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The Sound of Her Voice
Some murder cases you can't forget. No matter how hard you try.
For Auckland Detective Matt Buchanan it's Samantha the innocent girl who disappeared on her way home from school twelve years ago.
All the police found were her clothes discarded on a pristine stretch of New Zealand coastline, and the investigation quickly went cold.
But when the body of another young woman turns up on the same beach many years later, it's all Buchanan needs to reopen both the case and his biggest obsession.
As he pieces the terrible crimes together it becomes clear that Samantha Coates is the only mistake the killers made. And Buchanan must follow the sound of her voice to make them pay for it.
For Auckland Detective Matt Buchanan it's Samantha the innocent girl who disappeared on her way home from school twelve years ago.
All the police found were her clothes discarded on a pristine stretch of New Zealand coastline, and the investigation quickly went cold.
But when the body of another young woman turns up on the same beach many years later, it's all Buchanan needs to reopen both the case and his biggest obsession.
As he pieces the terrible crimes together it becomes clear that Samantha Coates is the only mistake the killers made. And Buchanan must follow the sound of her voice to make them pay for it.
400 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2017
14 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
About the author
Nathan Blackwell
4 books14 followersNathan Blackwell was raised on Auckland’s North Shore and attended Westlake Boys’ High School before commencing a ten-year career in the New Zealand Police. Seven of those years were spent as a Detective in the Criminal Investigation Branch, where he was exposed to human nature at its strongest and bravest, but also at its most depraved and horrific. He investigated a wide range of cases including drug manufacture, child abuse, corruption, serious violence, rape and murder. Because some of his work was conducted covertly, Nathan chooses to hide his true identity.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
April 5, 2019
Nathan Blackwell writes a truly brilliant and intelligent piece of Noir crime set in New Zealand, featuring Detective Matt Buchanan based at Orewa Police Station. Matt is held hostage by his deep feelings of failure at his inability to find 14 year old Samantha Coates who disappeared in 1999, and he continues to meet members of her family through the years. He is a widower, still missing his wife, Kate, and doing his best as a single dad bringing up his precious daughter, Hailey. As I began to read this book, I began to think this was the relaying of the disparate events and horrors in Matt's professional life as a police officer. However, this is not the case, all are eventually slowly pieced together by Matt as it becomes clear that the police have made errors and the resolutions to the cases are little more than manipulation by an evil and toxic mind involved in meth production, and the heinous crimes of rape, child sexual abuse, many murders, and more.
A skeleton of a young girl is found in the mangroves, with the hands and head missing. Matt's first thought is that this must be Sam, but this turns out not to be the case, and it is to take a long time before the police are able to identify the murder victim. As a rookie cop, Matt is shell shocked when he arrives on the scene where a cop friend, Gabby is shot dead. His psyche is damaged by the discovery of the body of 9 year old Brianna on the beach, and it is shot to pieces when fellow cop Steve, and a terrified police informant Pete are shot dead at a meeting where Pete was trying to give them vital information. Matt is shot too, and although he physically recovers, he has had enough, it's all too much, he has responsibilities to Hailey so he quits the police to become a poorly paid plane instructor, but he is happy although plagued by his horrifying memories. The discovery of a young woman on the beach, Tanya, left for dead, has Matt lured back to the police and back on the dangerous trail of a killer mastermind.
What differentiates this piece of quality crime fiction from others is how the author portrays to stunning effect the psychological meltdown experienced by Matt. Matt is a good and compassionate police officer, but he spirals into a deep depression, believes he is ineffective, suffering from the stress of all that he encounters and sees. He is enraged by a legal system that allows rapists to walk free, for the dead to have no voice, and the most evil of men to evade any form of justice. He begins to enter the darkest of territory, that he feels compulsively propelled into, feeling he has no choice, one which is to fracture his psyche even further. This is an amazing crime read, intense, desperately bleak and disturbing, and full of twists and surprises. Blackwell constructs a riveting story, showing incredible skill in his excellent characterisation and character development. An absolute must read for readers of crime fiction, although not for the faint of heart. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
A skeleton of a young girl is found in the mangroves, with the hands and head missing. Matt's first thought is that this must be Sam, but this turns out not to be the case, and it is to take a long time before the police are able to identify the murder victim. As a rookie cop, Matt is shell shocked when he arrives on the scene where a cop friend, Gabby is shot dead. His psyche is damaged by the discovery of the body of 9 year old Brianna on the beach, and it is shot to pieces when fellow cop Steve, and a terrified police informant Pete are shot dead at a meeting where Pete was trying to give them vital information. Matt is shot too, and although he physically recovers, he has had enough, it's all too much, he has responsibilities to Hailey so he quits the police to become a poorly paid plane instructor, but he is happy although plagued by his horrifying memories. The discovery of a young woman on the beach, Tanya, left for dead, has Matt lured back to the police and back on the dangerous trail of a killer mastermind.
What differentiates this piece of quality crime fiction from others is how the author portrays to stunning effect the psychological meltdown experienced by Matt. Matt is a good and compassionate police officer, but he spirals into a deep depression, believes he is ineffective, suffering from the stress of all that he encounters and sees. He is enraged by a legal system that allows rapists to walk free, for the dead to have no voice, and the most evil of men to evade any form of justice. He begins to enter the darkest of territory, that he feels compulsively propelled into, feeling he has no choice, one which is to fracture his psyche even further. This is an amazing crime read, intense, desperately bleak and disturbing, and full of twists and surprises. Blackwell constructs a riveting story, showing incredible skill in his excellent characterisation and character development. An absolute must read for readers of crime fiction, although not for the faint of heart. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
December 6, 2019
4☆ A Hard Hitting, Authentic, Very Dark Police Procedural!
The Sound of Her Voice is a complex read, it's very dark, hard hitting, gripping Police Procedural that looks into the darker side of investigations.
Detective Matt Buchanan has been a detective over 20years and has worked on all kinds of horrific cases, even seeing his partner die from being shot.
But the one case that he has never gotten over is the disappearance of Samantha a 14year old girl.
Unfortunately the case was never solved and it's one of his darkest regrets and haunts him every day. But he will never give up looking for answers!
The book is set over 20 plus years as we delve into Matt's life as a detective, the cases that desperately haunt him and the effects the job has on his mental state.
The Sound of Her Voice is gritty, very dark, contains violence, child abuse, sexual abuse and is very realistic which some readers may find difficult to read.
The graphic details and the police procedurals are very authentic and takes the reader into the darker side to policing, how the legal system fails it's victims and the effects these horrific cases have on the team that work tirelessly to protect them.
The Sound of Her Voice is Nathan Blackwell's Debut Novel, and I'm eager to read more of his work.
Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Tours and Orion Crime for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/1...
The Sound of Her Voice is a complex read, it's very dark, hard hitting, gripping Police Procedural that looks into the darker side of investigations.
Detective Matt Buchanan has been a detective over 20years and has worked on all kinds of horrific cases, even seeing his partner die from being shot.
But the one case that he has never gotten over is the disappearance of Samantha a 14year old girl.
Unfortunately the case was never solved and it's one of his darkest regrets and haunts him every day. But he will never give up looking for answers!
The book is set over 20 plus years as we delve into Matt's life as a detective, the cases that desperately haunt him and the effects the job has on his mental state.
The Sound of Her Voice is gritty, very dark, contains violence, child abuse, sexual abuse and is very realistic which some readers may find difficult to read.
The graphic details and the police procedurals are very authentic and takes the reader into the darker side to policing, how the legal system fails it's victims and the effects these horrific cases have on the team that work tirelessly to protect them.
The Sound of Her Voice is Nathan Blackwell's Debut Novel, and I'm eager to read more of his work.
Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Tours and Orion Crime for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/1...
April 30, 2019
This is a very dark, gritty, and disturbing crime novel. The author, Nathan Blackwell, investigated crimes of the most depraved nature as detective in New Zealand and worked undercover in covert operations.
The book follows the fictional career of Detective Matt Buchanan over more than a twenty year period in the Orewa district of New Zealand. He has been and witness to the most horrific crimes known to humanity: child sexual abuse, abduction, torture, murder, rape, manufacture and trafficking of illegal drugs and making porn and snuff films. It is evident the author knows of what he writes, having been exposed to similar horrors during his career as a detective in the NZ Criminal Investigation Branch.
Matt has endured seeing a close friend, policewoman Gabby, killed in a shootout while he was a young rookie. He was wounded by gunfire which killed his partner and an important witness. He has been involved in the recovery of bodies of young women and girls and feels the heartbreak of their families. A compassionate man and a competent investigator, he deeply feels he is a failure, being unable to rescue them in time. Feeling ineffective, his greatest grief is for a 14-year-old girl, Sam, who disappeared early in his career. Her body was never found. He still visits her family and is frustrated by his inability to bring closure to the case.
The book looks at grief and feelings of inadequacy by dedicated police and the cases that give them nightmares and haunt their waking hours. It also focuses on failures of the justice system and juries, when legal technicalities, the doubting of witnesses and police statements, bullying of a young rape victim, may result in criminals walking free or receiving shorter sentences than deserved.
