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Sergeant Frank Hardy #1
Not the Faintest Trace
A soldier who's seen more death than he cares to remember. A young Scandinavian woman who's seeking a different life. Two missing Scandinavian settlers. A killer hiding in the dense New Zealand bush. Not the Faintest Trace is the first book in an atmospheric and adventurous mystery series.
When ex-soldier Sergeant Frank Hardy is asked to find two missing settlers, he doesn't expect to recapture the excitement of battle. But when luck is all that comes between him and death by tomahawk, he begins to wonder if he's being targeted. Can he save himself and the young woman he's vowed to protect?
Live for a while in the wild New Zealand settlements of nineteenth-century New Zealand.
When ex-soldier Sergeant Frank Hardy is asked to find two missing settlers, he doesn't expect to recapture the excitement of battle. But when luck is all that comes between him and death by tomahawk, he begins to wonder if he's being targeted. Can he save himself and the young woman he's vowed to protect?
Live for a while in the wild New Zealand settlements of nineteenth-century New Zealand.
286 pages, ebook
First published January 4, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
March 3, 2020
3.5🌟s
Wendy M Wilson has hit, I believe, on an interesting detective series with Sergeant Frank Hardy solving mysteries of New Zealand in the late 19th century.
The story of colonial New Zealand is not so different from that of the birthing of America—the indigenous peoples are both displaced and discarded by those thinking it is their “right”, as settlers in the new countries, to take control of the new land and establish homesteads.
Disillusioned by his time in the colonial military and the Armed Constabulary, well-respected Sergeant Hardy tries to make his own way with a new life outside of the military. Colonists look to Hardy as a problem solver; and, when one is troubled with a problem, Hardy is sought to find a solution.
I enjoyed this first book of three in the series. It would have been helpful if pronunciations of the Maori words in the glossary had been included. It would have made for a bit smoother read for this non-Kiwi reader. 😉. But, I will not let that deter me from enjoying the next book in the series!
Wendy M Wilson has hit, I believe, on an interesting detective series with Sergeant Frank Hardy solving mysteries of New Zealand in the late 19th century.
The story of colonial New Zealand is not so different from that of the birthing of America—the indigenous peoples are both displaced and discarded by those thinking it is their “right”, as settlers in the new countries, to take control of the new land and establish homesteads.
Disillusioned by his time in the colonial military and the Armed Constabulary, well-respected Sergeant Hardy tries to make his own way with a new life outside of the military. Colonists look to Hardy as a problem solver; and, when one is troubled with a problem, Hardy is sought to find a solution.
I enjoyed this first book of three in the series. It would have been helpful if pronunciations of the Maori words in the glossary had been included. It would have made for a bit smoother read for this non-Kiwi reader. 😉. But, I will not let that deter me from enjoying the next book in the series!
April 27, 2020
This is no literary masterpiece, you could perhaps even call it naive in its writing style, but this tale is set in a well researched time in New Zealand's early settler days. As a long time resident of New Plymouth and Taranaki and married into a family with roots right back to those early days, I really enjoyed this story about places I knew and people I had heard about. In fact I also learned a bit more of Maori culture and language.
An enjoyable tale and would recommend to anyone with an interest in the life of the settlers of NZ
An enjoyable tale and would recommend to anyone with an interest in the life of the settlers of NZ
May 20, 2020
Exciting
I could hardly put this book down. I was learning about a bit of New Zealand history as well as the exciting storyline. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a little history with the plot.
I could hardly put this book down. I was learning about a bit of New Zealand history as well as the exciting storyline. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a little history with the plot.
January 2, 2022
I don’t know how author Wendy M. Wilson does it. She’s writing this fabulous series set in late-19th century colonial New Zealand, and she gets the voice and plot just perfectly. You’d never know Not the Faintest Trace was written 140 years after its setting.
In this debut, we meet Sergeant Frank Hardy. Despite his title, Hardy has left the Imperial Army and now drives a coach for the Royal Mail. Hardy agrees to help search for two Scandinavian-born boys who are presumed drowned, although no one’s found the bodies. That brings Hardy in close contact with the clever Mette Jensen, a relative of the two teens. Here’s hoping that the two get even better acquainted in the next book! We also get to meet New Zealand’s Māori and learn about the many iniquities foisted upon them by the invading British.
