What do you think?
Rate this book
Softly Calls the Devil
From NZ cop-turned-novelist Chris Blake comes a dark, gripping, intricate crime thriller set on the South Island's wild and remote West Coast
Things are going well for Matt Buchanan. After some hard times, life is peaceful as sole-charge constable for the small, isolated settlement of Haast on New Zealand's wild West Coast. He's made friends among the locals, won their trust. He keeps their little world safe. And he's working in spectacular surroundings - the fierce Tasman Sea, the dense beech forest, the dark, cold swamps, the snowy Southern Alps.
But then his much-loved predecessor, Gus, is discovered beside a river with a bullet through his head. He'd been looking into a disturbing murder-suicide from 1978: the parents' bodies were found, but not their daughter's. Suspecting a darker truth, Matt is certain the answers can't be too far away in this close-knit community. How does former forest service ranger Liam, with his gang links, fit into the story? What about Joe, the alcoholic hermit whose knowledge and intelligence seem so at odds with his appearance and lifestyle?
Tensions rise, there are more deaths, people are threatened, memories surface of a cult that went horribly wrong ... Even when support arrives, Matt finds himself pursuing a case that's well outside his remit and is taking him to places he'd sooner not revisit. Also part of an increasingly terrifying situation are an over-curious journalist and a woman who could be someone special.
Matt has managed to shun his own demons, and is desperate not to face them again, but when confronted by the devil himself, he must take action, rediscover something of the person he was - for his own sake and to save those he loves.
This is the work of an award-winning master storyteller. Fast-moving, spare, compelling and rich in laconic humour, Softly Calls the Devil will grab you from the first page and refuse to let go.
Things are going well for Matt Buchanan. After some hard times, life is peaceful as sole-charge constable for the small, isolated settlement of Haast on New Zealand's wild West Coast. He's made friends among the locals, won their trust. He keeps their little world safe. And he's working in spectacular surroundings - the fierce Tasman Sea, the dense beech forest, the dark, cold swamps, the snowy Southern Alps.
But then his much-loved predecessor, Gus, is discovered beside a river with a bullet through his head. He'd been looking into a disturbing murder-suicide from 1978: the parents' bodies were found, but not their daughter's. Suspecting a darker truth, Matt is certain the answers can't be too far away in this close-knit community. How does former forest service ranger Liam, with his gang links, fit into the story? What about Joe, the alcoholic hermit whose knowledge and intelligence seem so at odds with his appearance and lifestyle?
Tensions rise, there are more deaths, people are threatened, memories surface of a cult that went horribly wrong ... Even when support arrives, Matt finds himself pursuing a case that's well outside his remit and is taking him to places he'd sooner not revisit. Also part of an increasingly terrifying situation are an over-curious journalist and a woman who could be someone special.
Matt has managed to shun his own demons, and is desperate not to face them again, but when confronted by the devil himself, he must take action, rediscover something of the person he was - for his own sake and to save those he loves.
This is the work of an award-winning master storyteller. Fast-moving, spare, compelling and rich in laconic humour, Softly Calls the Devil will grab you from the first page and refuse to let go.
ebook
Published November 4, 2025
12 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 23, 2025
“The tyres dug into the mud as I stood on the brake. I stepped out into the old paddock at the end of the track. It was empty, silent. The wind whipped up off the lake, shaking the trees that closed in on all sides and ripping through the overgrowth that covered what was once home to a bunch of wanderers.”
Set against the wild, isolated beauty of New Zealand’s west coast, Softly Calls the Devil is a gripping, atmospheric crime novel that had me completely hooked from the first page. When a local constable’s predecessor is found dead by the riverbank, what seems like a tragic accident unravels into something much darker, decades old secrets, a missing daughter, and a community bound by silence.
This was my first time diving into a New Zealand based crime/police procedural, and I absolutely loved it. The setting is vividly drawn, dense forests, endless rain, and a haunting sense of isolation that seeps through every chapter. Chris Blake’s background in policing shines through with sharp realism, but it’s the emotional depth and the tension simmering beneath the surface that make this such a standout read.
I genuinely struggled to put this book down. It’s fast paced yet thoughtful, balancing taut suspense with character driven storytelling. If you’re craving something moody and layered with depth, atmosphere and substance rather than easy thrills, this is one you shouldn’t miss.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Echo Publishing for my early readers copy.
Available Now!
Set against the wild, isolated beauty of New Zealand’s west coast, Softly Calls the Devil is a gripping, atmospheric crime novel that had me completely hooked from the first page. When a local constable’s predecessor is found dead by the riverbank, what seems like a tragic accident unravels into something much darker, decades old secrets, a missing daughter, and a community bound by silence.
This was my first time diving into a New Zealand based crime/police procedural, and I absolutely loved it. The setting is vividly drawn, dense forests, endless rain, and a haunting sense of isolation that seeps through every chapter. Chris Blake’s background in policing shines through with sharp realism, but it’s the emotional depth and the tension simmering beneath the surface that make this such a standout read.
I genuinely struggled to put this book down. It’s fast paced yet thoughtful, balancing taut suspense with character driven storytelling. If you’re craving something moody and layered with depth, atmosphere and substance rather than easy thrills, this is one you shouldn’t miss.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Echo Publishing for my early readers copy.
Available Now!
November 29, 2025
4★
"But as I probed, as I pushed, as I nudged the edges of certain parts of his recollection, I began to get that old feeling of something cold inching its way down my spine. [He] was avoiding something. There was a lurking omission in every tale, every memory, hanging just out of reach because he hung it there, deliberately or mistakenly."
Constable Matt Buchanan narrates his story. He is the lone cop in Haast, a small town on the west coat of New Zealand's South Island. Haast may have a couple of hundred people – the whole coast has less than 35,000. It's a far cry from his detective days hunting a serial killer in the city of Auckland, way up at the top of the North Island, where he almost got his daughter killed.
This is the kind of place people go to hide or start over, which, considering how few people there are, is ridiculous.
"‘And hey, thanks for helpin’ out old Liam the other day, Jafa.’
‘You know Liam?’
He wheezed. ‘It’s Haast, you cabbage, everyone knows everyone. How old do I look to you?’
‘A hundred and six?’
‘Get f*cked.’"
This particular character likes to call Matt by the Kiwi slur 'Jafa - just another f*ckin' Aucklander', but it's only now and then, not overdone. I had to google it, although I have NZ family. I'm fond of the country and people, and I very much enjoyed visiting this part of the world many years ago. It was part of the Kiwi gold rush back in the 1860s, but I imagine it relies now more on tourism.
