Return to Blood
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Check link for latest rating. ( 629 ratings, 125 reviews)Return to Blood
Return to Blood
The riveting follow-up to the acclaimed crime debut Better the Blood.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! DescriptionOne chance to get justice.
Hana Westerman has left Auckland behind, seeking solace and a new beginning in a serene coastal town. After years of serving as a detective, all she desires is a peaceful life. However, this tranquility is shattered when a skeleton is unearthed in the dunes near her home. These remains belong to a young Māori woman who disappeared four years prior, and the discovery reignites memories and connections Hana thought were long buried.
Two decades earlier, a schoolfriend of Hana's was found buried in the exact same location. Although the convicted perpetrator died in prison and seemingly closed the case, doubts linger. Did the police incarcerate the right man, or did he take the fall for someone else's heinous crime? And if he was innocent, why did he plead guilty?
Despite being removed from her former role in the Criminal Investigation Branch, Hana is determined to seek the truth. She reaches out to her ex-husband Jaye, a prominent Detective Inspector, hoping his official capacity might aid her quest for answers. When Jaye excludes her from the investigation, Hana realises that uncovering the truth falls squarely on her shoulders.
But every step Hana takes brings her closer to a cunning and ruthless killer, setting her on a path that could lead to her own demise.PRAISE FOR BETTER THE BLOOD:
'A compelling, atmospheric page turner with an authentic insight into Māori culture' Val McDermid
'A tensely plotted, gritty crime novel that has the courage to force us all to rethink our relationship with the past' Vaseem Khan
'Stunning . . . a gripping mystery, complex and memorable characters, and timely social and cultural commentary. Don’t miss it' David Heska Wanbli Weiden
'As page-turning as it is eye-opening' Ambrose Parry
'Opens a unique window onto a fascinating Antipodean society as only world-class crime fiction can' Deon Meyer
'A striking debut and a significant addition to Indigenous literature' Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
'[A] stellar series launch. Bennett is a writer to watch' Publishers Weekly (starred review)
'A remarkable new detective' Daily Mail
'[A] highly addictive read' My Weekly
'So chilling' Crime Monthly
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781398512269
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 25 April 2024
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Simon & Schuster Ltd
Edition: ANZ Only
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 400
About the Author
Michael Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue) is an award-winning screenwriter, director and author. His first book, a non-fiction work telling the true story of New Zealand’s worst miscarriage of justice, In Dark Places, won Best Non-Fiction Book at the 2017 Ngaio Marsh Awards. Michael's second book, Helen and the Go-Go Ninjas, is a time-travel graphic novel co-authored with Ant Sang. Better the Blood, the first Hana Westerman thriller, was shortlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction/Ockham New Zealand Book Award, as well as being shortlisted for the Audio Book of the Year at the Capital Crime Fingerprint Awards. It was also longlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Debut Dagger and was a finalist for both Best First Novel and Best Novel at the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards. Michael's short and feature films have won awards internationally and have screened at numerous festivals, including Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, Locarno, New York, London and Melbourne. Michael is the 2020 recipient of the Te Aupounamu Māori Screen Excellence Award, in recognition of members of the Māori filmmaking community who have made high-level contributions to screen storytelling. He lives in Auckland, Aotearoa (New Zealand), with his partner Jane, and children Tīhema, Māhina and Matariki.
Also by Michael Bennett
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