Matt learns that a criminal mastermind always has someone designated to take the fall and blame when the police are on his trail. When the justice system fails, what is left but vigilante justice?
Matt has quit his position as detective for the sake of his sanity and for his beloved daughter. It is clear that he has been suffering from PTSD, having seen so much depravity. He is drawn back into police work several times, both as detective and consultant. Everything seems futile to him. The various cases which have traumatized him over the years seem to be merging, into a vast conspiracy of very evil men. Will they ever been brought to justice and will the crime wave end? What, if anything, will be Matt’s involvement? Will he find a way out of the dark abyss where he finds himself?
The book follows the fictional career of Detective Matt Buchanan over more than a twenty year period in the Orewa district of New Zealand. He has been and witness to the most horrific crimes known to humanity: child sexual abuse, abduction, torture, murder, rape, manufacture and trafficking of illegal drugs and making porn and snuff films. It is evident the author knows of what he writes, having been exposed to similar horrors during his career as a detective in the NZ Criminal Investigation Branch.
Matt has endured seeing a close friend, policewoman Gabby, killed in a shootout while he was a young rookie. He was wounded by gunfire which killed his partner and an important witness. He has been involved in the recovery of bodies of young women and girls and feels the heartbreak of their families. A compassionate man and a competent investigator, he deeply feels he is a failure, being unable to rescue them in time. Feeling ineffective, his greatest grief is for a 14-year-old girl, Sam, who disappeared early in his career. Her body was never found. He still visits her family and is frustrated by his inability to bring closure to the case.
The book looks at grief and feelings of inadequacy by dedicated police and the cases that give them nightmares and haunt their waking hours. It also focuses on failures of the justice system and juries, when legal technicalities, the doubting of witnesses and police statements, bullying of a young rape victim, may result in criminals walking free or receiving shorter sentences than deserved.
Matt learns that a criminal mastermind always has someone designated to take the fall and blame when the police are on his trail. When the justice system fails, what is left but vigilante justice?
Matt has quit his position as detective for the sake of his sanity and for his beloved daughter. It is clear that he has been suffering from PTSD, having seen so much depravity. He is drawn back into police work several times, both as detective and consultant. Everything seems futile to him. The various cases which have traumatized him over the years seem to be merging, into a vast conspiracy of very evil men. Will they ever been brought to justice and will the crime wave end? What, if anything, will be Matt’s involvement? Will he find a way out of the dark abyss where he finds himself?
April 19, 2019
Written by an elite former detective and shortlisted for the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, The Sound of Her Voice is a brilliant and immersive work of literary noir. It's gritty and complex and certainly not for the faint of heart as it's full of profanity and brutal violence, but I absolutely loved this police procedural for its gripping plot as well as engaging and interesting characters. However, what sets it apart from the rest of the thriller market is the authenticity and realistic nature of the plot.
It's an evocative and emotional read and explores the effects of witnessing the brutality of a crime in terms of our protagonist, DC Matt Buchanan. He's a very troubled soul but will stop at nothing to get justice for the victims. This is a masterful, intense novel that is utterly brilliant. There are plenty of blind alleys that the author leads you down fooling you time and time again. A must-read for all crime connoisseurs and worthy of the full five stars. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
It's an evocative and emotional read and explores the effects of witnessing the brutality of a crime in terms of our protagonist, DC Matt Buchanan. He's a very troubled soul but will stop at nothing to get justice for the victims. This is a masterful, intense novel that is utterly brilliant. There are plenty of blind alleys that the author leads you down fooling you time and time again. A must-read for all crime connoisseurs and worthy of the full five stars. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
April 18, 2019
A brilliant debut novel that sweats authenticity as it delves into the darker side of modern-day policing, written by a pseudonymous author who spent several years working undercover and as a detective in the New Zealand police.
A word of warning - this one's not for cosy fans.
There's violence, sexual crime, missing girls, and many psychological wounds. Debut author Blackwell takes readers to some harrowing places, but never gratuitously - instead there's a sense of disturbing authenticity. THE SOUND OF HER VOICE feels ripped from the headlines in some ways, while also being a timeless tale of good people trying to battle against dark deeds, and risking losing themselves when looking into the abyss. Blackwell has some zing to his prose.
A strong sense of the New Zealand setting comes through, familiar in some ways for overseas readers and exotic in others. Rather unusually for a cop novel, THE SOUND OF HER VOICE doesn't focus on a single case (or two) or happen over a short time period - instead it deals with events spanning more than 20 years in Buchanan's career, and the accumulative effect of the horrors he's dealt with on his own psyche. Blackwell gives readers a very real insight into the stresses that criminal investigations create for all involved, rippling outwards from the violent act. And lingering.
There's a lot to like about this debut, and I can only hope we see more from Nathan Blackwell. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, discovering more and more layers as the story unfolded, and have found myself recommending it widely.
An absorbing novel that can't be distilled into a pithy hashtag or marketing hook, but offers crime readers so much in terms of a strong voice, fascinating and flawed 'hero', rich sense of place, and an up-close look at the all-too-real pressures of policing. Well worth a look if you can handle crime novels that delve into the darkness.
A word of warning - this one's not for cosy fans.
There's violence, sexual crime, missing girls, and many psychological wounds. Debut author Blackwell takes readers to some harrowing places, but never gratuitously - instead there's a sense of disturbing authenticity. THE SOUND OF HER VOICE feels ripped from the headlines in some ways, while also being a timeless tale of good people trying to battle against dark deeds, and risking losing themselves when looking into the abyss. Blackwell has some zing to his prose.
A strong sense of the New Zealand setting comes through, familiar in some ways for overseas readers and exotic in others. Rather unusually for a cop novel, THE SOUND OF HER VOICE doesn't focus on a single case (or two) or happen over a short time period - instead it deals with events spanning more than 20 years in Buchanan's career, and the accumulative effect of the horrors he's dealt with on his own psyche. Blackwell gives readers a very real insight into the stresses that criminal investigations create for all involved, rippling outwards from the violent act. And lingering.
There's a lot to like about this debut, and I can only hope we see more from Nathan Blackwell. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, discovering more and more layers as the story unfolded, and have found myself recommending it widely.
An absorbing novel that can't be distilled into a pithy hashtag or marketing hook, but offers crime readers so much in terms of a strong voice, fascinating and flawed 'hero', rich sense of place, and an up-close look at the all-too-real pressures of policing. Well worth a look if you can handle crime novels that delve into the darkness.
March 1, 2019
This is a very gritty police procedural, written by a former police officer and is definitely not for the faint hearted. The subject matter includes the rape and murder of teenage girls and there are gruesome details of crime scenes and autopsies. The main character is a police detective, Matt Buchanan, a widower with a teenage daughter called Hailey.
He's a man who seems on the edge of a breakdown, haunted by the images of the victims of crimes he has investigated and some of which he has failed to solve.
The discovery of a young girl's body in a mangrove swamp sends him delving into police files which date back to the mid 1990's. The victim's body is without a head or hands but Buchanan's dogged attention to detail leads him to discover a car accident from the time this particular murder took place.
Meanwhile, he has to cope with watching a young female rape victim suffer during the trial of two young men accused of sexually assaulting her and having her character savaged by the defence lawyer. The detective can barely contain his anger at the disgusting treatment visited on the victim in a court of law.
This is a raw slice of human life as it really is, red in tooth and claw. Despite this one cannot help but admire Buchanan's humanity and the sheer effort that he and his colleagues put into their work. His reactions to the horrors he faces on a daily basis are understandable, even if some of his methods leave a lot to be desired. Reading this book, it's easy to see how a police officer can crack under the unrelenting pressure of the job and this is effortlessly captured by the author, Nathan Blackwell. A fine debut crime novel and a worthy addition to New Zealand's best crime fiction.
My thanks to Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.
He's a man who seems on the edge of a breakdown, haunted by the images of the victims of crimes he has investigated and some of which he has failed to solve.
The discovery of a young girl's body in a mangrove swamp sends him delving into police files which date back to the mid 1990's. The victim's body is without a head or hands but Buchanan's dogged attention to detail leads him to discover a car accident from the time this particular murder took place.
Meanwhile, he has to cope with watching a young female rape victim suffer during the trial of two young men accused of sexually assaulting her and having her character savaged by the defence lawyer. The detective can barely contain his anger at the disgusting treatment visited on the victim in a court of law.
This is a raw slice of human life as it really is, red in tooth and claw. Despite this one cannot help but admire Buchanan's humanity and the sheer effort that he and his colleagues put into their work. His reactions to the horrors he faces on a daily basis are understandable, even if some of his methods leave a lot to be desired. Reading this book, it's easy to see how a police officer can crack under the unrelenting pressure of the job and this is effortlessly captured by the author, Nathan Blackwell. A fine debut crime novel and a worthy addition to New Zealand's best crime fiction.
My thanks to Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.
July 29, 2018
Cop-turned novelist, Nathan Blackwell (true identity hidden due to covert police operations) has written a debut novel, THE SOUND OF HER VOICE, which is intense, unsparing, realistic, brutal and will stay with the reader for a long time.
