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A Hana Westerman Thriller #2
Return to Blood: Darkness lies close to home in this award-winning thriller from a standout voice in New Zealand crime fiction
From the author of Better the Blood, the gripping second novel in a crime series starring Māori detective Hana Westerman, in which the discovery of human bones in the dunes of New Zealand upends a long-ago murder conviction.After the perils of a case that landed much too close to home, Hana Westerman turned in her badge and abandoned her career as a detective in the Auckland CIB. Hoping that civilian life will offer her the opportunity to rest and recalibrate, she returns to her hometown of Tātā Bay, where she moves back in with her beloved father, Eru. Yet the memories of the past are everywhere, and as she goes for her daily run on the beach, Hana passes a local monument to Grace, a high school classmate who was murdered more than twenty years ago and hidden in the dunes overlooking the sea. A Māori man with a previous record was convicted of the crime, although Eru never believed he was guilty.When her daughter finds another young woman’s skeleton in the sands, Hana soon finds herself awkwardly involved. Investigators suspect that this is Kiri Thomas, a young Māori woman who disappeared four years earlier, after battling years of drug addiction. Hana and her daughter Addison are increasingly captivated by the story behind this unsolved crime, but without the official police force behind her, Hana must risk compromising her own peace and relationships if justice is to be served.Expanding the range of vivid characters who made Michael Bennett’s first book, Better the Blood, so appealing, and offering a shocking twist at the end, Return to Blood takes readers further into Māori culture and traditions as it engages us more deeply into the story of Hana Westerman
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 17, 2024
73 people are currently reading
4092 people want to read
About the author
Michael Bennett
5 books231 followersMichael Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue) is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and author whose films have been selections at major festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and New York. His nonfiction book, In Dark Places, which explored an infamous miscarriage of justice, won awards, and his young adult graphic novel, Helen and the Go-Go Ninjas, was a finalist for the 2019 New Zealand Book Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
April 12, 2024
When Addison Westerman, daughter of ex detective Hana Westerman, discovered skeletal bones in the dunes, the body was suspected to be that of a young Māori woman, Kiri Thomas, who had vanished four years previously. When this was confirmed, Hana, although no longer on the force, couldn't help herself investigating. Another young woman had been murdered twenty years previously, her body buried in the dunes and although the murderer had been caught - he'd confessed - the similarities were such than Hana suspected a wrong conviction all those years ago. Her father, Eru, had never believed his friend guilty either.
As Hana quietly investigated, her good friend - who was also an ex-cop, now a PI - tried to persuade her to give the information to the force and stop. But Hana couldn't, and gradually she drew closer to danger...
Return to Blood is the 2nd in A Hana Westerman Thriller series by New Zealand author Michael Bennett. I didn't read the first one, but this one stands alone quite easily. I was disappointed by the lack of focus on the crime/s, which is the idea of a crime/mystery, surely! I felt there was too much about the Māori lifestyle, and various aspects of it, and although interesting to begin with, it became too much. The end was the best part overall, with an exciting twist which I hadn't seen coming.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
As Hana quietly investigated, her good friend - who was also an ex-cop, now a PI - tried to persuade her to give the information to the force and stop. But Hana couldn't, and gradually she drew closer to danger...
Return to Blood is the 2nd in A Hana Westerman Thriller series by New Zealand author Michael Bennett. I didn't read the first one, but this one stands alone quite easily. I was disappointed by the lack of focus on the crime/s, which is the idea of a crime/mystery, surely! I felt there was too much about the Māori lifestyle, and various aspects of it, and although interesting to begin with, it became too much. The end was the best part overall, with an exciting twist which I hadn't seen coming.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 10, 2024
Well the gangs all back for this second installment. Hana, who is now a private citizen working part-time for her community and a private investigator friend since leaving the force after the last case (from the last installment). Her daughter, Addison, is back too, and is living with her non-binary roommate, Plus 1, now that Hana has left Auckland and moved back to her hometown, Tata Bay, to be closer to her aging father, Eru. I loved the conversation between Eru and Plus 1 about the definition of non-binary. LOVE ERU!!! It was a nice bonding moment between the two. Ex-hubby, Jaye, is also back, and struggling to save his marriage after what happened in the last installment. There is also Stan, Hana’s former partner, who is on desk duty after he lost part of his leg in the last installment.
One of the things that I really enjoyed about the first installment was all of the Māori history and how Bennett weaved it into the storyline. I’m happy to report, there is more of that in this installment. I also liked how Bennett footnoted the Māori words and definitions. I love learning new stuff about the stories I read and enjoy. As the book summary states, there are really two storylines going on here: what really happened to Paige Andrews, 20yrs ago and what happened to Kiri Thomas four years ago? Are they related? This is what Hana and Addison want to know and they do some investigating of their own now that the police don’t want to really devote the time and resources to do a thorough investigation.
The story flips back and forth between the present and the past, four years ago. It also flips back and forth between Kiri (when she was alive) and in the present with Hana and Addison and their separate investigations that they’re trying to keep from each other – at least at first. There is also a storyline around one of Hana’s reluctant students from Hana’s community program where she and Eru teach the youth of Tata Bay to drive. I say reluctant because while the student, Timoti, does not know how to drive, he thinks he doesn’t need a teacher to teach him because he is smart enough to learn on his own. Timoti is Hana’s nephew, the son of a cousin, Eyes, who can’t stand Hana and talks crap about her every time she sees her.
It’s well into the second half that the two different cases begin to merge into a shocking end that I did not see coming. The conclusion to the Timoti storyline was also really intense and scary. However, the very ending, and that last comment from Jaye to Hana, was the ending that I had been hoping for throughout the whole book. I love it when that happens.
I can’t wait until the next installment to see where Michael Bennett takes the series and what he has in store for Hana and the rest of her loved ones. The characterization was really good for most of the MC’s and the pacing was fine. Even though the first half didn’t have as much action as the second half, one of the joys of the appeal of crime thrillers are the investigations; that’s my favorite part. The storylines and writing were wonderful. Once again, I love all the Maori stories and history and even the footnotes of the definitions of the Maori words, phrases, and places. Some people might find that annoying, but I don’t. I’m looking at a rating of 4.3 and am rounding down to a 4star read. I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #GroveAtlantic #ReturntoBlood
One of the things that I really enjoyed about the first installment was all of the Māori history and how Bennett weaved it into the storyline. I’m happy to report, there is more of that in this installment. I also liked how Bennett footnoted the Māori words and definitions. I love learning new stuff about the stories I read and enjoy. As the book summary states, there are really two storylines going on here: what really happened to Paige Andrews, 20yrs ago and what happened to Kiri Thomas four years ago? Are they related? This is what Hana and Addison want to know and they do some investigating of their own now that the police don’t want to really devote the time and resources to do a thorough investigation.
The story flips back and forth between the present and the past, four years ago. It also flips back and forth between Kiri (when she was alive) and in the present with Hana and Addison and their separate investigations that they’re trying to keep from each other – at least at first. There is also a storyline around one of Hana’s reluctant students from Hana’s community program where she and Eru teach the youth of Tata Bay to drive. I say reluctant because while the student, Timoti, does not know how to drive, he thinks he doesn’t need a teacher to teach him because he is smart enough to learn on his own. Timoti is Hana’s nephew, the son of a cousin, Eyes, who can’t stand Hana and talks crap about her every time she sees her.
