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Sam Shephard #2
The Ringmaster
The heart-stoppingly tense next instalment in the richly atmospheric, page-turning and international bestselling Sam Shephard series … for fans of The Dry
Death is stalking the South Island of New Zealand
Marginalised by previous antics, Sam Shephard, is on the bottom rung of detective training in Dunedin, and her boss makes sure she knows it. She gets involved in her first homicide investigation, when a university student is murdered in the Botanic Gardens, and Sam soon discovers this is not an isolated incident. There is a chilling prospect of a predator loose in Dunedin, and a very strong possibility that the deaths are linked to a visiting circus…
Determined to find out who’s running the show, and to prove herself, Sam throws herself into an investigation that can have only one ending…
Rich with atmosphere, humour and a dark, shocking plot, The Ringmaster marks the return of passionate, headstrong police officer, Sam Shephard, in the next instalment of Vanda Symon’s bestselling series.
Death is stalking the South Island of New Zealand
Marginalised by previous antics, Sam Shephard, is on the bottom rung of detective training in Dunedin, and her boss makes sure she knows it. She gets involved in her first homicide investigation, when a university student is murdered in the Botanic Gardens, and Sam soon discovers this is not an isolated incident. There is a chilling prospect of a predator loose in Dunedin, and a very strong possibility that the deaths are linked to a visiting circus…
Determined to find out who’s running the show, and to prove herself, Sam throws herself into an investigation that can have only one ending…
Rich with atmosphere, humour and a dark, shocking plot, The Ringmaster marks the return of passionate, headstrong police officer, Sam Shephard, in the next instalment of Vanda Symon’s bestselling series.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2008
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263 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
August 11, 2019
This is the second character-driven police procedural in the Sam Shepard series. Set in the beautiful city of Dunedin, New Zealand, the sense of place is so well described that it can be visualized by the reader.
The author has created a compelling heroine in Sam Shephard. Sam has moved to Dunedin from the village where she worked as a policewoman and the sole law enforcement agent. Although she was instrumental in solving a difficult murder case, she left with her supportive roommate, Maggie, who was relocating to Dunedin to study. Sam had become the object of animosity in the village, so decided to move with Maggie. She now has the position as a trainee police detective in the city and is determined to prove herself as an accomplished, worthy detective. This was her lifetime goal.
Sam is outspoken, verbally combative, relentless in her investigations, sarcastic, but has empathy for the victims and a good heart. Under her brash and sarcastic exterior, she is vulnerable and self-deprecating. The dialogue is entertaining, and even when she may be falling in love her words can be quite abrasive.
Dunedin does not experience many murders. Sam arrives at a time when many university students have increased the population of the city, and a travelling circus has come to town. A lovely, talented student has been found murdered. She was known in University circles as a highly intelligent student doing important medical research, and a good Christian girl.
Sam’s boss, with whom she clashed in her former investigations, resents her position as trainee detective and is determined to marginalize her in the department. He sends police to the University to interview professors, fellow students, (including the boyfriend of the murdered girl), and orders Sam to go to the circus grounds to control animal rights activists who are carrying on a protest. Sam clearly would rather be involved in solving the murder. She clashes with the circus owner but also discovers an important clue that shows the girl’s murder is somehow connected with the circus as well as the University. Although her boss feels that Sam may have uncovered an important clue, he does not allow her to participate in the murder investigation. Surprisingly, the circus owner refuses to talk to the police or allow his workers to be interviewed unless Sam is present.
Sam has a number of problems and frustrations outside of work. She is rooming with Maggie at the home of Maggie’s kindly aunt and uncle. The gate has been blocked by an old car and she has to park several blocks away. She is finding threatening, hostile notes left on her car and someone seems to be stalking her. Her father is ill and has been flown to the hospital in Dunedin, and is accompanied by her always critical mother. A policeman she met previously, and whom she considers an arrogant womanizer and flirt, is in the city on a court case and is annoying her.
Sam is now participating in questioning people at the university as well as circus workers. A dreadful fire breaks out at the circus, resulting in deaths of both people and animals. Sam is brave and must carry out a heartbreaking task. Photos of her involvement infuriate her boss. There is a second murder which leads Sam to figure out who killed the female college student. All threads come together, with the most unexpected perpetrator. There is a hostage situation and concludes with danger and plenty of action.
I can’t wait to see what happens to Sam in her career and personal life in the next book in the series. She is a relatable protagonist in an atmospheric setting.
The author has created a compelling heroine in Sam Shephard. Sam has moved to Dunedin from the village where she worked as a policewoman and the sole law enforcement agent. Although she was instrumental in solving a difficult murder case, she left with her supportive roommate, Maggie, who was relocating to Dunedin to study. Sam had become the object of animosity in the village, so decided to move with Maggie. She now has the position as a trainee police detective in the city and is determined to prove herself as an accomplished, worthy detective. This was her lifetime goal.
Sam is outspoken, verbally combative, relentless in her investigations, sarcastic, but has empathy for the victims and a good heart. Under her brash and sarcastic exterior, she is vulnerable and self-deprecating. The dialogue is entertaining, and even when she may be falling in love her words can be quite abrasive.
Dunedin does not experience many murders. Sam arrives at a time when many university students have increased the population of the city, and a travelling circus has come to town. A lovely, talented student has been found murdered. She was known in University circles as a highly intelligent student doing important medical research, and a good Christian girl.
Sam’s boss, with whom she clashed in her former investigations, resents her position as trainee detective and is determined to marginalize her in the department. He sends police to the University to interview professors, fellow students, (including the boyfriend of the murdered girl), and orders Sam to go to the circus grounds to control animal rights activists who are carrying on a protest. Sam clearly would rather be involved in solving the murder. She clashes with the circus owner but also discovers an important clue that shows the girl’s murder is somehow connected with the circus as well as the University. Although her boss feels that Sam may have uncovered an important clue, he does not allow her to participate in the murder investigation. Surprisingly, the circus owner refuses to talk to the police or allow his workers to be interviewed unless Sam is present.
Sam has a number of problems and frustrations outside of work. She is rooming with Maggie at the home of Maggie’s kindly aunt and uncle. The gate has been blocked by an old car and she has to park several blocks away. She is finding threatening, hostile notes left on her car and someone seems to be stalking her. Her father is ill and has been flown to the hospital in Dunedin, and is accompanied by her always critical mother. A policeman she met previously, and whom she considers an arrogant womanizer and flirt, is in the city on a court case and is annoying her.
Sam is now participating in questioning people at the university as well as circus workers. A dreadful fire breaks out at the circus, resulting in deaths of both people and animals. Sam is brave and must carry out a heartbreaking task. Photos of her involvement infuriate her boss. There is a second murder which leads Sam to figure out who killed the female college student. All threads come together, with the most unexpected perpetrator. There is a hostage situation and concludes with danger and plenty of action.
I can’t wait to see what happens to Sam in her career and personal life in the next book in the series. She is a relatable protagonist in an atmospheric setting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2015
3.5*
Amazing that quite a little thing can mean the difference between 3.5 & 4*
But the lack of flow in this book was driving me crazy! & was caused by having too many chapters. Seventy (counting prologue & epilogue) in a book of only 308 pages. Every time an idea got going - stop. Turn the page. Quite unnecessary & didn't stop me guessing the killer.
Still lots to like. Symon's trademark surprise opening, good descriptions of Dunedin (a city I know quite well)lots of kiwi touches & I like Sam. Other reviewers here have described her as whiny & I just don't see that. The things that annoy her would annoy me too.
This book is a side step rather than a misstep. I'm looking forward to reading the third book, Containment
Amazing that quite a little thing can mean the difference between 3.5 & 4*
But the lack of flow in this book was driving me crazy! & was caused by having too many chapters. Seventy (counting prologue & epilogue) in a book of only 308 pages. Every time an idea got going - stop. Turn the page. Quite unnecessary & didn't stop me guessing the killer.
Still lots to like. Symon's trademark surprise opening, good descriptions of Dunedin (a city I know quite well)lots of kiwi touches & I like Sam. Other reviewers here have described her as whiny & I just don't see that. The things that annoy her would annoy me too.
This book is a side step rather than a misstep. I'm looking forward to reading the third book, Containment
December 20, 2018
Really great follow up, a beautifully plotted mystery with a strong sense of place featuring once again main protagonist Sam Shepherd who is fascinating and engaging.
Full review for the tour.
Full review for the tour.
March 29, 2019
Dunedin writer Vanda Symon’s follow-up to her excellent debut Overkill (Penguin, 2007) finds heroine Sam Shepherd having moved to Dunedin from Mataura; bridges burnt. Undertaking detective training, Shepherd’s on the bottom rung of the ladder, battling her grudge-holding boss for any involvement.
The Ringmaster opens with a murder in the Botanic Gardens, before switching to stroppy Sam’s first-person narration. Marginalised, she struggles to participate in the investigation, working in her own time and feeding off the scraps her partner Smithy smuggles her way. She eventually uncovers a link between the visiting circus, and a series of deaths throughout the lower South Island.
Of the many admirable aspects of Symon’s storytelling, chief is her creation of Sam Shepherd, a protagonist you want to follow; headstrong, passionate, and flawed. A talented detective, but not infallible. Shepherd puts herself out there, cares, makes mistakes, and has real emotions; fear, jealousy, anger, sadness. She’s human, real, and well-rounded.
Symon shows a talent for creating rounded characters throughout, from Shepherd’s friend Maggie, the ‘voice of reason’, to nemesis characters such as DI Johns and circus owner Terry Bennett. Symon ensures that even the antagonists ring true; they have good points as well as bad, and have understandable motives for their objectionable behaviour.
Another impressive facet is her use of the Dunedin setting. From the opening murder beside the Leith, to Highlanders games, and student life, Symon brings alive this southern city. When interviewed, Symon has said, “a town will have a feel, a social background. I like using Dunedin. It has a vibrancy and an edge with the students and all that brings with it.”
