All the Reviews

The second novel from author Bronwyn Hall, THE CHASM is set in and around a fictional small town in Victoria's rugged mountains. Andy King has returned to Stonefield 10 years after her boyfriend, Will Hoffman, disappeared without a trace, something all the locals blamed her for. Despite the animosity, King promised an old friend in a nearby town that she would help out at his veterinary practice so he could take a break, which means she's busy with the day to day activities of a country vet, so she's nearby "technically" but not quite back at the scene of the disappearance. ... Read review

THE CALL is a debut crime novel from NZ author Gavin Strawhan and I checked that statement more than a few times whilst reading. It won the Allen & Unwin Fiction Prize in 2023, I did not need to check that. THE CALL is such a strong debut it's hard to know where to start, but let's echo the blurb "Gripping and suspenseful with a killer ending, THE CALL propels the reader into the world of a terrifying new kind of gang..."

Gripping - this is a story featuring Auckland cop DS Honey Chalmers, who, after surviving a very nearly deadly attack by members of a ruthless gang ... Read review

Nothing like Japanese crime fiction to remind you to expect the unexpected, although to be fair, I wasn't too sure what to expect when I plucked this book from the want to read lists. I also, freely confess, I have no memory of it going onto that list so something must have tweaked interest more than once. Published in 2013 it's obviously been lingering for quite some time, there are now 11 books in the series, but it looks like only the first two have been translated so far.

This first novel, THE KAMOGAWA FOOD DETECTIVES, introduces the reader to Koishi Kamogawa and her ... Read review

Having read these books pretty much one after the other, I'm going to do a combined review. This is a new series, DEATH UNDER A LITTLE SKY was released in 2023, and DEATH IN A LONELY PLACE in April 2024. Both book feature recently resigned Police Detective Jake Jackson whose leaving the force was precipated by a couple of major life changes. Firstly his uncle died, leaving him a remote property in the middle of the countryside, a place that is offgrid, offroad and very much out of the world he's been used to in London. At the same time a teetering marriage lurched to divorce, a ... Read review

Stef Harris is an award winning indie filmmaker and policeman in his native New Zealand, so it's probably not surprising that he's had a bit on, making it longer than I can remember since his earlier releases. DOUBLE JEOPARDY is worth the wait though, as a good solid crime fiction thriller, inspired, it would seem, by time spent in Boston, where it's set. 

Frank Winter is a retired county sheriff and Boston police detective whose daughter was murdered many years before. Bruno Krupke was acquitted of Evelyn's death, but found guilty of others, and at the time of the ... Read review

If you do what I did, and get these two books out of order, they will still work, but dear me, combined they tell one hell of a tale about a strong, resiliant young woman called Maggie.

A young woman who grew up in very difficult circumstances with a missing mother, and a drunken violent father (who also happened to be a cop), Maggie's been running from lots of horrible people for a long time.

Starting out with THE HUNTED, when she staggers into a remote service station, badly injured, pursued by some very bad people indeed, only to end up with a standoff ... Read review

The 5th novel in the Sam Shepherd series set in Dunedin, New Zealand, EXPECTANT is the latest work from Vanda Symon, the author Val McDermid refers to as "New Zealand's modern Queen of Crime" (fiction one hastens to add).

Sam Shepherd is an experienced, tough, up for anything cop, currently confined to 'light duties' as she's about due to deliver her first baby and commence maternity leave. Which obviously makes the case of the murder of a heavily pregnant woman, and the missing baby snatched from her womb, a potentially uncomfortable undertaking for Shepherd. And for her ... Read review

WARNING: This book discusses sexual offences, and the related trial proceedings.

DICE is a debut novel from NZ author Claire Baylis. The subject matter is confronting, not just because it is seemingly based on a real life case, the styling is inventive, and the outcomes devastating, infuriating and searingly illuminating.

DICE takes the reader through the complicated trial of four teenage boys, charged with the sexual assault of multiple victims, based around a sex game they invented. The novel works it's way through jury selection, aspects of the trial and ... Read review

BUNNY is written by S.E. Tolsen, a husband and wife writing team, who won Best Horror Novel of 2023 in the Australian Aurealis Awards, making it to the longlist for the 2024 Ngaio Marsh awards based on it's thriller categorisation. 

A combination of a straight up thriller, with psychological overtones, there are horror and supernatural elements enough here to feel like it warrants the marketing spin "For fans of Stephen King and Stranger Things." I've certainly seen it described as a solid homage to King's work, with the story of childhood trauma and current day ... Read review