Better the Blood by Michael Bennett
A DETECTIVE IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH
Hana Westerman is a tenacious Mā ori 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 secret room. As Hana and her team work to track down the killer, other deaths lead her to think that they are searching for New Zealand’s first serial killer.
A KILLER IN SEARCH OF RETRIBUTION
With little to go on, Hana must use all her experience as a police officer to try and find a motive to these apparently unrelated murders. What she eventually discovers is a link to an historic crime that leads back to the brutal bloody colonisation of New Zealand.
A CLASH BETWEEN CULTURE AND DUTY
When the pursuit becomes frighteningly personal, Hana realises that her heritage and knowledge are their only keys to finding the killer.
THE PAST NEVER TRULY STAYS BURIED
But as the murders continue, it seems that the killer's agenda of revenge may include Hana – and her family...
WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE OF PARADISE.
About the author
Michael Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue) is an award- winning screenwriter, director and author. His first book, a non-fiction novel 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 short films and feature films have won awards internationally, and have screened at numerous international 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.
Review
‘Better the Blood’ is the best piece of crime fiction that I have read this year, period. It was simply stunning. It is set in New Zealand and it is unique in that it follows a Maori cop, Hana, and incorporates so much of the Maori culture and history! But it is also a tense, complex plot, has brilliant characters, perfect pacing and I just loved it!
Detective Hana Westerman is sent a video which leads her to a mysterious crime scene where a man is found hanging in a secret room. Hana and her team end up linking at what first seemed like a suicide to the first murder and they find themselves in a brand new world where New Zealand has its first serial killer. But it also soon turns personal for Hana as the crime links back to her Maori heritage and it's clear only she will be able to solve the case!
Hana is a character that only comes along very rarely and she has hit the crime fiction world with a bang! As a Maori cop she has a lot to prove both to the police, herself, but also her family! Many Maoris are distrustful of the police and the author used this to truly create one of the best reasons for a disturbed and broken cop I have ever read. Imagine waking up one morning and being used against your people on such a divisive topic. No wonder she has issues even 18 years later from the incident. Hana is also tenacious, loyal, fiercely intelligent, and navigating a New Zealand that is not always portrayed in fiction in general. I would read anything that involved her!
The book has many nods to the Maori culture.and that is another aspect of why this book is so special. From the kana design on the front cover (look closely at the tree), to the fact that te reo words are not translated into English (they are in the footnotes) to the section break illustrations. I like to learn when I am reading books and this book gave me this in abundance. I went down so many rabbit google holes as I learnt about New Zealand’s history. I despise my country’s history as colonialists and this just another chapter of it that you are never taught of in the UK. You may glance at the cover and go oh well the author doesn't sound Maori will it really be representative of their experience. I think I can assure you yes it is and yes it is actually an ‘own voices’ piece of fiction!
I am very very excited to see what Michael does next…