The Ringmaster is a great read. Symon populates a good story with great characters, and unique touches in a distinctly Kiwi setting. It comes together a little quickly at the end, but leaves you wanting more of Sam Shepherd.
And, taking a leaf out from her international contemporaries, Symon provides just that; the first chapter of the next Sam Shepherd adventure, Containment, is included. I can’t wait.
This review was originally published in the 14 November 2008 issue of NZLawyer magazine
The Ringmaster opens with a murder in the Botanic Gardens, before switching to stroppy Sam’s first-person narration. Marginalised, she struggles to participate in the investigation, working in her own time and feeding off the scraps her partner Smithy smuggles her way. She eventually uncovers a link between the visiting circus, and a series of deaths throughout the lower South Island.
Of the many admirable aspects of Symon’s storytelling, chief is her creation of Sam Shepherd, a protagonist you want to follow; headstrong, passionate, and flawed. A talented detective, but not infallible. Shepherd puts herself out there, cares, makes mistakes, and has real emotions; fear, jealousy, anger, sadness. She’s human, real, and well-rounded.
Symon shows a talent for creating rounded characters throughout, from Shepherd’s friend Maggie, the ‘voice of reason’, to nemesis characters such as DI Johns and circus owner Terry Bennett. Symon ensures that even the antagonists ring true; they have good points as well as bad, and have understandable motives for their objectionable behaviour.
Another impressive facet is her use of the Dunedin setting. From the opening murder beside the Leith, to Highlanders games, and student life, Symon brings alive this southern city. When interviewed, Symon has said, “a town will have a feel, a social background. I like using Dunedin. It has a vibrancy and an edge with the students and all that brings with it.”
The Ringmaster is a great read. Symon populates a good story with great characters, and unique touches in a distinctly Kiwi setting. It comes together a little quickly at the end, but leaves you wanting more of Sam Shepherd.
And, taking a leaf out from her international contemporaries, Symon provides just that; the first chapter of the next Sam Shepherd adventure, Containment, is included. I can’t wait.
This review was originally published in the 14 November 2008 issue of NZLawyer magazine
February 15, 2019
Visit the locations in the novel
There is a lot to like about Sam Shephard. A LOT to like. She’s takes no prisoners (well she’s a policewoman so she does, but you know what I mean), she’s sassy and no nonsense and has some great one liners and put-downs. She’s back in The Ringmaster, after the brilliant first novel Overkill, and this proves that the first book was no fluke.
When there are a series of murders in towns where the circus seems to have visited..there is a link surely? There’s been one woman found in the Botanical Gardens. (That opening chapter is chilling since it starts so nicely and ends in death). More bodies to come.
This is an entertaining read and interesting police procedural. The settings in and around Dunedin are well evoked and well used in the story . The book would make an interesting if not gruesome trail of the city. I might not want to go to the Botanical Gardens now. Great to see such iconic and beautiful sites used for fictional crime. It always makes things seem so much worse!
Vanda has a nice sense of style and timing to these novels. Easy to read but gripping at the same time. Evocative of time and place. I really want to go to Dunedin now. I would recognise it and feel like I knew it from Vanda’s writing.
It was interesting to see how the police force in another country operate too and see how a city looks upon a visiting circus as ‘outsiders’. How do we judge travellers and the travelling circus? Automatically assume they are up to no good, mistreating the animals and abusing the hospitality of the local townspeople?
Sam tackles work hierarchy issues and personal challenges whilst working on the case and there are a few twists and turns along the way. It makes for very interesting reading although I do think longer and few chapters would help the flow of the novel even more.
Ah Sam, I do enjoy working with you. Another great case. Roll up for the next one!
April 11, 2019
After a disastrous end to a case she was investigating, Sam Shephard has packed her bags and relocated. She is now at the bottom of the detective ranks in the Dunedin police force, but ready to prove her worth. Working against her is her boss, DI Johns, who she happened to rub the wrong way in that aforementioned case. Shephard is soon placed on her first homicide investigation when the body of a local university student, Rose-Marie Bateman, is found. Most believe this to be a crime of passion, but Sam believes there is more than meets the eye.
As Sam starts to dig deeper into the death of Rose-Marie, she finds herself being given meaningless tasking and forced to work on another case involving the circus that has recently come to town. Never one to let this deter her investigating, Sam begins to uncover strange connections. Could there be something linking these cases together?
THE RINGMASTER is the second installment in Vanda Symon’s Sam Shephard series and picks up a few months after the ending of book one, OVERKILL. We see Sam starting a new life in another, slightly larger, New Zealand town called Dunedin. She’s hoping for a fresh start, but a connection from her past case to her new boss is making things difficult. Sam is unwilling to let this hold her back and is determined to make a position for herself in her new police department.
The character of Sam Shephard continues to steal the show in THE RINGMASTER, as the reader cannot help but love her tough, determined attitude. Symon shows us what’s under the surface to this exterior persona, which is a vulnerable Sam who doubts herself at times, just like all of us. This multifaceted portrayal of Sam works to truly connect the reader with her, the emotions she’s feeling, and her mindset when investigating the cases she has been assigned. I love that Sam is not stereotyped or made to fit into a specific character mold.
While Sam is the main focus of THE RINGMASTER, Symon yet again gives readers an amazing cast of secondary characters to truly solidify your investment in this story. We see Maggie, Sam’s roommate, back in this installment, as well as another, unexpected OVERKILL character who makes his return. I won’t tell you who, because that takes away the fun of their meeting!
In my review for OVERKILL I told you all how much I loved the crime at the heart of the story. That it was original and something I hadn’t read before. Symon’s imagination certainly doesn’t fade with the answers behind the death of Rose-Marie. This mystery has everything you want in a work of crime fiction. There’s a suspicious nature to the crime, a lack of suspects, a victim who was hiding secrets, and a possible connection to something bigger. The answers that come out are definitely not always what you’re expecting. Symon does a brilliant job of throwing in twists and red herrings to keep you on your toes! Yet again it’s safe to say...I didn’t see that coming!
If you’re looking for a series centering around a strong, female detective with fascinating cases and clever plotting, you need to put OVERKILL and THE RINGMASTER on your TBR immediately! I promise you will not be disappointed!
Disclosure: Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me a free copy in exchange for my honest review!
As Sam starts to dig deeper into the death of Rose-Marie, she finds herself being given meaningless tasking and forced to work on another case involving the circus that has recently come to town. Never one to let this deter her investigating, Sam begins to uncover strange connections. Could there be something linking these cases together?
THE RINGMASTER is the second installment in Vanda Symon’s Sam Shephard series and picks up a few months after the ending of book one, OVERKILL. We see Sam starting a new life in another, slightly larger, New Zealand town called Dunedin. She’s hoping for a fresh start, but a connection from her past case to her new boss is making things difficult. Sam is unwilling to let this hold her back and is determined to make a position for herself in her new police department.
The character of Sam Shephard continues to steal the show in THE RINGMASTER, as the reader cannot help but love her tough, determined attitude. Symon shows us what’s under the surface to this exterior persona, which is a vulnerable Sam who doubts herself at times, just like all of us. This multifaceted portrayal of Sam works to truly connect the reader with her, the emotions she’s feeling, and her mindset when investigating the cases she has been assigned. I love that Sam is not stereotyped or made to fit into a specific character mold.
While Sam is the main focus of THE RINGMASTER, Symon yet again gives readers an amazing cast of secondary characters to truly solidify your investment in this story. We see Maggie, Sam’s roommate, back in this installment, as well as another, unexpected OVERKILL character who makes his return. I won’t tell you who, because that takes away the fun of their meeting!
In my review for OVERKILL I told you all how much I loved the crime at the heart of the story. That it was original and something I hadn’t read before. Symon’s imagination certainly doesn’t fade with the answers behind the death of Rose-Marie. This mystery has everything you want in a work of crime fiction. There’s a suspicious nature to the crime, a lack of suspects, a victim who was hiding secrets, and a possible connection to something bigger. The answers that come out are definitely not always what you’re expecting. Symon does a brilliant job of throwing in twists and red herrings to keep you on your toes! Yet again it’s safe to say...I didn’t see that coming!
If you’re looking for a series centering around a strong, female detective with fascinating cases and clever plotting, you need to put OVERKILL and THE RINGMASTER on your TBR immediately! I promise you will not be disappointed!
Disclosure: Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me a free copy in exchange for my honest review!
May 31, 2019
The Ringmaster is the second book in this New Zealand based police procedural featuring the wonderfully spirited detective-in-training Samantha ‘Sam’ Shephard. Published on 25th April by Orenda Books, The Ringmaster is set in Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island, home to the author and her family. Vanda Symon’s novels have been described by Kate Mosse as ‘perfect curl-up-on-the-sofa reading’ with The Guardian’s Barry Forshaw writing that ‘it is Symon’s copper Sam, self-deprecating and very human, who represents the writer’s real achievement’. So who is Sam Shephard? And what is The Ringmaster about?
Sam Shephard is a police officer with attitude. Transferred from the farming community of Mataura to Dunedin, the second largest city on the South Island, Sam is finding her feet. As a trainee detective, she knew that she would have issues with a few of her colleagues but she certainly hadn’t banked on the animosity and rancor she has to put up with from her immediate superior, DI Johns. Sam is living with her friend Maggie in the family home of Maggie’s uncle and aunt. This arrangement suits Sam, allowing her the independence that her job requires, but also the comfort of home cooking and a place to let off steam when needed.
Dunedin is a university city, milling with students throughout the academic year. It is also the home of a many a professor and educator, with any excessive violence an uncommon feature of life here. When the body of a female university student is discovered in the grounds of the famed Botanic Gardens, Sam is faced with her first murder investigation.
