Come to Grief

Sergeant Frank Hardy #5

by Wendy M. Wilson

HE SURVIVED THE WRECK. WILL HE SURVIVE WHAT COMES NEXT?

Frank and Mette Hardy travel to the southernmost point of New Zealand in pursuit of a man who is suspected of stealing gold bullion. But they have boarded an ill-fated ship. Twenty miles from Bluff, on the south coast of the South Island of New Zealand, the SS Tararua hits a reef and sinks with massive loss of life. When Frank saves a baby girl floating on a gate, he must take care of her while trying to discover what happened to the missing gold.

The sinking of the SS Tararua was the second worst maritime disaster in New Zealand's history, in a country heavily reliant on shipping at that time. But the couple have more than a shipwreck to deal with, including a kidnapping, a murder, two lively baby girls and several cases of mistaken identity.

208 pages, ebook

First published October 14, 2020

Reviews

[Jan Mc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite yet of this series. It was packed with action and emotion, and was based on a real tragedy in New Zealand. I really like Sergeant Hardy, and although Mette is a good person, she is still a bit annoying at times. Probably because she's a woman of her time (and not mine).

I think there's only one book left in the series, so I hope Ms. Wilson plans more!

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this suspenseful page-turner in a single day, ignoring all of the many, many tasks I should have been doing instead. First of all, you are warned! Secondly, there’s no greater recommendation than that!

The SS Tararua really did hit a reef off Waipapa Point, Southland, during a terrible storm in 1881. To this day, it remains New Zealand’s worst maritime disaster. All but 20 of the 151 passengers and crew died.

In Come to Grief, Frank Hardy, his wife Mette and their baby daughter Sarah Jane are aboard, headed to the South Island, each on a separate job. Frank is on the trail of three former shipmates suspected of stealing £5,000 in gold (£500,000 in today’s money) from the SS Tararua some months earlier. Mette gets involved in a second mystery. To say more would ruin this roller-coaster story by Wendy M. Wilson, the fifth in a powerhouse series set in colonial New Zealand.

[LISA · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice piece of historical fiction regarding one of the worst shipwrecks off of the coast of New Zealand. I was hoping for something similar to Victoria Thompson’s work, but it was definitely not that gripping. I listened to the audio version and had trouble staying awake, but overall, it was a solidly written novel with interesting characters.

[rachel dearagon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The historical grounding is very effective!!!

[Libbie Harr · Rating 5 out of 5]

The historical sinking of the SS Tararua is graphically described as Sgt. Frank Hardy tries to swim for help. He has been hired to chase and track down gold thieves. Metta, his wife with their baby daughter, has been hired to pick up a manuscript for a college professor. Metta gets accused of kidnapping her own child, no less, and is jailed in a prison wagon with Frank racing to free her. Lots of excitement along with the history of New Zealand.

[Jennifer Bangerter · Rating 4 out of 5]

exciting

My goodness, this book just kept throwing excitement at the reader! I kept having to slow myself down, to avoid skipping ahead to see how each disaster/adventure turned out. Large-scale disasters always make me sad, but there was enough going on in this book to take my mind off the very real shipwreck and deaths.

[Lucy F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

heart stopping action adventure with strong female hero

I’m on book #6 and have downloaded the rest. I’m gobbling them down one a day. My heart is racing and when I’m away from the story I think about it and the story line. Excellent read.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read several times, especially when equal quality writing, narration and historical facts were lacking in other books.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to audiobook. So-so.

[J.B. Siewers · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was somehow a page turner and set the ambiance of the age.

[Rubia La Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

More about history around a shipwreck than detectiving but the novels by mrs Wilson are always a nice read. Gives you a glimpse of the daily life a century ago.

[Wytzia Raspe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sound historical background. More about shipwrecking than detective story. But quite an ok book to read.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book and did not like it at all. It reads like a poorly written melodrama.

[Roger Lahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very exciting book with a lot of twists and turns. I especially liked the description of the characters and how what they were thinking as the story unfolds.