This book seemed to take forever before it finally started to make sense. I did feel I’d missed out in a lot of contexts through not reading the previous book which probably didn’t help storyline wise. Not a book I’d recommend unless you’ve read the previous one.

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

Book two in The Solanki and McQueen Crime series. The Revenge Pact takes the reader back to Scotland, where the Jazz Queens (Jazzy and Queenie for those not in the know) have been split up. Jazzy being given her previous role back. The Jazz Queens soon show they won't be split up by anyone!

Liz Mistry is a genius and deserves more recognition than she gets for her skilful storytelling. I knew the first book was excellent, but now I'm moving into superb for The Revenge Pact. Her knack of getting the perfect balance between plot and characters is still there. I feel like the jazz queens are my friends. Thats how well developed they are.

Told from the present day and the past I was reading so fast it felt like I inhaled this one! The twists and turns kept me on my toes. Gritty and so real. The fact that the Scottish dialects are used with the normal everyday words they use add even more edge to them.

This is a series I can not recommend highly enough to anyone who reads crime fiction. Fabulous characters and a setting you feel transported to. I can not get enough of this series.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted ebook

This is not the first Liz Mistry book to feature the Jazz Queens but it is the first I have read.

The book shines a light on the business of Edinburgh and Glasgow organised crime and how tempers boil and rage over the years and that there is a brutal overtone of this story that lurks constantly in the shadows.

Someone is out for revenge and indeed vengeance, but who are they and what exactly do they have planned for those in the line for justice?

This was a easy to digest read that still maintained a nice depth and a few twists and turns that kept my interest.

A solid 3.5/5 rounded up to 4/5

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

intriguing*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

The turf war between the Glasgow and Edinburgh gangs is long-standing but a series of murders mean that it is now ramped up. For Jazzy and Queenie, the chance to get involved in a serious case is great but for both they are torn. Jazzy is still being taunted by her half-sister and Queenie was brought up in the area run by one gang. Add into that the fact that both sides are being targeted by an enemy calling themselves 'Vengeance' and that actually the 'Gaffer' running the gangs is ex-police.
This is a great read! Jazzy and Queenie are developing as characters and, despite their complex back-stories, make a great detective team. The plot is complex and rather sad. What is also excellent is the twist around mental health with both main protagonists working through their issues. I look forward to the next episode.

The second in the fabulous 'Jazz Queens' series featuring Solanki and McQueen (and I would definitely start with the first book The Blood Promise so that you get the back story behind this motley crew).

Stoically ignoring the orders from above that see them benched, Jazzy and Annie pay no heed to threats and warnings from inside and outside of the force and begin their own investigations into the gang feuds on the streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The banter is still there but there are also some touching moments between the lead characters as once again trust is on the line and some big leaps of faith are required.

The murder of the nephews of Edinburgh gangster Loanie Gibbs sparks gang crimes across Edinburgh and Glasgow, as new life is breathed into historic feuds and the mean streets get meaner and huge risks need to be taken get to the bottom of the murders.

Did I have a hunch who Vengeance was, maybe, but these two and their crew are really beginning to grow on me and I enjoy the authentic feel of the world that Liz Mistry has created - looking forward to book 3!

My thanks to the author, Netgalley and HQ Digital for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Jazzy and Queenie are back with a bang.

Following the events of "The Blood Promise", the Jazz Queens, still recovering from their injuries, are promptly dropped into another nasty murder case, despite officially being on office duty. When two bodies are discovered at the side of a road, and are quickly identified as notorious gang members, with a recent upsurge in gang related violence, they begin to wish they'd stayed in the office.

Quickly the pair are neck-deep in an increasingly dark and disturbing case of east versus west, as rival gangs prepare for war. Long-time feuds resurface, and it soon becomes clear that the past is catching up to the present. The story moves forward at a breakneck pace, as the detectives uncover more bodies, secrets and lies. But there's plenty of time to discuss Scottish roads, Scottish music and Scottish cuisine. Throw in some suspected Police corruption and life for the pair gets really interesting.