Matt has discovered a thriving drug trade, and a trade it is. Pills travel one direction in exchange for weed (home-grown and harvested) going in another. Blind eyes are turned along the way, and when you're a one-man law officer band, you learn to tread carefully.
It's hard not to be friendly to the locals when there's only one pub and karaoke is in full swing. He is soon known... and liked.
When a recently retired, very popular, officer in the town is found murdered, stories come out about previous murders (or murder suicide?) and a disappearance many years ago in Haast Pass. The girl who disappeared was never found. Matt senses people know more than they're admitting.
Matt, who was looking forward to a quiet life, is nudged and eventually pushed to live up to people's expectations that he behave like the skilled detective that he once was. He's still new to the district, relatively speaking, so has to be careful about whom to trust. He's told to hop in a truck - they say they've found the murderer, and it's bound to be somewhere lonely.
"Jacobs River is a tiny settlement an hour’s drive north of Haast, just south of Fox Glacier. There are places like it dotted along the West Coast – settled in the early pioneering days, where a section of bush and swamp grass would have been cleared for farming beside one of the many rivers flowing down from the Alps and out into the Tasman. There was a memorial now where the church of Our Lady of the River had stood before it was blown away in a cyclone a few years back."
I was never sure who could be trusted, nor could Matt. The threads of the old and new criminal activities are as entangled with each other as are the people themselves. Everyone is, and does, more than just one thing. People in small towns play multiple roles.
The action goes into the bush, through Haast Pass to Christchurch, on the other side of the island, back and forth, following the 'trade' routes and the clues. This is no low-budget, pot-for-pills community swap. It looks like this may involve bikies, gangs, and/or cults.
As he listens to accounts of the old murders, he shudders.
"I felt an odd sensation come over me. The past, till now seen only in faded files, coming to life in someone’s words. It had happened to me before, and it brought with it another feeling, a chillier one. 'Don’t make old mistakes.'"
He's taken himself well off the regular roads to a seemingly deserted farm, with falling-down fences and roofless buildings. Nobody's in one building.
"I went out the way I’d gone in, as the door wouldn’t budge from this side either. As I walked across the scrub-covered space to the second building, my ears strained and I breathed in deeply through my nose. I pulled the Glock from its holster again.
Then my stomach tensed up.
This was something I did uncontrollably when I expected to be shot at. I’d first encountered it in the army, on training exercises, when you were closing with the enemy party and you knew you were going to take some blank fire. It was all simulated, but some subconscious part of me way back then had been thinking about the real event. I’d later experienced it both in Timor, and on the job with the police, when entering the unknown."
Complex, exciting, atmospheric – excellent read. NZ author Chris Blake wrote The Sound of Her Voice under the pseudonym Nathan Blackwell, which was well received and nominated for awards. I'm glad to see he's using his own name. I believe he is now a fulltime crime writer, putting his history to good use.
Thanks to NetGalley and Echo Publishing for a preview copy for review. This was just published in early November, so it should be out and about now.
"But as I probed, as I pushed, as I nudged the edges of certain parts of his recollection, I began to get that old feeling of something cold inching its way down my spine. [He] was avoiding something. There was a lurking omission in every tale, every memory, hanging just out of reach because he hung it there, deliberately or mistakenly."
Constable Matt Buchanan narrates his story. He is the lone cop in Haast, a small town on the west coat of New Zealand's South Island. Haast may have a couple of hundred people – the whole coast has less than 35,000. It's a far cry from his detective days hunting a serial killer in the city of Auckland, way up at the top of the North Island, where he almost got his daughter killed.
This is the kind of place people go to hide or start over, which, considering how few people there are, is ridiculous.
"‘And hey, thanks for helpin’ out old Liam the other day, Jafa.’
‘You know Liam?’
He wheezed. ‘It’s Haast, you cabbage, everyone knows everyone. How old do I look to you?’
‘A hundred and six?’
‘Get f*cked.’"
This particular character likes to call Matt by the Kiwi slur 'Jafa - just another f*ckin' Aucklander', but it's only now and then, not overdone. I had to google it, although I have NZ family. I'm fond of the country and people, and I very much enjoyed visiting this part of the world many years ago. It was part of the Kiwi gold rush back in the 1860s, but I imagine it relies now more on tourism.
Matt has discovered a thriving drug trade, and a trade it is. Pills travel one direction in exchange for weed (home-grown and harvested) going in another. Blind eyes are turned along the way, and when you're a one-man law officer band, you learn to tread carefully.
It's hard not to be friendly to the locals when there's only one pub and karaoke is in full swing. He is soon known... and liked.
When a recently retired, very popular, officer in the town is found murdered, stories come out about previous murders (or murder suicide?) and a disappearance many years ago in Haast Pass. The girl who disappeared was never found. Matt senses people know more than they're admitting.
Matt, who was looking forward to a quiet life, is nudged and eventually pushed to live up to people's expectations that he behave like the skilled detective that he once was. He's still new to the district, relatively speaking, so has to be careful about whom to trust. He's told to hop in a truck - they say they've found the murderer, and it's bound to be somewhere lonely.
"Jacobs River is a tiny settlement an hour’s drive north of Haast, just south of Fox Glacier. There are places like it dotted along the West Coast – settled in the early pioneering days, where a section of bush and swamp grass would have been cleared for farming beside one of the many rivers flowing down from the Alps and out into the Tasman. There was a memorial now where the church of Our Lady of the River had stood before it was blown away in a cyclone a few years back."
I was never sure who could be trusted, nor could Matt. The threads of the old and new criminal activities are as entangled with each other as are the people themselves. Everyone is, and does, more than just one thing. People in small towns play multiple roles.
The action goes into the bush, through Haast Pass to Christchurch, on the other side of the island, back and forth, following the 'trade' routes and the clues. This is no low-budget, pot-for-pills community swap. It looks like this may involve bikies, gangs, and/or cults.
As he listens to accounts of the old murders, he shudders.
"I felt an odd sensation come over me. The past, till now seen only in faded files, coming to life in someone’s words. It had happened to me before, and it brought with it another feeling, a chillier one. 'Don’t make old mistakes.'"
He's taken himself well off the regular roads to a seemingly deserted farm, with falling-down fences and roofless buildings. Nobody's in one building.