Sam came to Dunedin with a less than favourable reputation from Mataura and is kept on the outside of this new case, given the mundane jobs that no-one else wants to handle. But Sam is resilient and is prepared to put in the donkey work with her eyes on the future and her career.
Meanwhile, Sam receives a call to make her way to the location of a circus that has recently set up camp in town. Animal activists are protesting and the owner of the circus is peeved with the negative attention their actions are drawing to his business. Sam is from a farming background so she has great empathy for the chained and caged animals, but she also has to do her job.
With the murder inquiry picking up momentum and trouble at the circus grounds brewing away, Sam investigates all avenues, making some very unexpected discoveries., possible case-cracking revelations.
Sam Shephard is a vivacious and spunky heroine. With very little regard for her own safety, Sam fights the fight for truth and justice. She is cool and calm when required but she is also strong-willed and vocal when the situation arises.
The Ringmaster is a very atmospheric novel, very local in it’s descriptions of Dunedin, bringing the city alive to the reader. The Ringmaster is a mystery, a classic whodunnit, with a terrific plot and a gutsy protagonist at it’s core.
Highly enjoyable read!
Sam Shephard is a police officer with attitude. Transferred from the farming community of Mataura to Dunedin, the second largest city on the South Island, Sam is finding her feet. As a trainee detective, she knew that she would have issues with a few of her colleagues but she certainly hadn’t banked on the animosity and rancor she has to put up with from her immediate superior, DI Johns. Sam is living with her friend Maggie in the family home of Maggie’s uncle and aunt. This arrangement suits Sam, allowing her the independence that her job requires, but also the comfort of home cooking and a place to let off steam when needed.
Dunedin is a university city, milling with students throughout the academic year. It is also the home of a many a professor and educator, with any excessive violence an uncommon feature of life here. When the body of a female university student is discovered in the grounds of the famed Botanic Gardens, Sam is faced with her first murder investigation.
Sam came to Dunedin with a less than favourable reputation from Mataura and is kept on the outside of this new case, given the mundane jobs that no-one else wants to handle. But Sam is resilient and is prepared to put in the donkey work with her eyes on the future and her career.
Meanwhile, Sam receives a call to make her way to the location of a circus that has recently set up camp in town. Animal activists are protesting and the owner of the circus is peeved with the negative attention their actions are drawing to his business. Sam is from a farming background so she has great empathy for the chained and caged animals, but she also has to do her job.
With the murder inquiry picking up momentum and trouble at the circus grounds brewing away, Sam investigates all avenues, making some very unexpected discoveries., possible case-cracking revelations.
Sam Shephard is a vivacious and spunky heroine. With very little regard for her own safety, Sam fights the fight for truth and justice. She is cool and calm when required but she is also strong-willed and vocal when the situation arises.
The Ringmaster is a very atmospheric novel, very local in it’s descriptions of Dunedin, bringing the city alive to the reader. The Ringmaster is a mystery, a classic whodunnit, with a terrific plot and a gutsy protagonist at it’s core.
Highly enjoyable read!
April 20, 2020
After enjoying Overkill I was excited to read the second story of Sam Shepherd. The story started off well, I really liked the descriptions of Dunedin, a city I grew up in and I was ready for a mystery. The storyline of the circus worked well but I felt a bit let down at the reveal of the murderer, it felt a but rushed and unexplained rather than startling. There was no explanation of the stalker angle or more fingers pointed at other suspects to keep you wondering.
I also found Sam to be quite whingy and entitled in this book. I was ready to throw the book away completely if she had gone off on her own again as she did in the first book. I was miffed at her dismissive attitude towards Paul, there didn't seem to be any reason for her continuing to push him away.
Overall I didn't love it but it was an easy read. I'll probably look at the third book at some stage.
I also found Sam to be quite whingy and entitled in this book. I was ready to throw the book away completely if she had gone off on her own again as she did in the first book. I was miffed at her dismissive attitude towards Paul, there didn't seem to be any reason for her continuing to push him away.
Overall I didn't love it but it was an easy read. I'll probably look at the third book at some stage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2020
Not bad but goes on far too long. Ms Symon needs to learn how to edit out totally unnecessary chapters that do nothing to move the story along or tell you anything new about the characters.
April 27, 2019
I'm grateful to Orenda Books for a free advance reading copy of The Ringmaster.
The Ringmaster is the sequel to Overkill (link to my review) also featuring detective Sam Shephard. Both books are new to the UK but originally published in New Zealand, where they are set, and I'd congratulate Orenda for bringing these heartfelt stories, bursting with sense of place, to a UK audience.
Overkill introduced Sam ('Shep' to her mates), the face of law and order in Mataura, a one-company town focussed on meat packing where her police work consisted largely of sorting out scuffles at closing time and trivial car accidents. Then a murderer struck, and Sam found herself both keen to solve the crime and in the frame as a killer.
That case brought her into conflict with the bullying, misognynist DI Johns and in The Ringmaster is seems she can't quite shake off Johns.
Sam is now a trainee detective, resented by some for her apparent fast rise and despised even more by Johns, who unfortunately leads her team. She's again reduced to all the petty tasks, even to non-detective roles such as sorting out a protest against the circus that has come to town. At one point he speculates to her face on who she must have slept with to get promotion to detective.
So another murder - of a young postdoc researcher, Rose-Marie Bateman - brings mixed feelings: pity for the victim and her family, a determination to play a part in solving the case, and an opportunity to show she has what it takes. One of the things I loved about this book was its honestly about those feelings and about Sam's frustration at being pushed to the margins, for example being sent around town to every shop selling cable ties (as though the Internet wasn't a thing).
After her previous run-in with 'DI I'm-God-with-a-grudge Johns', you just know that Sam's not going to accept that for long, however much she may be trying to behave. And Johns has let her know that he has his eye on her, waiting for her to step out of line... When it happens it's in the most extraordinary way, in a scene that had me reaching for the tissues: no spoilers, but you'll know when you come to it.
Surprisingly, however, for much of the book the armed truce between Sam and the DI holds, with much of her stress coming form elsewhere. Her father is ill, her controlling, manipulative mother is in town, bringing plenty of guilt and resentment and someone's posting stalkery notes on Sam's new car (if you read Overkill you'll remember what happened to her previous car, her new one is her pride and joy). There are also personal complications as Paul Frost, another police office we met in Overkill, turns up in Dunedin to give evidence at a trial... Sam has a bit of a thing for him, but it's an abrasive relationship at best and having her mum to stay makes things tricky. (There's a hilarious scene as she is reduced to teenagerhood, trying to creep back into the house in the early hours).
Through all this Symon weaves a clever net of clues, red herrings and escalating tension leading to a dramatic conclusion that is I think going to pose Shephard further problems in future with DI Johns. Looking forward to reading about that!
This is a strong, character-led crime novel firmly driven by the redoubtable Sam. I would strongly recommend. (And just take a moment to appreciate that glorious cover by Mark Swan - a real thing of beauty.)
The Ringmaster is the sequel to Overkill (link to my review) also featuring detective Sam Shephard. Both books are new to the UK but originally published in New Zealand, where they are set, and I'd congratulate Orenda for bringing these heartfelt stories, bursting with sense of place, to a UK audience.
Overkill introduced Sam ('Shep' to her mates), the face of law and order in Mataura, a one-company town focussed on meat packing where her police work consisted largely of sorting out scuffles at closing time and trivial car accidents. Then a murderer struck, and Sam found herself both keen to solve the crime and in the frame as a killer.
That case brought her into conflict with the bullying, misognynist DI Johns and in The Ringmaster is seems she can't quite shake off Johns.
Sam is now a trainee detective, resented by some for her apparent fast rise and despised even more by Johns, who unfortunately leads her team. She's again reduced to all the petty tasks, even to non-detective roles such as sorting out a protest against the circus that has come to town. At one point he speculates to her face on who she must have slept with to get promotion to detective.
So another murder - of a young postdoc researcher, Rose-Marie Bateman - brings mixed feelings: pity for the victim and her family, a determination to play a part in solving the case, and an opportunity to show she has what it takes. One of the things I loved about this book was its honestly about those feelings and about Sam's frustration at being pushed to the margins, for example being sent around town to every shop selling cable ties (as though the Internet wasn't a thing).
After her previous run-in with 'DI I'm-God-with-a-grudge Johns', you just know that Sam's not going to accept that for long, however much she may be trying to behave. And Johns has let her know that he has his eye on her, waiting for her to step out of line... When it happens it's in the most extraordinary way, in a scene that had me reaching for the tissues: no spoilers, but you'll know when you come to it.
Surprisingly, however, for much of the book the armed truce between Sam and the DI holds, with much of her stress coming form elsewhere. Her father is ill, her controlling, manipulative mother is in town, bringing plenty of guilt and resentment and someone's posting stalkery notes on Sam's new car (if you read Overkill you'll remember what happened to her previous car, her new one is her pride and joy). There are also personal complications as Paul Frost, another police office we met in Overkill, turns up in Dunedin to give evidence at a trial... Sam has a bit of a thing for him, but it's an abrasive relationship at best and having her mum to stay makes things tricky. (There's a hilarious scene as she is reduced to teenagerhood, trying to creep back into the house in the early hours).
Through all this Symon weaves a clever net of clues, red herrings and escalating tension leading to a dramatic conclusion that is I think going to pose Shephard further problems in future with DI Johns. Looking forward to reading about that!
This is a strong, character-led crime novel firmly driven by the redoubtable Sam. I would strongly recommend. (And just take a moment to appreciate that glorious cover by Mark Swan - a real thing of beauty.)
April 6, 2011
THE RINGMASTER is the second in the Sam Shephard series from NZ author Vanda Symon. Sam has moved to Dunedin, is in detective training when the body of a young university student is found in the Botanic Gardens. In Sam's world it goes without saying that nothing is ever going to be straightforward, and once the possibility that this murder isn't a solitary event, the connection between murders all over the Southern South Island of New Zealand and a local travelling circus becomes a distinct possibility.
