Better the Blood

Name: Better the Blood
Brand: Simon & Schuster Ltd
SKU: 9781398512245
Price: 26.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

The past never truly stays buried. Welcome to the dark side of paradise.

By Michael Bennett

Series: Hana Westerman

4.01

( 3,878 ratings, 682 reviews)

Summary

Better the Blood by Michael Bennett follows the gripping story of a Maori police officer, Hana Westerman, as she uncovers a series of murders linked to historical injustices. Set in modern-day New Zealand, this thriller explores themes of cultural identity, justice, and the long shadows cast by the past.
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Format: Paperback / softback

$26⁹⁹

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Better the Blood

$26⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate immersive crime thrillers set in New Zealand, with deep cultural insights and a gripping narrative that explores the complexities of justice and heritage.

Better the Blood

Top of the Lake meets Val McDermid by way of Jane Harper in this brilliantly gripping debut by award-winning New Zealand screenwriter and director, Michael Bennett.

Description

Better the Blood is described as 'a compelling, atmospheric page turner with an authentic insight into Māori culture' by Val McDermid.

A DETECTIVE IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH. A KILLER IN SEARCH OF RETRIBUTION. A CLASH BETWEEN CULTURE AND DUTY. THE PAST NEVER TRULY STAYS BURIED. WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE OF PARADISE.

Detective Senior Sergeant Hana Westerman is a tenacious Māori 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 hidden room. With little to go on, Hana knows one thing: the killer is sending her a message.

As a Māori officer, there has always been a clash between duty and culture for Hana, but it is something that she’s found a way to live with. Until now. When more murders follow, Hana realises that her heritage and past are the keys to finding the perpetrator.

Especially when the killer's agenda of revenge may include Hana – and her family . . .

'As page-turning as it is eye-opening' - Ambrose Parry

'A remarkable new detective' - Daily Mail

'[A] highly addictive read' - My Weekly

'So chilling' - Crime Monthly

'Opens a unique window onto a fascinating Antipodean society as only world-class crime fiction can' - Deon Meyer

Winner of the Best First Novel Award at the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards. Finalist for Best Novel at the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards. Shortlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Longlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger. Shortlisted for Audio Book of the Year at the Capital Crime Fingerprint Awards.

Series: Hana Westerman

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Better the Blood

By Michael Bennett

Paperback

$26⁹⁹

In Stock

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Better the Blood has been praised as a stunning and gripping debut, featuring a memorable Maori detective, Hana Westerman. Reviews highlight its complex characters, rich Maori cultural details, and intricate plotting. It is noted for its powerful social commentary on colonialism and modern identity, making it a thought-provoking and eye-opening read.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781398512245

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 March 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Simon & Schuster Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 336

Collections

Crime & Thriller Featured Books Fiction General Fiction Michael Bennett New at Book Hero Series: Hana Westerman

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.