It’s well into the second half that the two different cases begin to merge into a shocking end that I did not see coming. The conclusion to the Timoti storyline was also really intense and scary. However, the very ending, and that last comment from Jaye to Hana, was the ending that I had been hoping for throughout the whole book. I love it when that happens.
I can’t wait until the next installment to see where Michael Bennett takes the series and what he has in store for Hana and the rest of her loved ones. The characterization was really good for most of the MC’s and the pacing was fine. Even though the first half didn’t have as much action as the second half, one of the joys of the appeal of crime thrillers are the investigations; that’s my favorite part. The storylines and writing were wonderful. Once again, I love all the Maori stories and history and even the footnotes of the definitions of the Maori words, phrases, and places. Some people might find that annoying, but I don’t. I’m looking at a rating of 4.3 and am rounding down to a 4star read. I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #GroveAtlantic #ReturntoBlood
December 22, 2024
This was a well-written thriller with a solution to the latest mystery that made sense and one I never saw coming. The returning characters from the first book, including former Maori Detective Hana Westerman, are well-described and intriguing. This is a complicated mystery surrounding the case of two young native women murdered years apart and buried in the sand dunes.
Hana Westerman resigned from the Auckland CIB after the case was solved in the previous book. She has returned to the quiet of her village at Tatu Bay and lives with her father, Eru, whom she adores. She hopes to rest and plan a new future while feeling alienated from her heritage. A classmate, Paige, was killed twenty-one years earlier, and her body was found buried in the sand. The case was closed when Tama, a man with a criminal record, confessed. Why did he make what may be a false confession.? Tama died in prison. Hana's father, a man of sound instincts, refused to believe Tama was guilty.
Now, Hana spends her time running on the beach, doing a bit of private investigations, and giving driving lessons to young Maoris, who will need to drive to the city to find employment. Hana's nephew, Timoti, resists the lessons and appears to be drifting into a criminal gang where he is tempted by more money than he would earn with a regular job.
Addison, Hana's daughter, lives with her roommate and friend, the non-binary PLUS 1. Addison finds a skeleton buried in the sand. The remains are that of seventeen-year-old Kiri, a Maori girl who vanished four years earlier. Her boyfriend had influenced Kiri to indulge in drug use and minor crimes. She became addicted but became clean after attending a Youth at Risk Group directed by Senior Sergeant Lorainne Delaney. She lapsed back into her addiction when her boyfriend broke up with her.
Addison, after discovering Kiri's remains, becomes obsessed with the girl and wants to learn why she was murdered and the killer's identity. Hana does not believe the murder of the two girls is a coincidence, and their killer may still be free. Although she has no authority to investigate either case, she cannot resist her detective instincts. Hana's former husband, Jaye, and Lorainne are investigating, and Hana has been warned not to get involved. Stan, a former colleague, lost a leg in the earlier book and is now confined to desk work while exercising daily with an artificial leg and is hoping to return to active duty. A witness gives Hana a description of a man who may have been guilty of the earlier killing, and Hana uses her drawing skills to render a sketch and name the man who might have killed Paige. Both Hana and Addison are conducting separate investigations outside legal restraints. Hana is endangering her life by looking into Paige's earlier murder.
The story contains references to Maori culture, mythology, and former gods. It uses many words in their native language with translations in English. Missing is the history of a blood-soaked past when British settlers, backed by the British army, took the land and destroyed the culture. Children were removed from their homes and placed in schools aiming to remove their heritage. This left unhealed wounds and the Indigenous population feeling disenfranchised and subjected to a new and unfair justice system. This social history was addressed in the earlier book and is essential background.
This is a compelling New Zealand mystery told from Hana and Addison’s perspectives. Chapters by the murdered Kiri just before her death with her hopes for a better and happier future were sad to read. This works as a standalone, but I also recommend 'Better the Blood.'
Hana Westerman resigned from the Auckland CIB after the case was solved in the previous book. She has returned to the quiet of her village at Tatu Bay and lives with her father, Eru, whom she adores. She hopes to rest and plan a new future while feeling alienated from her heritage. A classmate, Paige, was killed twenty-one years earlier, and her body was found buried in the sand. The case was closed when Tama, a man with a criminal record, confessed. Why did he make what may be a false confession.? Tama died in prison. Hana's father, a man of sound instincts, refused to believe Tama was guilty.
Now, Hana spends her time running on the beach, doing a bit of private investigations, and giving driving lessons to young Maoris, who will need to drive to the city to find employment. Hana's nephew, Timoti, resists the lessons and appears to be drifting into a criminal gang where he is tempted by more money than he would earn with a regular job.
Addison, Hana's daughter, lives with her roommate and friend, the non-binary PLUS 1. Addison finds a skeleton buried in the sand. The remains are that of seventeen-year-old Kiri, a Maori girl who vanished four years earlier. Her boyfriend had influenced Kiri to indulge in drug use and minor crimes. She became addicted but became clean after attending a Youth at Risk Group directed by Senior Sergeant Lorainne Delaney. She lapsed back into her addiction when her boyfriend broke up with her.
Addison, after discovering Kiri's remains, becomes obsessed with the girl and wants to learn why she was murdered and the killer's identity. Hana does not believe the murder of the two girls is a coincidence, and their killer may still be free. Although she has no authority to investigate either case, she cannot resist her detective instincts. Hana's former husband, Jaye, and Lorainne are investigating, and Hana has been warned not to get involved. Stan, a former colleague, lost a leg in the earlier book and is now confined to desk work while exercising daily with an artificial leg and is hoping to return to active duty. A witness gives Hana a description of a man who may have been guilty of the earlier killing, and Hana uses her drawing skills to render a sketch and name the man who might have killed Paige. Both Hana and Addison are conducting separate investigations outside legal restraints. Hana is endangering her life by looking into Paige's earlier murder.
The story contains references to Maori culture, mythology, and former gods. It uses many words in their native language with translations in English. Missing is the history of a blood-soaked past when British settlers, backed by the British army, took the land and destroyed the culture. Children were removed from their homes and placed in schools aiming to remove their heritage. This left unhealed wounds and the Indigenous population feeling disenfranchised and subjected to a new and unfair justice system. This social history was addressed in the earlier book and is essential background.
This is a compelling New Zealand mystery told from Hana and Addison’s perspectives. Chapters by the murdered Kiri just before her death with her hopes for a better and happier future were sad to read. This works as a standalone, but I also recommend 'Better the Blood.'
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2024
Set in New Zealand, Return To Blood is the second book to feature Hana Westerman, the lead detective who was instrumental in identifying and bringing to ground a serial killer in the earlier Better the Blood. Following the trauma from that case Hana has left the police force and has moved from the busier city of Auckland back to the quieter, more serene Tata Bay.
While enjoying a quiet interlude on one of the beaches of Tata Bay with her family, Hana’s daughter, Addison, stumbles upon the remains of a young woman who had been buried in the dunes. It’s clear the person had been murdered and it turns out the victim is Kiri Thomas, a young Maori woman who disappeared 4 years earlier.
Kiri’s is not the first body to be found in these dunes. Another young local woman, Paige Meadows, had been murdered and buried in the same spot 21 years earlier. A man by the name of Tama Hall had confessed to killing Paige and had been gaoled for the crime. But Tama is long dead and there were doubts over his guilt with strong suspicions being that he had falsely confessed to the crime. The concern, with this second body, is whoever committed the first may also have committed the second.