"I went out the way I’d gone in, as the door wouldn’t budge from this side either. As I walked across the scrub-covered space to the second building, my ears strained and I breathed in deeply through my nose. I pulled the Glock from its holster again.
Then my stomach tensed up.
This was something I did uncontrollably when I expected to be shot at. I’d first encountered it in the army, on training exercises, when you were closing with the enemy party and you knew you were going to take some blank fire. It was all simulated, but some subconscious part of me way back then had been thinking about the real event. I’d later experienced it both in Timor, and on the job with the police, when entering the unknown."
Complex, exciting, atmospheric – excellent read. NZ author Chris Blake wrote The Sound of Her Voice under the pseudonym Nathan Blackwell, which was well received and nominated for awards. I'm glad to see he's using his own name. I believe he is now a fulltime crime writer, putting his history to good use.
Thanks to NetGalley and Echo Publishing for a preview copy for review. This was just published in early November, so it should be out and about now.
November 4, 2025
EXCERPT: As I rounded the bends, looking for the opening at the end, scrubland crowded in. It was mainly cabbage trees and mānuka, all that could grow in the alluvial deposits of the riverbed, but it rose up well above the wagon. A couple of hundred metres in I finally popped out of the bush into more open, stony ground, with a tendril of river gliding past, aiming for the sea.
Reece's tall, red-headed frame jumped out of nowhere, arms raised, bringing me to a stop. I pushed my door open. 'Jesus Christ man, what's going on?'
'Matt, I can't, I can't . . .' He was pale, almost hyperventilating. I tried to calm him. 'Whoa, Reece, hold on. Are you okay? Sorry, fucking phone system. Breathe, just breathe, and then we'll talk.'
He nodded and put his hands on his knees, sucking in air. When he was calmer, he pointed further down, to where the track met the riverbed. 'I saw it from the bridge, coming back south . . . I thought, What the fuck is that? I drove my car down -' he pointed behind me and I saw his red ute nosed into the brush, '- and took a look. He's dead. He's been fucking shot, Matt.'
ABOUT 'SOFTLY CALLS THE DEVIL': A dark, gripping, intricate crime thriller set on the South Island's wild and remote west coast.
Things are going well for Matt Buchanan. After some hard times, life is peaceful as sole-charge constable for the small, isolated settlement of Haast on New Zealand's wild West Coast. He's made friends among the locals, won their trust. He keeps their little world safe. And he's working in spectacular surroundings - the fierce Tasman Sea, the dense beech forest, the dark, cold swamps, the snowy Southern Alps.
But then his much-loved predecessor, Gus, is discovered beside a river with a bullet through his head. He'd been looking into a disturbing murder-suicide from 1978: the parents' bodies were found, but not their daughter's. Suspecting a darker truth, Matt is certain the answers can't be too far away in this close-knit community. How does former forest service ranger Liam, with his gang links, fit into the story? What about Joe, the alcoholic hermit whose knowledge and intelligence seem so at odds with his appearance and lifestyle?
Tensions rise, there are more deaths, people are threatened, memories surface of a cult that went horribly wrong ... Even when support arrives, Matt finds himself pursuing a case that's well outside his remit and is taking him to places he'd sooner not revisit. Also part of an increasingly terrifying situation are an over-curious journalist and a woman who could be someone special.
Matt has managed to shun his own demons, and is desperate not to face them again, but when confronted by the devil himself, he must take action, rediscover something of the person he was - for his own sake and to save those he loves.
MY THOUGHTS: Softly Calls the Devil is my first book by Chris Blake but it won't be my last. He writes authentic characters, including the wild South Island west coast setting which is a character in its own right. Not once did I even think I knew where this was going and, if I had, I would have been wrong.
Dark and gritty, Softly Calls the Devil is a tense and fast-paced read that is sure to appeal to fans of Stewart MacBride. Blake holds nothing back. He has used his experience and understanding of the tricky and dangerous situations police in remote regions often find themselves in to add a rarely seen authenticity to his storytelling and highlights the importance of connection to the community and local knowledge as an unsolved case from 1978 entwines itself with a current murder.
Blake has painted a convincing picture of a man who as left his detecting years behind to serve in a small rural police station - there's a story behind that, one that you need to discover for yourself - where he has made friends and knows what he can turn a blind eye to and what he can't. His idyllic existence is ripped to shreds and he finds himself having to get his brain back into detective mode as the bodies pile up and the people he thought he knew well turn out to have secrets and pasts they want to protect.
A gripping and exciting read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.9
#SoftlyCallstheDevil #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: CHRIS BLAKE was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. He served briefly in the New Zealand Army's Reserve Force before joining the New Zealand Police. Softly Calls the Devil is his second novel.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Echo Publishing via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Softly Calls the Devil by Chris Blake for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Reece's tall, red-headed frame jumped out of nowhere, arms raised, bringing me to a stop. I pushed my door open. 'Jesus Christ man, what's going on?'
'Matt, I can't, I can't . . .' He was pale, almost hyperventilating. I tried to calm him. 'Whoa, Reece, hold on. Are you okay? Sorry, fucking phone system. Breathe, just breathe, and then we'll talk.'
He nodded and put his hands on his knees, sucking in air. When he was calmer, he pointed further down, to where the track met the riverbed. 'I saw it from the bridge, coming back south . . . I thought, What the fuck is that? I drove my car down -' he pointed behind me and I saw his red ute nosed into the brush, '- and took a look. He's dead. He's been fucking shot, Matt.'
ABOUT 'SOFTLY CALLS THE DEVIL': A dark, gripping, intricate crime thriller set on the South Island's wild and remote west coast.
Things are going well for Matt Buchanan. After some hard times, life is peaceful as sole-charge constable for the small, isolated settlement of Haast on New Zealand's wild West Coast. He's made friends among the locals, won their trust. He keeps their little world safe. And he's working in spectacular surroundings - the fierce Tasman Sea, the dense beech forest, the dark, cold swamps, the snowy Southern Alps.
But then his much-loved predecessor, Gus, is discovered beside a river with a bullet through his head. He'd been looking into a disturbing murder-suicide from 1978: the parents' bodies were found, but not their daughter's. Suspecting a darker truth, Matt is certain the answers can't be too far away in this close-knit community. How does former forest service ranger Liam, with his gang links, fit into the story? What about Joe, the alcoholic hermit whose knowledge and intelligence seem so at odds with his appearance and lifestyle?
