The Fallen

Sean Devereaux #1

by Ben Sanders

When local cop Sean Devereaux, who enjoys skating close to the edge, does a favour for his attractive neighbour, he unwittingly exposes a web of deceit and corruption. As he investigates the murder of a 16-year-old Epsom 'princess' in his day job, his after-hours efforts have him stumbling into the aftermath of a scam involving senior colleagues, and he is soon enmeshed in an escalating cycle of kidnapping, murder and violent mayhem. With his unconventional ex-colleague-turned-security-specialist John Hale, Devereaux slowly begins to unravel the truth as the body count climbs and the stakes become personal. As an outwardly terse, street-savvy operator, Sean Devereaux emerges as an engaging and irreverent hero, becoming the catalyst for an absorbing, strangely uneasy murder mystery, set in unnervingly familiar surroundings. A superb blend of international standard crime-writing with a strong local ambience that lures you in and delivers a strong and emotionally satisfying read. Ben Sanders, who lives on Auckland's North Shore, has been a keen writer since his early teens. His sophisticated and edgy style signals the emergence of a major new writing talent.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Ebooks

432 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2010

About the author

BEN SANDERS was born in 1989. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

Reviews

[Lindsay Mouat · Rating 4 out of 5]

So odd reading a crime thriller set in your own home town. Not London or Edinburgh or New York. But Auckland, New Zealand. As events swept through streets and suburbs I know so well it was rather surreal.

But having enjoyed Ben Sanders 'Marshall Grade' books I journeyed back to his first. And glad I did.

And while it is a little formulaic, for the genre it is an entertaining, well-paced story with enough surprises to keep you locked in.

[Craig Sisterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maverick cop Sean Devereaux returns early from leave to investigate the murder of a teenage 'princess', whose battered body is found sprawled amongst the flowerbeds of central Auckland park. At the same time he finds himself trying to play white knight to his attractive neighbour, who thinks she is being stalked.

Juggling on-duty and off-duty workloads with the help of his private eye buddy, the strong-but-silent John Hale (a relationship which is a touch reminiscent of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole and Joe Pike), Devereux stumbles upon a scam that may involve some of his superiors, and opens a Pandora's box, as things spiral out of control.

Devereux is a cool, intriguing hero, and his narration is peppered with pithy comments, asides, and observations. Sanders has a nice punchy, crisp style, and a good touch for ‘telling details’ rather than trying to evoke character or setting through laundry-list descriptions which don't offer much insight.

A twisting and exciting storyline that pulls the reader along. An impressive debut from a new voice, that further underlines the continuing growth and strength of New Zealand crime writing.

[D.C. Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not all police procedurals occur in seedy parts of Los Angeles or New York, they happen in downtown Auckland, New Zealand as well. And they pretty much follow the same pattern as well. I loved the sparse yet detailed style of this book, descriptions evoking mood but not so much that you think, come on, get on with the story. The Sean Devereaux one-liners are classic, saying all that needs to be said in a single line. Think Jack Reacher with a house, and a car, and a job, and a friend, ok, maybe don’t think of Jack Reacher because making comparisons is not fair on this young and talented writer. For someone just out of their teens, Sanders writes with a maturity that is astounding, at first I thought that Sanders was a cop at one stage, but no, he’s a university student at the time of writing this. At this age , most young twenty-year olds are writing long convoluted fantasy novels in trilogies, not this writer, no, a gritty, action-packed, murder-mystery is the theme of this novel and I devoured this novel in just a few days. Now I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series.

[Hastings75 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading NZ crime authors and I picked up this first novel at the NZ Readers and Writers festival.

I enjoyed the simple writing style and it was a very quick read when I finally managed to get away from reading a few pages a night. Reading a novel where you can visualise the streets (novel is set in Auckland) adds to the experience.

Liked the lead characters and also liked that the ultimate criminal (there is more than 1) were believable (even if I didn't guess one of them!)

Will definitely pick up Ben's next novel as a good Kiwi read - perfect for a summertime read at the beach!

[Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

How come I haven't heard of Ben Sanders until now? It's good to find another New Zealand crime writer. This gritty tale is set in Auckland, where the main character, detective Sean Devereaux, seems to always be driving around all over the place, from seedy quayside pubs to upmarket suburbia.
There are a couple of story lines going on - a murder and a situation that escalates quickly from a simple stakeout. Sean is joined by John Hale, ex-army and ex-cop, now turned security specialist, which is just as well because John seems to have more smarts than Sean (who has a habit of goading people).
It's a pacy read with plenty of intrigue to keep you reading. The style is spare and tight with authentic dialogue. I liked the musical references. I did wonder how Sean was able to get away with a few things, such as Hale as his offsider, and there was one main thing left seemingly unresolved at the end [SPOILER ALERT] - what exactly was the role of Alan Nielsen in the supposed car holdup? How much did he know?
A couple of smaller things that niggled: the repetition of pet phrases (e.g. to be "just shy of" something) and the confusingly similar names of two characters (Lionel Moss and Leon Ross), which could easily have been changed.
Nevertheless a good energetic and well-plotted first novel with a memorable protagonist. I'll be looking for more.