As the title suggests, this book, the second in the Jazzy and Queenie series, is about revenge. But it's also about family, friendship and having the courage to keep going. Fans of the previous book will be glad to know that several threads from there are taken forward in "The Revenge Pact". We learn a little bit more about how Jazzy and Queenie came to be the people they are today and what makes them such a unique team. The author makes clear that aspects of her own life make their way into her books, which only goes to make them more heart-wrenching, and thought=provoking than ever. The scenes between Jazzy and Queenie are funny, sad, poignant and revealing and a joy to behold.

Readers like myself, from Scotland, and West Lothian in particular, will be pleased to know that local roads, towns and places of interest all feature heavily throughout the book, and one location in particular will hopefully encourage fans to Cairnpapple Hill.

Fan of Liz Mistry and of murder thrillers are going to love this. Heartily recommended.

DS Jazzy Solanki and DC Mcqueen are not flavour of the month after the bloody end to their last case and they are more or less confined to the office, but they get called out to a double murder when no one else is available and it seems there's a war on between rival Glasgow and Edinburgh crime gangs..Except there's not - suspicions arise that there is a third party picking off the gangsters. So who and why? There is plenty of violent action, glorious seedy Glasgow characters and a fine conclusion. Rattling good read

The second in the series with two feisty female Scottish detectives. There is a lot going on in the plot which is told from different viewpoints. Some one is out for revenge for the killing of a man a long time ago, there is friction in the gangs of Glasgow and Edinburgh, within the groups and between the groups. There are also problems within the investigating team . Both Jasmine and Annie have had a problem youth and have suffered personal losses. All this made for a fragmented plot, certainly in the first chapters which took me a while to get sorted out in my mind, meanwhile people were being abused and turning up dead. The concluding chapters see some conclusions, but also seemed a little rushed when compared to the pace earler on. A good read though and I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for the team .
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

The Jazz Queens are back once more, and Liz Mustry continues the gritty depiction of the Scottish criminal underworld.

Vengeance is coming and aims to right historic wrongs, but who is vengeance?

Another hard hitting and fast paced tale...easily digested prose and some nice twists.


Many thanks to Netgalley and Liz for the opportunity to read an ARC of this tome.

The Jazz Queens have been side-lined as their boss suitably named Dick didn't like their actions in their last case! However they soon find themselves in the thick of a gang warfare. The gangs of Edinburgh & Glasgow have always been at each others from who knows when. When people are killed from both sides of the divide Jazzie & Queenie find themselves involved- but off the record as they are not supposed to be doing anything that may draw attention to how good they actually are! The setting of the story is rich in the atmosphere, language & ethos of Scotland. At times it is very funny, at others brutal & often sad. The characters are brilliant!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review of this book. This was a worthy continuation of a a series & I can't wait for the next

The second in the series and another great read, though at first I did find it a little difficult to keep up with all the characters but once I compartmentalised them in my head with little reminders I was ok and also some of the dialect I had to google but none of this took away from the great storyline. Jasmine Solenki and Annie McQueen aka Jazzy and Queenie back doing what they do best regardless of all the obstacles put in their way. Faces of old and new, characters to love and hate and boy there were a lot to hate. Overall a great read.

I struggled to connect with the characters in this but I think if I went back and read book 1 it would have made this easier to get into.
Overall I think this is a good book with an interesting story line but maybe better read in order rather than as a stand alone.

The Revenge Pact is book number two in the Solanki/McQueen crime series and although it can be read as a standalone I recommend reading book number one for the back story.
I thoroughly enjoyed book number one and couldn't wait to read book number two but I struggled a bit with this book. There were so many characters it was hard to follow who was who and I found myself rolling my eyes at Queenie's repetitive speech. But putting that aside, the plot is entertaining and it is nice to see the Jazz Queens coming together as a group. I am looking forward to book number three to see what happens next.
3 stars ***

The Jazz Queens are back and this time it’s all about revenge! Not them exacting revenge mind, they’re faced with someone hellbent on revenge and they have to find out who and why!! But it’s not going to be easy when there are gangs involved!

The chapters entitled Vengeance gave me the creeps. This individual’s desire for revenge is deep rooted and unnerving. Their identity intrigued me. I needed to know who they were!!