Cozy lovers will truly enjoy the start to an adventurous mystery series.
In this debut, we meet Sergeant Frank Hardy. Despite his title, Hardy has left the Imperial Army and now drives a coach for the Royal Mail. Hardy agrees to help search for two Scandinavian-born boys who are presumed drowned, although no one’s found the bodies. That brings Hardy in close contact with the clever Mette Jensen, a relative of the two teens. Here’s hoping that the two get even better acquainted in the next book! We also get to meet New Zealand’s Māori and learn about the many iniquities foisted upon them by the invading British.
Cozy lovers will truly enjoy the start to an adventurous mystery series.
July 27, 2022
First, it's time for a short digression. I love Roger Zelazny's "Amber" - the first five books ("Corwin's Cycle") more than the second five ("Merlin's Cycle"), but I love them both. In Merlin's Cycle there is this bad guy, Jurt, who keeps ambushing the protagonist, getting his ass kicked, and escaping after losing a body part: ear, eye, finger. He's a joke. Everyone mocks him and the moment he suddenly becomes competent is a big wake-up call.
Why am I writing this? Because in this book we have an uber-warrior, a true avenging angel of the Maori (of the "Hauhau people", which sounds funny in Polish), who ambushes the protagonist, throwing at him his spear and running away. Then he throws his axe and runs away. Then we have: stone, wooden log and finally he attacks with his fists. Each time he is driven away. He quickly stops being a scary threat. In fact the only reason he is dangerous at all is that the protagonist KEEPS LEAVING HIS GUN. Even he thinks it's stupid, but he keeps doing it.
Ok, that was the most annoying part of the book. It has its good parts - I've learn a lot about the history of New Zealand from it and the description of how life looked back then is really interesting. Unfortunately apart from that, there is not much here for me to like. Even putting the incompetent bad guy aside, the story just failed to grip me, the mystery was barely a mystery and the whole plot just didn't flow. The romance, which still wasn't that great, was one of the better parts of it as it provided some character development for the two main characters.
Never say never but I don't think I'll be picking up another book, unless I happen to get it for free and read some opinions that it is substantially better than book 1.
Why am I writing this? Because in this book we have an uber-warrior, a true avenging angel of the Maori (of the "Hauhau people", which sounds funny in Polish), who ambushes the protagonist, throwing at him his spear and running away. Then he throws his axe and runs away. Then we have: stone, wooden log and finally he attacks with his fists. Each time he is driven away. He quickly stops being a scary threat. In fact the only reason he is dangerous at all is that the protagonist KEEPS LEAVING HIS GUN. Even he thinks it's stupid, but he keeps doing it.
Ok, that was the most annoying part of the book. It has its good parts - I've learn a lot about the history of New Zealand from it and the description of how life looked back then is really interesting. Unfortunately apart from that, there is not much here for me to like. Even putting the incompetent bad guy aside, the story just failed to grip me, the mystery was barely a mystery and the whole plot just didn't flow. The romance, which still wasn't that great, was one of the better parts of it as it provided some character development for the two main characters.
Never say never but I don't think I'll be picking up another book, unless I happen to get it for free and read some opinions that it is substantially better than book 1.
August 1, 2020
This is the first novel I've read from Wendy M. Wilson. I've read the ebook version. First time, I read a book set in New Zealand, which I never visited.
The story is set in the second half of the 19th century in New Zealand. The book falls in the category of crime novel or western novel. There are many similarities between New Zealand's history with Australia and USA's history with respect to British colonialism, Scandinavian settlers, Natives and land conflicts/wars.
The author mixed real events of the Brutal Land wars and the drowning of 2 Scandinavians with a fiction story and characters. The story of the drowning is only a sub-story used as an excuse for the 2 leading characters to meet continuously as they're not supposed to meet because from 2 different origins. The real story is about a series of crimes committed and the leading character, Sergeant Hardy is both an investigator and a target.
Some of the behaviors, languages and expressions mentioned throughout the story were common and considered normal at the time of the late 19th century, but they're deemed racist if said today. Thankfully, the two leading characters are different from all the others. Sergeant Hardy is regretful about his past and the past and changed with time while Mette, the second leading character, is different being an educated woman. While being from different origin and different, they're quite similar in their desire to change and live as a modern citizen of New Zealand living in the city.
