The Easter Make Believers

by Finn Bell

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR THOSE YOU TRULY, DEARLY HATE?

When an innocent family is taken hostage in their home no one is prepared for how fast it all goes terribly wrong.

With the small community of Lawrence still reeling from shock, detectives Nick Cooper and Tobe White stand among the dead bodies knowing it's not over. Relief that the two young daughters have survived quickly turns to fear for their missing father, somehow impossibly vanishing from a house surrounded by police.

The mystery deepens as Nick and Tobe realize they know every gunman lying dead here - up to last night they were the leaders of the biggest criminal gang in the country. The desperate search and rescue efforts soon collide with their own challenging investigation into a deeper, older tragedy.

Where they begin to learn just how far someone will go for those he truly, dearly hates.

*Please This book was originally titled ‘The Easter Make Believers.’

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller

199 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Finn Bell lives in the far south of New Zealand where he writes full time. To find out more about him or his books visit www.finnbellbooks.com.

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow...atmospheric police procedural with great characters set in new Zealand. Review to follow.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

And now for some international reading. In this case New Zealand. This was free for Kindle at one time and sounded interesting enough. The fact that it turned out to be so much more than just interesting enough is a huge credit to the author, who methodically elevated a seemingly straight forward police procedural to a level of a compelling intelligent literary thriller. Set in the South of the South Island around a particular white and stormy Easter, the basic plot revolves around an armed invasion and abduction of a well respected family man and the local police effort to find him and bring him back safely amid the increasingly hostile weather. Bell, however, goes much further with this, and the narrative is often given to absolutely fascinating discourses and meditations of important (and salient to the case) topics, mainly involving parenting, specifically parents’ love and its consequences. And also morality. In fact the book has a terrific quote about the latter, which I sincerely wish would stick in my memory. All much heavier than one might normally find in a suspense thriller, particularly one so slender, and such welcome additions. And the author doesn’t forget the genre he’s working in either, there’s a great twist in the end you may not see coming. Surprised me, at least. There are also several short essays at the end providing some information and frames of reference for the book’s topics, showcasing the author’s love and knowledge (historical and anthropological perspectives) of his country and its past and present. Not quite the same as a visit to NZ, but good enough for an armchair expedition and well worth the time. Recommended.

[Todd Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly entertaining and thrilling read. This book is certainly full of surprises. I thought the story was heading in one direction, and then I was pleasantly surprised at a couple twists along the way. It also has great group of characters, and an edgy plot. The one thing that Finn Bell does really well, is to pull you into the story, so nothing else exists around you. For me, that’s a sign of a talented Author.
Tobe and Nick were both detectives for the Gang Intelligence Centre, so they were quite surprised to be called out to a hostage situation. However it doesn’t take long to establish that there are some pretty high level gang members involved. It’s just unfortunate for the Chen family that they were chosen as the targets for the home invasion. Tobe and Nick also establish that the head of the Chen family, James Chen is missing from the house, and his where a bouts is unknown. As they believe Mr Chen could be in some serious trouble, they need to find him quickly. Especially since they think he could have been abducted by someone pretty dangerous, and for the life of them, they can’t decide why that would be. If you haven’t read one of Finn Bell’s books, then do yourself a favour and give them a try. This book, ‘Pancake Money’ and ‘Dead Lemons’ are all fabulous novels, and well worth a read.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Finn Bell entered his first two novels in the Ngaio Marsh Awards (PANCAKE MONEY and DEAD LEMONS - which won the 2017 Best First Novel), he cemented himself pretty firmly in favourite author stakes. Mostly because there was something very different about both of those novels, but both presented strong storylines; brilliant, flawed but balanced characterisations; strong dialogue and he plays more than fair with the reader who wants to guess along. So when THE EASTER MAKE BELIEVERS popped up on the 2018 list I was more than a bit pleased to revisit his work.