Oh my the climax was something. I was living it as if I was watching the body cams of police officers, listening to their whispered messages. I held my breath hoping no one was spotted or heard as this tense showdown played out on my kindle.

Once again Mistry has got the perfect balance between the dark nature of brutal murder and the entertaining banter between the team. The splashes of lightheartedness gives off sets from the grittiness of warring gangs and shock of the dropping bodies. Just brilliant!!

This is the second in the Solanki and McQueen series and already its proving to be an absolute winner. If you are looking for a series that is fast paced, gritty and action packed then don't let this one pass you by.
Based in West Lothian where the author grew up it is perfectly placed for this story, slap bang in between Scotland's two biggest cities Glasgow and Edinburgh where gang warfare between the two is escalating out of control. The crime lords in each city is blaming the other for the escalation in violence and killings although there is a third party creating havoc . Known only as Vengeance this person is playing people against each other in order to gain revenge for previous misdemeanours. With bodies being dumped in West Lothian it is left with the out of favour Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen to solve the crimes and stop the violence. As the story progresses it becomes clear that "Queenie" has history with the crime lord from Glasgow which is just one of the many twists in this tale.
This book is really well written and links in well with the first book in the series, "Blood Promise" which I would highly recommend reading before reading this one although it is not essential as you will still love this book in its own right.

Having read all of Liz’s books, I was delighted to be offered this to read. I read the first one and I just love these two new characters, whom we are getting more of an insight into as the series progresses.

This is a very well written book with police corruption and organised crime set in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The banter between them and the lovely Scottish sayings, I had to keep asking my friend in Glasgow what they meant!

For anyone who likes Line of Duty, this is a must read, but I think to benefit fully you need to read the first one in the series to get to know the characters a bit more.

My thanks to Liz, and Netgalley for the ARC.

In 1971 the pact between Ricky’s Glasgow gang and Wee Frankie’s Edinburgh mob run by The Gaffer, a corrupt police officer, was shattered and they went their separate ways. Now it seems as if someone is trying to make the gangs turn on each other as their turf war apparently escalates and the younger generation of bosses Jimmy Nails and Loanie Gibbs are worried at the mistrust and rumours. Frankie’s two sons, Markie and Tommy Jones, have been murdered, thrown out of a moving vehicle on the road between Edinburgh and Ayr. In West Lothian and working from the Livingstone station, the D team of DS Jasmine Solanki (Jazzy) and DCs Annie McQueen (Queenie), Fenton Heggie and Geordie McBurnie (aka drag queen Misty Thistle) have been relegated to office duties by their odious DCI since the case in the first story and gradually Jazzy’s injuries are healing. Now Jazzy and Queenie have been let out by Jazzy’s biological father Chief Supt Afzal (still a secret to most people and no love lost there by Jazzy) to attend the crime scene. However, it’s not long before the Jazz Queens are split up, Geordie temporarily moved to A team and Fenton to B team with Jazzy and Queenie stuck on paperwork. An ideal chance for the young constables to report back and for the ladies to conduct a covert operation! Meanwhile as part of Operation Birchtree, Jazzy and DI Elliot Balloch are having to visit her half-brother Simon in his psychiatric hospital whilst his serial killer twin Mhairi is still at large, in contact with Simon and regularly taunting Jazzy by email. Until she is captured, everyone Jazzy cares about is at risk and soon those wonderful people in Stùrrach make another appearance. Also, an interesting cold case pops up for Jazzy and Queenie. The reader also hears from “The Vengeance”, a character returned from the other side of the world to their country of birth who has four tasks to perform before they die. What form will this revenge take, who will be on the receiving end and why?
I loved this second book just as much as the first one which I would suggest reading beforehand to get to know the history and all the main characters. The lovely caring humour and dynamic between the D team is fantastic and a real pleasure to read about. The story is inclusive in a completely natural way and uses very authentic words and phrases which I don’t think anyone reading would have any trouble in understanding. Overall, it’s a tense, dark, gritty and fast-moving story, full of twists and shocks which will keep the reader hooked and guessing right the way through. Thoroughly recommended and with a little teaser or two at the end, I can’t wait for book three!

This is a great book by Liz Mistry. A full on action packed thriller of a book. It's really well written with a fast pace plot. Highly recommended .