It is a good book interesting to read to learn about New Zealand's history through fiction stories and in a new light to emphasize negative consequences of various real conflicts.
The story is set in the second half of the 19th century in New Zealand. The book falls in the category of crime novel or western novel. There are many similarities between New Zealand's history with Australia and USA's history with respect to British colonialism, Scandinavian settlers, Natives and land conflicts/wars.
The author mixed real events of the Brutal Land wars and the drowning of 2 Scandinavians with a fiction story and characters. The story of the drowning is only a sub-story used as an excuse for the 2 leading characters to meet continuously as they're not supposed to meet because from 2 different origins. The real story is about a series of crimes committed and the leading character, Sergeant Hardy is both an investigator and a target.
Some of the behaviors, languages and expressions mentioned throughout the story were common and considered normal at the time of the late 19th century, but they're deemed racist if said today. Thankfully, the two leading characters are different from all the others. Sergeant Hardy is regretful about his past and the past and changed with time while Mette, the second leading character, is different being an educated woman. While being from different origin and different, they're quite similar in their desire to change and live as a modern citizen of New Zealand living in the city.
It is a good book interesting to read to learn about New Zealand's history through fiction stories and in a new light to emphasize negative consequences of various real conflicts.
May 20, 2020
An excellent first novel by a gal who really knows how to tell a story. This one is about mid- to late-1800s New Zealand, a time of "pacification" of Maori natives by British Army and settlers. However, many of the main characters are "Scandis", mostly Danish immigrants who came to find opportunities in settling and owning land, but are often desperately poor themselves. The protagonist is a British ex-Army sergeant with a guilt complex about how poorly he treated Maoris during his Army tenure, despite the decapitation murder of his own brother by a Maori. He's a decent man, and volunteers to help find two young Scandi men who have disappeared. He meets a young Danish woman, a relative of the missing men, and their complicated relationship is the most interesting part of the book. There are some stereotypes here, and the author calls out the bigotry for what it is. But mostly, this is a cracking good story.
February 18, 2020
The first book in the Sergeant Frank Hardy series, NOT THE FAINTEST TRACE is an historical crime fiction novel, set in New Zealand in around 1869-1877. Based around the Taranaki Wars, a land war from New Zealand's past that I will confess to having known absolutely nothing about, the novel uses events with the War as impetus for Frank Hardy leaving the military, becoming instead a mail coach driver and part-time private investigator. In a small Scandinavian settlement, two men go missing, and Hardy has to confront the past, the present, and his possible future.
There's a lot going on in the setup in this novel, and the history lesson here is interesting, albeit delivered in a lot of large info dumps and long and involved descriptive passages which does mean that plot advancements suffers as a result.
There are two more books available in this series as of reading this one, and it feels very much like a group of novels that's heading into territory that would appeal to romance / history lovers who prefer the crime elements more muted.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
There's a lot going on in the setup in this novel, and the history lesson here is interesting, albeit delivered in a lot of large info dumps and long and involved descriptive passages which does mean that plot advancements suffers as a result.
There are two more books available in this series as of reading this one, and it feels very much like a group of novels that's heading into territory that would appeal to romance / history lovers who prefer the crime elements more muted.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
March 8, 2020
It took a bit to get into this one but it definitely grew on me. By the end I was rooting for Sargent Frank ...
April 3, 2022
Just not for me. 2 ⭐
April 23, 2021
I was fortunate enough to live in New Zealand for a year back in the 1970s so I am always interested in books set there. I do not know a lot about NZ history but I did know that the European settlers did much the same there as in North America where indigenous people were deprived of their ancestral lands and often killed. This novel is set in and around Palmerston in the North Island and focuses on a settlement of "Scandies", immigrants of Danish descent. Frank Hardy is a part time coach driver and part time armed policeman who becomes involved with a woman from the Danish community. Life is still hard for the immigrants and she faces criticism from her family when her relationship with Sergeant Frank Hardy becomes known. Life is hardly peaceful for any of the characters in this novel. Homes are often very primitive and it is hard work to maintain a living. I listened to the audio version of this novel and liked it because it was helpful to hear the pronunciations of the Maori words.
July 17, 2022
A detective novel (and the start of a series) set 150 years ago in New Zealand. I liked the history and the characters.