Every year the Ngaio Marsh awards for New Zealand crime fiction throw up an unexpected perspective, something brave and unusual that will set you back on your heels and make you think. For this reviewer, this year, that book was THE SOUND OF HER VOICE. In what's a combination of police procedural, and tragic police perspective, Detective Matt Buchanan has been in the job too long, and he's had a gut full of the nastiness of human nature. Unsolved murder cases haunt him, people being bastards haunt him, everything haunts him. He's bitter and he's well on the way to being twisted, and the murder of 14 year old Samantha Coates puts him on the trail of something big, and even nastier than he had even thought possible.
If you're a fan of crime fiction that glosses over reality, pulls punches, draws veils then THE SOUND OF HER VOICE isn't the book for you. This book is real to the point of "drag you down a back alley, whisper abuse in your ear and belt you over the head" real. It's also a book in which the central hero is flawed and tricky, a man surrounded by bad, with right on his side, and decisions to make. Every step of the way in Buchanan's head is an uncomfortable place. It's impossible to not empathise with a man dealing with all this crap on an hourly basis, it's even possible to understand some of the wrong moves he openly chooses to make. If it's possible to empathise with the end justifies the means, then this is a novel that gives the reader a lot of opportunity to go down that path, hotly pursuing Buchanan's own conclusions.
Obviously this is dark, unrelenting reading, and it's a debut. It's not a 100% pitch perfect, slick as, totally perfectly crafted piece of crime fiction, but then again I'm not sure any of that would have served this author's aims. What we have here is raw, full of realistic emotion, reactions and voices. It's as about as authentic a police perspective as you'd get, somehow managing to maintain it's essential Kiwiness, whilst exploring a descent that's probably all too real for law enforcement the world over.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Every year the Ngaio Marsh awards for New Zealand crime fiction throw up an unexpected perspective, something brave and unusual that will set you back on your heels and make you think. For this reviewer, this year, that book was THE SOUND OF HER VOICE. In what's a combination of police procedural, and tragic police perspective, Detective Matt Buchanan has been in the job too long, and he's had a gut full of the nastiness of human nature. Unsolved murder cases haunt him, people being bastards haunt him, everything haunts him. He's bitter and he's well on the way to being twisted, and the murder of 14 year old Samantha Coates puts him on the trail of something big, and even nastier than he had even thought possible.
If you're a fan of crime fiction that glosses over reality, pulls punches, draws veils then THE SOUND OF HER VOICE isn't the book for you. This book is real to the point of "drag you down a back alley, whisper abuse in your ear and belt you over the head" real. It's also a book in which the central hero is flawed and tricky, a man surrounded by bad, with right on his side, and decisions to make. Every step of the way in Buchanan's head is an uncomfortable place. It's impossible to not empathise with a man dealing with all this crap on an hourly basis, it's even possible to understand some of the wrong moves he openly chooses to make. If it's possible to empathise with the end justifies the means, then this is a novel that gives the reader a lot of opportunity to go down that path, hotly pursuing Buchanan's own conclusions.
Obviously this is dark, unrelenting reading, and it's a debut. It's not a 100% pitch perfect, slick as, totally perfectly crafted piece of crime fiction, but then again I'm not sure any of that would have served this author's aims. What we have here is raw, full of realistic emotion, reactions and voices. It's as about as authentic a police perspective as you'd get, somehow managing to maintain it's essential Kiwiness, whilst exploring a descent that's probably all too real for law enforcement the world over.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
October 31, 2019
Review to follow for the tour.
March 30, 2019
This is a very gritty Police Procedural that colours outside the lines of the formula that most authors employ as the book actually spans many decades in getting to the end.
Detective Matt Buchanan has a cold case that he has never managed to solve; the disappearance of 14 year old Samantha. To this date, many years later, he still visits with Samantha's mum and is desperate that the next time he visits he will be able to bring her the peace she craves. When a body is discovered in a mangrove swamp, his thought initially turn to Samantha. Although the body is not Samantha, in his investigations, he does discover a new lead in that case. He's also involved in a rape trial where the defence rips the young victim apart. Things come to a head and he quits the force but, with so much left undone, he is drawn back into the mix when new evidence comes to light which he can't ignore. But with his head in the space it is now, will he be able to complete the job professionally or will he cross that line to get the job done...?
Matt Buchanan has to be the most realistically described police character I have read about in a while. Maybe it's because the book spans decades and we get to see a bigger picture than usual. He's very much wounded in his perceived failure over Samantha and every case he works appears tainted by that. But he is also dogged and determined, something evident in his reaction to the rape trial. He's also wounded personally and just trying to bring up his daughter. It was easy to connect to him, mostly in a "wanting to save him" kind of way but a connection that grew the more I read.
The crimes described within this book are not for the faint-hearted. Nor is the language, it is a bit sweary at times but nothing too heavy. Plotting is tight and, at the end of the day when all is revealed, very clever. There is a lot to get to grips with throughout the book but when it started to all come together I couldn't help but sit back and applaud the author for a job well done.
Pacing was interesting, mostly again due to the span of time covered by the book. But within what was going on, there was enough action and intrigue throughout to keep me interested and wanting to read on. As I started the book, I did wonder if it was going to be a series opener. As things moved on, again considering the timeline, I reconsidered that thought. As we reached the end, well, I now have no idea! What I do know is that I would love to read more from this author and, if future books also starred Matt as either an MC or even in a smaller part, I wouldn't be disappointed.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Detective Matt Buchanan has a cold case that he has never managed to solve; the disappearance of 14 year old Samantha. To this date, many years later, he still visits with Samantha's mum and is desperate that the next time he visits he will be able to bring her the peace she craves. When a body is discovered in a mangrove swamp, his thought initially turn to Samantha. Although the body is not Samantha, in his investigations, he does discover a new lead in that case. He's also involved in a rape trial where the defence rips the young victim apart. Things come to a head and he quits the force but, with so much left undone, he is drawn back into the mix when new evidence comes to light which he can't ignore. But with his head in the space it is now, will he be able to complete the job professionally or will he cross that line to get the job done...?
Matt Buchanan has to be the most realistically described police character I have read about in a while. Maybe it's because the book spans decades and we get to see a bigger picture than usual. He's very much wounded in his perceived failure over Samantha and every case he works appears tainted by that. But he is also dogged and determined, something evident in his reaction to the rape trial. He's also wounded personally and just trying to bring up his daughter. It was easy to connect to him, mostly in a "wanting to save him" kind of way but a connection that grew the more I read.
The crimes described within this book are not for the faint-hearted. Nor is the language, it is a bit sweary at times but nothing too heavy. Plotting is tight and, at the end of the day when all is revealed, very clever. There is a lot to get to grips with throughout the book but when it started to all come together I couldn't help but sit back and applaud the author for a job well done.
Pacing was interesting, mostly again due to the span of time covered by the book. But within what was going on, there was enough action and intrigue throughout to keep me interested and wanting to read on. As I started the book, I did wonder if it was going to be a series opener. As things moved on, again considering the timeline, I reconsidered that thought. As we reached the end, well, I now have no idea! What I do know is that I would love to read more from this author and, if future books also starred Matt as either an MC or even in a smaller part, I wouldn't be disappointed.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
December 2, 2019
“Do not go gentle.”
THE SOUND OF HER VOICE is a New Zealand-set police procedural which tells the story of Auckland Detective, Matt Buchanan, a man haunted by the missing girl he couldn’t find. The discovery of the desecrated remains of another young girl sends Buchanan on a twenty year journey into the darker regions of the soul, where the trauma he experiences investigating the abuse and murders of children causes him to question his worth and envy those for whom ‘it was over.’
The violence is realistic, hard and unsettling, never gratuitous. Buchanan is flawed and makes mistakes but he is driven and suffers mentally the effects of the horrific crimes he investigates. The novel is dark with a disturbing oppressiveness reminiscent of the likes of Seven or True Detective.
Nathan Blackwell, a former NZ police officer, writes authentically about both the crimes and the devastating effects of PTSD. THE SOUND OF HER VOICE is gripping and discomfiting and is worthy of comparison with the more familiar noir offerings from Europe and America.
THE SOUND OF HER VOICE is a New Zealand-set police procedural which tells the story of Auckland Detective, Matt Buchanan, a man haunted by the missing girl he couldn’t find. The discovery of the desecrated remains of another young girl sends Buchanan on a twenty year journey into the darker regions of the soul, where the trauma he experiences investigating the abuse and murders of children causes him to question his worth and envy those for whom ‘it was over.’
The violence is realistic, hard and unsettling, never gratuitous. Buchanan is flawed and makes mistakes but he is driven and suffers mentally the effects of the horrific crimes he investigates. The novel is dark with a disturbing oppressiveness reminiscent of the likes of Seven or True Detective.
Nathan Blackwell, a former NZ police officer, writes authentically about both the crimes and the devastating effects of PTSD. THE SOUND OF HER VOICE is gripping and discomfiting and is worthy of comparison with the more familiar noir offerings from Europe and America.