Again Finn presents a different scenario, this time an innocent family taken hostage in small town New Zealand for some inexplicable reason. As inexplicable as the manner in which the families father has vanished from the scene - a house surrounded by police, a siege ended with a lot of dead bodies, two young girls who have survived - and that conundrum of the missing father. Two new police characters are introduced - Detectives Nick Cooper and Tobe White, who are presented with this most peculiar set of circumstances, not helped at all by the realisation that the heavily armed perpetrators were leaders of the biggest criminal gang in the country. Why on earth would they be interested in a small town NZ family?

So a hostage situation that turns into an armed standoff, an explosion, a deadly criminal gang, and that missing father. Where on earth did he and the leader of the kidnappers vanish to? And how? Given the complicated scenario being played with here, Bell does a sterling job at expanding the story in what's really a novella in length (around 220 pages). Grouped together as "The Far South Series" all of Finn Bell's novels are from the same location, although the cast and scenarios differ mostly and none more so than THE EASTER MAKE BELIEVERS. The obvious similarity here with the other two books is the general location - and even that doesn't matter if you're NZ geography is as poor as mine. The less obvious similarity is the cleverness of the plotting, the strength of the characters and the way that the events surrounding everybody are extreme - but somehow perfectly believable.

If asked to describe Finn Bell's writing, after much due consideration, I'd probably go with a bit on the crazy brave scale. There's echoes of Paul Cleave here - without the supernatural elements, but there's something about the scenarios, the willingness to chuck everything and then some at all his characters and let them fight it out that feels familiar - and makes for a new Finn Bell book being a very happy event in these parts.

Apologies for the delay in posting this review - as previously noted, I've had a few administration / time related issues that have meant I'm embarrassingly behind.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...

[Fictionophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this and all my other reviews visit: https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/

Tobe White is a forty+ year veteran of the police force. He accepts the bad and the good inherent in human nature with a placid, philosophical approach. He lives with his octogenarian mother who is a retired psychiatry professor.
Nick Cooper is in his mid-thirties and works with a less positive outlook than his senior partner. He is often anxious and has a profound caffeine addiction. He is in love with an elementary school teacher who refuses to marry him on the grounds that he is a policeman like her father was - and that is not the life she wants.
Together, Nick and Tobe work for the Gang Intelligence Centre for the Southern New Zealand Police which deals with gang-related organized crime.When they are called out to a hostage situation, it is highly unusual for them. This anomaly is the beginning of a case which will turn out to be life-changing for them both.

"Too much hope can make you stupid."

Why were SO many gang members all in the home of a respected and law-abiding Chinese family?

"I wonder how the biggest killing of gang members in the south happens without us knowing a thing? When it's our job to know. How come we have nothing? Not who, not how or even a vague, general clue as to why."

The hostage situation rapidly deteriorates when the house explodes... the wife is shot, and the father is kidnapped by one of the gang members.
Then, the biggest blizzard New Zealand has experienced hits the area...

MY THOUGHTS

A police procedural that is uniquely different. Why? Well for starters, the detectives are so vastly different and the author waxes philosophical through their characters. Fundamental philosophies about honesty, integrity, parents, children, crime, hope, evil, and justice.

The relationship between the two detectives was a joy to read.

"Morality is not the doctrine of how we make ourselves happy, but how we make ourselves worthy of happiness."

The setting is the area of New Zealand near the Glendhu Forest. It is Easter weekend in the end of March, so just at the very beginning of their winter season.

The title seemed so bizarre for a novel about gangs and police. However, when you read the book, you'll find that the title is PERFECT.

As is the case of many thrillers, this one has a plot twist. This one really surprised me, but made perfect sense and was not far-fetched.

This is my first read by Finn Bell, and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Easter Make Believers by Finn Bell is a police procedural set in New Zealand and follows street gang detectives Tobe and Nick as they investigate a home invasion gone wrong.

A group of local gangsters have invade the home of a well-respected Asian family for an unknown reason and from the stand-off, things go wildly wrong.