The plot touches on misogyny and racism, and it's good to see the main characters free of these prejudices. I read this as an audiobook, and the reader did a good job with the accents. The characters I liked most were the two sidekicks.
The ending, a setup for the return of the villain, felt pretty forced. The story is a little slow to start, and the characters don't have a lot of growth in this book. Perhaps the series will be better.
The author spent a lot of time in New Zealand; the place and history are well represented here. Clearly she had a plan for the characters, because the first three books of the series were all released in 2018, with a fourth book following in 2020. I plan to read another in the near future.
The plot touches on misogyny and racism, and it's good to see the main characters free of these prejudices. I read this as an audiobook, and the reader did a good job with the accents. The characters I liked most were the two sidekicks.
The ending, a setup for the return of the villain, felt pretty forced. The story is a little slow to start, and the characters don't have a lot of growth in this book. Perhaps the series will be better.
The author spent a lot of time in New Zealand; the place and history are well represented here. Clearly she had a plan for the characters, because the first three books of the series were all released in 2018, with a fourth book following in 2020. I plan to read another in the near future.
January 18, 2022
At the recommendation of a friend, my husband and I began listening to this on Audible. The first scenes had us wondering what sort of book we were listening to, but we kept going in case our first impression was wrong. It was. Although those first scenes were more information and description than we care to read/hear, it set the stage for the mystery to be unraveled as the novel progressed. We enjoyed it enough that we both agreed that we look forward to listening to more in the series.
June 7, 2020
Interesting to hear some history of New Zealand with this historical fiction novel. I quite enjoyed it.
January 2, 2022
Great story . . . gruesome in places. The main character and setting were intriguing as was the historical content. I find myself wanting to read more in this series.
April 3, 2022
This was not the most well-written book I've ever read, but I can forgive grammatical and punctuation errors, given that this is a mystery (!!!) set in the 1870s (!!!) in MY HOMETOWN (!!!). My suburb got a mention! Events of the book took place in locations I know and go to regularly.
People living in well-known places will never understand the overwhelming joy of your home finally getting a mention in books.
And I loved the history of this. So fascinating reading about what Palmy was like 150 years ago.
People living in well-known places will never understand the overwhelming joy of your home finally getting a mention in books.
And I loved the history of this. So fascinating reading about what Palmy was like 150 years ago.
August 3, 2021
Listen it is hard to get me to rate much below a 5, but I was so disappointed in this book from the beginning. I am not going to dive into a ton of detail, but below are my bullet points.
I loved the setting, but I felt tge author could have utilized the incredible landscape of New Zealand in a time where not kuch of it was yet colonized to become what we know of today
The characters were not particularly well written.there was little to no growth. They all behaved in extremely rigid ways. I could relate to some aspects, but not many.
I don't feel like the author took enough time really painting the hard picture of what life would be like in this Era. They hinted at some things like how they treated the Maori like savages and showed general disdain for the "Chinaman", but I feel that was a missed opportunity to immerse the reader.
The language and dialogue. I fully recognize the difference in language from our current English, but the writing style was so robotic and systematic that it was disappointing to read.
The story lacked...well story. It was an passive storyline. It's like the smudge on your glasses that is only noticeable when you focus on it. When it's time to address something and progress the story, a new chapter begins to focus on it and then goes back to the mundane very quickly. Then after several chapters it is time to do it again. And I think there were too many storyline the writer wanted to include so they start a new one and it either falters or becomes yet another passive arc in the progress of the tale.
Overall, I feel like the setting and premise had a rugged promise to transport us to an uncharted land full of mystery and intrigue, but the story painted it as just another run-of-the-mill place not much different than one set in industrialized Europe.
I loved the setting, but I felt tge author could have utilized the incredible landscape of New Zealand in a time where not kuch of it was yet colonized to become what we know of today
The characters were not particularly well written.there was little to no growth. They all behaved in extremely rigid ways. I could relate to some aspects, but not many.
I don't feel like the author took enough time really painting the hard picture of what life would be like in this Era. They hinted at some things like how they treated the Maori like savages and showed general disdain for the "Chinaman", but I feel that was a missed opportunity to immerse the reader.
The language and dialogue. I fully recognize the difference in language from our current English, but the writing style was so robotic and systematic that it was disappointing to read.