December 20, 2021
This is a typical detective mystery. Could a 15 year old mutilated female corpse be connected to more recent female corpses found in the same coastal area? What other deaths or crimes might they lead to? The story and the writing were average. I am not sure why the author felt the need to use the “f” and the “c” word with such frequency. I don’t think there was a paragraph without one or the other. I want to buy the author a thesaurus so that he might develop his vocabulary if he wants to continue writing.
April 3, 2019
I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of The Sound of her Voice, a stand alone police procedural set in Auckland.
DC Matt Buchanan is haunted by the 1999 disappearance of 14 year old Samantha Coates. He has never solved the case or found her body despite working on it intermittently over the years so when the skeleton of a young woman is found in 2011 he immediately thinks of Sam but it’s not her.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Sound of her Voice with certain provisos. It is a gritty, complicated read with a lot of swearing and some horrific crimes and definitely not for the faint hearted but with these points in mind it is a fascinating, immersive read. It is probably the most realistic procedural I have ever read with the author sparing nothing from examination. It is set over the course of twenty plus years from 1995 until the present and charts not only the investigation but the effect these crimes have on Matt. The novel opens with 18 year old probationary Police Officer Matt Buchanan responding to the shooting of two officers only to find that one of them is his friend Gabby Stewart. The descriptions of this scene are so alive with Matt’s sense of panic and helplessness. It’s visceral and I was hooked. After that the novel unfolds with various scenes from Matt’s career as he moves closer to understanding what happened to Sam. It can seem bitty and it’s definitely complicated but it all comes together at the end in an unexpected twist.
Throughout the novel, told in the first person by Matt, there is real authenticity from the disappointment of not guilty verdicts to the toll these cases take on Matt’s mental health with the failures in the system inferred at every turn. It is interesting that Matt doesn’t think much of his skills as a detective or a person for that matter when there is much evidence to the contrary. It’s like the failure of his ability to solve Sam’s cases negates his other successes. He is empathetic, engendering a trust from victims and their families few others can emulate, dogged in his investigations and has successfully reared his daughter as a single parent. He is stoic in shrugging off the violence and trauma he has seen over the years but eventually it catches up with him. His response is understandable as everyone has a breaking point, but probably the least realistic part of the novel. It does, however, make for exciting reading.
The Sound of her Voice is a good if difficult read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
DC Matt Buchanan is haunted by the 1999 disappearance of 14 year old Samantha Coates. He has never solved the case or found her body despite working on it intermittently over the years so when the skeleton of a young woman is found in 2011 he immediately thinks of Sam but it’s not her.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Sound of her Voice with certain provisos. It is a gritty, complicated read with a lot of swearing and some horrific crimes and definitely not for the faint hearted but with these points in mind it is a fascinating, immersive read. It is probably the most realistic procedural I have ever read with the author sparing nothing from examination. It is set over the course of twenty plus years from 1995 until the present and charts not only the investigation but the effect these crimes have on Matt. The novel opens with 18 year old probationary Police Officer Matt Buchanan responding to the shooting of two officers only to find that one of them is his friend Gabby Stewart. The descriptions of this scene are so alive with Matt’s sense of panic and helplessness. It’s visceral and I was hooked. After that the novel unfolds with various scenes from Matt’s career as he moves closer to understanding what happened to Sam. It can seem bitty and it’s definitely complicated but it all comes together at the end in an unexpected twist.
Throughout the novel, told in the first person by Matt, there is real authenticity from the disappointment of not guilty verdicts to the toll these cases take on Matt’s mental health with the failures in the system inferred at every turn. It is interesting that Matt doesn’t think much of his skills as a detective or a person for that matter when there is much evidence to the contrary. It’s like the failure of his ability to solve Sam’s cases negates his other successes. He is empathetic, engendering a trust from victims and their families few others can emulate, dogged in his investigations and has successfully reared his daughter as a single parent. He is stoic in shrugging off the violence and trauma he has seen over the years but eventually it catches up with him. His response is understandable as everyone has a breaking point, but probably the least realistic part of the novel. It does, however, make for exciting reading.
The Sound of her Voice is a good if difficult read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
December 4, 2019
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The Sound of Her Voice is a gritty, dark and compelling book set in New Zealand about Matt, a police officer based in Orewa. The author, a former undercover police officer and Detective has used his experience to write an authentic novel which shines a light on the dark underbelly of crime.
Matt is haunted by a crime he hasn’t solved – the disappearance of a 14 year old girl, Sam who vanished back in 1999. He works on other cases; he finds other missing children, he identifies bodies found amongst the roots of Mangrove trees and takes down gangs of drug dealers, but Sam, and her family are never far from his mind. He still regularly meets with her parents and sister. He goes over and over the case and every time the body of a young woman is found he thinks it is her.
We follow Matt over his whole career, from his days a rookie cop trying to save the life of a colleague shot on a call out and to him nearly losing his own life when working with a police informant. He is a single father bringing up his daughter alone after his wife was killed in an accident and he is spinning an awful lot of plates.
This is an excellent crime novel which doesn’t shy away from violence, upsetting subject matter (sexual violence and abuse are both addressed) and the realities of policing. I understand that The Sound of Her Voice has been a huge success in New Zealand winning awards and garnering huge acclaim, and deservedly so. I really don’t think I’ve ever read anything so compelling and realistic in my life. Nathan Blackwell’s experience as a cop shines through giving the narrative a real edge. Although the cases and the characters are fictionalised I did feel like I was reading something autobiographical and so it made quite an impact upon me.
This isn’t a crime novel in the “traditional” sense. We follow Matt for around twenty years so there isn’t a murder, a cat and mouse game and a denouement where the baddie is caught and the Detectives celebrate. What we have instead is a number of cases which have a huge impact upon him and his mental health. He is worn down by the cases he is working, by the bodies, the abuse and the drugs and it becomes more and more difficult to keep those plates spinning. Under great psychological stress we see the other side of the policing; the hopelessness, the relentlessness of it and just how depraved some people can be.
It was refreshing to read a book like this. I really felt that I got to know Matt and watching him turn from an eager and keen rookie cop to a broken man was difficult to read. It’s also important to read about men like Matt. Men who work jobs where they are expected to be a certain way and just deal with the difficult parts of their job without breaking a sweat. Reading about a man struggling with his mental health was a breath of fresh air and it is wonderfully handled.
If deliciously dark crime books are your thing then The Sound of Her Voice could be for you. It is one of those books that stays with you and it feels so incredibly real that it gave me chills. This is an accomplished debut novel from a fresh voice and I look forward to reading more.
The Sound of Her Voice is a gritty, dark and compelling book set in New Zealand about Matt, a police officer based in Orewa. The author, a former undercover police officer and Detective has used his experience to write an authentic novel which shines a light on the dark underbelly of crime.
Matt is haunted by a crime he hasn’t solved – the disappearance of a 14 year old girl, Sam who vanished back in 1999. He works on other cases; he finds other missing children, he identifies bodies found amongst the roots of Mangrove trees and takes down gangs of drug dealers, but Sam, and her family are never far from his mind. He still regularly meets with her parents and sister. He goes over and over the case and every time the body of a young woman is found he thinks it is her.
We follow Matt over his whole career, from his days a rookie cop trying to save the life of a colleague shot on a call out and to him nearly losing his own life when working with a police informant. He is a single father bringing up his daughter alone after his wife was killed in an accident and he is spinning an awful lot of plates.
This is an excellent crime novel which doesn’t shy away from violence, upsetting subject matter (sexual violence and abuse are both addressed) and the realities of policing. I understand that The Sound of Her Voice has been a huge success in New Zealand winning awards and garnering huge acclaim, and deservedly so. I really don’t think I’ve ever read anything so compelling and realistic in my life. Nathan Blackwell’s experience as a cop shines through giving the narrative a real edge. Although the cases and the characters are fictionalised I did feel like I was reading something autobiographical and so it made quite an impact upon me.
This isn’t a crime novel in the “traditional” sense. We follow Matt for around twenty years so there isn’t a murder, a cat and mouse game and a denouement where the baddie is caught and the Detectives celebrate. What we have instead is a number of cases which have a huge impact upon him and his mental health. He is worn down by the cases he is working, by the bodies, the abuse and the drugs and it becomes more and more difficult to keep those plates spinning. Under great psychological stress we see the other side of the policing; the hopelessness, the relentlessness of it and just how depraved some people can be.
It was refreshing to read a book like this. I really felt that I got to know Matt and watching him turn from an eager and keen rookie cop to a broken man was difficult to read. It’s also important to read about men like Matt. Men who work jobs where they are expected to be a certain way and just deal with the difficult parts of their job without breaking a sweat. Reading about a man struggling with his mental health was a breath of fresh air and it is wonderfully handled.
If deliciously dark crime books are your thing then The Sound of Her Voice could be for you. It is one of those books that stays with you and it feels so incredibly real that it gave me chills. This is an accomplished debut novel from a fresh voice and I look forward to reading more.
November 25, 2019
I absolutely love discovering new authors and Nathan Blackwell is most definitely a new author for me. I read the synopsis for 'The Sound Of Her Voice' and it certainly sounded like just my kind of read - a gritty, no holds barred police procedural. Oh my it certainly was that and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Sound Of Her Voice' but more about that in a bit.