Which, as it does, leads to a sympathetic relationship with an elephant. Which ends badly. So maybe I should get this out of the way up front, things for the elephant don't end well at all, and Sam is just as upset about this outcome as the reader is going to be. But that isn't going to help readers who are completely opposed to anything bad happening to animals. For me, the events, whilst distressing, really demonstrated how sometimes the life of the police isn't a pleasant one. But getting back to the murder investigation, there are aspects of Sam's personality (and personal life) that have come forward from the first book - OVERKILL. There are also aspects of the investigation that remain the same. Sam plays a solo hand again, partly because she's sidelined in a major way by the same bosses that tried to sideline her in the first book, and partly because Sam's much more comfortable out on the edge, playing a solo hand. It's probably that sense that somewhere off in the rough is exactly where Sam is at her best that stops any sense of cliché or convenient repetition. That and the humour, but more on that later.
As with OVERKILL, the great strength in THE RINGMASTER is the characterisations. Using the same tricks as the earlier book, Sam really is easy to identify with. Her own self doubt, her willingness to feel real emotion, make mistakes, beat herself up, be jealous, angry, daft as a brush, brave, sad and rather clever all at the same time.
There is another great supporting set of characters in THE RINGMASTER. Maggie remains, housemate, and best friend, Sam's touchstone. They are now both living in Dunedin, boarding with relatives of Maggie's, their domestic situation seemingly sorted, Sam's emotional life is still a massive rollercoaster. There is a love interest bought forward from the first book, although it takes quite a while for Sam to twig that this is a love interest, and not just some bloke hanging around being annoying. There is also a great sense of place and sensibility. The book doesn't read as a travelogue, but you really do come away from it with an unscratchable itch to see that place, meet those people.
As with the first book, the humour is pitched perfectly. At no stage is the reader allowed to forget that there are victims involved in any series of murders, there are unwitting involvements that impact everyone as a result, and there are the guilty that have their own, often inexplicable reasons, for doing what they do. CONTAINMENT is the next book in the series, followed by recent release BOUND. Do you think it's too much to hope that now that I'm revisiting the first three books, and have the fourth to look forward to, that a fifth isn't that far away?
Which, as it does, leads to a sympathetic relationship with an elephant. Which ends badly. So maybe I should get this out of the way up front, things for the elephant don't end well at all, and Sam is just as upset about this outcome as the reader is going to be. But that isn't going to help readers who are completely opposed to anything bad happening to animals. For me, the events, whilst distressing, really demonstrated how sometimes the life of the police isn't a pleasant one. But getting back to the murder investigation, there are aspects of Sam's personality (and personal life) that have come forward from the first book - OVERKILL. There are also aspects of the investigation that remain the same. Sam plays a solo hand again, partly because she's sidelined in a major way by the same bosses that tried to sideline her in the first book, and partly because Sam's much more comfortable out on the edge, playing a solo hand. It's probably that sense that somewhere off in the rough is exactly where Sam is at her best that stops any sense of cliché or convenient repetition. That and the humour, but more on that later.
As with OVERKILL, the great strength in THE RINGMASTER is the characterisations. Using the same tricks as the earlier book, Sam really is easy to identify with. Her own self doubt, her willingness to feel real emotion, make mistakes, beat herself up, be jealous, angry, daft as a brush, brave, sad and rather clever all at the same time.
There is another great supporting set of characters in THE RINGMASTER. Maggie remains, housemate, and best friend, Sam's touchstone. They are now both living in Dunedin, boarding with relatives of Maggie's, their domestic situation seemingly sorted, Sam's emotional life is still a massive rollercoaster. There is a love interest bought forward from the first book, although it takes quite a while for Sam to twig that this is a love interest, and not just some bloke hanging around being annoying. There is also a great sense of place and sensibility. The book doesn't read as a travelogue, but you really do come away from it with an unscratchable itch to see that place, meet those people.
As with the first book, the humour is pitched perfectly. At no stage is the reader allowed to forget that there are victims involved in any series of murders, there are unwitting involvements that impact everyone as a result, and there are the guilty that have their own, often inexplicable reasons, for doing what they do. CONTAINMENT is the next book in the series, followed by recent release BOUND. Do you think it's too much to hope that now that I'm revisiting the first three books, and have the fourth to look forward to, that a fifth isn't that far away?
September 12, 2011
I have wanted to read another Vanda Symon book since I finished her first one, ‘Overkill’. Knowing I was about to spend a month on the south island of New Zealand, I decided to start reading books set in NZ to put me in the mood. Of course I immediately thought of Vanda Symon and checked to see if she had written more books. She had, and her second book RINGMASTER is set in Dunedin, just where I was scheduled to spend five days.
After the events in ‘Overkill’, Sam Shepherd and her best friend Maggie are now living in Dunedin, boarding with Maggie's aunt and uncle who are suffering from empty nest syndrome. Sam is stationed in Dunedin CIB doing formal detective training, but is bottom of the pecking order. When a young university student is found battered to death and floating in the Leith, a stream that runs through the botanical gardens, Sam is pushed to one side by her boss and only given grunt work. Despite this it is Sam who discovers that there has been a string of unsolved murders on the south island and that each has occurred while a traveling circus was in town; the same circus that is presently in Dunedin. The investigation turns to the circus folk, and again Sam is given mundane tasks to do. Angry at being put aside when she knows how much good she can do, Sam decides to work alone, ignoring the attempts of her friends to help her, and keeping her lines of enquiries secret. This headstrong attitude, and the fact that she is human and makes mistakes, puts her and some of those she loves in very real danger.
In RINGMASTER there are quite a few subplots going on that effect Sam both professionally and personally. On top of her struggle to be accepted as an investigator, Sam has love life is so unobtrusive that Sam doesn’t at first realise that she is being wooed. Her relationship with her parents is another avenue that is explored, as is the odd goings on with a car parked in Sam’s spot out the front of where she lives adds yet another storyline. The ending, when it comes, is one of those slap on the head moments when you realise that everything makes sense and why didn’t you see it coming.
Sam is a wonderful character – a rare fictional character that seems so real the reader can connect with her. The story is fast-paced and picks you up from page one and doesn’t let you go until the last page. I had great fun wandering through the Botanical Gardens after Dunedin had been blanketed with snow looking at the Leith flowing quite quickly. Being close to the university, there were students everywhere – some taking short cuts through the gardens while my husband and I wandered through. Was certainly a great spot for a murder, my husband tried a few strangle holds to add to the mood; until I pointed out the victim had been dispatched by a rock to the head! The book certainly portrayed the town vividly, with great characters – yes even the baddie – and a real sense of place.
After the events in ‘Overkill’, Sam Shepherd and her best friend Maggie are now living in Dunedin, boarding with Maggie's aunt and uncle who are suffering from empty nest syndrome. Sam is stationed in Dunedin CIB doing formal detective training, but is bottom of the pecking order. When a young university student is found battered to death and floating in the Leith, a stream that runs through the botanical gardens, Sam is pushed to one side by her boss and only given grunt work. Despite this it is Sam who discovers that there has been a string of unsolved murders on the south island and that each has occurred while a traveling circus was in town; the same circus that is presently in Dunedin. The investigation turns to the circus folk, and again Sam is given mundane tasks to do. Angry at being put aside when she knows how much good she can do, Sam decides to work alone, ignoring the attempts of her friends to help her, and keeping her lines of enquiries secret. This headstrong attitude, and the fact that she is human and makes mistakes, puts her and some of those she loves in very real danger.
In RINGMASTER there are quite a few subplots going on that effect Sam both professionally and personally. On top of her struggle to be accepted as an investigator, Sam has love life is so unobtrusive that Sam doesn’t at first realise that she is being wooed. Her relationship with her parents is another avenue that is explored, as is the odd goings on with a car parked in Sam’s spot out the front of where she lives adds yet another storyline. The ending, when it comes, is one of those slap on the head moments when you realise that everything makes sense and why didn’t you see it coming.
Sam is a wonderful character – a rare fictional character that seems so real the reader can connect with her. The story is fast-paced and picks you up from page one and doesn’t let you go until the last page. I had great fun wandering through the Botanical Gardens after Dunedin had been blanketed with snow looking at the Leith flowing quite quickly. Being close to the university, there were students everywhere – some taking short cuts through the gardens while my husband and I wandered through. Was certainly a great spot for a murder, my husband tried a few strangle holds to add to the mood; until I pointed out the victim had been dispatched by a rock to the head! The book certainly portrayed the town vividly, with great characters – yes even the baddie – and a real sense of place.
April 22, 2019
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the tour organiser
You know that feeling when your heart starts to pump faster, the hairs on the back of your neck begin to tickle, and your mind goes into overdrive trying to figure out what is happening? Well, that's the permanent state I was in as I devoured every word of THE RINGMASTER by Vanda Symon who has fast become one of my favourite writers.
Sam Shephard is happy that she has moved to the bigger city of Dunedin but her life as a Detective Constable is not exactly easy when her boss despises her. But she has her best friend Maggie with her and is staying in the lap of luxury with Maggie's Aunt and Uncle. When the body of a young female student is found, Sam and the rest of the team get searching for the killer - well Sam does as much as her bully of a boss will let her - and when a connection appears between the murder and a local travelling circus, this investigation takes an even more terrifying turn as it appears they have a serial killer on the loose. With obstacles around every turn, can Sam figure out the truth before the murderer strikes again?
This book drew me in and blew my mind! I loved the character of Sam Shephard from the first book in this series (Overkill - review link here www.booksofallkinds.weebly.com) and this book just proved that she is one of my favourite detectives in fiction ever!
Strong, intelligent, tough but also compassionate, relatable and willing to look at things from all angles, are just some of the ways that I would describe Sam and I knew that as soon as I picked up this book that I wouldn't put it down until the very end (and what an ending!).