Hana, former homicide detective that she is, can’t let the case go, even though she has absolutely no authority to investigate. Addison, being the person who found the body, is also invested in the outcome and feels a strong need to follow up on Kiri and how she came to be killed in such a manner. Separately, they do a little digging, then a little more, just enough to totally piss off the homicide cops working the case and to get themselves into trouble.
Unlike the earlier book in the series, Return To Blood is a slow burn that focuses far more fully on Maori culture, traditional values and family responsibilities. To that end, we’re given some tremendous insights into the characters who have been brought forward and given greater depth, particularly Addison and her non-binary best friend PLUS 1.
But I felt that, with such a heavy focus placed on the characters, the murder mystery was largely overshadowed until quite late in the piece. This is a shame because it’s clearly not a straightforward case, there’s obviously still a killer out there somewhere and this could have been used to ramp the tension up to a greater extent.
I’m a crime reader and like to immerse myself in the nuts and bolts of the case, trying to figure out how it happened and who did it. I had nothing to get my teeth into in that respect for the majority of the book. The fact that Better the Blood was so much more balanced when it came to the crime side and the rich Maori tradition, I was expecting more of the same in this sequel and was a little disappointed when it didn’t eventuate.
As an Australian my knowledge of Maori culture is sadly lacking and I appreciated the starred footnotes explaining the Maori language used throughout the book and the cultural references that were so well explained.
Hana Westerman remains a sharp and highly competent criminalist, a dedicated mother and loving daughter. I think I prefer her when she was a police detective and the authority she commanded in that role. Perhaps there’s further growth in store in the future.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for a digital ARC that allowed me to read, enjoy and review this book.
While enjoying a quiet interlude on one of the beaches of Tata Bay with her family, Hana’s daughter, Addison, stumbles upon the remains of a young woman who had been buried in the dunes. It’s clear the person had been murdered and it turns out the victim is Kiri Thomas, a young Maori woman who disappeared 4 years earlier.
Kiri’s is not the first body to be found in these dunes. Another young local woman, Paige Meadows, had been murdered and buried in the same spot 21 years earlier. A man by the name of Tama Hall had confessed to killing Paige and had been gaoled for the crime. But Tama is long dead and there were doubts over his guilt with strong suspicions being that he had falsely confessed to the crime. The concern, with this second body, is whoever committed the first may also have committed the second.
Hana, former homicide detective that she is, can’t let the case go, even though she has absolutely no authority to investigate. Addison, being the person who found the body, is also invested in the outcome and feels a strong need to follow up on Kiri and how she came to be killed in such a manner. Separately, they do a little digging, then a little more, just enough to totally piss off the homicide cops working the case and to get themselves into trouble.
Unlike the earlier book in the series, Return To Blood is a slow burn that focuses far more fully on Maori culture, traditional values and family responsibilities. To that end, we’re given some tremendous insights into the characters who have been brought forward and given greater depth, particularly Addison and her non-binary best friend PLUS 1.
But I felt that, with such a heavy focus placed on the characters, the murder mystery was largely overshadowed until quite late in the piece. This is a shame because it’s clearly not a straightforward case, there’s obviously still a killer out there somewhere and this could have been used to ramp the tension up to a greater extent.
I’m a crime reader and like to immerse myself in the nuts and bolts of the case, trying to figure out how it happened and who did it. I had nothing to get my teeth into in that respect for the majority of the book. The fact that Better the Blood was so much more balanced when it came to the crime side and the rich Maori tradition, I was expecting more of the same in this sequel and was a little disappointed when it didn’t eventuate.
As an Australian my knowledge of Maori culture is sadly lacking and I appreciated the starred footnotes explaining the Maori language used throughout the book and the cultural references that were so well explained.
Hana Westerman remains a sharp and highly competent criminalist, a dedicated mother and loving daughter. I think I prefer her when she was a police detective and the authority she commanded in that role. Perhaps there’s further growth in store in the future.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for a digital ARC that allowed me to read, enjoy and review this book.
December 12, 2024
Return to Blood (Hana Westerman, #2) by Michael Bennett
Synopsis /
After the perils of a case that landed much too close to home, Hana Westerman turned in her badge and abandoned her career as a detective in the Auckland CIB. Hoping that civilian life will offer her the opportunity to rest and recalibrate, she returns to her hometown of Tātā Bay, where she moves back in with her beloved father, Eru. Yet the memories of the past are everywhere, and as she goes for her daily run on the beach, Hana passes a local monument to Grace, a high school classmate who was murdered more than twenty years ago and hidden in the dunes overlooking the sea. A Māori man with a previous record was convicted of the crime, although Eru never believed he was guilty.
When her daughter finds another young woman’s skeleton in the sands, Hana soon finds herself awkwardly involved. Investigators suspect that this is Kiri Thomas, a young Māori woman who disappeared four years earlier, after battling years of drug addiction. Hana and her daughter Addison are increasingly captivated by the story behind this unsolved crime, but without the official police force behind her, Hana must risk compromising her own peace and relationships if justice is to be served.
My Thoughts /
To finish off my annual A-Z "Real Life" Locations Challenge, what could be better than finishing with a "Z" and Michael Bennett's Return to Blood – which is set in New Zealand and features protagonist, Hana Westerman.
I devoured the first novel in this series, Better the Blood, where Bennett introduced our protagonist, Detective Senior Sergeant Hana Westerman, a cop with Māori heritage. Bennett paints Westerman as a tenacious Māori detective juggling single motherhood and the pressures of her career in Auckland’s Central Investigation Branch. For this reader, it was hard-hitting contemporary crime novel that deserved all the stars.
Beginning this novel in a state of high anticipation and expectation for what Bennett has in store for both Westerman and this reader; I have to say, after reaching the conclusion, I feel a little let down.
Things that didn't work for me:
From the author of Better the Blood, the gripping second novel in a crime series starring Māori detective Hana Westerman, in which the discovery of human bones in the dunes of New Zealand upends a long-ago murder conviction.
❌ Ah, actually readers - gone is the "detective". Hana is now a former homicide detective, after leaving the force some six months earlier. In this story, our protagonist takes it upon herself to investigate the crime as she would have as a detective, BUT, she's just your average everyday member of the public. It would have been a little more believable if she'd been as working PI – at least she might have some reasonable authority to investigate; but, here we are.
❌ Also seemingly left behind with the end of book #1, is any major focus on the crime – the subject of the story and why we're all here (well, this reader anyway). Instead, Bennett has written a slow burn that focuses on the Māori language, its culture, beliefs, and traditional ways. To that end, the reader is flooded with facts and historical information, and a greater understanding of how the characters' identify – particularly Hana's daughter Addison and her non binary best friend and roommate, PLUS 1.
❌ With the major focus placed on Māori society and how the book's characters identify, the murder mystery element was given little page time. For this reader, that was a little disappointing. The case itself, what little there was to be read, was, actually, quite interesting.
While Addison and PLUS 1 were walking their new puppy Boca down on the beach, Addison stumbles upon the remains of a young woman buried in the sand dunes. The victim is identified as Kiri Thomas, a young Māori girl who had disappeared four years earlier. The discovery of Kiri's body sparks of similarities to the death of a young woman over twenty years prior. Paige Meadows was found strangled and buried in the sand dunes not far from where Kiri's body was discovered. Both cases are eerily similar.
Which begs the question. Are the police looking for a serial killer, or is this a case of pure coincidence?