Tensions rise, there are more deaths, people are threatened, memories surface of a cult that went horribly wrong ... Even when support arrives, Matt finds himself pursuing a case that's well outside his remit and is taking him to places he'd sooner not revisit. Also part of an increasingly terrifying situation are an over-curious journalist and a woman who could be someone special.
Matt has managed to shun his own demons, and is desperate not to face them again, but when confronted by the devil himself, he must take action, rediscover something of the person he was - for his own sake and to save those he loves.
MY THOUGHTS: Softly Calls the Devil is my first book by Chris Blake but it won't be my last. He writes authentic characters, including the wild South Island west coast setting which is a character in its own right. Not once did I even think I knew where this was going and, if I had, I would have been wrong.
Dark and gritty, Softly Calls the Devil is a tense and fast-paced read that is sure to appeal to fans of Stewart MacBride. Blake holds nothing back. He has used his experience and understanding of the tricky and dangerous situations police in remote regions often find themselves in to add a rarely seen authenticity to his storytelling and highlights the importance of connection to the community and local knowledge as an unsolved case from 1978 entwines itself with a current murder.
Blake has painted a convincing picture of a man who as left his detecting years behind to serve in a small rural police station - there's a story behind that, one that you need to discover for yourself - where he has made friends and knows what he can turn a blind eye to and what he can't. His idyllic existence is ripped to shreds and he finds himself having to get his brain back into detective mode as the bodies pile up and the people he thought he knew well turn out to have secrets and pasts they want to protect.
A gripping and exciting read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.9
#SoftlyCallstheDevil #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: CHRIS BLAKE was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. He served briefly in the New Zealand Army's Reserve Force before joining the New Zealand Police. Softly Calls the Devil is his second novel.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Echo Publishing via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Softly Calls the Devil by Chris Blake for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
October 27, 2025
Unflinching dazzling 5 Stars!
Constable Matt Buchannan is a perfectly written character. Living a quieter life in a small, isolated settlement after more stressful times, he’s happy. Loving the location, he’s fitting in with the locals as their solo cop. Very quickly this changes, the necessity is dire, he must think like the capable Detective he once was. Chris Blake knows how to write the skilled and flawed man. The one behind gun and the badge, the bloke that can have a beer at the local and the soldier, the soldier holding the M4 rifle for survival. The motivation and feeling of holding a weapon that can kill, the power and the reality it holds communicated to the page remarkably. Conveying what it feels like to be hunted, and to be the hunter. Flowing seamlessly, the narrative reflecting this is not the movies, interweaving horrifically convincing scenes of terror and real physical pain. Vivid descriptions of surrounding areas were intricate to this well plotted novel, the local players blended perfectly to form each of their roles in supporting the race to survival. More than a police procedural, it encompassed all the meaty parts in between that will undoubtedly have you turning the pages quickly as I did.
Thank you Good Reading Magazine and Echo Publishing it really was a hit, I’d say truly it will be one of my top crime reads of the year.
Constable Matt Buchannan is a perfectly written character. Living a quieter life in a small, isolated settlement after more stressful times, he’s happy. Loving the location, he’s fitting in with the locals as their solo cop. Very quickly this changes, the necessity is dire, he must think like the capable Detective he once was. Chris Blake knows how to write the skilled and flawed man. The one behind gun and the badge, the bloke that can have a beer at the local and the soldier, the soldier holding the M4 rifle for survival. The motivation and feeling of holding a weapon that can kill, the power and the reality it holds communicated to the page remarkably. Conveying what it feels like to be hunted, and to be the hunter. Flowing seamlessly, the narrative reflecting this is not the movies, interweaving horrifically convincing scenes of terror and real physical pain. Vivid descriptions of surrounding areas were intricate to this well plotted novel, the local players blended perfectly to form each of their roles in supporting the race to survival. More than a police procedural, it encompassed all the meaty parts in between that will undoubtedly have you turning the pages quickly as I did.
Thank you Good Reading Magazine and Echo Publishing it really was a hit, I’d say truly it will be one of my top crime reads of the year.
November 3, 2025
A former homicide detective is licking his wounds as the police in a small New Zealand town when there is a death. And then another one. Despite being told specifically not to investigate, Matt can't resist. Afterall, these are his people to protect. What follows is a twisted rollercoaster of a suspenseful ride. Even as a long-time reader of thrillers, there were some twists even I didn't see coming! Some of the setting specific items went over my head, but the writing was excellent! I truly enjoyed this addictive story!
Thanks to NetGalley and Echo Publishing for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Echo Publishing for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
December 31, 2025
A taut and cleverly plotted crime novel set in around Haast, where sole charge police officer Matt Buchanan is posted after retiring as a Detective. When two men die in quick succession in the tiny community, Matt suspects they're connected to the murder of a family 40 years earlier, and the disappearance of a backpacker in the early 90s.
I found this book to be utterly page turning, addictive and unputdownable. I want more please!
I found this book to be utterly page turning, addictive and unputdownable. I want more please!
December 22, 2025
Look. Yes I did have to rate this higher because it was set on the West Coast. Average story but I truly enjoyed the homey comforts.
November 2, 2025
Life is going well for Matt Buchannan. He is living a small quiet life and has left all his demons in the past. He is the only Constable in the settlement where he lives. When Gus, his predecessor, is found dead. He was looking into an old case. Matt knows that the inhabitants of the settlement know something. And he will do everything in his power to find out the truth.
Matt was a great character to read. He is surrounded by several characters that have their own stories to tell. The brutality depicted makes for the book to feel more realistic and to feel how the character's pain. The surroundings were very important to the book and made for an even better story.
Thank you Netgalley and Echo Publishing for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.
Matt was a great character to read. He is surrounded by several characters that have their own stories to tell. The brutality depicted makes for the book to feel more realistic and to feel how the character's pain. The surroundings were very important to the book and made for an even better story.
Thank you Netgalley and Echo Publishing for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.
January 4, 2026
Would give it a 3.5 if I could. Having never been to the West Coast of the South Island I found myself glazing over a bit at some of the references and geographical explanations. There were also many cop characters from different stations I found it hard to keep track of them all. But I’d still consider this a page turner and I really like how the mystery was so much deeper than appeared on the surface. My heart was racing in those final chapters!
February 14, 2026
4.5 stars
Review to follow
Review to follow
October 25, 2025
This was a cracking read, with a good pace and some twists and turns. There are quite a lot of characters, but the plot was very unpredictable and held my attention enough to keep track.
