Imogen, and further investigation links the killer with a stalker who’s been following Jazzy for some years.

Liz Mistry takes us back to her native Scotland for this new series, with a very dark storyline, however, because it’s peppered with some great banter between Jazzy and Queenie, it helps lighten the mood. As the story progressed the tension increased, leading to some heart pounding moments. A gripping police procedural, a strong start to this new series, and a welcome addition to the Tartan Noir genre.

My thoughts about Liz Mistry’s The Blood Promise delivers a chilling and gripping narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Set in Scotland, the novel follows the investigation of Detectives Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen into the brutal murder of Imogen Clark’s parents on her 16th birthday. Writer Liz Mistry skillfully weaves together multiple plot threads, keeping readers guessing at every turn. Liz Mistry’s writing is sharp and atmospheric, immersing readers in the gritty streets of Scotland and the minds of its characters.With plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the final, heart-pounding conclusion. The story of Liz Mistry’s The Blood Promise begins with Imogen Clark wakes up on her 16th 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 killing is 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. Overall Liz Mistry’s The Blood Promise is a thrilling and immersive crime novel that will keep readers guessing until the very end. With its compelling characters, twisty plot, and atmospheric setting. I would like to say a big thank you to publishers HQ Stories, for kindly letting me read and this fantastic book on netgalley which I’ve enjoyed reading and reviewing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

This is the first book in the authors new series , this time set in Scotland and featuring two recently demoted D.S.
Jasmine Solanki ( Jazzy) and Annie McQueen ( Queenie).
Finding themselves thrown together and having to work as a team is not exactly a perfect pairing but boy what a team they become.
Their immediate boss DI Dick, has banished them to the D team , they however are not about to remain on the sidelines of any investigation.
So when they become involved in looking into a particularly gruesome murder they team up with Geordie McBurnie and Fenton Heggie and the Jazz Queens are born.
The murder throws up connections to Jazzy`s own mother`s death 15 years ago. Unable to recall every detail its only as the case progresses Jazzy remembers more. The more she does, the more she is convinced the case is linked to her own past.
Great start to a new series filled with wonderful characters, there is tension, intrigue and humour throughout and I for one look forward to more outings with the Jazz Queens.
Many thanks to Netgalley and HQ Digital for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I've been so excited to read The Blood Promise. It's the first book in a brand new series by Liz Mistry, who is one of my favourite authors and it does not disappoint! In this series, there are two heroines, Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen, who have very different personalities, but form a wonderful partnership when they both find themselves demoted. There are a few lovely moments of dark humour and I absolutely love these characters. I can't wait to see where their relationship goes as the series continues.
Both Solanki and McQueen have issues from their pasts and I love the way that Liz Mistry explores this, continuing to show us that women with mental health issues can thrive in society. At the beginning of the novel, they are both in quite a vulnerable place and I was rooting for them to succeed and show everyone what they could do.

Unlike Liz Mistry's other novels, The Blood Promise is set in West Calder. I've never visited this area, but nevertheless, it was easy to picture everything and feel immersed in the story as her sense of place is immaculate, not only in terms of the physical landmarks but also her intricate knowledge of the community.

I love hearing from the perspective of the killer in crime novels and The Blood Promise is one such novel. I really appreciated being able to get inside the killer's mindset and have some idea of what they were going through and why they acted in the way they did.

I found the beginning of The Blood Promise quite slow, as the detectives struggled to nail down the perpetrator. However, this changes very quickly in the last third of the novel which is incredibly fast paced. I really wanted to know what was happening and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for answers, especially as the detectives find themselves in some very dangerous situations.

I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series!

Brilliant! A totally new set of characters and location I wasn’t sure what to expect but I totally loved them by the end of the book. Can’t wait for the Jazz Queens next investigation.

It is a while since I last read a book by Liz Mistry. I certainly wasn't disappointed.
The way in which the characters were developed was intriguing.
This story is set in Scotland and has a plethora of interlinked characters involved in investigating a series of horrific murders.
It soon becomes clear that DC Jazzy Solanki and her sidekick Annie McQueen are going to be drawn into a challenging investigation. I won't go into detail about the storyline for fear of spoiling the plot. Suffice to say that there are enough twists and turns in the story to keep the reader engrossed until the very last page.
This was a book which I didn't want to end. I found it extremely entertaining, even though it is extremely gruesome in places.
I think it has similarities to some of Mo Hayder's darker stories.
I give my thanks to Netgalley and HQ Digital for a copy in exchange for this review.

This story started with a bang describing a very gory scene and describing it in great detail. The story is full of so many beautifully engineered twists and turns and it is a captivating read. The two detectives that form a crazy partnership are Jazzy and Queenie who have both been demoted, unfairly and get to be a part of the newly formed D Team. The expectations of this unlikely duo excel all expectations and they have a great repartee moments. The gory beginning does follow through the story and so it is not a book for people that cannot face such descriptions of the crime scene. It is however full of so much humour as well which watered down the crime scenes. The ending was a real eye opener and left the way forward to want to read what will happen next.
I simply loved reading this book, I did not want it to ever end and I will certainly look forward to reding the follow up books that will be continue to follow this delightful crazy pair.