It took me next to no time to get into this book. In fact I took to the author's writing style that well that by the time I got to the bottom of the first page I just knew that this was one book that I wouldn't be able to put down- at all. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I didn't want to miss a single second of the story. I knew that I would simply have to read 'The Sound Of Her Voice' in one day because I couldn't bear to go to bed knowing that the book and the investigation was unfinished. I had an increasing desperation to find out how the story concluded. I had a feeling that there was going to be a twist to the story and this only heightened my need to finish the book within the day, because I needed to know if I was correct or not. This was one of those books that I found gripping from start to finish and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
'The Sound Of Her Voice' is superbly written. In fact I had trouble believing that this was the author's debut novel as his writing style seems so polished and so confident. For me, this book gained even more authenticity when I discovered the fact that the author had actually served in New Zealand's police force. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get along with and easy to get used to. He draws you into the story from the beginning and he takes you on one hell of a journey through a tense and dramatic investigation. I appreciated the fact that there was a glossary at the beginning of the book setting out what all the different police abbreviations meant. I was able to flick back to the beginning of the book to check when I came across another abbreviation that I wasn't sure of. The frequent use of police language and abbreviations did remind me of the television programme, 'Line Of Duty'. Ted Hastings and his team would definitely have approved!
Reading 'The Sound Of Her Voice' was much like being on one hell of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster rides with twists and turns that you won't see coming. On more than one occasion I almost had to read through my fingers as I feared what was waiting for me over the page.
In short, 'The Sound Of Her Voice' was a brilliant read and one of my stand out books of 2019. I loved the characters, the storylines and where the story was set. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I look forward to reading more from Nathan Blackwell in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
It took me next to no time to get into this book. In fact I took to the author's writing style that well that by the time I got to the bottom of the first page I just knew that this was one book that I wouldn't be able to put down- at all. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I didn't want to miss a single second of the story. I knew that I would simply have to read 'The Sound Of Her Voice' in one day because I couldn't bear to go to bed knowing that the book and the investigation was unfinished. I had an increasing desperation to find out how the story concluded. I had a feeling that there was going to be a twist to the story and this only heightened my need to finish the book within the day, because I needed to know if I was correct or not. This was one of those books that I found gripping from start to finish and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
'The Sound Of Her Voice' is superbly written. In fact I had trouble believing that this was the author's debut novel as his writing style seems so polished and so confident. For me, this book gained even more authenticity when I discovered the fact that the author had actually served in New Zealand's police force. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get along with and easy to get used to. He draws you into the story from the beginning and he takes you on one hell of a journey through a tense and dramatic investigation. I appreciated the fact that there was a glossary at the beginning of the book setting out what all the different police abbreviations meant. I was able to flick back to the beginning of the book to check when I came across another abbreviation that I wasn't sure of. The frequent use of police language and abbreviations did remind me of the television programme, 'Line Of Duty'. Ted Hastings and his team would definitely have approved!
Reading 'The Sound Of Her Voice' was much like being on one hell of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster rides with twists and turns that you won't see coming. On more than one occasion I almost had to read through my fingers as I feared what was waiting for me over the page.
In short, 'The Sound Of Her Voice' was a brilliant read and one of my stand out books of 2019. I loved the characters, the storylines and where the story was set. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I look forward to reading more from Nathan Blackwell in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
November 24, 2019
A hard gritty story which had me reading it late into the night in spite of wanting to take a break.
The story was complex and quite confusing in the beginning. I had to slowly piece it as I turned the pages. A broken cop Matt in turmoil about a lost teen in 1999 when a skeleton of a young girl was found in mangroves with hands and head missing. The story went on to show his 20 year career where he saw every crime against women and no justice, including the death of his colleagues. He left the force but was called back when new evidence was revealed. It was a fictional story with a strong voice in realism.
A debut by Nathan Blackwell, it was quite unlike anything I had read ever. The story had its tendrils sunk deep into the past while showing me scenes of the present. The author's writing revealed a deeper darkness of an unraveling mind while showing me the perversity of the crime. Matt was the character who was both spiraling down due to his memories while trying to remain buoyant in the present, especially for his daughter.
The bleak nature of the legal system and the breakdown of the human psyche which was tired of all the pitfalls was well shown by this talented author. I knew that the darker nature would hit me hard later, but for the life of me, I couldn't put down my kindle as the twists in the story made me want to get to the end.
A different read, not for the faint hearted for sure. I did disturb me later.
The story was complex and quite confusing in the beginning. I had to slowly piece it as I turned the pages. A broken cop Matt in turmoil about a lost teen in 1999 when a skeleton of a young girl was found in mangroves with hands and head missing. The story went on to show his 20 year career where he saw every crime against women and no justice, including the death of his colleagues. He left the force but was called back when new evidence was revealed. It was a fictional story with a strong voice in realism.
A debut by Nathan Blackwell, it was quite unlike anything I had read ever. The story had its tendrils sunk deep into the past while showing me scenes of the present. The author's writing revealed a deeper darkness of an unraveling mind while showing me the perversity of the crime. Matt was the character who was both spiraling down due to his memories while trying to remain buoyant in the present, especially for his daughter.
The bleak nature of the legal system and the breakdown of the human psyche which was tired of all the pitfalls was well shown by this talented author. I knew that the darker nature would hit me hard later, but for the life of me, I couldn't put down my kindle as the twists in the story made me want to get to the end.
A different read, not for the faint hearted for sure. I did disturb me later.
November 28, 2019
In 1995, rookie cop, Matt Buchanan sees his colleague, Gabby, die after being shot.
Jumping to 2011, Matt is now an experienced detective investigating a murder after a young woman’s remains are found. It brings back memories of a case he worked on many years before of a missing young woman, Sam, but it’s not her,
This is the story of Matt’s experiences, the horrific crimes he’s investigated, rape, child abuse, murder and many more violent crimes against women. The courts seem to be ineffectual at putting those responsible behind bars and he wonders if it’s all worth the effort, he feels useless and depressed. He puts on a positive front for his daughter’s sake, but he’s a mess.
As this continues, Matt starts to believe some of these cases could be linked and something truly evil is going on.
Can Matt finally solve these crimes? Will he be able to recover?
This is a unique read. A story of the effects of seeing traumatic, violent events on those who deal with them day in and day out. It’s dark, brutal and haunting, one that is going to stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to Tracy and Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
Jumping to 2011, Matt is now an experienced detective investigating a murder after a young woman’s remains are found. It brings back memories of a case he worked on many years before of a missing young woman, Sam, but it’s not her,
This is the story of Matt’s experiences, the horrific crimes he’s investigated, rape, child abuse, murder and many more violent crimes against women. The courts seem to be ineffectual at putting those responsible behind bars and he wonders if it’s all worth the effort, he feels useless and depressed. He puts on a positive front for his daughter’s sake, but he’s a mess.
As this continues, Matt starts to believe some of these cases could be linked and something truly evil is going on.
Can Matt finally solve these crimes? Will he be able to recover?
This is a unique read. A story of the effects of seeing traumatic, violent events on those who deal with them day in and day out. It’s dark, brutal and haunting, one that is going to stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to Tracy and Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
November 30, 2019
There are a lot of very good New Zealand writers around, particularly in crime fiction, and Nathan Blackwell is one of the newest kids on the block. The Sound of her Voice, published in paperback by Orion this month, is a very good, albeit dark read. No surprises then that it was shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh best crime novel in 2018. Aah, Ngaio Marsh …
Blackwell’s protagonist Matt Buchanan is pretty jaded by life. As a detective working in the Orewa District of New Zealand, he’s seen the worst of the worst, including the rapes and murders of teenage girls. Matt’s a widower with a daughter of his own and these cases hit hard. The disappearance of 14-year-old Samantha Coates years before is among the crimes that haunt him. When a body of a woman is found, Matt sees links to Samantha’s disappearance. He’s determined to do right by the victims, no matter what the personal cost.
This is a gritty read, certainly not one for those faint of heart. Blackwell, the pseudonym of a New Zealand policeman, writes with a bleak authenticity that can only come from personal experience. The crimes he recounts are savage, the system within which he works flawed, yet the detail is extraordinary and the plot compelling enough to make us to read on, even when we don’t particularly want to. It’s not a comfortable read by any means, but my God, it’s good.
Intense, brutal, fast paced, The Sound of her Voice is highly recommended.
See: http://www.theliteraryshed.co.uk/read...
This review is published as part of the virtual book tour. Many thanks to the publisher for sending a review copy. All opinions are our own. All rights reserved.
Blackwell’s protagonist Matt Buchanan is pretty jaded by life. As a detective working in the Orewa District of New Zealand, he’s seen the worst of the worst, including the rapes and murders of teenage girls. Matt’s a widower with a daughter of his own and these cases hit hard. The disappearance of 14-year-old Samantha Coates years before is among the crimes that haunt him. When a body of a woman is found, Matt sees links to Samantha’s disappearance. He’s determined to do right by the victims, no matter what the personal cost.