I found the brutality and descriptions of torture confronting in some parts, but it rang true and made for a very realistic look at the underbelly. No doubt the author’s experience in the police force adds authenticity.
I would happily read more novels about Matt Buchanan, who is a likeable character with intelligence and integrity. It was also refreshing to read a crime novel where all the police are good, honest, capable and get on with each other.
If you like a good crime and police procedural story, you will love this book.
*Thanks to Echo Publishing and Good Reading Magazine for my Early Bird copy in return for a review.*
I found the brutality and descriptions of torture confronting in some parts, but it rang true and made for a very realistic look at the underbelly. No doubt the author’s experience in the police force adds authenticity.
I would happily read more novels about Matt Buchanan, who is a likeable character with intelligence and integrity. It was also refreshing to read a crime novel where all the police are good, honest, capable and get on with each other.
If you like a good crime and police procedural story, you will love this book.
*Thanks to Echo Publishing and Good Reading Magazine for my Early Bird copy in return for a review.*
February 8, 2026
Loved the setting (sth island and west coast of NZ), but not much in the narrative/characters to distinguish it from any of the other many books in this genre!
February 14, 2026
Matt Buchanan is starting to settle into his new role as sole-charge constable for the small, isolated settlement of Haas in New Zealand’s West Coast. He’s made friends with the locals and is keeping the small town safe.
When his much loved predecessor, Gus, is discovered murdered beside a river, Matt is drawn into the last case that Gus was investigating; a disturbing murder suicide where the parents bodies were found, but not their daughter’s.
Tensions rise in the town as questions are asked about the old case but when more bodies turn up, Matt finds himself drawn to the ghosts of the past.
This is definitely a twisty thriller and the story is one that kept me guessing most of the way. I loved the New Zealand setting and the imagery describing the small town and the surrounds was beautiful!
I did find the characters a little confusing though as there were so many and each had a very unique way into the storyline. It was almost like the book was trying to do too much and had too many things going for it.
In saying that, I did enjoy this book and I’ll be looking out for other books by this author!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for my copy of this book in exchange for a review
When his much loved predecessor, Gus, is discovered murdered beside a river, Matt is drawn into the last case that Gus was investigating; a disturbing murder suicide where the parents bodies were found, but not their daughter’s.
Tensions rise in the town as questions are asked about the old case but when more bodies turn up, Matt finds himself drawn to the ghosts of the past.
This is definitely a twisty thriller and the story is one that kept me guessing most of the way. I loved the New Zealand setting and the imagery describing the small town and the surrounds was beautiful!
I did find the characters a little confusing though as there were so many and each had a very unique way into the storyline. It was almost like the book was trying to do too much and had too many things going for it.
In saying that, I did enjoy this book and I’ll be looking out for other books by this author!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for my copy of this book in exchange for a review
November 5, 2025
Chris Blake’s Softly Calls the Devil opens with a bang, literally, and never loosens its grip. Set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of New Zealand’s wild West Coast, this is a crime thriller that knows how to keep its footing between slow-burn mystery and gritty suspense.
Matt Buchanan, the sole-charge constable of the remote town of Haast, has finally found some peace after a rocky past. But that calm doesn’t last. When Gus, the well-liked cop who came before him, is found dead, Matt finds himself drawn into an old case from 1978 that never really got put to rest. As he starts digging, things like cult rumours, missing kids, and gang ties begin creeping back into the picture—stuff the town thought was long behind them.
This book does a lot well. The pacing is tight, fast enough to maintain high tension, but never so rushed that it loses emotional weight. The story digs into some heavy stuff—old trauma, the way small communities hold onto the past, and how violence leaves a mark—but it never gets bogged down. It all fits together without feeling overwhelming.
Matt is a solid lead. He’s not just solving a case—he’s also working through his own baggage. You get the sense that this isn’t just about finding answers, but about trying to make peace with his own past. His relationships, especially with Joe (who comes across as rough but clearly knows more than he lets on) and Anna (who brings a gentler aspect to the mix), add depth to the story without forcing anything.
And the setting really stands out. That part of New Zealand is wild and remote, and the book effectively captures that essence. The isolation, the rough beauty—it all feeds into the mood of the story without being overdone.
If you’re into character-driven thrillers that aren’t afraid to dig into the shadows of a tight-knit community, this one is worth your time. It’s a medium-paced read that grips hard from the start and doesn’t let go.
Recommended for fans of gritty rural mysteries, crime fiction with heart, and stories where the setting bleeds into every page.
Thanks to NetGalley and Echo Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Matt Buchanan, the sole-charge constable of the remote town of Haast, has finally found some peace after a rocky past. But that calm doesn’t last. When Gus, the well-liked cop who came before him, is found dead, Matt finds himself drawn into an old case from 1978 that never really got put to rest. As he starts digging, things like cult rumours, missing kids, and gang ties begin creeping back into the picture—stuff the town thought was long behind them.
This book does a lot well. The pacing is tight, fast enough to maintain high tension, but never so rushed that it loses emotional weight. The story digs into some heavy stuff—old trauma, the way small communities hold onto the past, and how violence leaves a mark—but it never gets bogged down. It all fits together without feeling overwhelming.
Matt is a solid lead. He’s not just solving a case—he’s also working through his own baggage. You get the sense that this isn’t just about finding answers, but about trying to make peace with his own past. His relationships, especially with Joe (who comes across as rough but clearly knows more than he lets on) and Anna (who brings a gentler aspect to the mix), add depth to the story without forcing anything.
And the setting really stands out. That part of New Zealand is wild and remote, and the book effectively captures that essence. The isolation, the rough beauty—it all feeds into the mood of the story without being overdone.
If you’re into character-driven thrillers that aren’t afraid to dig into the shadows of a tight-knit community, this one is worth your time. It’s a medium-paced read that grips hard from the start and doesn’t let go.
Recommended for fans of gritty rural mysteries, crime fiction with heart, and stories where the setting bleeds into every page.
Thanks to NetGalley and Echo Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 7, 2026
I'm hitting this one with a five. I loved the descriptions of all the place Matt is taken to in the course of his investigation - not just New Zealand's West Coast, but a lot of the rest of the South Island as well. I know all these areas, and was in Haast just a few months ago. I loved the dialogue - the way everyone is quite merciless in, to quote someone in the book, taking the piss out of each other. I loved Matt's dogged determination to get to the bottom of the puzzle, and the way that puzzle unfolded. At the same time, he was very much about being a community policeman and part of a wider Police team - although his final push to get the perp was 100% foolhardy!