The story lacked...well story. It was an passive storyline. It's like the smudge on your glasses that is only noticeable when you focus on it. When it's time to address something and progress the story, a new chapter begins to focus on it and then goes back to the mundane very quickly. Then after several chapters it is time to do it again. And I think there were too many storyline the writer wanted to include so they start a new one and it either falters or becomes yet another passive arc in the progress of the tale.
Overall, I feel like the setting and premise had a rugged promise to transport us to an uncharted land full of mystery and intrigue, but the story painted it as just another run-of-the-mill place not much different than one set in industrialized Europe.
August 25, 2020
A good book to read which would be particularly appealing to New Zealanders who know about their history.
I am not from NZ but still enjoyed the book. The story is set in 1th late 1800’s in New Zealand, 1877 when wo young men disappear from a settlement. Sergeant Frank Hardy sets out to find them. It is the start of a series presumably when Frank becomes a private investigator.
The only minor complaint I found was that I kept on searching on the internet for the various Maori terms only to find there was a full glossary of terms at the back of the book. It would have been preferable to have that at the front as is commonly the case. It would have cut a couple of hours off my reading time.
The book was very easy to read and I could almost picture the characters in my mind which is always a good indicator as to the ability of the writer.
I will certainly be reading more in the series.
I am not from NZ but still enjoyed the book. The story is set in 1th late 1800’s in New Zealand, 1877 when wo young men disappear from a settlement. Sergeant Frank Hardy sets out to find them. It is the start of a series presumably when Frank becomes a private investigator.
The only minor complaint I found was that I kept on searching on the internet for the various Maori terms only to find there was a full glossary of terms at the back of the book. It would have been preferable to have that at the front as is commonly the case. It would have cut a couple of hours off my reading time.
The book was very easy to read and I could almost picture the characters in my mind which is always a good indicator as to the ability of the writer.
I will certainly be reading more in the series.
October 10, 2020
The story takes place in New Zealand in 1877 eight years after the end of the Land Wars. Former Sergeant Frank Hardy of the old Die Hards platoon is now the Mail Coach driver from Palmerston to Woodville, but contemplating becoming a private investigator. In the local Danish community a couple of teenagers, Paul and Jens, have gone missing and are thought to have drowned in the nearby river. Paul's brother Hans comes to Frank to find the boys so they can be sure. He promises to look in his spare time. He can see if this is what he is meant to do and explore his attraction to Mette, one of the Danish women. Meanwhile there is an escaped Maori prisoner who has gone on a killing spree specializing in former members of the Die Hards group. Frank tries to figure out why they are being targeted. This was a very different plot from any I've read before and a part of history that I was completely unfamiliar with. I will look for more in the series.
June 8, 2021
It’s Historical New Zealand written by a Woman who Apparently Knows Her History!
This is a masterpiece for anyone who likes their history woven and properly displayed by a master storyteller. Wendy Wilson beautifully captures the many unique cultures of early and illuminates personalities of the many thousands of people who immigrated to NZ in the 1800’s from across Great Britain, the wider UK, Europe, Scandinavia, America and China, etc. She has made the characters come alive by creating and understanding how those cultures interacted with the Maori peoples of NZ and beautifully illustrating the lore, language and family bonds which dominated their way of life. I’ve just finished the first novel in her Sargent Frank Hardy series of five novels, but it’s superb! Thanks for writing such a perfect book, Wendy!
This is a masterpiece for anyone who likes their history woven and properly displayed by a master storyteller. Wendy Wilson beautifully captures the many unique cultures of early and illuminates personalities of the many thousands of people who immigrated to NZ in the 1800’s from across Great Britain, the wider UK, Europe, Scandinavia, America and China, etc. She has made the characters come alive by creating and understanding how those cultures interacted with the Maori peoples of NZ and beautifully illustrating the lore, language and family bonds which dominated their way of life. I’ve just finished the first novel in her Sargent Frank Hardy series of five novels, but it’s superb! Thanks for writing such a perfect book, Wendy!