This is a gritty read, certainly not one for those faint of heart. Blackwell, the pseudonym of a New Zealand policeman, writes with a bleak authenticity that can only come from personal experience. The crimes he recounts are savage, the system within which he works flawed, yet the detail is extraordinary and the plot compelling enough to make us to read on, even when we don’t particularly want to. It’s not a comfortable read by any means, but my God, it’s good.
Intense, brutal, fast paced, The Sound of her Voice is highly recommended.
See: http://www.theliteraryshed.co.uk/read...
This review is published as part of the virtual book tour. Many thanks to the publisher for sending a review copy. All opinions are our own. All rights reserved.
November 10, 2019
The Sound of Her Voice is the debut novel of New Zealand author Nathan Blackwell. I was lucky enough to listen to him talk about the book earlier this year at Newcastle Noir and knew that this was something I just had to read. And I wasn’t disappointed. The book was fast paced and kept me hooked right from the beginning.
It opens with Matt Buchanan witnessing the death of a colleague not long out of the police academy and this is one of the events that stay with him throughout his career, the other one being the unsolved case of the disappearance of teenager Samantha Coates. He has stayed in touch with her family over the years and constantly beats himself up over the fact he has never been able to give the family closure. When the decomposed body of another teenager is found without their head and hands, this sets off an investigation that sees Matt delve into the world of child pornography.
Matt is essentially a good police officer, but he feels that often the system fails the victims and he takes this to heart more than he should. His belief that he is not as good at his job as his colleagues has him doubting that he makes a difference, and this also makes him think that he is doing a lousy job bringing up his daughter since his wife died. As the story progresses you can see him drop deeper and deeper into a form of depression brought on by PTSD from all the traumatic cases, he has been involved in. He gets so disillusioned with the force that he quits not once but twice, only to be dragged back in by former colleagues as they get a hint that they may be able to solve the cases that he has been haunted by.
The Sound of Her Voice doesn’t shy away from what is always a very dark subject to write about and at times the level of detail may not be something that everyone will be comfortable with. I will admit that even I was not expecting some of the content of the book, but I didn’t feel that there was anything in there just for the sake of it or shock value. The characters were allowed to show their human side and that even the police are deeply affected by crimes and were often frustrated by procedure. The fact that the story is paced over a 20 year period adds to the authenticity as it shows the reality that cases can take years to crack or be brought to trial.
If you are looking for a cosy crime or a standard police procedural then The Sound of Her Voice may not be for you, but if you are looking for something that seems a little more gritty and true to life then you really should pick up this book. Nathan Blackwell has created a remarkable story and I really look forward to what he brings to his readers next.
It opens with Matt Buchanan witnessing the death of a colleague not long out of the police academy and this is one of the events that stay with him throughout his career, the other one being the unsolved case of the disappearance of teenager Samantha Coates. He has stayed in touch with her family over the years and constantly beats himself up over the fact he has never been able to give the family closure. When the decomposed body of another teenager is found without their head and hands, this sets off an investigation that sees Matt delve into the world of child pornography.
Matt is essentially a good police officer, but he feels that often the system fails the victims and he takes this to heart more than he should. His belief that he is not as good at his job as his colleagues has him doubting that he makes a difference, and this also makes him think that he is doing a lousy job bringing up his daughter since his wife died. As the story progresses you can see him drop deeper and deeper into a form of depression brought on by PTSD from all the traumatic cases, he has been involved in. He gets so disillusioned with the force that he quits not once but twice, only to be dragged back in by former colleagues as they get a hint that they may be able to solve the cases that he has been haunted by.
The Sound of Her Voice doesn’t shy away from what is always a very dark subject to write about and at times the level of detail may not be something that everyone will be comfortable with. I will admit that even I was not expecting some of the content of the book, but I didn’t feel that there was anything in there just for the sake of it or shock value. The characters were allowed to show their human side and that even the police are deeply affected by crimes and were often frustrated by procedure. The fact that the story is paced over a 20 year period adds to the authenticity as it shows the reality that cases can take years to crack or be brought to trial.
If you are looking for a cosy crime or a standard police procedural then The Sound of Her Voice may not be for you, but if you are looking for something that seems a little more gritty and true to life then you really should pick up this book. Nathan Blackwell has created a remarkable story and I really look forward to what he brings to his readers next.
October 1, 2018
This is one of the most astonishing books I've ever read, and that's saying something! I don't even normally enjoy this genre much, however I was glued to the book and read it in one sitting.
March 7, 2021
Wowsers. Mandie did warn me. Cosy crime this is most definitely not. Brutal, honest and at times so raw it is difficult to read, The Sound of Her Voice follows Detective Matt Buchanan, a man who is haunted by cases of his past, and who goes to extraordinary lengths to catch his elusive big fish and solve the one case that got away. If you are easily offended, or triggered by books about child abuse or sexual assault then do not read this book as it spares no blushes. You have been warned.
The book is told in the voice of the main protagonist Matt, a guy whose entire career with the police is marked with darkness from the start, being a first responder to the shooting of a colleague. As if that is not dark and tense enough, from here on in the story takes a darker turn with a succession of increasingly disturbing cases crossing Matt's desk, all of it drawing him back to the man he feels was really responsible for his colleague's death. From sexual assaults to disturbing stories of child abuse, he is faced with it all and whilst some of his job is fairly pedestrian, routing questioning, searching through endless numbers of files and reports, there is nothing pedestrian about the journey we are taken on. We bear witness to some of the darkest and most heinous crimes you can imagine and whilst we are spared the graphic detail on pretty well all but one of the crimes, there is no mistaking what has happened, not the implications of the investigation and what Matt and his colleagues uncover.
Matt is an interesting character. Father, widower and jaded cop, it is hard to know which part of his life defines him more. He is certainly a man who is unable to fully separate himself from his emotions and whilst he maintains, mostly, a professional demeanour at work, it is clear the impact it is all having on him psychologically. From dark dreams to extreme behaviour, we watch the slow devolution of his character as case after case, and more than the odd highly volatile and deadly situation pushes him to the end of his tether. I really liked the way in which Nathan Blackwell portrays his character, the tone and attitude pitched perfectly for the kind of crimes he is witness too. Speaking from a position of experience, although I trust that he has never quite been as maverick as Matt in execution of his own duties, the author brings a real sense of authenticity to both the more mundane and also the high tension elements of the story.
You get a real sense of place from the writing too. Whether in the suburbs or the more remote parts of the island, even to the scenes in which Matt, a qualified pilot, takes to the air, you can feel and sense every aspect of the locations the author takes us to. It adds another layer of reality to the stories and puts readers in the heart of the action. There are many moments of tension, hold your breath moments in which everything is on the line. There are also moment of poignancy, and ones that will test your emotions. It is a hard heart that will not be moved or angered by what comes to pass, but the author steers clear of the senational, enveloping readers in the truth of the justice system and how, sometimes, the bad guys do not always get their just desserts.
This is not an overly long book, less than three hundred pages, but I felt every page. There is no wasted language, no overly complicated back story to follow, just a series of increasingly harrowing events that, whilst difficult to read, compelled me onward. The pacing, the speed at which the author moves readers forward, never allows us to wallow too much which is likely just as well. As much as I felt at times like I needed to step away, I needed to know what happened next more. I needed to see retribution achieved, every bit as much as Matt. Whether or not I left satisfied ... well you'll need to read yourselves to find out.
The book is told in the voice of the main protagonist Matt, a guy whose entire career with the police is marked with darkness from the start, being a first responder to the shooting of a colleague. As if that is not dark and tense enough, from here on in the story takes a darker turn with a succession of increasingly disturbing cases crossing Matt's desk, all of it drawing him back to the man he feels was really responsible for his colleague's death. From sexual assaults to disturbing stories of child abuse, he is faced with it all and whilst some of his job is fairly pedestrian, routing questioning, searching through endless numbers of files and reports, there is nothing pedestrian about the journey we are taken on. We bear witness to some of the darkest and most heinous crimes you can imagine and whilst we are spared the graphic detail on pretty well all but one of the crimes, there is no mistaking what has happened, not the implications of the investigation and what Matt and his colleagues uncover.
Matt is an interesting character. Father, widower and jaded cop, it is hard to know which part of his life defines him more. He is certainly a man who is unable to fully separate himself from his emotions and whilst he maintains, mostly, a professional demeanour at work, it is clear the impact it is all having on him psychologically. From dark dreams to extreme behaviour, we watch the slow devolution of his character as case after case, and more than the odd highly volatile and deadly situation pushes him to the end of his tether. I really liked the way in which Nathan Blackwell portrays his character, the tone and attitude pitched perfectly for the kind of crimes he is witness too. Speaking from a position of experience, although I trust that he has never quite been as maverick as Matt in execution of his own duties, the author brings a real sense of authenticity to both the more mundane and also the high tension elements of the story.