Things that worked:
✔️ As mentioned earlier, Bennett included a strong thread of Māori language in this novel. What I failed to mention above, is that the author also included footnotes explaining what those words or cultural references meant. This was a welcomed addition to the story and provided a nice clarification to the context.
At the conclusion of book #2, I'm left perplexed. I'm not sure where the character of Hana can grow and develop to now that she's left the force.
#bringbackDetectiveSeniorSergeantHanaWesterman
Synopsis /
After the perils of a case that landed much too close to home, Hana Westerman turned in her badge and abandoned her career as a detective in the Auckland CIB. Hoping that civilian life will offer her the opportunity to rest and recalibrate, she returns to her hometown of Tātā Bay, where she moves back in with her beloved father, Eru. Yet the memories of the past are everywhere, and as she goes for her daily run on the beach, Hana passes a local monument to Grace, a high school classmate who was murdered more than twenty years ago and hidden in the dunes overlooking the sea. A Māori man with a previous record was convicted of the crime, although Eru never believed he was guilty.
When her daughter finds another young woman’s skeleton in the sands, Hana soon finds herself awkwardly involved. Investigators suspect that this is Kiri Thomas, a young Māori woman who disappeared four years earlier, after battling years of drug addiction. Hana and her daughter Addison are increasingly captivated by the story behind this unsolved crime, but without the official police force behind her, Hana must risk compromising her own peace and relationships if justice is to be served.
My Thoughts /
To finish off my annual A-Z "Real Life" Locations Challenge, what could be better than finishing with a "Z" and Michael Bennett's Return to Blood – which is set in New Zealand and features protagonist, Hana Westerman.
I devoured the first novel in this series, Better the Blood, where Bennett introduced our protagonist, Detective Senior Sergeant Hana Westerman, a cop with Māori heritage. Bennett paints Westerman as a tenacious Māori detective juggling single motherhood and the pressures of her career in Auckland’s Central Investigation Branch. For this reader, it was hard-hitting contemporary crime novel that deserved all the stars.
Beginning this novel in a state of high anticipation and expectation for what Bennett has in store for both Westerman and this reader; I have to say, after reaching the conclusion, I feel a little let down.
Things that didn't work for me:
From the author of Better the Blood, the gripping second novel in a crime series starring Māori detective Hana Westerman, in which the discovery of human bones in the dunes of New Zealand upends a long-ago murder conviction.
❌ Ah, actually readers - gone is the "detective". Hana is now a former homicide detective, after leaving the force some six months earlier. In this story, our protagonist takes it upon herself to investigate the crime as she would have as a detective, BUT, she's just your average everyday member of the public. It would have been a little more believable if she'd been as working PI – at least she might have some reasonable authority to investigate; but, here we are.
❌ Also seemingly left behind with the end of book #1, is any major focus on the crime – the subject of the story and why we're all here (well, this reader anyway). Instead, Bennett has written a slow burn that focuses on the Māori language, its culture, beliefs, and traditional ways. To that end, the reader is flooded with facts and historical information, and a greater understanding of how the characters' identify – particularly Hana's daughter Addison and her non binary best friend and roommate, PLUS 1.
❌ With the major focus placed on Māori society and how the book's characters identify, the murder mystery element was given little page time. For this reader, that was a little disappointing. The case itself, what little there was to be read, was, actually, quite interesting.
While Addison and PLUS 1 were walking their new puppy Boca down on the beach, Addison stumbles upon the remains of a young woman buried in the sand dunes. The victim is identified as Kiri Thomas, a young Māori girl who had disappeared four years earlier. The discovery of Kiri's body sparks of similarities to the death of a young woman over twenty years prior. Paige Meadows was found strangled and buried in the sand dunes not far from where Kiri's body was discovered. Both cases are eerily similar.
Which begs the question. Are the police looking for a serial killer, or is this a case of pure coincidence?
Things that worked:
✔️ As mentioned earlier, Bennett included a strong thread of Māori language in this novel. What I failed to mention above, is that the author also included footnotes explaining what those words or cultural references meant. This was a welcomed addition to the story and provided a nice clarification to the context.
At the conclusion of book #2, I'm left perplexed. I'm not sure where the character of Hana can grow and develop to now that she's left the force.
#bringbackDetectiveSeniorSergeantHanaWesterman
June 18, 2024
I’m always nervous about a sequel to a book I’ve loved, but this is just as good as the first in the series. A convincing balance of characterisation of core characters, and compelling, propulsive episodic plot. The real strength of this series is the strong sense of place which is established without detracting from the experience of reading a well-plotted crime novel. Hoping there are more to come.
May 27, 2024
Return to Blood marks the return of Hana Westerman, the Māori detective met in Michael Bennett’s Better the Blood. Hana left the Auckland force at the end of the grueling case that closed that first book, returning to her home town of Tata Bay. Here she helps her father’s work with local teens who need official driver training as well as assisting with other tasks at the cultural center to help out. She also is doing some paid work assisting a friend by doing different types of legwork.
Hana’s daughter Addison and her band partner Plus1 are living in Hana’s former city apartment but visit Tata Bay frequently. On one visit, Addison and Plus1 are walking on the black sand beach when their recently obtained puppy runs away from them, chasing something into the dunes. Addison follows and then calls for help. There are bones exposed in the dunes!
What follows becomes a cold case led by Hana’s old police squad from Auckland, a complex case that intrigues Hana and draws her attention…attention that’s not appreciated by her former colleagues. Additionally, the novel provides a continuing introduction to Māori culture and language, begun in Better the Blood. The book also incorporates a non-binary character in a fully developed character, important in the story.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.
Hana’s daughter Addison and her band partner Plus1 are living in Hana’s former city apartment but visit Tata Bay frequently. On one visit, Addison and Plus1 are walking on the black sand beach when their recently obtained puppy runs away from them, chasing something into the dunes. Addison follows and then calls for help. There are bones exposed in the dunes!
What follows becomes a cold case led by Hana’s old police squad from Auckland, a complex case that intrigues Hana and draws her attention…attention that’s not appreciated by her former colleagues. Additionally, the novel provides a continuing introduction to Māori culture and language, begun in Better the Blood. The book also incorporates a non-binary character in a fully developed character, important in the story.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.
March 9, 2024
Following the events of Better than Blood, Police Detective Hana Westerman turned in her badge and returned to her hometown. She does her best to make right with her Māori kin and works to move on from the job that haunts her. When a body is found nearby by her own daughter, she is thrown directly back into dealing with murder. There are similarities to the murder of her classmate in school, an event that helped inspire her to enter law enforcement. Can she stand by while the professionals try to solve this?
Plenty of police procedural and plenty of family drama! This is a story that is not to be missed. If you love learning about other cultures or have traveled to New Zealand, this is a novel for you! Bennett does an excellent job of creating multiple interesting female characters as well as cultural background that moves the story forward.
#returntoblood #michaelbennett #grovebooks
Plenty of police procedural and plenty of family drama! This is a story that is not to be missed. If you love learning about other cultures or have traveled to New Zealand, this is a novel for you! Bennett does an excellent job of creating multiple interesting female characters as well as cultural background that moves the story forward.
#returntoblood #michaelbennett #grovebooks
May 22, 2024
3.25 / 5.0
This is a very short straight forward read, although Bennett tried to add a last minute twist I think this book massively fell short of its potential. Nothing major happens, you see Hana live her life, free from the shackles of her old detective job. We see more insight in Hana’s personal life with her character developing more. My issue is just how straight forward the plot was it came across very boring, little to no effort in making the plot as gripping and thrilling. It’s a shame, given how great a start the last book was- a downfall.