November 6, 2020
I was drawn to this as I hadn’t really read any New Zealand historicals before – the best I’d managed was Ngaio Marsh and those were contemporary to her, therefore not historicals. This is set in the 1870s in a New Zealand unfamiliar to me, with some Maori supporting the British and some not, and plenty of northern Europeans, Scandinavians and Germans, brought in to manage the forests. The start is pretty brutal, but we’re soon into establishing the fascinating setting and getting the back story of our main character, tasked with finding two young Danish boys who may have drowned. The domestic detail of the Scandinavian community is interesting and the whole book is an enjoyable and informative read.
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April 14, 2025Well at least this was quick. Sadly the worst book I have read in years. Sad as its got a lot of potential, an area of the world I'm interested in and it's history.
The morally and virtuous Sgt Hardy is one of the worst characters I've read. He's morally superior and above the law, he can kill who he wants, he's so handsome and perfect he even gives up smoking during the read.
This book put me firmly on the side of the Maoris. Whilst I think all should be encouraged to write about histories (it really doesn't matter what race a person is to write about it). It felt very unbalanced. The evil indigenous warrior against the perfect and justified Hardy.
I learnt a little of the Geography and History of the North Island but this was painfully dull.
The morally and virtuous Sgt Hardy is one of the worst characters I've read. He's morally superior and above the law, he can kill who he wants, he's so handsome and perfect he even gives up smoking during the read.
This book put me firmly on the side of the Maoris. Whilst I think all should be encouraged to write about histories (it really doesn't matter what race a person is to write about it). It felt very unbalanced. The evil indigenous warrior against the perfect and justified Hardy.
I learnt a little of the Geography and History of the North Island but this was painfully dull.
May 10, 2022
This was very disappointing. I wanted to read some historical fiction about New Zealand and this did fit. It was interestingly complex but confusing determining which group of Maories were which and who was on what side when. It was interesting to hear about the early law enforcement which grew out of the early military impacted by the British. The timeline, the various players, who hated who and why were just too much information without any framework. It is probably a good representation of what it was like at the time in New Zealand.
Contrasting with that positive possibility, the actual composition was not very good. As if written for youngsters.
Contrasting with that positive possibility, the actual composition was not very good. As if written for youngsters.
June 6, 2020
A book I will read again
I really enjoyed this book though it deals with difficult themes. Well researched and very well written, it brings the life and times of the natives of New Zealand alive, the extreme difficulties that were imposed on them by the white man. The ways of the Maouri become clearer, the restrictions that each group of people exert on their own and other tribes. Captain Frank Hardy is my new hero.
I really enjoyed this book though it deals with difficult themes. Well researched and very well written, it brings the life and times of the natives of New Zealand alive, the extreme difficulties that were imposed on them by the white man. The ways of the Maouri become clearer, the restrictions that each group of people exert on their own and other tribes. Captain Frank Hardy is my new hero.
May 27, 2018
An easy enjoyable read. very evocative writing which shines a little light on colonial New Zealand and how the various nations that make up the immigrants viewed each other and the Maori natives. I enjoyed the story and look forward to following the various characters in further books.
January 19, 2020
This is a kind of naive frontier romance, combined with a little bit of settler/native conflict. I hope the series gets better as it goes along.
April 30, 2025
Weary of war and the soldier he's been in life, Frank Hardy has settled into life in an offshoot small colony in New Zealand. While he makes his way carrying the mail between near communities, he longs for more satisfying occupation. A little company might not be terrible either. The disappearance of two Dutch men present him with a mystery that might scratch all those itches. Unfortunately it, and the increased patrolling of the area for a missing convict, may have more ties to the past he'd like to forget and has worked to repent for.
While a mystery, more of a crime novel, at its center "Not the Faintest Trace" is more akin to a historical fiction. The book spends as much time describing the social dynamics and politics of colonization and post war on the island and from afar in those now in residence as the unknowns.
Yet its early pages set off a few alarms. I fear the Maori people were going to be used in tired old ways that made them more than a narrative tool than a people. I am so glad to say that I was not only wrong but it this was the part of the book I enjoyed the most.
The misconceptions and irrational fears of the indigenous peoples of the island run along side the absolute terrors and injustice they were subjected to. It is through Frank who has embedded himself in the outskirts of their culture, taken time to learn about them, that these prejudices are dismissed. Though he does so with some amount of understanding that it is in many ways more misunderstand and rumors that have fueled attitudes.