Tobe is the older, veteran detective, with Nick being his up and coming protege. As the story moves forward, one of the unknown gang members has fled the home with the patriarch of the family hostage into the abandoned mines of New Zealand.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What would you do if you were given the man who did it, on his knees, gun to his head? If you knew how slim the chances were of him ever being convicted. If you knew he wasn't going to change or ever feel sorry, that he enjoyed doing it and would do it again as soon as got out. If he was smiling unrepentantly, looking up at you, confident that you can't do anything to him because good , normal people never do. Would you pull that trigger?".....


When the Chen family is held hostage by gang members, detectives Nick Cooper and Tobe White are brought in. They work the gang unit, and the ones inside the house are familiar to them.

When it’s over, one gang member is missing, and one family member is missing. Are they dead or alive? Nick and Tobe are investigating every possibility.

There is a bit of “food for thought” banter between the detectives. How people come to be the way they are. What happens to children who are young victims. I found this to be an interesting part of this story.

A snow storm descends on them as they search for Remu and James Chen. Scared for James life, they take a huge risk in the storm.

With things I most definitely didn’t see coming, and an exciting story line. The ending was a shock. Well written, intriguing characters, made this story set in New Zealand, a page turner.

Who lives, who dies? Who makes a choice to change the lives of the family involved. Can James save his family? Will the detectives find Remu and James in time, before more people die?

Thank you Fin Bell for another thrilling book!

[Dan Lawton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Easter Make Believers starts out with a bang and ends with an explosion. Literally. The story maintained suspense throughout, and while I found some of the tense moments to not actually be that tense, the plot itself was very good. I thought I had it figured out around the 60% mark and was disappointed, but was pleasantly surprised by the actual ending. And while it wasn't perfect, Finn Bell accomplished the recently difficult task of maintaining my attention throughout enough so that I actually finished the book, and more importantly, wanted to. So well done, Mr. Finn! I look forward to seeing what else he's done.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

“These men will make a desert and call it peace” —Chief Calgacus, AD 83

Finn Bell lives in the far south of New Zealand where he writes full time. Perhaps it is the mysterious beauty of that area that inspires him to find stories that require an atmosphere of the strange, the inexplicable, but then again perhaps it is simply the finely tuned craftsmanship of Finn Bell’s writing that makes his novels so satisfying to read. His impressive debut novel DEAD LEMONS, followed by his fine PANCAKE MONEY established Finn as an important writer of thrillers. Few writing today can match the quality of prose inherent in his thrillers that is bound to keep you up all night without waiting to know the finish. And that is what THE EASTER MAKE BELIEVERS delivers.

One recommendation to the reader: turn to the final thoughts at the end of the book to taste the many items mentioned as part of the story. Doing so does in no way detracts from the novel and for many of us it adds to the anticipation of the story. The information about the physical beauty of the spacious daffodil and rhododendron acres, the illegal mining history, the Chinese settlers who found gold in New Zealand, a fine discussion about leprosy and the Milton Prison Finn references in his book, leading to some of his philosophy about incarceration – ‘The more people you put in prison the more it costs. Which means more money is drawn away from the support that makes living outside of prison easier. Simply put, the better it gets in prison the harder it gets outside of it. So far so good. The problem is that the people in prison will get released into that same harder outside world, which will make it easier for them to re-offend (this is an absolute certainty as we no longer have the death penalty, which – it must be said – is the only known treatment boasting a zero percent re-offending rate). Meanwhile, more previously-normal people living in the now-harder outside world will start to consider crime to survive, which means more of them will go to prison. Which means spending more money there and even less in the community. At which point the cycle becomes self-sustaining (which just goes to show that, even in near-perfect New Zealand, while you can start out with good intentions, actually trusting elected officials to form a government and make sensible decisions is perhaps wholly too optimistic for a species at our point of evolution).’ It is this informative addendum he adds to his novels that increases our respect for him, not only as a writer but also as bright man who cares.

But on to the thriller story Finn Bell has crafted. The synopsis states, ‘When an innocent family is taken hostage in their home no one is ready for how fast it all goes terribly wrong. As the close knit community of small town Lawrence reels from the shock, detectives Nick Cooper and Tobe White stand among the dead bodies knowing that it’s not over. Because while grateful that at least the two young daughters survived unscathed, they now know that their father is still missing, somehow impossibly vanishing from a house surrounded by police. The mystery deepens as Nick and Tobe realize that they know every gunman lying dead here – because up to last night they were the leaders of the biggest criminal gang in the country. As the desperate search and rescue mission starts it soon collides with their own challenging investigation leading them into the center of a deeper, older tragedy. Where they begin to learn just how far someone will go for those he truly, dearly hates.’

Opening his story in the past (‘Before’) Finn paces the backdrop of his story –‘ I met my father for the first and only time by accident. I was 19 and stumbling drunk out the back door of a club and there he was. After all that time. After everything that happened. Just standing there. Less than a pace away from me, smoking. Laughing with a girl who looked about my age. It was him, I was sure. I didn’t even need the worn picture in my wallet. The one my mother didn’t know I found. Because his face looked just like mine. Older, skinnier, deeper rings under the eyes, but still my face. He looked straight at me and our eyes met. I know he recognised me. I know he did. Had to have seen what I saw. There was a moment where the smile stalled on his face and then he turned away, made to leave. I don’t know why I did it, even now. I didn’t plan it, didn’t want it. I remember yelling but I don’t know what I said. I grabbed his arm but the moment I touched him he immediately pushed me back hard, like he was expecting it. That’s when I got angry, not about the shove but because he knew it was coming. He did it without breaking his stride, without even turning his face back, not looking at me.’

Enough commentary – the book is so brilliantly conceived and written that to attempt to digest it into a review is not feasible or fair. Best to simply read this intense book – it will stay with you always. Highly recommended.

[Jeannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the strength of enjoying Bell's debut novel, Dead Lemons (winner of the 2017 Best First Book, Ngaio Marsh Awards) I downloaded this book and I was not disappointed. Clever plot, enough red herrings to keep me guessing - not that I figured it out! Set in rural New Zealand, the story unfolded from a home invasion by gang members turning into a kidnapping and the police investigation into locating the kidnapped victim before it was too late. The main character, Nick and his work partner, Tobe are called in to assist because of their gang-related work. I particularly enjoyed the voice of the man in the Men in the Dark chapters - a clever structure to show us what was happening to the kidnapped victim at the same time we see the investigation progress.
Characters were strong and believable with just enough background to make their behaviours and motivations credible.
I didn't see the twist coming - but it all made so much sense.
Highly recommended.

[Patricia Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in New Zealand during a late snowstorm, which has its own voice in the book, Nick and Tobe are called to a scene that goes from bad to worse. A family being held hostage in their own home. And Nick recognizes them all as a family of gang members. Why are a bunch of gang members here in this tiny town with a family tied up and held hostage?

When snipers take out the targets inside, an explosion is set off and the father and one of the known gang members is missing. Where did they go?

As Nick and Tobe strike out to find where the tunnel went and where the missing men went, the storm hits. Stuck in blizzard conditions and having no luck finding them, they duck into a mine entrance and that is where everything is turned upside down and the author leaves us with our mouths hanging open! Plot Twist!

A really great thriller! Well Done Mr. Bell!

[Aravind · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second read by author Finn Bell, after ‘Pancake Money’, and it has all the elements I had loved about the previous one. The plot is tight and the lead characters are very well developed. The narrative is atmospheric, drawing the reader into the scenes with vivid descriptions. The mystery is kept up until the absorbing climax.
My only issue with this fast paced thriller is that almost every character of some importance expounds some philosophy or the other, impeding the flow of the story.
Apart from that, The Easter Make Believers is an enjoyable crime thriller with a great plot, some engaging characters and a refreshing setting in the Southern New Zealand.

[Cátia Rato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...

[Geoff Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this - it just took me a while to read it! I've now bought a copy too.

The novel follows two detectives Tobe and Nick who are investigating a multiple shooting in a small town and the kidnap that follows. Bell structures the story with a focus on the detectives but interspersing the narrative with passages from the hostage and interestingly, from the storm that comes to dominate the end of the novel.