In the present, there's a murder (of Matt's predecessor as sole charge cop in Haast, Gus) and a suicide, DOC ranger Liam. The connection between these two events is far back in the past, tied in somehow with a case ruled as a murder suicide in the bush at Haast Pass in 1977. Drugs, gangs and a weirdo wellness centre are also in the mix. While there's a full Police team investigating the murder, it's down to Matt to tease out the historic events and how they fit with the current ones. Files about these old events and people related to them are in various places around the South Island and no-one is prepared to talk to Matt about them over the phone, so it's into the wagon for a road trip for him.
At the same time, but operating at different levels on him, first. there's his own fraught past as a murder detective in Auckland (he's surprisingly wlecome in Haast - the idea of the Coast is that if you're not born here, you're not a Coaster, and he's from Auckland, of all places) which means both that he's reluctant to get involved in another investigation but also that he has the skills to do so. Second, there's Anna - a practitioner of (according to Matt) a woo woo art, yet she's fast becomoing a candidate to replace his former wife - he meets her by helping change a tyre on her car during a typical wet West Coast day. Ultimately, while he's obviously a damn fine cop, he's also a bloke you'd happily sit down and have a drink with - the two qualities might be related.
In the present, there's a murder (of Matt's predecessor as sole charge cop in Haast, Gus) and a suicide, DOC ranger Liam. The connection between these two events is far back in the past, tied in somehow with a case ruled as a murder suicide in the bush at Haast Pass in 1977. Drugs, gangs and a weirdo wellness centre are also in the mix. While there's a full Police team investigating the murder, it's down to Matt to tease out the historic events and how they fit with the current ones. Files about these old events and people related to them are in various places around the South Island and no-one is prepared to talk to Matt about them over the phone, so it's into the wagon for a road trip for him.
At the same time, but operating at different levels on him, first. there's his own fraught past as a murder detective in Auckland (he's surprisingly wlecome in Haast - the idea of the Coast is that if you're not born here, you're not a Coaster, and he's from Auckland, of all places) which means both that he's reluctant to get involved in another investigation but also that he has the skills to do so. Second, there's Anna - a practitioner of (according to Matt) a woo woo art, yet she's fast becomoing a candidate to replace his former wife - he meets her by helping change a tyre on her car during a typical wet West Coast day. Ultimately, while he's obviously a damn fine cop, he's also a bloke you'd happily sit down and have a drink with - the two qualities might be related.
November 15, 2025
There are now plenty of both Australian and New Zealand crime novels set in small regional towns. While the Australian brand are often set in sun-bleached outback towns or equally bright coastal communities, the New Zealand version always feels a little darker. In books like Tom Bagawrnath’s Paper Cage and its follow-up Lucky Thing or Geoff Parkes’ When The Deep Dark Bush Swallows You Whole, writers manage to put stress the noir element of rural noir. Chris Blake’s new novel Softly Calls the Devil is set in the coastal town or Haast, but being on the very tip of New Zealand’s South Island Haast is not a resort town - surrounded by the snow-capped Southern Alps, lowland swamps, dense forest and of course, as with all rural noir, full of secrets.
Ex-detective Matt Buchanan has spent a year as the lone policeman in the small town of Haast after some disastrous and scarring events in Auckland (presumably related to his adventures in Blake’s debut The Sound of Her Voice published under the pseudonym Nathan Blackwell). But his idyll is shattered when his predecessor, Gus, is found shot and this death is quickly followed by a suicide. Buchanan is specifically not part of the murder investigation but he finds that he cannot help himself. Gus was re-investigating the 1978 murders of a family in the forest outside of Haast and by digging into that case himself, Buchanan slowly starts to uncover a much more complex story of drug running, biker gangs and a possible cult.
Blake gives a great feel for the town of Haast, its inhabitants and the landscape of the lower half of the South Island of New Zealand. Main character Matt Buchanan clearly has some baggage but is also trying to get his life together and finding life in Haast suiting that endeavour so has to balance his new life with the call of his old one. And tying it all together an engaging mystery with plenty of red herrings, and interesting reveals which builds to a thrilling ending. All of which makes Softly Calls the Devil is another great piece of New Zealand rural noir.
Ex-detective Matt Buchanan has spent a year as the lone policeman in the small town of Haast after some disastrous and scarring events in Auckland (presumably related to his adventures in Blake’s debut The Sound of Her Voice published under the pseudonym Nathan Blackwell). But his idyll is shattered when his predecessor, Gus, is found shot and this death is quickly followed by a suicide. Buchanan is specifically not part of the murder investigation but he finds that he cannot help himself. Gus was re-investigating the 1978 murders of a family in the forest outside of Haast and by digging into that case himself, Buchanan slowly starts to uncover a much more complex story of drug running, biker gangs and a possible cult.
Blake gives a great feel for the town of Haast, its inhabitants and the landscape of the lower half of the South Island of New Zealand. Main character Matt Buchanan clearly has some baggage but is also trying to get his life together and finding life in Haast suiting that endeavour so has to balance his new life with the call of his old one. And tying it all together an engaging mystery with plenty of red herrings, and interesting reveals which builds to a thrilling ending. All of which makes Softly Calls the Devil is another great piece of New Zealand rural noir.
October 14, 2025
Matt Buchanan is enjoying life as the sole-charge police constable in the small settlement of Haast, on the remote west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Matt is respected, has made friends amongst the locals, and is happy to turn his back on some personal demons in his past.
But the peace Matt has enjoyed is short-lived. His predecessor, Gus, is discovered dead with a bullet shot to the head. Gus had been looking into a case from 1978. The case was thought to be a murder suicide: the bodies of a husband and wife were found, but their daughter (who had been with them) was missing. Matt is convinced that some of the locals in this close-knit community must know something. And they do, but revisiting the past is fraught with both danger and death.
There are multiple twists in this story, heightened by isolation. No quick solve, no straightforward path to the truth. More people die and others are threatened: can Matt save himself; can he find the truth?
This is one of those books where the surroundings become an important part of the story, where each of the characters has history and where methodical police work is critical to untangling what has happened and why.