The other element is the description of immigrant life, its causes, and the conditions and communities those people live under. Not only Dutch, though their practices and reasoning are at the forefront, but there's a side nod to Chinese prospectors and the gold rush and even a Yank from my own home state among the Europeans.
While I might not have been drawn to the romantic elements of the story, I did enjoy the female lead as a person and how through her we see the rules that guided women of that time and community. To its credit, this subplot never diminished my reading experience. that is the usual effect of shoving such plot lines into crime and mystery novels.
Unfortunately while I loved the cultural and historical tidbits, the multiple plots felt a little muddled at times. There was a lot of switch in direction between, for lack of better description, what genre was being focused on at one time not puzzle pieces. It came together but maybe wasn't as climatic or revelatory when the reader had so many places they were supposed to be looking.
Rating: 3 of 5
While a mystery, more of a crime novel, at its center "Not the Faintest Trace" is more akin to a historical fiction. The book spends as much time describing the social dynamics and politics of colonization and post war on the island and from afar in those now in residence as the unknowns.
Yet its early pages set off a few alarms. I fear the Maori people were going to be used in tired old ways that made them more than a narrative tool than a people. I am so glad to say that I was not only wrong but it this was the part of the book I enjoyed the most.
The misconceptions and irrational fears of the indigenous peoples of the island run along side the absolute terrors and injustice they were subjected to. It is through Frank who has embedded himself in the outskirts of their culture, taken time to learn about them, that these prejudices are dismissed. Though he does so with some amount of understanding that it is in many ways more misunderstand and rumors that have fueled attitudes.
The other element is the description of immigrant life, its causes, and the conditions and communities those people live under. Not only Dutch, though their practices and reasoning are at the forefront, but there's a side nod to Chinese prospectors and the gold rush and even a Yank from my own home state among the Europeans.
While I might not have been drawn to the romantic elements of the story, I did enjoy the female lead as a person and how through her we see the rules that guided women of that time and community. To its credit, this subplot never diminished my reading experience. that is the usual effect of shoving such plot lines into crime and mystery novels.
Unfortunately while I loved the cultural and historical tidbits, the multiple plots felt a little muddled at times. There was a lot of switch in direction between, for lack of better description, what genre was being focused on at one time not puzzle pieces. It came together but maybe wasn't as climatic or revelatory when the reader had so many places they were supposed to be looking.
Rating: 3 of 5
September 22, 2021
This story is set in New Zealand in the late 19th century. Sgt. Frank Hardy was part of the expeditionary forces who fought with the Maori, so as to take Maori land for the European immigrants. But Sgt. Frank left the armed forces for the constabulary, and then somewhat later on he became the driver of the mail coach in the local area.
Sgt. Frank is approached by a couple of "Scandis", Danes in this case, who want to know what happened to two young men who had disappeared, Paul and Jens. The two Scandis were Hans Christian Nissen and Pieter Sorensen. Pieter is married to Maren, and her sister, Mette Jensen, lives with them. Mette is considered not so beautiful, although I'm not sure why, but she is intelligent, curious, and hard working. Apparently, Sgt. Frank can see this, so becomes immediately smitten. That is probably one of the reasons that he decided to search for the missing young men.
Well, we have investigations, meeting with various locals, including immigrants and Maoris. Along the way, Sgt. Frank becomes friends with and works with a "native" constable, i.e. a member of the constabulary who happens to be Maori. He also has some issues with Mette in that she has been warned to avoid him by her sister and brother-in-law, and he has some uncertainty on his own whether or not his attaching himself to a Scandi would be appropriate. By the end, we know the fates of the two young men, and Sgt. Frank decides to give up the Mail coach for becoming a private inspector. He thinks there's enough call for such a person. The "native" constable, Karira, thinks of quitting the constabulary and partnering up with Sgt. Frank. And, of course, it seems that the budding romance has a high probability of success. I'm guessing that one has to read the sequel to be sure on this last point.
Anyway, it was a fun read. It was a bit difficult because it was sprinkled with Maori terms. There was a glossary at the end of the book, but switching back and forth on a Kindle is much more difficult than doing so in a dead tree book, so I didn't check the glossary until I'd finished the book. Fortunately, I caught the gist of the Maori words from their context.