You get a real sense of place from the writing too. Whether in the suburbs or the more remote parts of the island, even to the scenes in which Matt, a qualified pilot, takes to the air, you can feel and sense every aspect of the locations the author takes us to. It adds another layer of reality to the stories and puts readers in the heart of the action. There are many moments of tension, hold your breath moments in which everything is on the line. There are also moment of poignancy, and ones that will test your emotions. It is a hard heart that will not be moved or angered by what comes to pass, but the author steers clear of the senational, enveloping readers in the truth of the justice system and how, sometimes, the bad guys do not always get their just desserts.
This is not an overly long book, less than three hundred pages, but I felt every page. There is no wasted language, no overly complicated back story to follow, just a series of increasingly harrowing events that, whilst difficult to read, compelled me onward. The pacing, the speed at which the author moves readers forward, never allows us to wallow too much which is likely just as well. As much as I felt at times like I needed to step away, I needed to know what happened next more. I needed to see retribution achieved, every bit as much as Matt. Whether or not I left satisfied ... well you'll need to read yourselves to find out.
September 8, 2022
All of my reviews can be found at https://damppebbles.com/
The Sound of Her Voice follows Detective Matt Buchanan over the course of his twenty year (or thereabouts) police career. From his days as a rookie cop being called to a shooting, only to discover the victim is his best friend from police training, bleeding out on the asphalt, to the case which still haunts him to this day – the disappearance of a teenage girl twelve years earlier. Buchanan torments himself with his failure to solve Samantha’s disappearance and reunite her, one way or another, with her grieving family. He remembers every case he’s been involved in, but Samantha’s case is the one that hits the hardest. So when Buchanan spots similarities between a new case and Samantha’s disappearance, it leads him on a path he never expected and fuels an obsession which will consume him…
The Sound of Her Voice is a dark, gritty slice of New Zealand noir which I found both gripping and very unsettling. The book is set out quite differently to other detective novels with the story starting fairly early on in Buchanan’s career. The disappearance of Samantha doesn’t feature strongly until much later in the novel, which made me feel as though I was reading a collection of interconnected short stories featuring the same cast. Matt is assigned a case, he does the leg work and brings the investigation to a close. Then the process starts again. Matt Buchanan is a complex character and the reader gets to see the different facets of his personality throughout the novel. He’s clearly a troubled man with the weight of the world on his shoulders but I loved how edgy, how driven and how reckless he could be at times.
The different format of the book means the pace of the novel doesn’t really let up at any point, keeping the reader fully immersed in Buchanan’s dangerous world. I very much enjoyed the setting, being a fan of Aussie crime fiction (yes, I’m aware they’re quite different countries but they’re neighbours and that counts for something 😂). I’ve read crime novels set in New Zealand before but this felt quite different, in a good way.
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Sound of Her Voice is a dark and gritty read which I enjoyed. It felt incredibly authentic and true to life, nothing was sugar coated and I loved the honesty of the author, an ex-detective himself. The themes within the book are dark and won’t be for everyone. There were moments I had to put the book down and take a breather because it was tough going but I did enjoy the book and would read more by this author. Recommended.
The Sound of Her Voice follows Detective Matt Buchanan over the course of his twenty year (or thereabouts) police career. From his days as a rookie cop being called to a shooting, only to discover the victim is his best friend from police training, bleeding out on the asphalt, to the case which still haunts him to this day – the disappearance of a teenage girl twelve years earlier. Buchanan torments himself with his failure to solve Samantha’s disappearance and reunite her, one way or another, with her grieving family. He remembers every case he’s been involved in, but Samantha’s case is the one that hits the hardest. So when Buchanan spots similarities between a new case and Samantha’s disappearance, it leads him on a path he never expected and fuels an obsession which will consume him…
The Sound of Her Voice is a dark, gritty slice of New Zealand noir which I found both gripping and very unsettling. The book is set out quite differently to other detective novels with the story starting fairly early on in Buchanan’s career. The disappearance of Samantha doesn’t feature strongly until much later in the novel, which made me feel as though I was reading a collection of interconnected short stories featuring the same cast. Matt is assigned a case, he does the leg work and brings the investigation to a close. Then the process starts again. Matt Buchanan is a complex character and the reader gets to see the different facets of his personality throughout the novel. He’s clearly a troubled man with the weight of the world on his shoulders but I loved how edgy, how driven and how reckless he could be at times.
The different format of the book means the pace of the novel doesn’t really let up at any point, keeping the reader fully immersed in Buchanan’s dangerous world. I very much enjoyed the setting, being a fan of Aussie crime fiction (yes, I’m aware they’re quite different countries but they’re neighbours and that counts for something 😂). I’ve read crime novels set in New Zealand before but this felt quite different, in a good way.
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Sound of Her Voice is a dark and gritty read which I enjoyed. It felt incredibly authentic and true to life, nothing was sugar coated and I loved the honesty of the author, an ex-detective himself. The themes within the book are dark and won’t be for everyone. There were moments I had to put the book down and take a breather because it was tough going but I did enjoy the book and would read more by this author. Recommended.
September 14, 2020
What's different about this story in comparison to other police procedural crime reads written by authors with real life experience in policing is not only the authenticity, it's also the intent. Blackwell really wants readers to comprehend the reality of working in law enforcement, especially when it comes to officers involved in violent, sexual crimes, perhaps more so when they are crimes against young women and children.
The emotional impact it leaves on their psyche, their lives and their relationships. Eventually it grounds down even the best and the strongest, and by strongest I mean the ability to disassociate and leave work at work. If you watch ex-police talk about especially vile crimes and/or cold cases that they have found hard to leave behind, you realise just how much damage crime does to everyone who comes in touch with it.
I especially enjoyed the frank discourse on the sexual assault. It highlights how the system lets victims fall through the cracks. Instead of protecting them and bringing their predators to justice the system helps to degrade the victims and let the guilty walk free. Free to commit more crimes.
The darkness has to be dealt with somehow, not taking it home and not letting it completely consume your soul is part and parcel of this story. There is a simple quick scene where Buchanan steps in for a more inexperienced police officer so the man will get a short reprieve from a brutal murder. Those moments speak to the ingrained brotherhood that exists within law enforcement agencies.
The narrator, David Thorpe, does an excellent job of giving listeners the atmosphere of the country and the New Zealanders. He absolutely does Blackwell's story justice. I have to say I was particularly amused by the passionate swearing.
Blackwell creates this symbiotic relationship between the fictional narrative, and the reality of horrendous and traumatic crimes, which Thorpe brings to life in this audio version.
The emotional impact it leaves on their psyche, their lives and their relationships. Eventually it grounds down even the best and the strongest, and by strongest I mean the ability to disassociate and leave work at work. If you watch ex-police talk about especially vile crimes and/or cold cases that they have found hard to leave behind, you realise just how much damage crime does to everyone who comes in touch with it.
I especially enjoyed the frank discourse on the sexual assault. It highlights how the system lets victims fall through the cracks. Instead of protecting them and bringing their predators to justice the system helps to degrade the victims and let the guilty walk free. Free to commit more crimes.
The darkness has to be dealt with somehow, not taking it home and not letting it completely consume your soul is part and parcel of this story. There is a simple quick scene where Buchanan steps in for a more inexperienced police officer so the man will get a short reprieve from a brutal murder. Those moments speak to the ingrained brotherhood that exists within law enforcement agencies.
The narrator, David Thorpe, does an excellent job of giving listeners the atmosphere of the country and the New Zealanders. He absolutely does Blackwell's story justice. I have to say I was particularly amused by the passionate swearing.
Blackwell creates this symbiotic relationship between the fictional narrative, and the reality of horrendous and traumatic crimes, which Thorpe brings to life in this audio version.
September 27, 2024
Auckland, New Zealand 1995, and the protagonist, Matt Buchanan, then a rookie cop, introduces his story with the shooting dead of his friend and colleague and the wounding of her partner.
Sixteen years later, now a seasoned detective, Matt’s seen it all but retains his humanity, dealing kindly with a rape victim and her bewildered parents. And he’s deeply affected when the disintegrating body of another girl is found in a sack in a mangrove swamp, a horrifying reminder of one who went missing on her way to school twelve years ago - one of Matt’s unsolved cases. A child killer is walking free.
This book presents as a police procedural with varied cases running concurrently -( *rape, homicide, trafficking, paedophilia*), but shortly it resolves itself into one case, one plot comprising a number of crimes involving missing girls. Running parallel is the wholesale manufacture of drugs where, curiously, there is no evidence of wealth. It would seem that profits are ploughed back into the business or used merely as the means for concerned individuals to indulge their own crazy forms of depravity.
There is a naïveté about the novel. Written by a retired cop in gutter speak, technically the detail is good, and there’s a nice turn to the plot where, after a particularly bloody shoot-out, Matt leaves the police and, counselled only by a good priest, takes a job as a flying instructor.
Then, after the discovery of another girl’s body and the belated suspicion that a serial killer has been at large since his unsolved case of years ago, Matt’s lured back to a force in dire need of a steady hand with vast experience. But events and human nature conspire, Matt is now answerable to no one other than his demons, he follows his own course and all hell breaks loose, leading to an extraordinary climax. Dark, gritty and definitely not for the squeamish, this is nevertheless a great read for crime connoisseurs.