As the novel progresses the narratives converge and the novel reaches a dramatic climax. Wilderness noir is thing I read, and this novel has elements of that.

The first half of the novel, for me was not quite as compelling as the second half, and the novel was at its best just before the narratives converged. But Bell keeps tension at a high all the way through to the ending. And it's a good ending. Interesting and morally complex.

I wasn't sure about the character of Nick. I didn't connect with him as much as I hoped that I would.

Overall this is a good book. If you've never read any Finn Bell, I would read Dead Lemons first (which is amazing!). But this is a very good book too.

[Silver Screen Videos · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE: The author graciously gave me a copy of this book and asked me to write a review.

Up until I read Finn Bell's previous book, all I knew about New Zealand was that it was a country somewhere down near Australia and that it had a lot of terrific scenery that showed up in the Lord of the Rings movies. But now, with two Bell books under my belt, including his latest thriller, The Easter Make Believers, I have a considerably better feel for the land. Familiar venues (for us Americans) often become as important a part of a book as the characters. What Bell has done in "The Easter Make Believers" is to write a book that derives much of its considerable power from a very unique setting.

The Easter Make Believers takes place in a fairly small city named Lawrence on the South Island of New Zealand, about the southernmost part of civilization you can find. A group of local gang bangers (some of the less savory aspects of civilization exist in New Zealand as well) are holding a local family hostage in their home, as the police surround the building. Before the SWAT team led by the book’s narrator, Nick Cooper, and his partner, Tobe White, can take any action, the small cottage is ripped by an explosion and gunfire, after which most of the gang bangers are dead, except for one who has fled through an underground tunnel with a hostage, the father of the family. Now, the case turns into a massive manhunt through some rugged portions of the countryside as, to make matters worse, a freak snowstorm hits the area. (As the title indicates, the book takes place at Easter time, the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere.)

In some ways, The Easter Make Believers resembles a traditional police procedural thriller. Nick and Tobe are the typical semi-mismatched partners who work well together, and author Bell has given us enough of their backgrounds and personal lives to make them interesting, especially when the manhunt becomes physically dangerous for them. And the book has a couple of intriguing supporting characters as well, like the local TV newscaster, who turns out to be not the usual scoop-hungry caricature one finds in books like this. But The Easter Make Believers isn’t like many other police procedurals in one key respect; the book is also deeply dependent on its unique New Zealand setting, both the geography and the history of the region, which come into play repeatedly. As a significant example, the tunnel under the family’s cottage is not the hugely convenient deus ex machina it might have been in other books, but, rather, a not uncommon feature of the region, dating back to the gold rush days of a century earlier where such tunnels allowed miners to get to and fro surreptitiously.

Reading The Easter Make Believers will give a large number of non-New Zealanders a greater understanding of the area, and the history and geography lessons are not merely extraneous bits of trivia the author has shoehorned into his book but, rather, vital for understanding what takes place in the book. The author also takes the opportunity to have Nick and Tobe engage in some philosophical conversations as well that prove rather entertaining. Indeed, for a thriller, the first two thirds of the book is rather heavy on talk and light on action (although the last part more than makes up for that). In addition to the philosophical discussions, Bell has the characters discuss what they are doing in regard to the developing case in detail. Some of these discussions wind up being repetitive, as two or three different characters wind up giving pretty much the same synopsis of what’s going on in the house with the hostages at various times, and the author probably could have trimmed a few more pages and made this into a taut novella instead of an occasionally padded short novel.

Still, when I finished The Easter Make Believers, I was pleasantly surprised by how well constructed the book was, with almost every bit of business that the author introduces playing a key role in the story’s final resolution. The story has some twists that may catch some readers by surprise, but the ending proves to pack quite an emotional punch. The author also adds some evocative descriptions, such as these lines about the remote area where the book’s finale takes place, “Today, only a smattering of houses still cling here and there to the unforgiving high hills. It’s not really a place, it’s a piece of nature with some stubborn people who haven’t given up yet.” In addition, the author includes a bonus at the end, several small essays about topics touched on in the book. The essays combine historical detail with the author’s views and are an interesting afterward.

