Blood Games

Written by Liz Mistry

Narrated by Shaheen Khan

‘Loved it, loved it, loved it. This book has such a powerful storyline, you could really imagine it being real.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

THREE MURDERS. ONE MISSING BOY. THE GAME IS JUST BEGINNING…

When a body is found at the edge of Chellow Dene reservoir Detective Nikki Parekh and DC Sajid Malik are quick to arrive.
 
This is the third murder in the space of a few weeks. Each murder has a completely different MO, but there is one common theme… all the victims are teenagers. The dead boy reminds Nikki of her nephew, and she feels more helpless than ever.
 
But then another boy goes missing. And this time his parents have been sent a threatening package too. The pattern is different again – is the killer just playing a game?

Can Nikki find the strength to uncover the shocking truth before the killer strikes again?

From the Queen of Northern Noir, comes another absolutely nail-biting crime thriller! Fans of Angela Marsons, Patricia Gibney and Elly Griffiths will love this rip-roaring read!

Readers LOVE Blood Games!

‘Tense, suspenseful and unpredictable. I couldn’t put this book down, I really enjoyed it.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What a gripping read. I could feel my stomach muscles clench as I read, it was so good. Fast-paced right throughout. Best book in the series so far.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Gritty and gruesome, the riveting story had me gripped from the first page.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A cracker of a read… I can’t fault this book, series or author – I love her writing style and she certainly knows how to connect with her readers… Roll on book 5 is what I say.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A crime thriller that is page turning, satisfying and will keep you guessing throughout. A brilliant book that was a joy to read.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A brilliantly thought out, well researched plot and a wonderfully entertaining read. Loved it.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow, a brilliant read. The best in the series.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Such a compulsive and dark read, I cannot wait to read more by Liz Mistry.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Mar 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9780008532475

Reviews for Blood Games

[bons_11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I somewhat enjoyed the story but honestly...as I was getting involved in the crime details then the next chapter would switch to sex between a 14 and a 15 year old. Ugh, that just seemed wrong to get that much detail. Not a fan of this one.

[johnwbeha · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not much to say about this one; it is a reasonably enjoyable read, but I was not gripped at all. The "lead" characters are a bit bland, at times I felt that I was in the middle of a young adult novel, albeit that the sex was a bit over graphic for that. It has been a long time since I read one of Faye Kellerman's books and I think it will be a long time before I read another one.

[jepeters333 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

LAPD lieutenant detective Decker and his wife, Rina, have willingly welcomed fifteen-year-old Gabriel Whitman into their home. Decker knows only too well the secrets adolescents keep, witnessed by the tragic suicide of another teen, Gregory Hesse. Gregory's mother refuses to believe her son shot himself and convinces Decker to look deeper. What he finds disturbs him. The gun used in the tragedy was stolen, which propels him to launch a full investigation.

[echasc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another excellent yarn by Faye Kellerman, a master at creating interesting, believable, compelling characters. Once I got about 100 pages in, I literally could not put this book down.

[camnini · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoy Faye Kellerman's books for a fun, not completely empty read. I just received Gun Games as an early birthday present and read it in a day. Yes, there was a good amount of teenage arousal, but I found Gabe and Yasmine's relationship pretty credible. It was a good counterpoint to the crime investigation. Come on, though- Faye, can't you let them use birth control? Still, an enjoyable installment in the Decker/Lazarus series.

[froxgirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My first Faye and my first encounter with Rina and the Lu! Very enjoyable listening and such appealing characters.The narrator's very strong Chicago/Midweest accent wasn't perfectly appropriate but he did a very good job of capturing teenage yearning and validating the strength of early and first love. I will now go back and read the others in the series. Highly recommended.

[sleahey_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Decker and Rina have taken in brilliant 15-year-old Gabriel, a talented and smart pianist. He is savvy and able to deal with gun-toting bullies from a private school, and then it turns out that they're involved with a couple of suicides that Decker is investigating. The romance that develops between Gabe and a 14 year old Persian American girl is hot and heavy, and at least in the audio version seemed quite belabored.

[bookish59 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another strong addition to the Rina and Peter Decker series; with the usual excellent cast of characters.

[bamckay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've been reading this series since the beginning and have to say I was rather disgusted by this book. I felt that the information about Gabe's sexual dreams or whatever you want to call them was TMI. It would have been a much more enjoyable book without them. There are several places in the book where Decker spends time investigating a serial killer. I was puzzled as to how this was a part of the book. I don't remember it from an older book and the details on it were sparse. Not her best effort but it was a somewhat enjoyable read.

[beamis12 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Having read this series for many years I have to say that I was a little disappointed with this one. I did like the main storyline but I felt that Kellerman trying to write dialogue for a fourteen year old boy was less than successful. I did, however, like catching up with the Decker family, but don't like the Dionati family novels quite as well.