I think what’s also weird is now that Hana has given up her official detective job, it’s hard to see her accommodate to normal civilian life, and it still does feel weird. Overall it’s an ok read, if you want a quick short read this is a book to go. But it’s meh.
This is a very short straight forward read, although Bennett tried to add a last minute twist I think this book massively fell short of its potential. Nothing major happens, you see Hana live her life, free from the shackles of her old detective job. We see more insight in Hana’s personal life with her character developing more. My issue is just how straight forward the plot was it came across very boring, little to no effort in making the plot as gripping and thrilling. It’s a shame, given how great a start the last book was- a downfall.
I think what’s also weird is now that Hana has given up her official detective job, it’s hard to see her accommodate to normal civilian life, and it still does feel weird. Overall it’s an ok read, if you want a quick short read this is a book to go. But it’s meh.
May 6, 2024
Six stars. I love this series. Intelligent writing. Convincing plot. Powerful characters. Important themes. I hope he writes another one very soon!
May 22, 2024
Return To Blood is a second book in the series featuring Hana Westerman, a former police detective, now dabbling in private investigations and trying to rebuild her life after the events in the first book.
The story itself is complex, well paced, beautifully written, deeply steeped in Maori culture and fully captivating. I really liked the first book but this one, I loved.
We get to know Hana even better than in the previous book, her daughter has an important part in the story too. There's a lot of character development which really enriched the story.
The story itself is wonderfully crafted. It flows so well and it just unputdownable. I hope there's a third book coming soon.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon And Schuster UK for my copy of the book.
The story itself is complex, well paced, beautifully written, deeply steeped in Maori culture and fully captivating. I really liked the first book but this one, I loved.
We get to know Hana even better than in the previous book, her daughter has an important part in the story too. There's a lot of character development which really enriched the story.
The story itself is wonderfully crafted. It flows so well and it just unputdownable. I hope there's a third book coming soon.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon And Schuster UK for my copy of the book.
April 24, 2025
Second in the excellent series by Michael Bennett featuring Hana Westerman, a Maori woman who has left her position in the Aukland police force but finds herself involved in a case too close to home to ignore. Once again, Bennett utilizes his skills as a scripwriter and his Maori lineage to create a novel that although a thriller, also carries information about his native New Zealand and heritage. Love that there's a third installment.
April 26, 2024
As good as the first.
Know this book has been criticised by some reviewers due to the continual reference to Maori and definitions of words interrupting the flow. I strongly disagree. These elements are essential to the story and the setting.
Another great NZ novel to add to my collection.
Know this book has been criticised by some reviewers due to the continual reference to Maori and definitions of words interrupting the flow. I strongly disagree. These elements are essential to the story and the setting.
Another great NZ novel to add to my collection.
Want to read
December 30, 2023loved the first book in this series so please gimme this one asap !!!
July 31, 2024
Very different to the first book, as Hana has now left the police. This mystery is a more personal to Hana and involves her community. A solid NZ/Maori suspense series that should get a wide readership.
May 22, 2024
Really liked the first book so much better. This one felt listless and more like a college assignment. I think I shall stop here with this series.
May 20, 2024
Set in present-day New Zealand, Return to Blood is worth reading, not just for its plot and characters, but for its depiction of a society that has embraced indigenous culture. Maybe "embraced" is too generous a word, but the interactions, the inclusion of ritual and community structures are genuine.
Return to Blood is a two-timeline mystery. Hana Westerman, a Maori and a former member of the Auckland Criminal Investigation Bureau, has resigned from law enforcement and moved back to the small coastal village where she was raised. When a young woman's skeletonized remains are discovered in the dunes by Hana's daughter, Hana can't help but want to pursue the case, even though she shouldn't be. Hana's desire to investigate is inspired not only by her daughter's discovery of the remains, but also by a similar case more than twenty years ago in the same location. Someone was tried and convicted for that murder, but the new discovery opens up the possibility that the wrong man was convicted and that there may be more remains waiting to be discovered.
The plotting is excellent—and the characters are every bit as satisfying. Besides Hana, readers meet her former colleagues, who are understandably uncomfortable with her interest in the case; Hana's daughter Addison and Addison's nonbinary house mate (and perhaps partner) PLUS1, an aspiring rap/turntable duo; Eru, Hana's father, who has strong memories of the first murder and who is convinced the wrong man was convicted; a cousin bitter that Hana has returned and her son who desperately wants to move on to a life more glamorous and wealthy than anything that's possible at home.
I hadn't realized when I began this book that it was the second in a series. I am very much hoping there will be a third, and a fourth, and a fifth, and.... I had no trouble following Return to Blood because Bennett is deft at providing contextual information without beating readers over the head with it. Muticulturalism, a complex plot, and characters a reader is eager to meet—all of these mean I'm looking forward to more. I also want to say that, if you're a reader of mysteries and don't know this series, you're in for a treat. Get going!
I received a free elevtronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
Return to Blood is a two-timeline mystery. Hana Westerman, a Maori and a former member of the Auckland Criminal Investigation Bureau, has resigned from law enforcement and moved back to the small coastal village where she was raised. When a young woman's skeletonized remains are discovered in the dunes by Hana's daughter, Hana can't help but want to pursue the case, even though she shouldn't be. Hana's desire to investigate is inspired not only by her daughter's discovery of the remains, but also by a similar case more than twenty years ago in the same location. Someone was tried and convicted for that murder, but the new discovery opens up the possibility that the wrong man was convicted and that there may be more remains waiting to be discovered.
The plotting is excellent—and the characters are every bit as satisfying. Besides Hana, readers meet her former colleagues, who are understandably uncomfortable with her interest in the case; Hana's daughter Addison and Addison's nonbinary house mate (and perhaps partner) PLUS1, an aspiring rap/turntable duo; Eru, Hana's father, who has strong memories of the first murder and who is convinced the wrong man was convicted; a cousin bitter that Hana has returned and her son who desperately wants to move on to a life more glamorous and wealthy than anything that's possible at home.
I hadn't realized when I began this book that it was the second in a series. I am very much hoping there will be a third, and a fourth, and a fifth, and.... I had no trouble following Return to Blood because Bennett is deft at providing contextual information without beating readers over the head with it. Muticulturalism, a complex plot, and characters a reader is eager to meet—all of these mean I'm looking forward to more. I also want to say that, if you're a reader of mysteries and don't know this series, you're in for a treat. Get going!
I received a free elevtronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
September 17, 2025
Another readable, authentic crime novel with strong warmth and humanity alongside the tragedy and fear.
Detective Hana Westerman has resigned from the police but can't stop asking questions and investigating - skating a fine line.
Good plotting and action make for a compelling and fast read. The thing that kept tripping me up though while reading were the constant footnotes, mainly translations of words or phrases in te reo Māori, or of acronyms such as CIB (Criminal Investigation Bureau). This is clearly done with a non-New Zealand audience in mind, perhaps North American, but I found it an annoying interruption to the read.
Also the word Pākehā was translated as a New Zealander of non-Māori descent, when in fact Pākehā only refers to white New Zealanders (i.e. of European descent) - and further on this is demonstrated in "Policewomen and men, Māori, Pākehā, Pacific Islanders, Asian, a dozen other ethnicities and origins."