I’m not aware of how much competition there is among New Zealand thriller writers, but Finn Bell is certainly a worthy addition to mix. But while his books are dependent on the setting, his talent makes him a solid writer in any country. The Easter Make Believers should make believers in Finn Bell out of any reader.

[SP · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Easter Make Believers by Finn Bell was breathtaking, awe-inspiring, riveting and full of anticipation. It was extremely fast-paced and action-packed and had the readers hooked since the beginning. It is full of surprises and only when you think you’ve finally figured it out, a new twist will leave you flummoxed.

Finn Bell has portrayed very realistically how the actions of one man could shake the lives of an entire town and how fast things can go wrong when one least expects them to. He emphasizes the ramifications of an innocent family being taken hostage and the extent to which a person will go to see someone they hate suffer.

Nick Cooper and Tobe White are the detectives who are called to find the kidnapper and the victim. I really liked Nick. He had a great sense of humor, despite of seeing so much tragedy. His humor was self-deprecating at times but that just have him more character. His dialogues can make you laugh in the middle of an action-packed scene which was very surprising, considering how serious the storyline is. He was passionate about his work, witty, sarcastic, hopeful and compassionate to others. Nick and Tobe’s partnership was interesting to say the least. Even though they had totally different personalities, somehow they mesh well together. Tobe was calm and level-headed but that was probably because he was a little more detached than Nick. He was efficient but not as emotional towards his cases as Nick was.

The way Finn Bell has described every scene gives you a chill. It actually feels as if you are a part of the story and not just a mere spectator. The way the mystery unfolds is very realistic. The proofs do not suddenly appear when you need them, instead Nick and Tobe had to adopt different ways that may not always be ideal to solve the case. Even though, the book is not too long, it is definitely not a quick read. As more and more clues come to light, the storyline becomes heavier and so it is a slightly difficult to read in one go. When you read the book, it feels like things are happening over so many days but amazed me that so much in the story happened over only a couple of hours.

James Chen was a surprise. No one would’ve imagined him to have the strength he did to do everything he could to go back to his family. His part in the book kept the story even more captivating. He wasn’t defeated even after all he went through and did his best to escape. The Storm part started out a bit confusing, in the sense that it was difficult to determine its purpose and establish a link to the story. But, after a couple of chapters, those words started making sense and you can’t help but shudder when you imagine the scenarios those words develop.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars because there is not a love story per se but I wish Nick and Maria’s relationship could have been explored a little better throughout the book but at the same time the mystery was so engrossing that the reader can’t help but keep going back to it. Also, it would’ve been nice to have a background on the Chen family and their lives. Overall, the book was well-edited and I would recommend it to those who love a good small town mystery that will leave you guessing what is going to happen till the end.

[Tracey Madeley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I had posted my review to the wrong book at first, but it appears the author has changed the title. It actually makes more sense than the Easter Make Believers (now titled Good Hot Hate) and the cover is also better.

When I read a book, I don’t like to read other people’s reviews because I like to formulate my own opinion first. The initial striking thing about this book is its use of language, which is excellent. Unfortunately, that is where the praise ends.

The plot is pedestrian and boring. Tobe and Nick are specialist police officers called out to a hostage situation. When they finally gain access to the property the father is missing. This poses the quest where has he been taken and why? What will the kidnappers gain from his abduction? The author varies his structure by having chapters on the storm and the kidnapper, interspersed with the policemen’s investigation, but these are not setbacks or problems to overcome, merely asides. There is nothing really driving the plot forward, no real intrigue or suspense, this novel does not have you changing your mind, or rethinking the situation. In short this is nothing like the spectacular Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, or Final Girls by Riley Sager.