Sgt. Frank is approached by a couple of "Scandis", Danes in this case, who want to know what happened to two young men who had disappeared, Paul and Jens. The two Scandis were Hans Christian Nissen and Pieter Sorensen. Pieter is married to Maren, and her sister, Mette Jensen, lives with them. Mette is considered not so beautiful, although I'm not sure why, but she is intelligent, curious, and hard working. Apparently, Sgt. Frank can see this, so becomes immediately smitten. That is probably one of the reasons that he decided to search for the missing young men.
Well, we have investigations, meeting with various locals, including immigrants and Maoris. Along the way, Sgt. Frank becomes friends with and works with a "native" constable, i.e. a member of the constabulary who happens to be Maori. He also has some issues with Mette in that she has been warned to avoid him by her sister and brother-in-law, and he has some uncertainty on his own whether or not his attaching himself to a Scandi would be appropriate. By the end, we know the fates of the two young men, and Sgt. Frank decides to give up the Mail coach for becoming a private inspector. He thinks there's enough call for such a person. The "native" constable, Karira, thinks of quitting the constabulary and partnering up with Sgt. Frank. And, of course, it seems that the budding romance has a high probability of success. I'm guessing that one has to read the sequel to be sure on this last point.
Anyway, it was a fun read. It was a bit difficult because it was sprinkled with Maori terms. There was a glossary at the end of the book, but switching back and forth on a Kindle is much more difficult than doing so in a dead tree book, so I didn't check the glossary until I'd finished the book. Fortunately, I caught the gist of the Maori words from their context.
February 22, 2022
was an OK story.
It took me a while to get into it - I had a difficult time trying to put the characters in the right era.
and often found myself going back and re-reading paragraphs to figure out who the author was referring to. One instant in particular was especially confusing was when three people are having a discussion, and the sentence stated "He ..." well ... all three of them were male, so whom exactly was being referred to.
As one other person alluded to, it would have been nice to have the Glossary at the beginning of the book, or at the very least a reference to it early in the publication. I read on a KINDLE and had no idea this list of native words and pronunciations was available to me until I got to the end of the story. Good thing there was not a test, because I would surely have failed!
On the plus side, it was interesting to read about life in Colonial New Zealand and realize the parallels between NZ and Canada, (and very likely other countries) when the immigrants often forcibly displaced and removed the original inhabitants from the land.
I also liked the fact that this first installment is a stand alone - we were not left wondering, although at this time, I am uncertain if I will continue with the series.
It took me a while to get into it - I had a difficult time trying to put the characters in the right era.
and often found myself going back and re-reading paragraphs to figure out who the author was referring to. One instant in particular was especially confusing was when three people are having a discussion, and the sentence stated "He ..." well ... all three of them were male, so whom exactly was being referred to.
As one other person alluded to, it would have been nice to have the Glossary at the beginning of the book, or at the very least a reference to it early in the publication. I read on a KINDLE and had no idea this list of native words and pronunciations was available to me until I got to the end of the story. Good thing there was not a test, because I would surely have failed!
On the plus side, it was interesting to read about life in Colonial New Zealand and realize the parallels between NZ and Canada, (and very likely other countries) when the immigrants often forcibly displaced and removed the original inhabitants from the land.
I also liked the fact that this first installment is a stand alone - we were not left wondering, although at this time, I am uncertain if I will continue with the series.
October 21, 2022
New Zealand in the 1870's. I certainly learned a lot about a place and time I basically knew nothing about. So in that way, it was very interesting. But I felt like the story was rather simplistic and basic, maybe more appealing to a YA audience.
The story revolves around an ex-soldier with PTSD from the frontier wars. He witnessed the beheadings of natives and soldiers alike, trying to take land and rights away from the Maori. He is working as a stage coach driver and is approached by a local Scandinavian to try to find out what happened to his brother and cousin who disappeared.
The rest of the book is him searching for bodies or the truth, and falling for a Scandinavian young lady. I just wanted a little more description and detail and suspense.
The story revolves around an ex-soldier with PTSD from the frontier wars. He witnessed the beheadings of natives and soldiers alike, trying to take land and rights away from the Maori. He is working as a stage coach driver and is approached by a local Scandinavian to try to find out what happened to his brother and cousin who disappeared.
The rest of the book is him searching for bodies or the truth, and falling for a Scandinavian young lady. I just wanted a little more description and detail and suspense.
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