Return to Blood

(Hardback)

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The riveting follow-up to the acclaimed crime debutBetter the Blood.

Having left Auckland's Central Investigation Branch, Hana Westerman and her daughter Addison have moved to the coast for a fresh start. But Hana is still haunted by her last case on the job, threatening the new life she is trying to build.

One morning, she discovers a skeleton in the dunes, the remains of a young Mori woman who went missing a decade before. Her death appears to be related to another killing from that time a case Hana was instrumental in breaking. But this new discovery forces her to re-address the original conviction. Did she put away the wrong person for that murder And, if so, why did they plead guilty

No longer part of the CIB, Hana turns to her ex-husband Jaye to assist her reinvestigation. They start to uncover disturbing links between the two historic murders and a series of other disappearances in the intervening years connections which might lead Hana back to Aucklands police force and the darkness she has fought so hard to leave behind. And all the while Addison is being drawn into the world of the victim found in the sand dunes . . . and a potentially fatal collision course with her killer.

Praise for Better the Blood:

'A compelling, atmospheric page turner with an authentic insight into Mori culture' Val McDermid
'A tensely plotted, gritty crime novel that has the courage to force us all to rethink our relationship with the past' Vaseem Khan
'Stunning . . . a gripping mystery, complex and memorable characters, and timely social and cultural commentary. Dont miss it'David Heska Wanbli Weiden, author of Winter Counts

Author Bio

Michael Bennett (Ngti Pikiao, Ngti Whakaue) is an award- winning screenwriter, director and author. His first book, a non-fiction novel telling the true story of New Zealands 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. 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 Mori Screen Excellence Award, in recognition of members of the Mori filmmaking community who have made high level contributions to screen storytelling. He lives in Auckland, Aotearoa (New Zealand) with his partner Jane, and children Thema, Mhina and Matariki.