Oh my! Liz Mistry you have done it again! Having read all the books in the DI Gus McGuire series and also the DS Nikki Parakh series I was intrigued to read a new series set in Scotland. This was an extremely brutal, gruesome and gory murder from the very beginning. DC's Jasmine (Jazzy) Solanki and Annie McQueen have both recently been demoted and are thrown together to solve the case. I loved them from the start. The banter, their personalities and camaraderie along with the rest of the team make for the start of a beautiful partnership that I can't wait to read more of. Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and Liz Mistry for an arc of this exciting and darkly humorous police procedural that I am happy to recommend.
#The Jazz Queens

I read all Liz Mistry's Bradford books and was intrigued to read a new book, with new locations and a new main character. I wasn't disappointed, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and almost figured out who was the baddie- almost but not quite. I would highly recommend this, as long as you're not too squeamish.

A fantastic dark and gritty read! The two main characters, Jazzy & Queenie, were engaging and likeable. There were so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and it kept me hooked until the very end. 4 stars **** Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Liz Mistry for an ARC copy of this book.

4+

Detectives Jazzy (Jasmine) Solanki and Annie McQueen #1.

Jazz and Annie, a.k.a. the Jazz Queens, watch a suspected cannabis farm owing
to their demotion for different reasons and relegation to the “D team”.

It’s December and Imogen Clark’s 16th birthday, but instead of the expected birthday greetings from her parents she’s confronted with a horrifying scene that will probably haunt her for all time. Jazzy and Annie are taken off their current job to investigate and what confronts them makes their stomachs flip. Why does Jazzy think the killings are a message for her? What is she hiding? It becomes absolutely imperative that this killer is caught before more lives are devastated and destroyed.

Wow. If you like darkly different Tartan Noir take a look at this one. This new duo created by Liz Mistry takes me a bit of warming to, but I definitely do, and certainly a night out with heart of gold Queenie (Annie obviously!) would be an absolute hoot as she’s got such a colourful way with language. Just ask Jazzy when she gets her “breeks” in a “fankle”. I love the humour she brings to what is a jet black dark and gritty plot. The rest of the team are really good too such as Geordie and Haggis and their DCI sure is well named!

Much like the characters, the plot becomes better and better the deeper it goes once the author gets into her stride and it ramps up and how. It’s a brace yourself and buckle up jaw dropper read. The killer is cruel, there are taunts, it’s traumatic, taut and rollercoaster twisty and talk about anxiety inducing. The toll it takes on the two lead characters is very well done, it’s heart wrenching and very emotional in places as you learn about characters heartbreaking past.

I think the Christmas time incongruous sparkle set alongside the darkness lurking deep at the heart of this serves to highlight it, and make it worse if that’s possible. The ending is dramatically hold your breath good with a dire warning note issued.

Although I do figure out a couple of things fairly early on, it doesn’t detract from this being a belter of a read, and I for one, can’t wait for the next instalment.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Interesting new partnership of two demoted cops ! Set in Scotland so I’m familiar with the environment. This book is a great start to a series- brutal at times , dark humour of the Scots comes through and I’m looking forward to the next book

I have always been going to pick up a book from this author so when I saw this on Netgalley and that it was a new series I decided to give it a go and I am glad that I did. The beginning of a new series is always intriguing, and a great new range of new characters to look forward to getting to know.

Your 16th birthday is supposed to be one of the best birthdays of your life but for Imogen it was anything but. She was looking forward to messages of love from her parents but all she received unfortunately was a message from a killer that had taken the lives of both her parents. We are then introduced to Detectives Annie McQueen and Jazzy Solanski who have both recently been demoted in their positions and are now thrown together, ironically Imogen’s birthday is the same date as Jazzy’s and now begins an investigation to see why these murders have occurred. Has Jazzy been targeted by the killer due to this fact or is it something to do with whoever she feels has been stalking her.

Not a bad start to a series and I look forward to reading more as this duo grows and develops as a team. Twists and turns send us off onto different paths, but it does come together satisfactorily in the end, but overall a pretty good starting point.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

First in a series of books featuring two female police officers based in West Lothian. Scotland.
As a Scot, I love books like these where I am familiar with the location they are set in and I had extremely high hopes for this publication. Whilst I'm grateful to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC, I've got to be true to myself and say although it is a decent story, I just couldn't find myself remotely taking to either of the two main characters and as such I found it all just a little bit laborious and not really for me.

This was very thrilling and very great. Kind of reminds me bit of Vera books. I would highly recommend this if you like detective thrillers.

There are a number of detective thrillers apparently 'Made in Scotland' and I wonder what the lure is for us Sassenachs? Maybe the educational element of learning Scottish slang or of coming across one of the most grisly crime scenes in Liz Mistry's......The Blood Promise? It's certainly a hook to have you retching. Liz Mistry sets the scene very well, the snow and slush, the dark and of course some very unusual polis detectives. All in the run-up to Christmas. It has pace, action and some rather dark humour. I enjoyed the novel and there is definitely another to come. However, I think less would have been more in terms of the staging of the murder scene or scenes. Plus of course a detective with a past that catches up with them during a murder investigation is not new. The revealing of a suspect by the repetition of her name within the novel wasn't exactly subtle. A certainly unusual protocol clash had me wondering if Police Scotland operates under wildly different rules to the rest of the UK. I refer to a COI (conflict of interest) between an investigating officer and two murder suspects where there are close blood ties. I look forward to the next in the series and hope for less gore and more realism.