Maori detective Hana Westerman’s search for a potential serial killer unravels a historic crime connected to the brutal colonisation of New Zealand in this powerful and utterly gripping thriller from an exciting new voice in crime fiction.
Hana Westerman is a tenacious Ma ori detective juggling single motherhood and the pressures of her career in Auckland's Central Investigation Branch. When she's led to a crime scene by a mysterious video, she discovers a man hanging in a secret room. As Hana and her team work to track down the killer, other deaths lead her to think that they are searching for New Zealand's first serial killer.
With little to go on, Hana must use all her experience as a police officer to try and find a motive to these apparently unrelated murders. What she eventually discovers is a link to an historic crime that leads back to the brutal bloody colonisation of New Zealand.
When the pursuit becomes frighteningly personal, Hana realises that her heritage and knowledge are their only keys to finding the killer.
But as the murders continue, it seems that the killer's agenda of revenge may include Hana - and her family.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
ISBN: 9781398512245
Number of pages: 336
Dimensions: 198 x 130 x 21 mm
‘Stunning. Better the Blood is a tremendous debut, and Hana Westerman, the Maori detective at the center of the story, instantly becomes one of the great characters in crime fiction on any continent. This novel has it all: a gripping mystery, complex and memorable characters, and timely social and cultural commentary. Don’t miss it’ - David Heska Wanbli Weiden, author of Winter Counts
'Better the Blood touches on themes that have become increasingly urgent in recent years including the far-reaching impacts of colonialism and the often uneasy integration of identity and heritage into modern multicultural society. A tensely plotted, gritty crime novel that has the courage to force us all to rethink our relationship with the past' Vaseem Khan ‘As page-turning as it is eye-opening. An excitingly fresh perspective upon a world you thought you knew’ Ambrose Parry ‘Packed with intricate detail about Maori history and culture, this tense and involving story ushers in a remarkable new detective’ Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail ‘This thought-provoking debut is a compelling, insightful and highly addictive read’ My Weekly ‘So chilling’ Crime Monthly ‘[A] stellar series launch . . . Immersed in modern-day technologies and with a keen sensitivity to cultural issues, this is a finely crafted page-turner. Bennett is a writer to watch’ Publishers Weekly (starred review) 'Bennett unflinchingly weaves together layers of fallout from New Zealand’s bloody colonization, enduring Maori culture, and gripping procedural details. Hopefully this compelling debut heralds the start of a long-running series' Booklist
this is a review of a proof copy and may not be the same when published.Opens in 1863 with an early photo six soldiers taken,in the background a Maori warrior is hung from a tree with his hand and feet bound .Go... More
This book is truly excellent.
The story immediately absorbed me, so much so that I stayed up into the early hours to finish it, dragged bleary eyed in the wake of main protagonist Hana and helpless to look away until...
More
Revenge is a dish best served cold. In this case it is being served glacial. When the British Empire annexed Aotearoa (New Zealand) the Māori did not see this as a threat. Land, in their culture, was for caretaking... More
Please sign in to write a review
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?