I thought about other books and how the authors (or publishers) dealt with words in languages other than the main one the book is written in, and Stan Jones's crime novels set in Alaska came to mind. In these, any Inupiak words are used within the novel mostly without translation (and not footnotes that I recall), but they're often guessable from the context. Does the reader need to know every single word? Sometimes there are words in my own native language, English, that I don't know or may not be familiar with. That's OK.
The Stan Jones novels each have a glossary at the beginning (not the end), and I read the glossary before reading the novel, so I have an idea of some of the words. I am a lover of different languages, so maybe it's different for others, but this makes it a much more immersive reading experience for me.
Detective Hana Westerman has resigned from the police but can't stop asking questions and investigating - skating a fine line.
Good plotting and action make for a compelling and fast read. The thing that kept tripping me up though while reading were the constant footnotes, mainly translations of words or phrases in te reo Māori, or of acronyms such as CIB (Criminal Investigation Bureau). This is clearly done with a non-New Zealand audience in mind, perhaps North American, but I found it an annoying interruption to the read.
Also the word Pākehā was translated as a New Zealander of non-Māori descent, when in fact Pākehā only refers to white New Zealanders (i.e. of European descent) - and further on this is demonstrated in "Policewomen and men, Māori, Pākehā, Pacific Islanders, Asian, a dozen other ethnicities and origins."
I thought about other books and how the authors (or publishers) dealt with words in languages other than the main one the book is written in, and Stan Jones's crime novels set in Alaska came to mind. In these, any Inupiak words are used within the novel mostly without translation (and not footnotes that I recall), but they're often guessable from the context. Does the reader need to know every single word? Sometimes there are words in my own native language, English, that I don't know or may not be familiar with. That's OK.
The Stan Jones novels each have a glossary at the beginning (not the end), and I read the glossary before reading the novel, so I have an idea of some of the words. I am a lover of different languages, so maybe it's different for others, but this makes it a much more immersive reading experience for me.
February 15, 2024
A thriller set in rural New Zealand Tātā Bay two hours from Auckland, we follow three + timelines.
The first takes place about 5 years before the current one and follows Kiri, a girl who gets caught up in drugs and is murdered.
In the other we follow Hana, a former detective, mother to 18 year old Addison and close with her dad, Eru.
When she was young, a young girl Paige Meadows was murdered.
On a walk her daughter finds a dead body (Kiri), and Hana gets sucked back into trying to help solve the crime.
All three are Māori, there are Māori words and terms interspersed (with a translation), which really adds to the authenticity of the story and the setting.
I think going to deeper into the Māori world and practices is really what makes this book shine.
I really appreciate the well balanced non-binary character PLUS 1, who is Addisons friend.
The book is mostly narrated by Hana and Kiri (which makes sense), and interspersed with Addison, but then sometimes we get small bits written from other characters which feels messy. Some characters aren’t as well developed unfortunately.
The murder investigation isn’t as well paced and the end feels rushed.
I would read another book by the author that wasn’t a thriller.
The first takes place about 5 years before the current one and follows Kiri, a girl who gets caught up in drugs and is murdered.
In the other we follow Hana, a former detective, mother to 18 year old Addison and close with her dad, Eru.
When she was young, a young girl Paige Meadows was murdered.
On a walk her daughter finds a dead body (Kiri), and Hana gets sucked back into trying to help solve the crime.
All three are Māori, there are Māori words and terms interspersed (with a translation), which really adds to the authenticity of the story and the setting.
I think going to deeper into the Māori world and practices is really what makes this book shine.
I really appreciate the well balanced non-binary character PLUS 1, who is Addisons friend.
The book is mostly narrated by Hana and Kiri (which makes sense), and interspersed with Addison, but then sometimes we get small bits written from other characters which feels messy. Some characters aren’t as well developed unfortunately.
The murder investigation isn’t as well paced and the end feels rushed.
I would read another book by the author that wasn’t a thriller.
May 15, 2024
This was the second in the Hana Westerman series.
We see Hana return to her hometown in New Zealand, handing in her badge and career as a detective. But soon, a young woman's skeleton is found on the beach and Hana finds herself in the middle of an investigation. This was another fabulous novel by the author and including the Maori words, translations and culture was wonderful. I look forward to more in this series.
We see Hana return to her hometown in New Zealand, handing in her badge and career as a detective. But soon, a young woman's skeleton is found on the beach and Hana finds herself in the middle of an investigation. This was another fabulous novel by the author and including the Maori words, translations and culture was wonderful. I look forward to more in this series.
Want to read
July 25, 2024DNF
Won this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program - thank you so much! (I've found so many new writers through this awesome, generous program.)
But as for this book, it simply didn't hold my interest. It seemed to wander around and presume a lot - that the reader had somewhat of a background into the culture, ethics, even the language of the New Zealanders featured in the story. To use a phrase from the 1960's - 'I just didn't get it.' My interest waxed and waned as the official investigators - and the local public - searched for the reasons behind the murder of a girl found on a beach. Who did it, why, and just who exactly was she...
Well-written, but probably better (for me) to have read the first, introductory book in this series.
No rating, DNF.
Won this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program - thank you so much! (I've found so many new writers through this awesome, generous program.)
But as for this book, it simply didn't hold my interest. It seemed to wander around and presume a lot - that the reader had somewhat of a background into the culture, ethics, even the language of the New Zealanders featured in the story. To use a phrase from the 1960's - 'I just didn't get it.' My interest waxed and waned as the official investigators - and the local public - searched for the reasons behind the murder of a girl found on a beach. Who did it, why, and just who exactly was she...
Well-written, but probably better (for me) to have read the first, introductory book in this series.
No rating, DNF.
September 29, 2024
3.5 bc not a fan of that ending
March 22, 2024
This was such a great read!
Set in Auckland, Return to Blood is based around two different murder cases, one solved and one that happens 20 years after the first.
I loved the array of character POV's invested in the new case, and all the reasons the case spoke to them personally. I loved Kiri's story and how true she was to the reader. She was honest, messy, loved, and lost, and she was just trying to find herself.
This story is a slow burn and a gripping page turner. It is beautifully written, clever, and insightful in Maori words and culture, which I absolutely loved.
Michael Bennett is a fantastic writer, and everything he puts in his novels has a purpose. He entertains and teaches in his books, and I am completely drawn into the world he creates.
While Return to Blood is the second book in the Hana Westerman thrillers, it can definitely be read as a stand-alone, as the characters and previous cases are subtly spoken about and explained.
I highly recommend both of Bennetts books and will look forward to continuing the journey of all the characters I have come to love in his books.
Set in Auckland, Return to Blood is based around two different murder cases, one solved and one that happens 20 years after the first.
I loved the array of character POV's invested in the new case, and all the reasons the case spoke to them personally. I loved Kiri's story and how true she was to the reader. She was honest, messy, loved, and lost, and she was just trying to find herself.
This story is a slow burn and a gripping page turner. It is beautifully written, clever, and insightful in Maori words and culture, which I absolutely loved.
Michael Bennett is a fantastic writer, and everything he puts in his novels has a purpose. He entertains and teaches in his books, and I am completely drawn into the world he creates.
While Return to Blood is the second book in the Hana Westerman thrillers, it can definitely be read as a stand-alone, as the characters and previous cases are subtly spoken about and explained.
I highly recommend both of Bennetts books and will look forward to continuing the journey of all the characters I have come to love in his books.
July 31, 2024
4.5⭐️
Another great crime thriller set in Aotearoa.