The angle of the travelling circus added a fresh and unique aspect to the story and Cassie! Oh, Cassie! But you will see what I mean when you read it for yourselves.
The pace is perfect with just the right amount of tension, drama, and energy scattered throughout to keep me hooked and there was never a dull moment from start to finish.
THE RINGMASTER by Vanda Symon is perfect in every way and I cannot wait for more from Sam Shephard.
You know that feeling when your heart starts to pump faster, the hairs on the back of your neck begin to tickle, and your mind goes into overdrive trying to figure out what is happening? Well, that's the permanent state I was in as I devoured every word of THE RINGMASTER by Vanda Symon who has fast become one of my favourite writers.
Sam Shephard is happy that she has moved to the bigger city of Dunedin but her life as a Detective Constable is not exactly easy when her boss despises her. But she has her best friend Maggie with her and is staying in the lap of luxury with Maggie's Aunt and Uncle. When the body of a young female student is found, Sam and the rest of the team get searching for the killer - well Sam does as much as her bully of a boss will let her - and when a connection appears between the murder and a local travelling circus, this investigation takes an even more terrifying turn as it appears they have a serial killer on the loose. With obstacles around every turn, can Sam figure out the truth before the murderer strikes again?
This book drew me in and blew my mind! I loved the character of Sam Shephard from the first book in this series (Overkill - review link here www.booksofallkinds.weebly.com) and this book just proved that she is one of my favourite detectives in fiction ever!
Strong, intelligent, tough but also compassionate, relatable and willing to look at things from all angles, are just some of the ways that I would describe Sam and I knew that as soon as I picked up this book that I wouldn't put it down until the very end (and what an ending!).
The angle of the travelling circus added a fresh and unique aspect to the story and Cassie! Oh, Cassie! But you will see what I mean when you read it for yourselves.
The pace is perfect with just the right amount of tension, drama, and energy scattered throughout to keep me hooked and there was never a dull moment from start to finish.
THE RINGMASTER by Vanda Symon is perfect in every way and I cannot wait for more from Sam Shephard.
January 24, 2019
The more I read about Sam the more I want to know, I love that she is still with her friend Maggie and that previous events haven’t hindered her determination to become a detective even though she has been given a hard time by her DCI. A chance to prove herself comes up when she finds herself thrust into a homicide investigation and into the spotlight.
I love that it’s not all about the murder or the killer, it’s about Sam and how she is managing, we see another side to her with a potential love interest and I hope we get to see that develop in future books.
Knowing how the story ends I’m fascinated to know where Sam will go from here and if she has it any easier trying to nice up the ranks.
A series I would be happy to just keep on reading. The Ringmaster is fast paced with short chapters so you just can’t put it down. An attention grabbing deadly read.
I love that it’s not all about the murder or the killer, it’s about Sam and how she is managing, we see another side to her with a potential love interest and I hope we get to see that develop in future books.
Knowing how the story ends I’m fascinated to know where Sam will go from here and if she has it any easier trying to nice up the ranks.
A series I would be happy to just keep on reading. The Ringmaster is fast paced with short chapters so you just can’t put it down. An attention grabbing deadly read.
January 27, 2019
First off, this cover is pretty damn amazing! Secondly, I love a good police procedural and Sam Shepherd is a great cop and has some killer wit. The tie in of the circus made for a way different storyline. I really enjoyed the first book in this series and I think this one was even better. What I thought I’d had all figured out was wrong and that rarely happens to me as much as I read. I can’t wait for the next book from VS.
Many thanks to Orenda for this early copy!
Many thanks to Orenda for this early copy!
March 25, 2020
Well-written but I kept feeling as if it was more intended for a YA audience, the detective seeming overly naive and the level of coincidence a little high. Didn't hit the spot for me, sadly.
July 11, 2019
The Ringmaster – Atmospheric and compelling
This is the second book in the Sam Shephard series from Vanda Symon, but this is my introduction to this feisty detective. Some how Vanda Symon has actually made Dunedin, in New Zealand sound interesting and not just about the Egg chasing.
Like most Brits, my experience of New Zealand is that it rather stuck in the twentieth century, and the 1960s are just about creep up on them. Oh, that and getting completely battered at Rugby by the All Blacks.
Vanda Symon has written an atmospheric and compelling thriller with plenty of twists and turns, a red herring or two that makes it captivating. She even makes you feel sorry for Cassie and the outcome there, nearly had a tear in my eye, but then I prefer them to humans.
Sam Shephard has moved from the one-eyed town she was previously they police officer for, where she had to do everything, to Dunedin where she gets to be the bottom of the ladder. Sam is doing her detective training in the city and has managed to get a place with Maggie’s (best friend) uncle and aunt in massive house with a view. Even though she can never get parked near the house or the police station for that matter.
When called out to the visiting circus she has to deal with animal rights activists and students making a stand about the use of animals at the circus. As a country girl she has a soft spot for animals and especially for Cassie who she gives some attention too on every, frequent visit.
When the body of a young student is found murdered at the side of a river, the investigation kicks into overdrive. As a member of the team, she is the punchbag for the Detective Inspector Johns as he just does not get on with her, but then the feelings are mutual.
While supposedly on the outside of the investigation she is kept in the loop and tries to understand what is happening. Even coming up with leads, whether they are relevant is a different matter. But by doing all the hard work it is Sam who discovers the truth behind the murder and has to make a dash of hope, when everyone else is busy elsewhere.
This is an excellent thriller with excellent characters and gives a total immersion into the investigation and how Sam is coping with everything going on. Atmospheric and compelling, Dunedin finally got interesting.
This is the second book in the Sam Shephard series from Vanda Symon, but this is my introduction to this feisty detective. Some how Vanda Symon has actually made Dunedin, in New Zealand sound interesting and not just about the Egg chasing.
Like most Brits, my experience of New Zealand is that it rather stuck in the twentieth century, and the 1960s are just about creep up on them. Oh, that and getting completely battered at Rugby by the All Blacks.
Vanda Symon has written an atmospheric and compelling thriller with plenty of twists and turns, a red herring or two that makes it captivating. She even makes you feel sorry for Cassie and the outcome there, nearly had a tear in my eye, but then I prefer them to humans.
Sam Shephard has moved from the one-eyed town she was previously they police officer for, where she had to do everything, to Dunedin where she gets to be the bottom of the ladder. Sam is doing her detective training in the city and has managed to get a place with Maggie’s (best friend) uncle and aunt in massive house with a view. Even though she can never get parked near the house or the police station for that matter.
When called out to the visiting circus she has to deal with animal rights activists and students making a stand about the use of animals at the circus. As a country girl she has a soft spot for animals and especially for Cassie who she gives some attention too on every, frequent visit.
When the body of a young student is found murdered at the side of a river, the investigation kicks into overdrive. As a member of the team, she is the punchbag for the Detective Inspector Johns as he just does not get on with her, but then the feelings are mutual.
While supposedly on the outside of the investigation she is kept in the loop and tries to understand what is happening. Even coming up with leads, whether they are relevant is a different matter. But by doing all the hard work it is Sam who discovers the truth behind the murder and has to make a dash of hope, when everyone else is busy elsewhere.
This is an excellent thriller with excellent characters and gives a total immersion into the investigation and how Sam is coping with everything going on. Atmospheric and compelling, Dunedin finally got interesting.
April 18, 2019
After reading the first in this series, Overkill, I jumped at the chance to read this one. Even though it is the second in the series it can quite easily be read as a stand-alone without feeling that you’ve missed too much.
The Ringmaster is a solid police procedural set in New Zealand, which like the first novel is really conveyed well, with it’s unusual plants and wildlife, I almost felt like I was there while reading this book!
The character of Sam really makes this novel. She’s so life like and likeable, with a sharp wit and plenty of sarcasm, you kind of wish that you actually knew her. She really struggles in this book, going from the small town of Mataura where she was the sole police officer to the relatively big city of Dunedin. Her boss seemed to have it out for her, making her do menial and pointless jobs when she wants to be out there solving the case.
If that wasn’t tough enough, the investigation centres around the circus, a tight community who don’t trust outsiders which Sam has to try and gain their trust and uncover their secrets.
I have to be honest, I kind of pegged who the killer was quite early on and didn’t have quite as many shocks and surprises as the first one but it was still an engaging read.
I’d recommend The Ringmaster to anyone who loves realistic characters and settings that will entertaining you from beginning to end. I’m looking forward to book three!
The Ringmaster is a solid police procedural set in New Zealand, which like the first novel is really conveyed well, with it’s unusual plants and wildlife, I almost felt like I was there while reading this book!
The character of Sam really makes this novel. She’s so life like and likeable, with a sharp wit and plenty of sarcasm, you kind of wish that you actually knew her. She really struggles in this book, going from the small town of Mataura where she was the sole police officer to the relatively big city of Dunedin. Her boss seemed to have it out for her, making her do menial and pointless jobs when she wants to be out there solving the case.
If that wasn’t tough enough, the investigation centres around the circus, a tight community who don’t trust outsiders which Sam has to try and gain their trust and uncover their secrets.
I have to be honest, I kind of pegged who the killer was quite early on and didn’t have quite as many shocks and surprises as the first one but it was still an engaging read.
I’d recommend The Ringmaster to anyone who loves realistic characters and settings that will entertaining you from beginning to end. I’m looking forward to book three!
June 2, 2022
The way Vanda continues the characters, adds new ones and keeps an unbroken flow from Book 1 to Book 2 of Sam Shepard, is just jaw dropping. Even if you accidentally picked up Book 2 first, the characters and where they are from are described within the text, therefore to not leave the reader confused. (But do yourself a favor, and don’t read them out of order!)
