Softly Calls the Devil

by Chris Blake, Gareth Reeves (Narrator)

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.

'Softly Calls the Devil is a cracking crime tale replete with procedural insight and an engaging, authentic voice. I had no idea where the story was going, but I knew I was in safe hands; I'd follow Chris Blake anywhere.' J.P. POMARE

‘Chris Blake harnesses his insider perspective alongside substantial storytelling chops to craft a layered rural noir tale set on Aotearoa's wild West Coast … A crime novel that is about much more than the investigation of a crime (or crimes), where Blake illustrates the shards of trauma that police absorb over the course of their careers, and the importance of connection and community … This is world-class crime fiction. Highly recommended.’ CRAIG SISTERSON

Genres: Thriller, Crime

Audible Audio

Published November 4, 2025

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

“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!

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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/...

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Carmie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.*

[DustyBookSniffers - Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Robert Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Annette Heslin · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the remote small town atmosphere of the book. I enjoyed the MC that is looking to find peace and has his witts about him. I like a good police procedual where the cops know what they are doing.
The mystery was interesting and it's twists and turns that kept it that way. The chapters are short, which makes the plot feel fast paced.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me a review copy of the book.

[Barondestructo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid Kiwi crime thriller.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Chris’ first book The Sound of her Voice, written under the name Nathan Blackwell. Now using his own name this former undercover police officer has again delivered an action packed story featuring Matt Buchanan from his first novel. Matt is now the sole charge constable of a police station in Haast, a tiny town on the West Coast of New Zealand. He’s enjoying his new role in a quieter environment, making friends and settling into life at a slower pace.
When his predecessor is found dead with a bullet in his head his quiet life is shattered. He starts to look at what Gus was himself looking into and finds his death might be linked to that. Soon tensions in the town are running high and with more deaths Matt is suddenly dealing with more than just finding the murderer but also facing some old demons.
I found the storytelling very parochial and wonder how the lingo would fare on an overseas audience. It wasn’t until the character of Matt started to do some real investigations that for me the story really kicked into gear and I found myself turning the pages as the story took off.
A good read even though it took a while for me to get into the story.