Characterization is always a controversial question when it comes to murder mystery novels, less of a problem with psychological ones. For me there is very little characterization here. We get the briefest description of Nick and Tobe, we know virtually nothing of their family or home life. Perhaps as police officers they don’t have one, married to the job. If the plot is weak or pedestrian, then we need to feel empathy for the characters, a sense of justice, willing them to succeed. There is a little bit of this in the ending, but it is predictable by the end, even I knew what was going to happen. There is a reason why Agatha Christie is still such a popular author, we like the detectives she created.

I think there was also a lot of telling rather than showing. Again, I think this is difficult in a detective novel, as you have to lay clues out for the reader. This prolonged style of writing alienates the reader and does not draw them into the action. James Elroy’s Black Dahlia made me feel physically sick because he involved me in the detail of the situation. Ngaio Marsh has had a similar effect.

It is hard to go against the tide, although Goodreads has some criticism, but not every novel is good, even from a good author.

[Lynda Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a talent to be watched. This is my second Finn Bell and it is as hard-hitting as the first to come my way, only this time with more twists - twists which do bring some genuine surprise.

Nick Cooper and his partner arrive upon a hostage scene, where gangsters tie up a family and wait it out, for reasons very much unknown. Inexplicably, the family survive, except for the father who goes missing, whilst all of the gangsters bar one, are murdered. It is up to Cooper and his sidekick not only to solve the mystery of why the gangsters were killed, but to try and track down the father in the New Zealand outback, before he is killed.
In this kind of work, it does follow that it may well take a long spoon to supwith bad men, but Copper comes across not so much as cynical, but burnt out through constant exposure to the underbelly of life, as well as to life's many tragedies. And tragedy there is aplenty, as he gets to dig deeper into the hostage family's life and fortunes.

Then
Things are certainly not what they seem, but the mystery unfolds satisfactorily enough as the dust, or rather snow settles, on this rather unforgiving Easter.

[Jeffrey L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finn Bell's use of the grammar software and professional editing services were well worth the price because it made the final product mistake free and an easy read. I commend him on that feat alone! The mystery opens with top crimelords found brutally slain in one location and the family's father kidnapped. which makes one question how and why these competing criminals all ended up there with no illegal operations in the surrounding area going on?
Throughout the story is laced with a philosophy that is debatable from the main character. Or even from Bell's perspective?
The explanation for the mystery kept me reading the book till the very end. When all was revealed in a surprising turn of events.
And when Bell switches to another scene, it had me wondering what does this have to with the plot of the story? Then he masterfully wraps it all together for the reader, leaving you in awe and a bit nostalgic...
I can not fathom a reason the Easter Make Believers shouldn't be on someone's bestseller list!

[Adam Leask · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had 'The Easter Make Believers' sitting on my reading list for the last few months, but had decided that I'd save it for the Easter weekend. I'm gutted that I didn't read this book earlier, as it was a ripper!

The book featured police detectives Nick and Tobe, who work for GIC (the Gang Intelligence Centre). Receiving a call from dispatch in the middle of the night, they're told to get to an address in the small Central Otago town of Lawrence. Once arriving, the two detectives find themselves part of an active hostage situation.

Using their knowledge of the players involved in the organised crime scene around the South, they become an integral part of solving the mystery that unravels.

Once I had picked it up, there was no putting this book down. I'm not sure if it was because I love Lawrence and visit the town a few times a year, or the story itself, but I can't wait for his next novel. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone that loves to be kept guessing throughout a novel and enjoys a few twists along the way.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should start by saying that I LOVED 'Dead Lemons' by this author and would highly recommend you read it. Having done so, I was fortunate enough to then receive this latest book by the author and was absolutely thrilled. However, despite it being a good read, it's almost as if it were written by a different author.

There are things I really enjoyed about the book. I liked the lead characters, Nick and Tobe, but, gosh, it was really hard to follow at times and there were many other characters that I couldn't get to grips with.
I also really liked the interaction between Nick and his girlfriend (Maria) and the supper conversation between these characters and Tobes mother was excellent. That's the sort of thing that reminded me what I enjoy about this character's writing.

Overall, it wasn't really a book for me, although, it's got a really good ending and I'm glad I stuck with it.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to preview.

