Lizzy's Top Kiwi Crime/Thriller Writers

The Vanishing Place

Jane Harper's Force of Nature meets the wild and atmospheric setting of The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah in this twisty, stay-up-all-night thriller about family, love, and loyalty, and the fight for survival in the most beautiful but dangerous New Zealand wilderness. On the remote West Coast of the South Island, vast forests stretch out between mountain ranges and rugged beaches. There, in the small town of Koraha, not a lot happens—until a young girl with blood on her hands walks out of the bush and into the local store, collapsing to the floor. She can't—or won't—speak to anyone. It's the town's sole policeman who recognises her face. She looks exactly like a local girl who disappeared twenty years ago. She has the same red hair. The same...

LIT

Gin is an architect on the brink. LIT, the Auckland-based practice she shares with her girlfriend, Clary, has been precarious since their third partner—Clary's ex, Billy—disappeared, presumed dead. Now, several years later, LIT's financial problems and Gin's personal debts are snowballing. Clary—emotionally fragile since the disappearance—is growing increasingly remote and elusive. When Gin begins to be haunted by glimpses of Billy, she blames stress and guilt. But could he be back, threatening to expose the past? Trapped in a web of secrecy and betrayal, Gin's downward spiral gathers force as she begins to suspect her paranoia hides an even more shocking truth—one that will send her whole life up in flames. This stunning debut literary-suspense novel from award-winning writer Anna Woods explores the insidious charm of those who...

The Bookshop Detectives 1: Dead Girl Gone

Two small-town booksellers (and their cowardly dog) solve a decades-old murder mystery in this witty debut novel, full of literary clues, sparkling dialogue, and comedic insights into the world of bookshops. "When we opened Sherlock Tomes, people warned us that we'd made a terrible mistake. People warned us that e-readers were taking over. People warned us that we'd never compete with Amazon. The one thing they didn't warn us about was the murders..." Introducing... the Bookshop Detectives! When a mystery parcel arrives at Sherlock Tomes bookshop in small-town Havelock North, New Zealand, husband-and-wife owners Garth and Eloise (and their petrified pooch, Stevie) are drawn into the baffling case of a decades-old missing schoolgirl. Intrigued by the puzzling, bookish clues, the two ex-cops are soon tangled in a web...

The Bookshop Detectives 2: Tea and Cake and Death

Another case to solve for the number-one bestselling Bookshop Detectives. When we opened Sherlock Tomes, people warned us that we'd made a terrible mistake . . . but the one thing they didn't warn us about was the murders . . . The Bookshop Detectives are on the case! In this rollicking new adventure, Garth and Eloise (and Stevie) must sniff out a prolific poisoner ahead of a vital fundraising event, the Battle of the Book Clubs. But time is running out, and people are dropping like flies – and the attempted murders seem to be circling closer to the people and places they care about . . . Could Pinter, the infamous serial killer from Eloise's past, somehow be involved? And when anyone could be a suspect,...

The Bookshop Detectives #3

Art Deco glamour, a Cuban crime queen and a grammar-obsessed killer collide in the #1 best-selling Bookshop Detectives’ high-stakes final instalment. The Bookshop Detectives are on the case!Booksellers Garth and Eloise Sherlock (and their cowardly dog, Stevie) have been roped into hosting Murder and Mojitos, a glamorous Art Deco festival event starring Cuba’s queen of crime fiction. Between flapper frocks, rooftop hijinks and competitive cocktail shaking, it should be the bookshop’s biggest break yet.But when mysterious parcels arrive at the shop and a body turns up on a quiet local beach, every clue points back to Arthur Pinter – the literary-obsessed serial killer from the Sherlocks’ past.With the mojitos flowing and half of the town in costume, Garth and Eloise must untangle a web of old betrayals, new...

The Valley

The Last Guests

Ever have the feeling you're being watched? A smart, unsettling, unputdownable literary thriller from the award-winning, critically acclaimed writer. Lina and Cain are doing their best to stay afloat. Money has been tight since Cain returned from active duty, and starting a family is proving harder than they thought. Putting Lina's inherited lake house up for rent at weekends seems like the solution to at least one of their problems. The secluded house is more of a burden than a retreat, anyway, and fixing up the old place makes Cain feel useful for once. But letting strangers stay in their house might not be the best idea. Someone is watching - their most mundane tasks, their most intimate moments - and all the things Lina and Cain want...

Call Me Evie

WINNER OF THE NGAIO MARSH AWARD BEST FIRST NOVEL 2019 SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA MATT RICHELL AWARD 2020 SHORTLISTED FOR THE NGAIO MARSH AWARD BEST NOVEL 2019 LONGLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD BEST FIRST FICTION 2019 LONGLISTED FOR THE ABIA GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2020 'Almost nothing will turn out as it initially appears in this devastating novel of psychological suspense.' - Publishers Weekly, starred review DON'T TRUST HIM. IT WASN'T ME. IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN ME. Meet Evie, a young woman held captive by a man named Jim in the isolated New Zealand beach town of Maketu. Jim says he's hiding Evie to protect her, that she did something terrible back home in Melbourne. In a house that creaks against the wind, Evie...