*TW* rape, homicide, trafficking, paedophilia*
Sixteen years later, now a seasoned detective, Matt’s seen it all but retains his humanity, dealing kindly with a rape victim and her bewildered parents. And he’s deeply affected when the disintegrating body of another girl is found in a sack in a mangrove swamp, a horrifying reminder of one who went missing on her way to school twelve years ago - one of Matt’s unsolved cases. A child killer is walking free.
This book presents as a police procedural with varied cases running concurrently -( *rape, homicide, trafficking, paedophilia*), but shortly it resolves itself into one case, one plot comprising a number of crimes involving missing girls. Running parallel is the wholesale manufacture of drugs where, curiously, there is no evidence of wealth. It would seem that profits are ploughed back into the business or used merely as the means for concerned individuals to indulge their own crazy forms of depravity.
There is a naïveté about the novel. Written by a retired cop in gutter speak, technically the detail is good, and there’s a nice turn to the plot where, after a particularly bloody shoot-out, Matt leaves the police and, counselled only by a good priest, takes a job as a flying instructor.
Then, after the discovery of another girl’s body and the belated suspicion that a serial killer has been at large since his unsolved case of years ago, Matt’s lured back to a force in dire need of a steady hand with vast experience. But events and human nature conspire, Matt is now answerable to no one other than his demons, he follows his own course and all hell breaks loose, leading to an extraordinary climax. Dark, gritty and definitely not for the squeamish, this is nevertheless a great read for crime connoisseurs.
*TW* rape, homicide, trafficking, paedophilia*
March 26, 2021
I would probably give this 2.5 if I could. I did finish the book, and it didn't take me long to read it, and I only skip-read tiny bits of it, so there's that as a positive!
A lot of people have given this good reviews and I am the odd one out. I found it very disjointed - it jumps in time spanning over 20 years. The main reason it does so is because the police seem to be very inept - not picking up on clues verbal, behavioural or actual. This was quite annoying. Why start thinking about something a victim said 5 years later?
The main protagonist seems to be able to dip back into the police force after he has retired whenever it suits him - I can just about believe he would be reinstated once, but the second time? When he had had a breakdown and been gone for years? Obviously his mates still in the force might keep him up to speed on investigations he would be interested in, but to be included in the actual investigation - that took it too far for me.
The actual plot was interesting in a way, but because of the length of the timeline I struggled to remember who everyone was, and actually have no idea who the killer was - I assume he was mentioned earlier in the book (it was a "big reveal"), but I really didn't care enough to troll back through the book to find out.
And there was the main problem for me - I just didn't care about the characters even the poor victims.
The violence and swearing are negative comments people have made. I agree the violence is graphic - think Val MacDermid - the swearing was over the top - lots of the c - word, which you don't get in books very often (but to be fair, probably do in real life!). It just felt a bit unnecessary and didn't add to the atmosphere of the book.
Unfortunately it wasn't for me and I wouldn't recommend nor read another of his.
A lot of people have given this good reviews and I am the odd one out. I found it very disjointed - it jumps in time spanning over 20 years. The main reason it does so is because the police seem to be very inept - not picking up on clues verbal, behavioural or actual. This was quite annoying. Why start thinking about something a victim said 5 years later?
The main protagonist seems to be able to dip back into the police force after he has retired whenever it suits him - I can just about believe he would be reinstated once, but the second time? When he had had a breakdown and been gone for years? Obviously his mates still in the force might keep him up to speed on investigations he would be interested in, but to be included in the actual investigation - that took it too far for me.
The actual plot was interesting in a way, but because of the length of the timeline I struggled to remember who everyone was, and actually have no idea who the killer was - I assume he was mentioned earlier in the book (it was a "big reveal"), but I really didn't care enough to troll back through the book to find out.
And there was the main problem for me - I just didn't care about the characters even the poor victims.
The violence and swearing are negative comments people have made. I agree the violence is graphic - think Val MacDermid - the swearing was over the top - lots of the c - word, which you don't get in books very often (but to be fair, probably do in real life!). It just felt a bit unnecessary and didn't add to the atmosphere of the book.
Unfortunately it wasn't for me and I wouldn't recommend nor read another of his.
December 12, 2019
Some murder cases you can't forget.
No matter how hard you try.
The body of a woman has been found on a pristine New Zealand beach – over a decade after she was murdered.
Detective Matt Buchanan of the Auckland Police is certain it carries all the hallmarks of an unsolved crime he investigated 12 years ago: when Samantha Coates walked out one day and never came home.
Re-opening the case, Buchanan begins to piece the terrible crimes together, setting into motion a chain of events that will force him to the darkest corners of society – and back into his deepest obsession…
Sound of her Voice is an authentic, gritty, character-led police procedural by an elite former detective - for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart Macbride, and Joseph Knox.
My thoughts of this brilliant excellent police thirller was mindblowing loved every bit of it from the opening scene were there's an attack of the police officers from the ending and to find out about the cases that Detective Matt Buchanan did all this year's ago was all linked was explosive bravo Nathan Blackwell for creating an amazing nail biting thriller 💥💥💥💥💥💪💪💪💪💪⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No matter how hard you try.
The body of a woman has been found on a pristine New Zealand beach – over a decade after she was murdered.
Detective Matt Buchanan of the Auckland Police is certain it carries all the hallmarks of an unsolved crime he investigated 12 years ago: when Samantha Coates walked out one day and never came home.
Re-opening the case, Buchanan begins to piece the terrible crimes together, setting into motion a chain of events that will force him to the darkest corners of society – and back into his deepest obsession…
Sound of her Voice is an authentic, gritty, character-led police procedural by an elite former detective - for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart Macbride, and Joseph Knox.
My thoughts of this brilliant excellent police thirller was mindblowing loved every bit of it from the opening scene were there's an attack of the police officers from the ending and to find out about the cases that Detective Matt Buchanan did all this year's ago was all linked was explosive bravo Nathan Blackwell for creating an amazing nail biting thriller 💥💥💥💥💥💪💪💪💪💪⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
January 12, 2026
It was good reading a book set in NZ; knowing the geography of the Auckland area and understanding the local humour. I struggled with writing of the story early on, particularly with what I’d call overuse of the f-word. I’m not a prude but TBH I don’t think seeing it on a huge percentage of the pages (particularly early on) actually added anything to it. And the same goes for a lot of the self-criticisms in italics, which just felt lame. In the end, thanks to having read a couple of good reviews I picked it up again and finished it. A gritty plot and a particularly nasty bunch of criminals were the subject matter and I’d have to say not always easy reading. I have huge respect for the NZ police and I’m sure a lot of the tragedy and abhorrent stuff lives with them forever, so from that perspective I found it very believable. The twist at the end was unexpected (for me anyway) which is always a bonus. On the waitlist for Softly Calls the Devil by Chris Blake (Nathan’s real name?) so it can’t have been too bad!!
July 6, 2023
This was a refreshing, albeit dark and at times quite heavy, detective story with a very genuine feel. Only after reading it did I find out, that the author is actually a retired detective. I think it really shows that he has some inside knowledge of how the NZ police are doing their work and it adds value to the plot.
Yes, it does contain quite coarse language at times, but I don't mind it at all since it actually adds authenticity (kiwi blokes love to swear and I'm sure that the police are no exception when the public is out of earshot lol).
I love the scene setting, the characters, the plot and it's steady and increasing escalation with a good twist. All in all a nice page turner.
Hopefully we will get to enjoy more books from Nathan.
Yes, it does contain quite coarse language at times, but I don't mind it at all since it actually adds authenticity (kiwi blokes love to swear and I'm sure that the police are no exception when the public is out of earshot lol).
I love the scene setting, the characters, the plot and it's steady and increasing escalation with a good twist. All in all a nice page turner.
Hopefully we will get to enjoy more books from Nathan.
November 24, 2025
I picked this up because I discovered this was the pen name for Chris Blake, whose new book Softly Calls the Devil I just purchased, and it has the main same character. I thought this was a good story, but the writing could use some work. It was a bit disjointed and it jumped around in time a lot. There was also lots of swearing which isn’t usually something I mind or even notice but it felt unnecessary in this. Matt wasn’t super likeable either IMO and I felt like telling him to grow some balls! This is a debut though, so I don’t want to be too harsh because god knows I could never write a book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2019
I liked the NZ aspect to this crime novel set in Auckland. Main character Matthew Buchanan is the voice telling the story. He’s a fairly burnt out detective working on various horribly violent crimes, past and present. Being written in the present tense adds to the fast paced feel of the action. I enjoyed the complexity of the plot, it’s twists and turns, matched by the potential for Buchanan to unravel as events push him hard. By the end there was too much really over the top violence.
February 7, 2023
2023 is the year I’m branching out and challenging myself to read different kinds of books. This was definitely one of those, a thriller about a police detective on a, frankly, horrific case. He’s gone rogue and the fact that this book touched on the abuse, rape and abduction of children made it even more intense. Personally, this was too much and too (realistically) violent for me.
I did enjoy the references to places in Auckland and its surroundings, made me feel like a local haha
I did enjoy the references to places in Auckland and its surroundings, made me feel like a local haha
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