[Edith Soosaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detectives Nick and Tobe have no illusions over something being horribly wrong when they get a call out to a quiet suburb at wee hours of the morning. Why would they, an organized crime intelligence unit, be invited to a hostage situation they really have no idea.

The Easter Make Believers is a modern detective story that takes place in New Zealand’s South Island. The historical and cultural background included in the story is novel refreshingly different. I feel like I learned something about the country as well while reading the story.

Finn Bell is a captivating storyteller who makes up vivid characters and delivers an ending that made sense but is still a surprise. A good read for any detective fiction and thrillers lovers and an extra treat to a people with an interest to New Zealand.
Read and comment on my full book review in Online Book Club! https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...

[Sheila Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Easter Make Believers by Finn Bell is one of the most provocative thrillers, I have read in a while. Set in New Zealand the story revolves around the home invasion of a family by a gang of drug lords. All but one of the gangsters are killed by police, but not before the father is taken, hostage. Unable to explain the why Detectives Nick and Tobe set out to find the answers and rescue the father before it is too late.

Through snow, floods, and ancient gold mines Finn Bell does a masterful job unraveling the mystery and in the process leaves you contemplating some weighty issues. What happens when bad things happen to good people? How strong is the love between a parent and child? And, is there really justice under the law? You will be thinking about this book long after the last sentence.

[Jill Cheff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finn Bell is becoming one of my favorite authors!

I chose this rating because I very rarely give 5 stars....I read a lot of books and enjoy many different genres. I wish I had more time, so many books, so little time! I reserve 5 stars for the books that I loved so much that I reread. I can count those on one hand.
That said, Bell is a fresh writer. His characters and their conversations ring so true you feel like you actually know them. The plots and settings, he takes you there. "Easter" was well researched and I learned a lot about New Zealand. I will read everything this guy writes. Big thumbs up!

[Belinda O'donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Finns other books I couldn't wait to get my hands on the newest. I felt iThe Easter Make Believers started off slow and I wasn't real interested at parts because I wasn't seeing the lead well. I kept reading and boy am I glad I did. When I finally figured out what was going on I was so excited. The book had completely sucked me In and turned me around without me knowing what it was doing. I'm giving only my emotions related to the book so as not to give anything away. Again this author "Wowed" me! Think most people would find this book worth their time.

[Martha Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Zealand Noir

This was a fantastic book. Detective Nick Cooper is exactly the jaded cop, committed to the job, knowing he’ll always be committed to the job and that he’ll sacrifice anything to the job. Life with the gorgeous woman he dates - sacrificed. A family life with cHildren- sacrificed. Looking at the world without glasses that see evil everywhere -sacrificed. The Easter Make Believers is a well written, well paced book, with two unlikely heroes and an ending that just might blow you out of the water.

[Miriam Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absorbing and Suspenseful Hostage Novel in Unusual Locale

This novel is an extremely interesting portrait of various ethnicities, gangs, police activity and monetary forces unique to New Zealand. It is, simultaneously, a very suspenseful book as well as a psychologically interesting look at several specific characters. I found it quite fascinating and impossible to put down. It is unique and unpredictable till the very last page!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good!

This book was described as a thriller, but it's more than that. It has enough excitement, but the author gives so much depth and insight into the character's feelings, thoughts, and philosophies. The storyline is an intriguing mystery, which I thought I deduced halfway through, but I was wrong! It kept me guessing and wondering how it would end. If you like mysteries, thrillers, and books that make you think; this is an excellent choice.

[Jonica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books

Eagerly awaiting the next installment of Finn Bell's insightful writing. A good suspense novel is always a joy to read, and Bell has consistently delivered. I thought I had the mystery solved. But I was, to my great delight, wrong. In depth characters that are interesting as well as surprising in that they break formula make these books a joy to read.
Please do read Mr. Bell's postscript as well. I feel I know a bit more about New Zealand.

[Kathy Sales · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book goes by another title, too--GOOD HOT HATE. I was very impressed--great writing, narrative, and characterizations, with lots of food for thought.