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Carved in Blood

The stunning new Hana Westerman thriller from the award-winning author of BETTER THE BLOOD
Series: Hana Westerman
Brief Description
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... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2899
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A gripping new case for Hana Westerman, New Zealand’s best investigator, from the award-winning author of critically acclaimed crime debut Better the Blood.

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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 rejoins the police to help scour the city for the unidentified shooter. But as the investigation progresses, she finds herself unprepared for the darkness of the world she is entering.

A darkness much closer to home than she knows.

‘Marries a crash course in Māori culture with a gripping mystery… The good news is that Westerman will be back’ The Times, Best Crime & Thrillers of 2025

‘Cogently plotted and well-written, this novel brings a new perspective to Māori culture’ Belfast Telegraph

‘With Australian thrillers doing well right now, New Zealand’s hot on their heels’ Peterborough Telegraph

Series: Hana Westerman

View all
  • Carved in Blood
    Tenacious Māori investigator Hana Westerman returns in this stunning new thriller from the award-winning author of Better the 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...
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • 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...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2699
    In Stock
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  • 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...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • 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...
    Paperback
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • 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...
    Hardback
    Sold Out

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781398536821

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 January 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Simon & Schuster Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 384

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 for the Audio Book of the Year at the Capital Crime Fingerprint Awards and Best First Mystery Novel at the Barry Awards. It was also longlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Debut Dagger and was a finalist for Best Novel at the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards, where it won the award for Best First Novel. Return to Blood, the second novel in the acclaimed series, won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel in 2025.   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

View all
  • Carved in Blood
    Tenacious Māori investigator Hana Westerman returns in this stunning new thriller from the award-winning author of Better the 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...
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • 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...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2699
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Return to Blood
    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...
    Paperback
    $3500
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    $3799
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  • Things That Make White People Uncomfortable
    Michael Bennett is a Super Bowl Champion, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, a fearless activist, a feminist, a grassroots philanthropist, an organiser, and a change maker. He's also one of the most scathingly humorous athletes on the planet, and he wants to make you uncomfortable. Bennett adds his unmistakable voice to discussions of racism and police violence, Black athletes...
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  • Pathfinders
    There are few Aboriginal icons in White Australia history. From the explorer to the pioneer, the swagman to the drover's wife, with a few bushrangers for good measure, Europeans play all the leading roles. A rare exception is the redoubtable tracker. With skills passed down over millennia, trackers could trace the movements of people across vast swathes of country. Celebrated...
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  • 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...
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    $2500
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    $2899
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  • Diving and Subaquatic Medicine
    Considered an essential resource by many in the field, Diving and Subaquatic Medicine remains the leading text on diving medicine. It is written to fulfil the requirements of any general physician wishing to advise their patients appropriately when a diving trip is planned. It is also useful for those accompanying diving expeditions or when a doctor needs to assess and...
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  • Diving and Subaquatic Medicine
    Considered an essential resource by many in the field, Diving and Subaquatic Medicine remains the leading text on diving medicine. It is written to fulfil the requirements of any general physician wishing to advise their patients appropriately when a diving trip is planned, for those accompanying diving expeditions or when a doctor is required to assess and treat anyone who...
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  • 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...
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  • Helen and the Go-Go Ninjas
    Helen and the Go-Go Ninjas is an eco-warrior's journey to save the world in this multi-layered, award-winning dystopian graphic novel. Kidnapped by time-travelling ninjas, Helen is thrust into the year 2355 - a ruined future with roving gangs and 'Peace Balls', giant humming devices that enslave and control people's minds. The Go-Go Ninjas have one goal - to destroy the...
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