Hana has stepped down from the police force, trying to take life at a slower pace and reevaluate her choices. However, fate has other ideas. When a body turns up in the sand dunes of her small town, she feels compelled to quietly investigate herself.
Told from several pov, we hear from Hana, her daughter Addison, the victim Kiri and several other characters.
Michael lulls the reader into a false sense of security then wham - hits you with a huge plot twist.
A great plot twisting, suspenseful, thought provoking thriller. With Te Reo Māori smoothly woven throughout the tale adding to the cultural and tikanga aspects.
I feel we’re left with some questions still surrounding the gang that is infiltrating Hana’s small costal town - perhaps we’ll hear more in book three.
I was sent this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Another great crime thriller set in Aotearoa.
Hana has stepped down from the police force, trying to take life at a slower pace and reevaluate her choices. However, fate has other ideas. When a body turns up in the sand dunes of her small town, she feels compelled to quietly investigate herself.
Told from several pov, we hear from Hana, her daughter Addison, the victim Kiri and several other characters.
Michael lulls the reader into a false sense of security then wham - hits you with a huge plot twist.
A great plot twisting, suspenseful, thought provoking thriller. With Te Reo Māori smoothly woven throughout the tale adding to the cultural and tikanga aspects.
I feel we’re left with some questions still surrounding the gang that is infiltrating Hana’s small costal town - perhaps we’ll hear more in book three.
I was sent this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.
July 19, 2024
Shrewd, menacing, and gritty!
In this latest novel by Bennett, Return to Blood, we head back to New Zealand where Hana Westerman, now retired from the Auckland police force and living a quieter life back in her hometown of Tātā Bay, finds herself quickly immersed in a murder investigation when her daughter stumbles across the bones of a young woman on the exact stretch of beach where one of Hana’s high school classmates was found dumped more than twenty years ago.
The writing is sharp and tight. The characters are vulnerable, complex, and intriguing. And the plot is a sinister tale full of deception, manipulation, misdirection, secrets, mayhem, revelations, Maori culture, and murder.
Overall, Return to Blood is an ominous, sophisticated, entertaining addition to a series that, with its flawed characters, great pace, and constant sense of urgency, has now found a permanent place on my must-read list.
In this latest novel by Bennett, Return to Blood, we head back to New Zealand where Hana Westerman, now retired from the Auckland police force and living a quieter life back in her hometown of Tātā Bay, finds herself quickly immersed in a murder investigation when her daughter stumbles across the bones of a young woman on the exact stretch of beach where one of Hana’s high school classmates was found dumped more than twenty years ago.
The writing is sharp and tight. The characters are vulnerable, complex, and intriguing. And the plot is a sinister tale full of deception, manipulation, misdirection, secrets, mayhem, revelations, Maori culture, and murder.
Overall, Return to Blood is an ominous, sophisticated, entertaining addition to a series that, with its flawed characters, great pace, and constant sense of urgency, has now found a permanent place on my must-read list.
May 1, 2025
Hana, no longer a police detective, has returned to her hometown of TātāBay, and spends time with her father Eru. She does the occasional insurance claim-related investigation for Sebastian, a former police detective now P.I., and teaches young people to drive. Hana knows that a license is a vital first step for youth with few prospects, who can then avail themselves of other opportunities, like education and work.
Hana also jogs regularly on the beach, where she passes a memorial to a former classmate, Paige, who was murdered twenty years ago, and though a man was incarcerated for the crime, Eru was never convinced that the man was the actual killer.
Hana's daughter Addison finds a young woman's skeleton in the sand of the same beach, and the body is identified as Kiri Thomas, a young Maori woman who had battled drug addiction and had disappeared about four years earlier. There are signs that she was murdered, setting off a new investigation with one of Hana's former colleagues in charge.
Hana finds herself asking questions, though carefully, as she knows she cannot access information of the murder investigation. She wonders if Paige's and Kiri's murders may be connected. Addison becomes obsessed with Kiri, dreaming about her, and asking her own questions about the young woman from former friends and acquaintances.
We also have Kiri's own words about her life, alternating with Hana's and Addison's chapters: how Kiri met her then boyfriend, how they both were addicts, what broke their relationship, and how Kiri wrote and spray painted murals in unusual places.
Hana is warned off by the police, but being an investigator is in her blood, so she persists, finding connections she did not expect.
I love the mix of mystery, Maori language and beliefs, and family drama in this and the previous entry in this series. Hana seems a bit at loose ends in this entry, understandably. She no longer is at the mercy of her previous schedule, and is able to think on the changes she's made to her life. She's also forced to grapple with being back in her home town and with family who have never fully understood her move into policing.
The mystery is interesting, and I particularly liked the insight into Kiri's distressingly short life. Author Michael Bennett keeps the twists coming in both cases, and nicely ties things together by the end, and leaves Hana in an interesting place in her life after she helps break the two cases open.
An enjoyable second entry in this series.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Hana also jogs regularly on the beach, where she passes a memorial to a former classmate, Paige, who was murdered twenty years ago, and though a man was incarcerated for the crime, Eru was never convinced that the man was the actual killer.
Hana's daughter Addison finds a young woman's skeleton in the sand of the same beach, and the body is identified as Kiri Thomas, a young Maori woman who had battled drug addiction and had disappeared about four years earlier. There are signs that she was murdered, setting off a new investigation with one of Hana's former colleagues in charge.
Hana finds herself asking questions, though carefully, as she knows she cannot access information of the murder investigation. She wonders if Paige's and Kiri's murders may be connected. Addison becomes obsessed with Kiri, dreaming about her, and asking her own questions about the young woman from former friends and acquaintances.
We also have Kiri's own words about her life, alternating with Hana's and Addison's chapters: how Kiri met her then boyfriend, how they both were addicts, what broke their relationship, and how Kiri wrote and spray painted murals in unusual places.
Hana is warned off by the police, but being an investigator is in her blood, so she persists, finding connections she did not expect.
I love the mix of mystery, Maori language and beliefs, and family drama in this and the previous entry in this series. Hana seems a bit at loose ends in this entry, understandably. She no longer is at the mercy of her previous schedule, and is able to think on the changes she's made to her life. She's also forced to grapple with being back in her home town and with family who have never fully understood her move into policing.
The mystery is interesting, and I particularly liked the insight into Kiri's distressingly short life. Author Michael Bennett keeps the twists coming in both cases, and nicely ties things together by the end, and leaves Hana in an interesting place in her life after she helps break the two cases open.
An enjoyable second entry in this series.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for my review.
October 28, 2024
“Blood makes you tough
Sweat makes you strong
Tears make you humble”
“We get to the place we end up in our own unique ways - it’s not a template”
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. "Better the Blood" by Michael Bennett is a page-turner that masterfully weaves together mystery, crime, and character development, culminating in a stunning twist that will leave you speechless.
The story follows Māori detective Hana Westerman as she returns to her small coastal town of Tātā Bay and becomes embroiled in a new case that eerily echoes a similar murder from two decades ago. Believing that the first case ended with the wrongful conviction of a former gang member who has since died in prison, Hana is determined to revisit that case and find the killer of the recent victim.
One of the standout features of this book is its triple-layered narrative, told from differing viewpoints. The voice of the victim, who retells the events leading up to her untimely death without revealing the identity of the murderer, is particularly compelling. Her account of her relationship with her boyfriend and the days leading up to her death is hauntingly honest, making the reader feel like a voyeur.
