Expectant: The gripping, emotive new Sam Shephard thriller

(Paperback)

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A pregnant Sam Shephard investigates the murder of an expectant mother in Dunedin, as it becomes clear that the killer is ready to strike again Queen of New Zealand Crime, Vanda Symon, returns with a shocking, twisty new Sam Shephard thriller

'From the opening pages, this story left me gasping for breath' Michael Robotham

Chillingly intense with a finely honed sense of place Vanda Symon knows Dunedin and brings it vibrantly to life in this fast-paced thriller Craig Robertson

An excellent thriller, definitely one of the best of this year. Vanda Symon is a master of characterisation, plot and dialogue I loved every moment Liz Nugent

'New Zealand's modern Queen of Crime'Val McDermid

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A killer targeting pregnant women.
A detective expecting her first baby

The shocking murder of a heavily pregnant woman throws the New Zealand city of Dunedin into a tailspin, and the devastating crime feels uncomfortably close to home for Detective Sam Shephard as she counts down the days to her own maternity leave.

Confined to a desk job in the department, Sam must find the missing link between this brutal crime and a string of cases involving mothers and children in the past. As the pieces start to come together and the realisation dawns that the killers actions are escalating, drastic measures must be taken to prevent more tragedy.

For Sam, the case becomes personal, when it becomes increasingly clear that no one is safe and the clock is ticking

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Dark, chilling and utterly heartbreaking. A highly emotive and compelling thriller Michael Wood

New Zealand's answer to Siobhan ClarkeThe Times


'The Edinburgh of the south has never been more deadly'Ian Rankin

From the ominous and shocking beginning to the heart-pounding ending, Expectant had me in its grasp Nikki Crutchley

'A sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip-roaring stories with a twist. Perfect curl-up-on-the-sofa reading'Kate Mosse

'Fans ofThe Drywill love Vanda Symon'Red Magazine

A wonderful storytellerHelen FitzGerald

Praise for Vanda Symon
***SHORTLISTED for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger***
***SHORTLISTED for Best Paperback in the Barry Awards***

'If you like taut, pacy thrillers with a wonderful sense of place, this is the book for you'Liam McIlvanney

'Vanda Symon's work resembles Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series she knows how to tell a good story and the NZ setting adds spice'The Times

'Atmospheric, emotional and gripping'Foreword Reviews

'A plot that grabs the reader's attention with a heart-stopping opening and doesn't let go'Sunday Times


'It is Symon's copper Sam, self-deprecating and very human, who represents the writer's real achievement'Guardian


Edgy, thrilling and terrifyingly realisticLisa Hall

All the thrills of a brilliantly plotted crime novel with some interesting moral questions woven between the words. Fast, furious and intense'Helen Fields


'Completely gripping a poignant study of how our society shapes unlikely saints and monsters'Eve Smith

Author Bio

Vanda Symon lives in Dunedin, New Zealand. As well as being a crime writer, she has a PhD in science communication and is a researcher at the Centre for Pacific Health at the University of Otago. Overkill was shortlisted for the 2019 CWA John Creasey Debut Dagger Award and she is a three-time finalist for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel for her critically acclaimed Sam Shephard series. Vanda produces and hosts 'Write On', a monthly radio show focusing on the world of books at Otago Access Radio. When she isnt working or writing, Vanda can be found in the garden, or on the business end of a fencing foil.