Highly recommended.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Echo Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
But the peace Matt has enjoyed is short-lived. His predecessor, Gus, is discovered dead with a bullet shot to the head. Gus had been looking into a case from 1978. The case was thought to be a murder suicide: the bodies of a husband and wife were found, but their daughter (who had been with them) was missing. Matt is convinced that some of the locals in this close-knit community must know something. And they do, but revisiting the past is fraught with both danger and death.
There are multiple twists in this story, heightened by isolation. No quick solve, no straightforward path to the truth. More people die and others are threatened: can Matt save himself; can he find the truth?
This is one of those books where the surroundings become an important part of the story, where each of the characters has history and where methodical police work is critical to untangling what has happened and why.
Highly recommended.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Echo Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
January 19, 2026
SOFTLY CALLS THE DEVIL
When I’m in the mood for a good police procedural crime thriller, I’m really looking for methodical sleuthing, a ticking clock, some dry humor, and a hearty dose of suspense. Settling in with a good whodunnit is like flipping on your favorite comfort show… if that show happened to be about murder. This book, written by a NZ cop-turned-author and set in the isolated South Island, was equal parts comfort and excitement for me. With red herrings, drama, cold cases, ties to the drug world, and a sketchy 1970s cult, this one is sure to keep your head spinning!
SYNOPSIS: Matt Buchanan is enjoying a pseudo-retirement as the constable for an isolated settlement on the West Coast of NZ, when his peace and quiet is shattered. His predecessor Gus is found dead with a bullet in his head after spending time looking into a disturbing murder from 1978, in which a young girl’s parents were found murdered, but the girl never found. Suddenly Matt finds himself investigating the murder of a dear friend, with a limited suspect pool and limited resources. But to uncover what happened to Gus, he must first solve what happened in 1978… without meeting the same gruesome fate.
When I’m in the mood for a good police procedural crime thriller, I’m really looking for methodical sleuthing, a ticking clock, some dry humor, and a hearty dose of suspense. Settling in with a good whodunnit is like flipping on your favorite comfort show… if that show happened to be about murder. This book, written by a NZ cop-turned-author and set in the isolated South Island, was equal parts comfort and excitement for me. With red herrings, drama, cold cases, ties to the drug world, and a sketchy 1970s cult, this one is sure to keep your head spinning!
SYNOPSIS: Matt Buchanan is enjoying a pseudo-retirement as the constable for an isolated settlement on the West Coast of NZ, when his peace and quiet is shattered. His predecessor Gus is found dead with a bullet in his head after spending time looking into a disturbing murder from 1978, in which a young girl’s parents were found murdered, but the girl never found. Suddenly Matt finds himself investigating the murder of a dear friend, with a limited suspect pool and limited resources. But to uncover what happened to Gus, he must first solve what happened in 1978… without meeting the same gruesome fate.
November 9, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vibes: Grit Lit, Kiwi Crime Noir
- - -
When this book landed on my doorstep from the lovely team at Echo Publishing, I was intrigued. It had a stunning cover, a JP Pomare endorsement and a glowing 5 star review from a book friend so my excitement levels were sky high before I even cracked it open.
From the first page, I knew I was in for a ride.
The short, snappy chapters are packed with tension and pace the kind that had me saying ‘just one more chapter’ and then suddenly it’s midnight.
What I appreciated most with this story was how Chris Blake delivers crime fiction that’s stripped of fluff and full of grit. The story jumps sharply between scenes, keeping the momentum high and the focus tight on the case. There was no unnecessary waffle, just pure, gripping storytelling.
Even better, Chris started most chapters with scenery descriptions that had the vivid New Zealand landscapes practically jumping off the page. Between the wild scenery and the sharp writing, I’m convinced there’s something in that NZ water with every author from across the ditch raising the bar.
If you love a crime story that’s dark, fast paced and has brilliant police procedural writing, Softly Calls The Devil deserves a spot on your TBR.
Vibes: Grit Lit, Kiwi Crime Noir
- - -
When this book landed on my doorstep from the lovely team at Echo Publishing, I was intrigued. It had a stunning cover, a JP Pomare endorsement and a glowing 5 star review from a book friend so my excitement levels were sky high before I even cracked it open.
From the first page, I knew I was in for a ride.
The short, snappy chapters are packed with tension and pace the kind that had me saying ‘just one more chapter’ and then suddenly it’s midnight.
What I appreciated most with this story was how Chris Blake delivers crime fiction that’s stripped of fluff and full of grit. The story jumps sharply between scenes, keeping the momentum high and the focus tight on the case. There was no unnecessary waffle, just pure, gripping storytelling.
Even better, Chris started most chapters with scenery descriptions that had the vivid New Zealand landscapes practically jumping off the page. Between the wild scenery and the sharp writing, I’m convinced there’s something in that NZ water with every author from across the ditch raising the bar.
If you love a crime story that’s dark, fast paced and has brilliant police procedural writing, Softly Calls The Devil deserves a spot on your TBR.
January 3, 2026
Read this mainly because it was set in my native NZ, even my South Island. Matt Buchanan is a cop, originally an Auckland detective whose past misdemeanours force him to become a country cop in Haast, a small West Coast town. Local life for such a cop is pretty humdrum, but then nasty things start happening, and Matt is thrown into cold cases from decades ago, mostly involving missing persons and drugs, as well as a hippie community now defunct.
This is a good story, told at an increasingly rattling pace with plenty to ponder in the short chapters. Of course, it wouldn’t be a crime story without our hero going alone into dangerous situations (wait for backup!) and the odd scarcely believable episode, but, what the hell. And the (reasonably) satisfactory outcome. I did enjoy the rugged settings of this novel.
This is a good story, told at an increasingly rattling pace with plenty to ponder in the short chapters. Of course, it wouldn’t be a crime story without our hero going alone into dangerous situations (wait for backup!) and the odd scarcely believable episode, but, what the hell. And the (reasonably) satisfactory outcome. I did enjoy the rugged settings of this novel.
January 31, 2026
I loved this book, just couldn’t put it down. Reasonably complicated story line but I loved the short chapters which made it so readable - ‘just one more!’
I feel like Chris gained big momentum with this novel and once again being able to relate to the New Zealand locations and hard-hitting Kiwi humour was fantastic. He did seem to do a hell of a lot of quick driving around the south island without a thought (many characters not wanting to talk on the phone) but it padded the story and added value to his connections (old and new) which helped him work the case. The misty, dark, miserable Haast / West Coast weather and landscape was very well described, setting the somber mood. Big improvements for me from the last one include way less f-words and self-deprecation. Write another one Chris!!