Now about Book 2. I honestly hadn’t seen the ending coming, until it did. And even as it was playing out, I was sure it was not to be as it was aiming toward. I wholeheartedly expected for it to make a sharp U turn. (When you read this book/series, you’ll understand where I’m coming from.) But nevertheless, Vanda did an incredible job at this piece. It seems so chaotic as you read, but I promise, it all comes together.
Just Keep. Reading.
Now about Book 2. I honestly hadn’t seen the ending coming, until it did. And even as it was playing out, I was sure it was not to be as it was aiming toward. I wholeheartedly expected for it to make a sharp U turn. (When you read this book/series, you’ll understand where I’m coming from.) But nevertheless, Vanda did an incredible job at this piece. It seems so chaotic as you read, but I promise, it all comes together.
Just Keep. Reading.
September 11, 2020
Five stars, if for the only reason I couldn't put this down. The action picked up from the first page, and which the short chapters threw me off, I soon was drawn into the plot, with all of its twists and turns. The climax built up very slowly, but any hope I had of putting this down then were gone. There was a nice resolution, but I would have preferred more of one. I can't wait to continue this series.
October 13, 2022
4.5 stars. More in my next Good Reads blog at www.sandiwallace.com/blog/.
April 1, 2019
The Ringmaster is the second book in Vanda Symon's Sam Shepherd series, following last year's excellent Overkill. Following events in that novel, Sam and her flatmate, Maggie have left small town life and are now living in Dunedin. The move brings fresh characters and new settings meaning The Ringmaster can easily be enjoyed as a standalone and there aren't too many spoilers for anybody reading the series out of order. There are a few faces who make a reappearance too - some more welcome to Sam than others.
The prologue gives readers a little more information than the police have to had. We know that student, Rose-Marie Bateman was killed by somebody she knew and trusted but who that person was remains a mystery. I actually managed to guess who the murderer was fairly early on although my suspicions weren't confirmed until much later on. This didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book; I got to feel smug, for once and there is much more to recommend here than just the revealing of the killer's identity.
Sam Shepherd is undoubtedly the highlight of the novel. She has various problems during the course of the story but is never the stereotypical troubled detective and other that a weakness for chocolate and a tendency to swig her wine, she comes across as a capable officer destined for a bright future. She is far from perfect, however, and her hot-headed nature means her grudge-bearing boss has it in for her following their ill-tempered working relationship in Overkill. She is understandably frustrated when she is constantly pushed to the sidelines but doesn't concede defeat. She is ambitious but she is also a deeply compassionate and perceptive officer and it is this which drives her to keep going, even in the face of such animosity. It is her empathetic nature which gives rise to one of the most dramatic and emotional scenes in the book and I'm sure I'm not the only person who will have been moved to tears by it.
Her relationships with some of the other characters make for engaging reading too. Her friendship with Maggie was one of my favourite elements of the first book so I was delighted to see the pair still living together here. During the course of the novel she also grows closer to a fellow detective, Paul Frost who she had worked with back when she lived in Mataura. The will-they-wont-they nature of their relationship adds a real spark to the story and I really enjoyed the jovial nature of their exchanges which clearly mask their real feelings for one another. I also thought the interchanges between Sam and Terry, the ringmaster of the visiting circus were fascinating and really enjoyed seeing how their ingrained mutual mistrust evolves as the story progresses. As I mentioned above, Sam's relationship with her bullying boss provides leads to a few flash-points in the novel but how refreshing it is to read a book where the majority of a trainee detective constable's colleagues are supportive. Not so much her mother, who is a difficult character to like - although I couldn't help feeling that perhaps they were more alike than both realised, perhaps best illustrated by the fact that Sam's father so obviously adores them both.
The mystery itself is intriguing; I may have guessed who but had no idea of why. Sam notices a link between a list of unsolved murders and a visiting circus which provides a vital lead but also allows Vanda Symon to explore some important themes. The circus boss angrily rails against the accusations, only too used to the oft-heard assumptions about travelling folk also being criminals. The circus features animal acts which brings them into direct conflict with animal rights activists; the boss is desperate to avoid negative publicity in case it effects ticket sales but being connected to the murder of a local woman also attracts the attention of vigilantes which leads to a real crisis of confidence for Sam. Her emotional development is such an important part of the novel and I really appreciated how she learns more about what is important to her and gains further understanding of what she is capable of. It bodes so well for future Sam Shepherd books and I'm looking forward to seeing how she progresses from here. The final denouement is absolutely nail-biting although perhaps dealt with a little more quickly than I would have liked - that might just be me wanting more of a good thing though!
The sense of place is captured superbly, partly through the descriptions of Dunedin but also thanks to the colloquial dialogue; there is never any doubt that this book is set in New Zealand. The dark subject matter is lightened by Sam's sharp wit and deprecating manner, and by the dry humour which runs throughout the novel. I couldn't put The Ringmaster down (the title is very clever, by the way) and read it in a day. I'm now looking forward to seeing what lies in store for Sam in the next book in the series!
The prologue gives readers a little more information than the police have to had. We know that student, Rose-Marie Bateman was killed by somebody she knew and trusted but who that person was remains a mystery. I actually managed to guess who the murderer was fairly early on although my suspicions weren't confirmed until much later on. This didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book; I got to feel smug, for once and there is much more to recommend here than just the revealing of the killer's identity.
Sam Shepherd is undoubtedly the highlight of the novel. She has various problems during the course of the story but is never the stereotypical troubled detective and other that a weakness for chocolate and a tendency to swig her wine, she comes across as a capable officer destined for a bright future. She is far from perfect, however, and her hot-headed nature means her grudge-bearing boss has it in for her following their ill-tempered working relationship in Overkill. She is understandably frustrated when she is constantly pushed to the sidelines but doesn't concede defeat. She is ambitious but she is also a deeply compassionate and perceptive officer and it is this which drives her to keep going, even in the face of such animosity. It is her empathetic nature which gives rise to one of the most dramatic and emotional scenes in the book and I'm sure I'm not the only person who will have been moved to tears by it.
Her relationships with some of the other characters make for engaging reading too. Her friendship with Maggie was one of my favourite elements of the first book so I was delighted to see the pair still living together here. During the course of the novel she also grows closer to a fellow detective, Paul Frost who she had worked with back when she lived in Mataura. The will-they-wont-they nature of their relationship adds a real spark to the story and I really enjoyed the jovial nature of their exchanges which clearly mask their real feelings for one another. I also thought the interchanges between Sam and Terry, the ringmaster of the visiting circus were fascinating and really enjoyed seeing how their ingrained mutual mistrust evolves as the story progresses. As I mentioned above, Sam's relationship with her bullying boss provides leads to a few flash-points in the novel but how refreshing it is to read a book where the majority of a trainee detective constable's colleagues are supportive. Not so much her mother, who is a difficult character to like - although I couldn't help feeling that perhaps they were more alike than both realised, perhaps best illustrated by the fact that Sam's father so obviously adores them both.
The mystery itself is intriguing; I may have guessed who but had no idea of why. Sam notices a link between a list of unsolved murders and a visiting circus which provides a vital lead but also allows Vanda Symon to explore some important themes. The circus boss angrily rails against the accusations, only too used to the oft-heard assumptions about travelling folk also being criminals. The circus features animal acts which brings them into direct conflict with animal rights activists; the boss is desperate to avoid negative publicity in case it effects ticket sales but being connected to the murder of a local woman also attracts the attention of vigilantes which leads to a real crisis of confidence for Sam. Her emotional development is such an important part of the novel and I really appreciated how she learns more about what is important to her and gains further understanding of what she is capable of. It bodes so well for future Sam Shepherd books and I'm looking forward to seeing how she progresses from here. The final denouement is absolutely nail-biting although perhaps dealt with a little more quickly than I would have liked - that might just be me wanting more of a good thing though!
The sense of place is captured superbly, partly through the descriptions of Dunedin but also thanks to the colloquial dialogue; there is never any doubt that this book is set in New Zealand. The dark subject matter is lightened by Sam's sharp wit and deprecating manner, and by the dry humour which runs throughout the novel. I couldn't put The Ringmaster down (the title is very clever, by the way) and read it in a day. I'm now looking forward to seeing what lies in store for Sam in the next book in the series!
April 23, 2019
The South Island of New Zealand is the setting for this powerful murder mystery, featuring the actions, attitudes and realisations of Sam Shephard. After a book evidently narrating her investigations into troubles in a small town, she has now moved to Dunedin, a bigger city with a University and a larger police department. For unknown reasons to Sam, as a young female detective constable, she has earned the antipathy of the bullying DI Johns, who is continually criticising and sidelining her. As this is a first person narrator, we discover how much Sam resents this, and how much her friends both in the force and out of it try to help her endure it. Written with both a keen sense of the dramatic and a sharp sense of humour, this is a novel in which twenty first century policing and relationships are shown in depth. There are some genuinely thrilling moments, as Sam’s farming background demonstrates that she has a toughness denied to city dwellers. There is complexity but also some funny sessions as Sam deals with parental pressures, romance and her friendships with Maggie and her colleagues in the police force. A relatively short novel which packs a real punch, Sam is a real hero in every sense. I was very glad to be given the opportunity to read and review this book as part of a blog tour.
The book opens with the murder of a young Phd student as she evidently places her trust in her killer. When Sam is called to the discovered body, her time guarding the crime scene awakens her curiosity, so her clever dealing with a protest at the newly arrived circus becomes a lesser concern. However, despite her evident abilities and courage she finds herself having to pick up from recordings of interviews what is going on in the investigation, and suddenly she becomes the focus of attention herself as her involvement with the circus forces her into much publicised action. Alongside her dramatic professional life there are the drawbacks of city life, of parking and coming across other police officers in awkward circumstances. Her friendship with Maggie is the source of much of the undoubted humour of this book, and contributes to Sam’s professional survival in the face of her openly bullying boss. Fortunately, Sam’s strong personality and temper makes sure that she sometimes gets the better of the powers that be, and at least this reader had to suppress a quiet cheer at the brilliant replies that she comes up with when provoked.
