Four dead bodies. One missing person. Let the game begin.
When an anonymous tip-off leads Detective Nikki Parekh and DS Sajid Malik to the sprawling Salinger estate, Nikki’s senses are on high alert. The brutal murder of all four members of the Salinger family has shocked the sleepy Bradford village to the core.
A mother, father, daughter, and son. . . all killed in exactly the same way – whilst sat around the coffee table, playing a game of monopoly.
But Nikki notices that there are five pieces on the board. One of the players is missing… Did they manage to escape the killer, or was the killer part of the game?
It's such a pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for End Game today. Many thanks to Liz Mistry, HQ Digital and Rachel Gilbey from Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me and for my advance copy of the novel, received Netgalley.
End Game is the sixth book in Liz Mistry's Nikki Parekh series and continues an impressive catalogue of gripping, socially observant police procedural thrillers. As with the previous novels, End Game can be read as a standalone but it would be a crying shame to miss out on the earlier books and I'd highly recommend reading them first, if possible.
There are a few notable changes here, the most important being that Nikki has been promoted and is now Detective Inspector Parekh. Further changes include a new boss; Archie has retired and the 'Dark Knight' Zain Ahad is now in charge. When Nikki and her partner, Saj are called out to a home invasion with fatalities, she is acutely aware that it's her first official case as detective inspector and senior investigating officer. The previous book in the series, Dying Breath saw a stronger Nikki and it's clear throughout End Game that the combination of having a close-knit, supportive group of family, friends and colleagues around her, and more effective strategies for managing her stress levels means she is more able to cope with what turns out to be a difficult, emotionally trying investigation.
The excellent development of the characters is at the heart of this series and one of the main reasons why I look forward to each new instalment. Nikki's family aren't as personally involved in this case as they have been in the past but their importance can't be understated. In a book which explores some horrifically dark themes, the love, understanding and warmth that Liz Mistry brings to some scenes is a welcome beacon of light. As the series has progressed, I've become invested in the lives of the other returning characters too, particularly the relationship between Saj and Langley and I enjoyed seeing a more personal side to DC Liam Williams and DC Farah Anwar. Liz Mistry effortlessly explores bigotry and tolerance through her diverse cast, ensuring the issues they face feel natural and never forced.
This is a series which never flinches from examining the most horrific crimes and End Game is another chillingly tense thriller. The book opens with a scene which would strike fear into anybody but particularly parents. We continue to follow the young girl who appears here throughout the novel and while the chapters which are told from her perspective are never graphic, they leave readers in no doubt as to the horrors she is subjected to. Meanwhile, the shocking murder of a family inevitably makes the headlines and Liz Mistry cleverly reflects real-life media rabble-rousing as Nikki and her colleagues are accused of wokeness amidst what becomes a challenging investigation for a number of reasons.
As it becomes clear that this investigation involves the past as well as the present and numerous victims as well as perpetrators, there are chapters which give us an insight into the person behind everything. Their identity isn't revealed until late in the novel but there are clues and cunning red herrings which kept me guessing throughout. End Game is a superbly compelling read; harrowing, tense and thought-provoking – this is contemporary crime fiction at its best. I highly recommend it.
End Game is published by HQ Digital, purchasing links can be found here.
Follow the blog tour, details are below.
About the Author
Struggling with severe clinical depression and anxiety for a large number of years, Liz often includes mental health themes in her writing. She credits the MA in Creative Writing she took at Leeds Trinity University with helping her find a way of using her writing to navigate her ongoing mental health struggles. Being a debut novelist in her fifties was something Liz had only dreamed of and she counts herself lucky, whilst pinching herself regularly to make sure it’s all real. One of the nicest things about being a published author is chatting with and responding to readers’ feedback and Liz regularly does events at local libraries, universities, literature festivals and open mics. She also teaches creative writing too. Liz has completed a PhD in Creative Writing on Diverse voices in crime fiction
In her spare time, Liz loves pub quizzes (although she admits to being rubbish at them), dancing (she does a mean jig to Proud Mary – her opinion, not ratified by her family), visiting the varied Yorkshire landscape, with Robin Hoods Bay being one of her favourite coastal destinations, listening to music, reading and blogging about all things crime fiction on her blog, The Crime Warp.
Thanks so much for this fabulous review of End Game, Karen. I've loved writing Nikki's journey and can't wait to find out what else is in store with her
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