I feel like Chris gained big momentum with this novel and once again being able to relate to the New Zealand locations and hard-hitting Kiwi humour was fantastic. He did seem to do a hell of a lot of quick driving around the south island without a thought (many characters not wanting to talk on the phone) but it padded the story and added value to his connections (old and new) which helped him work the case. The misty, dark, miserable Haast / West Coast weather and landscape was very well described, setting the somber mood. Big improvements for me from the last one include way less f-words and self-deprecation. Write another one Chris!!
November 28, 2025
Softly calls the devil is the debut novel by former policeman Chris Blake. It’s set in a small town in New Zealand where not everything is at it seems. Constable Matt Buchanan starts investigating the murder of Gus , the former constable and soon secrets from the past soon to unravel. As Matt digs deeper into Gus’s murder and killings from over 40 years before, he learns that everything is connected.
Softly Calls the Devil is a terrific mystery and quite a page turner. I love the setting and Matt is a fantastic MMC. It’s well written and readers of the genre will love it. Highly recommended
Softly Calls the Devil is a terrific mystery and quite a page turner. I love the setting and Matt is a fantastic MMC. It’s well written and readers of the genre will love it. Highly recommended
December 1, 2025
Softly Calls the Devil by cop-turned-novelist @chris.blake.author is a gripping crime and police procedural set on the wild and remote west coast of New Zealand’s South Island.
With short, punchy chapters that kept the pace fast, this rural noir is gripping and had me guessing right up to the end.
📖 Matt Buchanan is the sole-charge constable for the small, isolated settlement of Haast. He’s made friends among the locals, and keeps their little corner of the world safe.
But then the body of his predecessor, Gus, is discovered. He’d been looking into a disturbing case from 1978 and Matt is certain the answers to both the old case and Gus’s death, lie in his community.
Tensions rise as people are threatened and more deaths occur. With whispers of a cult gone wrong surfacing...Matt questions everything he thought he knew of his community.
Blake really delivered with a dark, gripping and intricately layered plot. It made for an edge of your seat thriller. The remote setting was perfect for this story where wild weather, dense bushland and intermittent phone service meant Matt really had to rely on his instincts. I also really enjoyed how the close knit community played a key role in the storyline.
Softly Calls the Devil is out now. Thank you to @echo_publishing and @chris.blake.author for a copy to read.
With short, punchy chapters that kept the pace fast, this rural noir is gripping and had me guessing right up to the end.
📖 Matt Buchanan is the sole-charge constable for the small, isolated settlement of Haast. He’s made friends among the locals, and keeps their little corner of the world safe.
But then the body of his predecessor, Gus, is discovered. He’d been looking into a disturbing case from 1978 and Matt is certain the answers to both the old case and Gus’s death, lie in his community.
Tensions rise as people are threatened and more deaths occur. With whispers of a cult gone wrong surfacing...Matt questions everything he thought he knew of his community.
Blake really delivered with a dark, gripping and intricately layered plot. It made for an edge of your seat thriller. The remote setting was perfect for this story where wild weather, dense bushland and intermittent phone service meant Matt really had to rely on his instincts. I also really enjoyed how the close knit community played a key role in the storyline.
Softly Calls the Devil is out now. Thank you to @echo_publishing and @chris.blake.author for a copy to read.
November 25, 2025
This has been one book I was drawn into and had trouble stopping reading until the end.
It really highlights New Zealand and takes you on a descriptive journey as well as having its main purpose of the actual story. Blake paints and brings you into every aspect of the regional areas and the force there. From the discovery of the murdered body of Gus to the end Matt Buchanan is seeking the answers and with the way small towns go it has to be found. This is well constructed and written that I enjoyed each and every moment of reading it.
It really highlights New Zealand and takes you on a descriptive journey as well as having its main purpose of the actual story. Blake paints and brings you into every aspect of the regional areas and the force there. From the discovery of the murdered body of Gus to the end Matt Buchanan is seeking the answers and with the way small towns go it has to be found. This is well constructed and written that I enjoyed each and every moment of reading it.
October 27, 2025
The Prologue had me intrigued from the start and I knew this book was going to hold my interest.
A storyline of a past crime in 1978 was brought to light and so begins the investigation to the case. New lines of enquiries have come forward, along with a spate of recent deaths, that are intertwined and connected.
Matt Buchanan is in charge of the case and follows the leads and gut instinct. He unravels the clues and hunts down the killer.
A crime story that has all the right elements.
A storyline of a past crime in 1978 was brought to light and so begins the investigation to the case. New lines of enquiries have come forward, along with a spate of recent deaths, that are intertwined and connected.
Matt Buchanan is in charge of the case and follows the leads and gut instinct. He unravels the clues and hunts down the killer.
A crime story that has all the right elements.
December 18, 2025
[Disclaimer: e-ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
3.5 stars
I think this may be my first ever New Zealand fiction - which is a crime!
This was great in so many ways. First off, the setting, Chris Blake really nails this New Zealand rural South Island setting. It felt really vivid and I could picture the landscape and the weather in my head while reading. Secondly, you can really tell that Chris Blake was previously a police officer, everything surrounding the main character's job felt very grounded in reality.
The story itself got a little convoluted in the last third, but I was able to unpick all the threads and overall it was a really satisfying read.
3.5 stars
I think this may be my first ever New Zealand fiction - which is a crime!
This was great in so many ways. First off, the setting, Chris Blake really nails this New Zealand rural South Island setting. It felt really vivid and I could picture the landscape and the weather in my head while reading. Secondly, you can really tell that Chris Blake was previously a police officer, everything surrounding the main character's job felt very grounded in reality.
The story itself got a little convoluted in the last third, but I was able to unpick all the threads and overall it was a really satisfying read.
December 22, 2025
NZ Crime, and this is an excellent read. Ex Dectective Matt Buchanan is banished to a small town cop posting on the west coast of NZ's south island. His predecessor Gus is found murdered, and Matt digs and finds links to drug gang activity and 1978 murder suicide.
Excellently plotted, this is a genuine page turner.
Excellently plotted, this is a genuine page turner.
February 16, 2026
Enjoyed this murder mystery set in southern NZ. Lots of in depth descriptions of the rugged country and loose characters that let my imagination run wild. Also plenty of unpredictable plot twists. It was a very easy and enjoyable listen as an audiobook!
November 22, 2025
Solid Kiwi crime thriller.
December 1, 2025
Book review coming soon.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews