Broken Silence

Written by Liz Mistry

Narrated by Shaheen Khan

‘A BRILLIANT edge of your seat book’ 5 stars, Netgalley reviewer

When DS Felicity Springer is reported missing after a police training conference, the countdown to find her begins…

On her way home after an exhausting weekend, with colleagues she can’t wait to escape, Felicity notices something odd about the white van in front of her. A hand has punched through the car’s rear light and is frantically waving, trying to catch her attention.

Desperate to help, Felicity dials 999 and calls it in. But whilst on the phone, she loses control of the car on the icy road, crashing straight into the vehicle ahead.

Pinned in the seat and unable to move, Felicity feels a sudden whoosh of cold air across her face. Someone has opened the passenger door… and they have a gun.

With Felicity missing and no knowledge of whether she is dead or alive, DS Nikki Parekh and DC Sajid Malik race to find their friend and colleague.

But Felicity was harbouring a terrible secret, and with her life now hanging in the balance, Nikki can only hope that someone will come forward and break the silence…

The next gripping crime thriller in the D.S. Nikki Parekh series, for fans of Angela Marsons and L.J. Ross

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Jun 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9780008371562

[andrew1theqm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'd never heard of this author or this series of books before, which were set in a region of England that I lived in for 14 years. I have to admit to really enjoying this book, as it moves along at quite some pace and is quite a quick read. It is quite a complex mystery, without being greatly in depth and intricate. A lot of the plot line is developed by the interaction between the main characters. The main character is quite interesting and has quite an interesting background and connections to one of the local hoodlums.

In many senses this reminded me of the Logan MacRae books by Stuart MacBride set in Aberdeen. I think this book does as much for the tourism industry in the North-East of England as the Logan MacRae books does for Aberdeen. Interestingly although it is set in the North-East of England the author is Scottish and this may explain some of the similarities in my opinion. It certainly has a flavour of some other Scottish authors too, e.g. Ian Rankin, although not in the same class! Just be aware if you read it in places some of the locals use the 'f' word a fair bit but this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. If you enjoy a good mystery with some twists I would recommend this book, I will certainly be continuing the series.

[edwardsgt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

DI Jack Brady is called in to take over a murder case after extended sick leave when he was shot. However he is taking over from a close friend who compromised the crime scene, then disappears after making cryptic comments about being in deep trouble. Jack has been drinking heavily since his wife left him and receiving counselling so isn’t best equipped to solve the murder. Authentic Northeast locations add to an often brutal plot involving those living on the margins and the people who exploit them.

[eyejaybee · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This was a classic example of a novelist trying to pour a quart into a pint pot, and unfortunately the flimsy plot framework was washed away in the resultant spillage. The novel is set around Whitley Bay and West Monkseaton, which sounded promising, but alarms bells started to ring almost immediately.

For a start, the principal character ticked too many boxes on the 'Bumper Book of Detective Fiction Clichés'. Jack Brady has a serious drink problem, he was badly wounded in an operation that went wrong, his wife has left him, he has an incompetent boss who resents him and an ambitious young Detective Sergeant who committed the lethal solecism of gaining a university education.
Actually, I could probably have coped with all that - after all, these have become almost obligatory characteristics for recent British police procedural fiction. This novel, however, also fell into the terminal trap of unnecessarily convoluted plotting, counterbalanced by one-dimensional characterisation.

But apart from that …