This was a fast paced book with plenty of action and a good dollop of mystery. I enjoyed the female led action, and the ending really lived up to the rest of the novel. This is not a heavy read, yet very satisfying on many levels. No knowledge of New Zealand is needed, as many of the elements of this book are universal. It features a strong mystery, together with a fascinating investigation ambushed by the personal obsessions by some of the police. There are interesting observations on circuses, families and relationships. I really enjoyed reading it, and recommend it it as more than a murder mystery; it is a substantial mystery and satisfying read.
April 21, 2019
Things have moved on for Sam Shephard since the events of Overkill. She has moved from the small town of Matuara to the bright lights of Dunedin and started her training as a detective. However, she is now at the bottom of the pecking order and not everyone is happy with her fast-tracking to CIB, particularly her boss, who seems to have it in for her and makes her life as difficult as possible.
The books kicks off to a flying start with the disturbing murder of a female student from the university at the same time as a protest at a circus which is visiting the town. As Sam gets involved in investigating the antics at the circus, she becomes convinced that it may have some connection to the murder and she is determined to work out how.
I absolutely loved the character of Sam in the first book and she has lost none of her drive or feistiness since moving to the city, despite her boss’s best efforts to keep her ‘in her place.’ She has a natural aptitude for police work and is determined to do her bit, whatever the personal cost, which makes her an admirable and entertaining protagonist for the story. We also get to see more complications in her personal life in this book through her relationship with her parents, and a potential new love interest, which serves to give the reader further human connection with Sam and draws us further into her story. I was hooked in from the start, firmly on Sam’s side and willing her to solve the case and prove her worth in her new role.
Even if I hadn’t read the first book, I would still have been tempted to pick this up, as I am a sucker for a book with a circus theme so the cover alone would have drawn me in and this book would work perfectly as standalone for anyone who hasn’t read the first one. The circus provides colour and excitement to the story, and some healthy moments of humour and pathos, which gives the book a really nice balance. Thus us one thing I find particularly attractive about Vanda’s writing, she manages to balance the light and shade beautifully to give the reader a real series of highs and lows throughout the story which makes for a very rewarding reading experience.
New Zealand plays a distinctive role in these books, and it was nice to discover a new side to the country with the author’s descriptions of the setting, scenery, flora and fauna of the area. I think the Kiwi flavour is a big part of what makes these books a standout for me, and such an enjoyable read. That, together with the easy flow of the writing, the great characterisation and a gripping plot, of course! I did feel that there was one tiny loose end that wasn’t quite tidied up satisfactorily to do with the motivation behind one of the sub-plot points (it’s hard to say more without including a spoiler) but it wasn’t a major let down for the book, more a niggle for my particularly anal brain. All in all, this was a very satisfying read and I look forward to reading the next one.
I have bought a paperback copy of this book, you should too.
The books kicks off to a flying start with the disturbing murder of a female student from the university at the same time as a protest at a circus which is visiting the town. As Sam gets involved in investigating the antics at the circus, she becomes convinced that it may have some connection to the murder and she is determined to work out how.
I absolutely loved the character of Sam in the first book and she has lost none of her drive or feistiness since moving to the city, despite her boss’s best efforts to keep her ‘in her place.’ She has a natural aptitude for police work and is determined to do her bit, whatever the personal cost, which makes her an admirable and entertaining protagonist for the story. We also get to see more complications in her personal life in this book through her relationship with her parents, and a potential new love interest, which serves to give the reader further human connection with Sam and draws us further into her story. I was hooked in from the start, firmly on Sam’s side and willing her to solve the case and prove her worth in her new role.
Even if I hadn’t read the first book, I would still have been tempted to pick this up, as I am a sucker for a book with a circus theme so the cover alone would have drawn me in and this book would work perfectly as standalone for anyone who hasn’t read the first one. The circus provides colour and excitement to the story, and some healthy moments of humour and pathos, which gives the book a really nice balance. Thus us one thing I find particularly attractive about Vanda’s writing, she manages to balance the light and shade beautifully to give the reader a real series of highs and lows throughout the story which makes for a very rewarding reading experience.
New Zealand plays a distinctive role in these books, and it was nice to discover a new side to the country with the author’s descriptions of the setting, scenery, flora and fauna of the area. I think the Kiwi flavour is a big part of what makes these books a standout for me, and such an enjoyable read. That, together with the easy flow of the writing, the great characterisation and a gripping plot, of course! I did feel that there was one tiny loose end that wasn’t quite tidied up satisfactorily to do with the motivation behind one of the sub-plot points (it’s hard to say more without including a spoiler) but it wasn’t a major let down for the book, more a niggle for my particularly anal brain. All in all, this was a very satisfying read and I look forward to reading the next one.
I have bought a paperback copy of this book, you should too.
September 6, 2020
Mostly enjoyable, with good characters and an absolutely terrific scene in the middle of the book. Unfortunately it's let down by some clunky writing and a conclusion that is rather ridiculous and far too abrupt.
It also cries out for more in the epilogue, as that strong cast of characters don't get to react to what happens.
It also cries out for more in the epilogue, as that strong cast of characters don't get to react to what happens.
September 5, 2015
3.5 stars.
Good mystery but found the short two-page chapters broke the flow of the story for me.
Good mystery but found the short two-page chapters broke the flow of the story for me.
April 18, 2019
I had the pleasure of reviewing Overkill, the first book in Vanda Symon's antipodean-set Sam Shepherd series, last year and said at the end of my review that I hoped we'd see more from Sam Shepherd and Vanda Symon. Well, my wishes have been granted because the second book in the series, The Ringmaster, has now been published in the UK by Orenda Books!
Although following on almost directly from the first book, The Ringmaster can definitely be read as a standalone. The events of the first novel inform Sam's backstory and some of her relationships with supporting characters, but all of the important information is re-capped here and the central plot, which revolves around the brutal murder of a Dunedin university student, is self-contained within this book.
Sam's character is nicely developed from book one. She's feisty without being cliche. Clever, determined and aware of her own failings, Sam is a refreshingly realistic voice. In The Ringmaster, we get to find out a little more about some of Sam's personal relationships and are privy to some of the fiery exchanges that she has with her difficult and somewhat overbearing mother. We also see her tentative first steps into a new relationship with a fellow officer.
These insights into the personal add a new dimension to Sam's character and helped me to understand some of the more difficult aspects of her personality, like her fiery temper, her self-deprecating humour, and her doubts about her life and career choices. It also helps The Ringmaster to feel like a development from Overkill, a chance for readers who have experienced the first book of the series to enhance their relationship with the central character - always one of the joys of reading a series.
By moving the setting from the small town of Mataura to the larger community of Dunedin, Symon has taken away the small-town focus of Overkill but the transition is, I feel, a successful one. Sam is no longer a lone-wolf, the sole officer dealing with a case. Instead, she is part of a larger team of detectives and has to overcome the challenges posed by not having immediate access to all the information. She also has to overcome an obstructive and bullying boss, a man Sam crossed in her previous investigation and who is determined that she won't be allowed to forget it. This makes the plot more complex, as Sam has to unpick the various strands of the investigation and re-knit them to get at the whole picture. It makes The Ringmaster more of a police procedural than a thriller, without sacrificing the fast-pace and page-turning quality that made Overkill such an enjoyable read!
Overall The Ringmaster is a satisfyingly meaty police procedural, a taut and atmospheric page-turner with a fantastic female lead. Perfect for fans of Jane Harper, this is a brilliant addition to an already accomplished series and I cannot wait for Vanda's next book so that I can see what Sam gets embroiled in next!
NB: This review first appeared on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre... as part of a blog tour for The Ringmaster. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Although following on almost directly from the first book, The Ringmaster can definitely be read as a standalone. The events of the first novel inform Sam's backstory and some of her relationships with supporting characters, but all of the important information is re-capped here and the central plot, which revolves around the brutal murder of a Dunedin university student, is self-contained within this book.
Sam's character is nicely developed from book one. She's feisty without being cliche. Clever, determined and aware of her own failings, Sam is a refreshingly realistic voice. In The Ringmaster, we get to find out a little more about some of Sam's personal relationships and are privy to some of the fiery exchanges that she has with her difficult and somewhat overbearing mother. We also see her tentative first steps into a new relationship with a fellow officer.
These insights into the personal add a new dimension to Sam's character and helped me to understand some of the more difficult aspects of her personality, like her fiery temper, her self-deprecating humour, and her doubts about her life and career choices. It also helps The Ringmaster to feel like a development from Overkill, a chance for readers who have experienced the first book of the series to enhance their relationship with the central character - always one of the joys of reading a series.
By moving the setting from the small town of Mataura to the larger community of Dunedin, Symon has taken away the small-town focus of Overkill but the transition is, I feel, a successful one. Sam is no longer a lone-wolf, the sole officer dealing with a case. Instead, she is part of a larger team of detectives and has to overcome the challenges posed by not having immediate access to all the information. She also has to overcome an obstructive and bullying boss, a man Sam crossed in her previous investigation and who is determined that she won't be allowed to forget it. This makes the plot more complex, as Sam has to unpick the various strands of the investigation and re-knit them to get at the whole picture. It makes The Ringmaster more of a police procedural than a thriller, without sacrificing the fast-pace and page-turning quality that made Overkill such an enjoyable read!
Overall The Ringmaster is a satisfyingly meaty police procedural, a taut and atmospheric page-turner with a fantastic female lead. Perfect for fans of Jane Harper, this is a brilliant addition to an already accomplished series and I cannot wait for Vanda's next book so that I can see what Sam gets embroiled in next!
NB: This review first appeared on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre... as part of a blog tour for The Ringmaster. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
July 13, 2023
This, the second in the Sam Shephard series set in New Zealand, begins not long after the ending of Overkill.