I appreciated how Bennett seamlessly incorporated Māori culture into the story without forcing it. The explanations of various Māori gods and their relevance to the narrative were fascinating, and as a South African living in Auckland, I loved that some of the locations mentioned in the book are literally on my doorstep.
Overall, "Better the Blood" is an exceptional read, and I look forward to many more adventures with Hana and her family.
Sweat makes you strong
Tears make you humble”
“We get to the place we end up in our own unique ways - it’s not a template”
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. "Better the Blood" by Michael Bennett is a page-turner that masterfully weaves together mystery, crime, and character development, culminating in a stunning twist that will leave you speechless.
The story follows Māori detective Hana Westerman as she returns to her small coastal town of Tātā Bay and becomes embroiled in a new case that eerily echoes a similar murder from two decades ago. Believing that the first case ended with the wrongful conviction of a former gang member who has since died in prison, Hana is determined to revisit that case and find the killer of the recent victim.
One of the standout features of this book is its triple-layered narrative, told from differing viewpoints. The voice of the victim, who retells the events leading up to her untimely death without revealing the identity of the murderer, is particularly compelling. Her account of her relationship with her boyfriend and the days leading up to her death is hauntingly honest, making the reader feel like a voyeur.
I appreciated how Bennett seamlessly incorporated Māori culture into the story without forcing it. The explanations of various Māori gods and their relevance to the narrative were fascinating, and as a South African living in Auckland, I loved that some of the locations mentioned in the book are literally on my doorstep.
Overall, "Better the Blood" is an exceptional read, and I look forward to many more adventures with Hana and her family.
April 26, 2024
I had the pleasure of reading book one in this series in 2022 Better The Blood where the reader was introduced to Māori Hana Westerman who at the time was still a detective. in this book she has left the Auckland Criminal Investigation Bureau and has moved back home. ro Tata Bay, living with her dad ,Eru.Her daughter Addison and her friend Plus 1, with their puppy Boca, are living in Hana’s apartment.
Addison and Plus 1 are visiting Hana and Eru enjoying a stroll on the beach when Addison lets out a scream calling her mum. As Hana arrives Addison has stumbled across human bones, the way the body is positioned it is clearly a murder. But 21 years earlier near that same spot another girls body had been found, that was the body of Paige Meadows but the killer had been caught and went to prison where he died. Could they have got the wrong man? Eru had never believed they had got the right person in the first place.
The body found turns out to be Kiri Thomas, a young Māori girl who had disappeared 4 years earlier, she had battled drug addiction, but had joined the Youth at Risk Group. So she would have been known by Senior Sergeant Lorraine Delaney, who worked with the group. She is now investigating the murder with Hana’s ex husband Jaye Hamilton. Hana is told several times to leave the work to them, that she is no longer an acting officer.
Hana’s life now is working with young Maori’s who need a driving licence she helps to prepare them to take their test. She is also doing insurance work for a private agency. But she cannot help but looking into some things regarding the death of Kiri. Addison is also struggling with finding the body, she had been the same age as Addison.
This book covers a number of Māori traditions, the author uses the proper names for these, then translates the meaning at the bottom of the page, it covers culture, mythology, history, lives and concepts, this adds depth to the Māori side of things which is quite educational and interesting. The story is told through Hana and her life outside of the force, interspersed with chapters of Kiri’s life. The crime side is investigated but it is more of a secondary thing. The story is interesting and sad from Kiri’s point. But there is a terrific twist at the end of the book that I didn’t see coming at all.
An engrossing, interesting read, I am wondering whether Hana will be returning to the force in the next book or will she continue to stay at home to be with her father. The relationship between Addison and Plus1 is interesting as well, I enjoyed how that was developing how Addison became distracted from it as she also wanted to know more about Kiri. Overall a good read I look forward to book 3. Thank you to @Simon SchusterUK @likely_suspects for sending me an ARC of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
Addison and Plus 1 are visiting Hana and Eru enjoying a stroll on the beach when Addison lets out a scream calling her mum. As Hana arrives Addison has stumbled across human bones, the way the body is positioned it is clearly a murder. But 21 years earlier near that same spot another girls body had been found, that was the body of Paige Meadows but the killer had been caught and went to prison where he died. Could they have got the wrong man? Eru had never believed they had got the right person in the first place.
The body found turns out to be Kiri Thomas, a young Māori girl who had disappeared 4 years earlier, she had battled drug addiction, but had joined the Youth at Risk Group. So she would have been known by Senior Sergeant Lorraine Delaney, who worked with the group. She is now investigating the murder with Hana’s ex husband Jaye Hamilton. Hana is told several times to leave the work to them, that she is no longer an acting officer.
Hana’s life now is working with young Maori’s who need a driving licence she helps to prepare them to take their test. She is also doing insurance work for a private agency. But she cannot help but looking into some things regarding the death of Kiri. Addison is also struggling with finding the body, she had been the same age as Addison.
This book covers a number of Māori traditions, the author uses the proper names for these, then translates the meaning at the bottom of the page, it covers culture, mythology, history, lives and concepts, this adds depth to the Māori side of things which is quite educational and interesting. The story is told through Hana and her life outside of the force, interspersed with chapters of Kiri’s life. The crime side is investigated but it is more of a secondary thing. The story is interesting and sad from Kiri’s point. But there is a terrific twist at the end of the book that I didn’t see coming at all.
An engrossing, interesting read, I am wondering whether Hana will be returning to the force in the next book or will she continue to stay at home to be with her father. The relationship between Addison and Plus1 is interesting as well, I enjoyed how that was developing how Addison became distracted from it as she also wanted to know more about Kiri. Overall a good read I look forward to book 3. Thank you to @Simon SchusterUK @likely_suspects for sending me an ARC of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
July 15, 2024
Hana Westerman used to be a police detective, however following the events of the first book she has retired for the police. However the discovery of a woman’s body in the sand dunes where Hana lives gets her back into detective mode.
A fantastic sequel to Better the Blood, this is NZ crime fiction with heart, aroha and deep meaning. You could probably read this as a standalone but I’d definitely reading the first in the series before diving into this one.
I loved learning more about Hana’s backstory and her character development throughout this story. Michael Bennetts ability to tell a story that is based in the culture and place of Aotearoa makes this a story which should be celebrated
A fantastic sequel to Better the Blood, this is NZ crime fiction with heart, aroha and deep meaning. You could probably read this as a standalone but I’d definitely reading the first in the series before diving into this one.
I loved learning more about Hana’s backstory and her character development throughout this story. Michael Bennetts ability to tell a story that is based in the culture and place of Aotearoa makes this a story which should be celebrated
August 26, 2025
Not only are these books solid detective fiction, they are also educational and fascinating in their integration of Maori culture, values, traditions, and language. This book in particular weaves many stories of Maori mythology into the main plot. Relationships between characters across generations and families—biological and chosen—give depth to the multiple plot lines.
I read the first book in this series in print and appreciated seeing the Maori words on the page and reading the scattered footnotes explaining some of the terms. But here I will put a plug in for enjoying the story on audiobook, especially with Miriama McDowell’s accomplished narration. Hearing the Maori language spoken gives me great enjoyment and builds a distinct sense of place.
I read the first book in this series in print and appreciated seeing the Maori words on the page and reading the scattered footnotes explaining some of the terms. But here I will put a plug in for enjoying the story on audiobook, especially with Miriama McDowell’s accomplished narration. Hearing the Maori language spoken gives me great enjoyment and builds a distinct sense of place.
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