[Tina Blaxtvedt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up from the library after hearing an interview with the author on the radio.

Plot and character wise, slightly archetypal. But I'm probably quite biased because no detective can take me away like Harry Hole.

What I do love about this book however is Ben's style, and specially how he describes the little details. I'm impressed that he wrote this at the age off 20.

[Derek Besner · Rating 4 out of 5]

the fallen

This is not as good as the two books set in the US, but I eventually warmed to Sean and hale. A good read, kept me interested. One or both of the main characters needs a woman to help flesh them out. The biggest problem is not plot (which I enjoyed) but the lack of character development. Neither Sean nor hale were Morency than very limited two dimensional ghosts

[Jack Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can tell this is an early Ben Saunders book.
His later work is much better.

It’s still a good read. Set in Auckland in what I assume is the late 90’ to mid 00’s.
Bit surreal, to borderline silly. But it’s still and alright read.

[Ben Reay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was kinda fine to read something that I knew so many of the setting so well, but it seemed all very larger than life and a bit phony to really get into. Is this how everyone feels when reading fiction set in their home town???

[Shanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read. I’m an American now living right at Albert Park in Auckland where the book is based, so it was very cool to recognise all the roads and landmarks used. Kept me guessing until the end, on to the next one!

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

where should i start? I love the fact that it is refreshing to read books that set in country that is rather rare in the fiction world. I like the fact that this is not yet another crime/suspend fiction that set in Washington, NewYork or London. I give create to the Kiwi writer with the first publish of the novel. However, i think the book should be cut down to half of what it is. It got too much of unsignifican unnecesarry words and paragraphs in the book.
Don't give up, try it harder, perhaps get a good edditor, it have good potential. For now, i think it is a 2.5* :)

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sanders paints such a bleak and seedy picture of life in Auckland.
To anybody from outside New Zealand please believe me, IT'S NOT.!
The story skips along at an unbelievable pace of dead bodies turing up, with speeding ticket inducing car chases, sub plots and drinking during work.
In summary a decent blokes book.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book- was very engaging and easy to read. Loved the description and language. Really enjoyed seeing Auckland, New Zealand street names that I recognised and knew fairly well. Sanders has created a great police mystery story with snappy, quick witted characters such as the main character- Sean Devereaux and his sidekick- John Hale.

[Garth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tale of a gritty detective in Auckland, New Zealand rather than the more common US species.
Not a genre that I follow much, but the Auckland author captured me with his style of writing, his plot, and the fact the action is all based in and around places I know and love.
Really enjoyed it.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

probably could have cut about 100 pages of unnecessary chatter out, but it probably would have been a very short book then. Not a bad effort for a young first-time writer and it's nice to see a New Zealand author writing in this genre.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because it was recommended to me. Ben Sanders is a young Aucklander so it was appropriate and refreshing to read a story based in the city with familiar suburbs and roads. I liked it and I think boys 14+ may too.

[Angus McLean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to read a NZ based thriller, and good to see young talent coming through.

If you write a police procedural though, you need to make sure the procedures are accurate. More accuracy in this area would have earned a higher rating as there is clear story telling talent here.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

New Zealand author, protagonist a policeman working in Auckland. Lots of familiar geography. Fast paced and again good for the beach. He has written 3 novels set in NZ and the latest set in the USA and already optioned for a movie.

[Keith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Far too many adjectives, trying to create an 'atmosphere'. In reality, just trying too hard.

[Adam Leask · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, even if I was occasionally annoyed with the mentioning of songs through the story. Hopefully Ben will have another book out shortly.

[Chris P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed it. Fairly easy to read. I agree it could have done with some editing.

[Andrew Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too much street detail of Auckland. I don't care about the roads and turns the detective makes on his way to crime scenes. Otherwise an interesting enough read.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read a mystery thriller set in your own city Auckland.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

[Diogenes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Kiwi police procedural with a twist. The two lead characters remind one of Crais' Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, reversed. The story is original and interesting, but the prose is a tad wordy (copious unnecessary adverbs and adjectives) and the constant place names in Auckland may be welcome in that city, but are a distraction for anyone else.