Sam is now a detective in training in Dunedin and living with her friend Maggie in the home of Maggie’s aunt and uncle. A university student is found murdered and an investigation ensues. Sam is kept on the margins of the case because her superior, DI Johns, holds a grudge because of their previous encounters and is determined not to give her anything but the most menial of tasks. Nonetheless, Sam uncovers other deaths in other communities that occurred when a travelling circus was visiting.
The first-person narrator is Sam. Her personality is as developed in the first book. She is brash and sarcastic, and it is inevitable that her outspokenness will get her into trouble. Of course, her frustration at the pointless jobs she is assigned is understandable and I couldn’t help but cheer her on when she stands up to her bully. It is obvious, however, that Sam is vulnerable beneath her tough exterior. She has lots of self-doubt and needs the support of others. Her relentlessness is extraordinary. Her involvement in an event involving an incident at the circus emphasizes both her strengths and empathy.
There are some elements that annoyed or bothered me. One is the many short chapters; there seems little reason for the narrative breaks. Some events seem unlikely: the circus owner’s insisting on Sam’s presence during police interviews and Sam’s taking two weapons at the end. Sam’s mother is an over-the-top character; she is so controlling, unsupportive and manipulative. The misleading cover photo is manipulative. The murderer’s identity is not difficult to guess because there are so few suspects. Unfortunately, the motive lacks credibility; such extreme behaviour requires a stronger motive.
The ending is sudden. Much is unexplained. The stalker angle is never fully explained and neither is Sam’s father’s illness clarified. Considering what happens, there would inevitably be emotional fallout, but it is never addressed. Perhaps the next book in the series, Containment, will fill in some gaps?
Despite its weaknesses, I will continue listening to the series during my morning walks. The books are entertaining and I’m interested to see how Sam matures in both her personal and professional life.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
Sam is now a detective in training in Dunedin and living with her friend Maggie in the home of Maggie’s aunt and uncle. A university student is found murdered and an investigation ensues. Sam is kept on the margins of the case because her superior, DI Johns, holds a grudge because of their previous encounters and is determined not to give her anything but the most menial of tasks. Nonetheless, Sam uncovers other deaths in other communities that occurred when a travelling circus was visiting.
The first-person narrator is Sam. Her personality is as developed in the first book. She is brash and sarcastic, and it is inevitable that her outspokenness will get her into trouble. Of course, her frustration at the pointless jobs she is assigned is understandable and I couldn’t help but cheer her on when she stands up to her bully. It is obvious, however, that Sam is vulnerable beneath her tough exterior. She has lots of self-doubt and needs the support of others. Her relentlessness is extraordinary. Her involvement in an event involving an incident at the circus emphasizes both her strengths and empathy.
There are some elements that annoyed or bothered me. One is the many short chapters; there seems little reason for the narrative breaks. Some events seem unlikely: the circus owner’s insisting on Sam’s presence during police interviews and Sam’s taking two weapons at the end. Sam’s mother is an over-the-top character; she is so controlling, unsupportive and manipulative. The misleading cover photo is manipulative. The murderer’s identity is not difficult to guess because there are so few suspects. Unfortunately, the motive lacks credibility; such extreme behaviour requires a stronger motive.
The ending is sudden. Much is unexplained. The stalker angle is never fully explained and neither is Sam’s father’s illness clarified. Considering what happens, there would inevitably be emotional fallout, but it is never addressed. Perhaps the next book in the series, Containment, will fill in some gaps?
Despite its weaknesses, I will continue listening to the series during my morning walks. The books are entertaining and I’m interested to see how Sam matures in both her personal and professional life.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
April 16, 2019
“Marginalised by previous antics, Sam Shephard, is on the bottom rung of detective training in Dunedin. Her boss makes sure she knows it. She gets involved in her first homicide investigation, when a university student is murdered in the Botanic Gardens. Sam soon discovers this is not an isolated incident. There is a chilling prospect of a predator loose in Dunedin, and a very strong possibility that the deaths are linked to a visiting circus…
Determined to find out who’s running the show, and to prove herself, Sam throws herself into an investigation that can have only one ending…"
The Ringmaster is my first encounter with both Symon and protagonist Sam Shephard. Although there were strong references to book number one, Overkill, I settled in no problem and quickly got to grips with family members/work colleagues.
A personal highlight of the book for me was the location, Dunedin, it almost felt like a character. I found it really refreshing to read a book based in New Zealand with its references to good wine and strong coffee. Makes a change from the cigarettes and stale beer of British counterparts. Wine and cheese really would be the perfect accompaniment for this book!
I also loved the presence of the Circus. Symon played on some excellent stereotypes/prejudices to great effect. I wasn’t expecting such emotional trauma mind you!
The narrative coming directly from Shephard was different to the norm. I loved reading about a young, intelligent woman doing her job well. Her doubts, frustrations and humour all shone through and she had some brilliant one liners:
“In my mother’s eyes, I was tarred, feathered and performing the chicken dance. And there was no recovery from the chicken dance”
Special bonus points for also including the phrase “birthday bonk”!
I must give a little shout out to Chapter 58 and it’s reference to running. There are a few ladies I know of who will all appreciate Shephard’s feelings towards it. “Running for me was a magic elixir that tuned out my conscious thought, but let the subconscious work in time with my footfalls. Rhythm, order, time.“
Boy the Southern Hemisphere is really delivering on the crime front at the moment! The plot was well paced and original. The book as a whole just felt like a breath of fresh air. Albeit a murdery, policey one. I loved it.
Determined to find out who’s running the show, and to prove herself, Sam throws herself into an investigation that can have only one ending…"
The Ringmaster is my first encounter with both Symon and protagonist Sam Shephard. Although there were strong references to book number one, Overkill, I settled in no problem and quickly got to grips with family members/work colleagues.
A personal highlight of the book for me was the location, Dunedin, it almost felt like a character. I found it really refreshing to read a book based in New Zealand with its references to good wine and strong coffee. Makes a change from the cigarettes and stale beer of British counterparts. Wine and cheese really would be the perfect accompaniment for this book!
I also loved the presence of the Circus. Symon played on some excellent stereotypes/prejudices to great effect. I wasn’t expecting such emotional trauma mind you!
The narrative coming directly from Shephard was different to the norm. I loved reading about a young, intelligent woman doing her job well. Her doubts, frustrations and humour all shone through and she had some brilliant one liners:
“In my mother’s eyes, I was tarred, feathered and performing the chicken dance. And there was no recovery from the chicken dance”
Special bonus points for also including the phrase “birthday bonk”!
I must give a little shout out to Chapter 58 and it’s reference to running. There are a few ladies I know of who will all appreciate Shephard’s feelings towards it. “Running for me was a magic elixir that tuned out my conscious thought, but let the subconscious work in time with my footfalls. Rhythm, order, time.“
Boy the Southern Hemisphere is really delivering on the crime front at the moment! The plot was well paced and original. The book as a whole just felt like a breath of fresh air. Albeit a murdery, policey one. I loved it.
April 11, 2019
I didn’t realise until I had finished reading this book, but this is actually the second in a series featuring the lead character Sam Shephard. The first book in the series is called ‘Overkill’ but ‘The Ringmaster’ is entirely capable of being read as a standalone.
Sam is a tenacious female detective working within the police force in New Zealand. She may be small, but she sure is feisty! She is constantly given a hard time from her superior officer and tasked with following up the small leads in investigations but despite this, she speaks her mind and manages to show everyone on the force that she is someone with a sharp intuition who should be listened to.
Sam is a really relatable character, she is just trying to make her way in her job, making the inevitable mistakes along the way and she suffers with the same family and relationship drama that most people endure at some point or another. When I realised this was the second book in the series featuring Sam I was surprised because her character is built upon really well in this book. Sometimes with a series you miss getting a proper sense of a character if you haven’t read the first or previous books but this was not the case here.
The main plot of the story is the classic ‘who done it’ theme in that a young university girl has been murdered and Sam is trying to track down the killer. Suspicion is cast all around in this book and various leads are followed and I really enjoyed reading along and following Sam on the investigation as she ploughed her way through suspects.
In a bizarre turn of events for me I actually had my suspicions over who the killer could be from very early on but no solid reasoning as to why it would be that person. This didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the book at all as I was still really curious to find out if my initial thought had been right and more importantly why. I would be really interested to see if any other readers of this book managed to guess the killer early on and what made them think it could be that person!
I have read there are plans for a third book in this series so I look forward to reading where the author takes Sam next and what investigation she finds herself entangled in next.
Sam is a tenacious female detective working within the police force in New Zealand. She may be small, but she sure is feisty! She is constantly given a hard time from her superior officer and tasked with following up the small leads in investigations but despite this, she speaks her mind and manages to show everyone on the force that she is someone with a sharp intuition who should be listened to.
Sam is a really relatable character, she is just trying to make her way in her job, making the inevitable mistakes along the way and she suffers with the same family and relationship drama that most people endure at some point or another. When I realised this was the second book in the series featuring Sam I was surprised because her character is built upon really well in this book. Sometimes with a series you miss getting a proper sense of a character if you haven’t read the first or previous books but this was not the case here.
The main plot of the story is the classic ‘who done it’ theme in that a young university girl has been murdered and Sam is trying to track down the killer. Suspicion is cast all around in this book and various leads are followed and I really enjoyed reading along and following Sam on the investigation as she ploughed her way through suspects.
In a bizarre turn of events for me I actually had my suspicions over who the killer could be from very early on but no solid reasoning as to why it would be that person. This didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the book at all as I was still really curious to find out if my initial thought had been right and more importantly why. I would be really interested to see if any other readers of this book managed to guess the killer early on and what made them think it could be that person!
I have read there are plans for a third book in this series so I look forward to reading where the author takes Sam next and what investigation she finds herself entangled in next.
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