See How They Fall

See How They Fall by Rachel Paris is a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The novel masterfully weaves together suspense, intrigue, and unexpected twists, creating a story that is impossible to put down. In the quiet town of Ashford, secrets begin to unravel when a mysterious stranger arrives. With each turn of the page, loyalties are tested, alliances are formed, and the past refuses to stay hidden. Rachel Paris paints a vivid picture of complex characters and their intertwined lives, making you question who can truly be trusted. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers, See How They Fall challenges the reader to solve the puzzle before the final pieces fall into place. With its thrilling plot and richly developed characters, this...

The Dead Speak

ANGELS OF CLAY

There are two victims, one message, and a truth that has been buried since the war. At the beginning of summer, a young Lotto millionaire is found dead in the clay pit of a renowned pottery retreat. The body is laid out in the shape of an X, with markings in the earth that resemble an angel—deliberate, unsettling, and inexplicable. As the investigation begins, Sergeant Bill Granger and Constable Niko Sopoaga find themselves drawn into a case that quickly becomes more complex. The town of Matakana is already under pressure: a youth gang is leaving a trail of fear and fury in their wake—shoplifting sprees, smash-and-grab raids, and brazen dine-and-dashes that are pushing the local shopkeepers to the brink. At the same time, Annika Granger is immersed in...

Rings On Water

A narcotics pick-up at sea goes horribly wrong. A man is lost overboard. A dangerous series of events sends shockwaves through the local community. On a wintery day, a young woman is found dead at a local beach. Sergeant Bill Granger, the local policeman, is called in to investigate. He had hoped for a quiet off-season. Instead, what seems to be a straightforward case of an unfortunate death turns into a complex web of small-town secrets and a desire for revenge that will soon place Bill's family in danger. With Niko Sopoaga, a young South Auckland constable working alongside him, Bill falls into the dark and dangerous world of drug distribution and a hardened motorcycle gang wreaking havoc, while they chase a clever killer. As Bill and Niko...

Blood On VInes

Four friends, a shared past, a common enemy. In New Zealand's Martinborough, an ex-wine maker dies at the hands of an unknown assailant. The planning, execution, and pure enjoyment sets in motion a series of vile attacks. Meanwhile, north of Auckland, the long, hot summer is over and the tourists have left the Matakana wine country. A tranquil atmosphere descends, and warm autumnal winds sweep across the grape-laden valleys. With the harvest due, grapes sit bursting upon the manicured vines awaiting the pick. Within this vista of peace, a rampage of death is about to rock the local community to its core. Will it be their shared history that sees the four friends being picked off one-by-one? Blood On Vines by Madeleine Eskedahl explores this gripping tale of...

Carved in Blood

The gripping new thriller from the award-winning author of Better the Blood and Return to Blood. In the depths of the bleak New Zealand winter comes the rising of Matariki – a sacred constellation in Māori culture, heralding a time of new beginnings. For former Detective Senior Sergeant Hana Westerman, life is good: her work in her hometown of Tata Bay is going well, the community is thriving, and her daughter Addison is getting engaged. But this Matariki brings unwelcome change. When Hana’s ex-husband Jaye walks into an Auckland liquor store and directly across the path of a gunman, their family’s hard-won peace is shattered. With the stakes at their highest, Hana finds herself picking up a path she thought she’d never return to. Desperate for answers, she...

Better the Blood

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...

Return to Blood

FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF BETTER THE BLOOD COMES ANOTHER CASE FOR NEW ZEALAND'S BEST INVESTIGATOR, HANA WESTERMAN. ‘Another cracking, page-turning journey into another culture’ VAL McDERMID Two murders. Two decades apart.One chance to get justice. Hana Westerman has left Auckland and her career as a detective behind her. Settled in a quiet coastal town, all she wants is a fresh start. The discovery of a skeleton in the dunes near her house changes everything. The remains are those of a young Māori woman who went missing four years before, and Hana has a connection to the case. Twenty years ago, a schoolfriend of hers was found buried in the exact same spot. Her killer died in prison, but did the police get the wrong man? And if...

The Blood Says Otherwise

An absorbing true crime account of years at the frontline of crime scene reconstruction - from cold-blooded killings and gang wars to cold cases revived by a single clue. A compelling account of Ruben Miller's years working as a forensic scientist, visiting crime scenes and gathering evidence. His detailed descriptions of what he sees are often heart-breaking. The behaviour of the people he meets - lawyers, police, the media and even the occasional suspect - is always fascinating and occasionally hilarious. Insights into the techniques of forensic science give a fascinating view of what it can and can't do versus what the public, and even legal experts, expect. With unflinching honesty and flashes of dark humour, Ruben takes readers beyond the police tape to the questions that hang...