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Diane Rowe #1
Surrender
"A detective as tough as the country she comes from..." Missing persons expert Diane Rowe is used to making sense of other people's lives. It's just a pity she's not having much luck with her own.The brutal murder of her little sister, Niki, and the break-up of her marriage have tested her usual tough optimism. When Niki's killer turns up dead, Diane is determined to nail the truth, despite the best efforts of her policeman ex-husband to sideline her.But uncovering Niki's seedy past reveals truths and dangers she never expected, or wanted, to face. Diane is determined to make sense of it all - whatever it takes.
Paperback
First published September 16, 2010
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About the author
Donna Malane
9 books4 followersDonna Malane is a writer, television producer, script and series advisor, script writer, story-liner, script and story editor and developer.
She has written a huge variety of television including drama, crime-drama and doco-drama, fantasy, children’s drama, sketch comedy, and documentary. Although Donna’s writing has largely been for television she has also had two other books published and her plays and short stories have been broadcast on National Radio.
Her crime fiction novel Surrender was the winner of the 2010 New Zealand Publishing Prize.
She has written a huge variety of television including drama, crime-drama and doco-drama, fantasy, children’s drama, sketch comedy, and documentary. Although Donna’s writing has largely been for television she has also had two other books published and her plays and short stories have been broadcast on National Radio.
Her crime fiction novel Surrender was the winner of the 2010 New Zealand Publishing Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 23, 2013
I decided to read this book because I don’t really like reading murder, thriller type books, but I had been told a few times that it was very good therefore I thought I would give it a try!
This book fits the category of ‘a book written by a NZ author’ on the story board. I choose this category because I haven’t read many books by NZ authors and this was a chance for me try out something new.
A character that I admire from this book is Diana, because of her strength and courage of not being afraid to stand up for what she believes. After her sister dies the after math of her as described was very sad. She found it very hard to cope with this, leaving herself in some very dark places. When she explains this during the novel we see she has grown from this and learned a lot, she has the strength to frankly admit that she was the best person to be around. I like this about her as she is not afraid to admit she needs help and is will to seek it. I also I like how the story is told from the first person, I believe it gives more impact and made me feel more engrossed as an part of Diana’s world. Her feeling of sorrow, happiness, humor and fear made me feel like I was there!!
Something I learnt from this book is the importance of your family. It’s very important not to take them for granted and their because of their support are we able to progress and achieve many things in life. After Diana’s sister’s death she realizes how hopeless she feels and what a big encouraging factor her sister was. She also learns many things about her that she never knew. Diana is utterly shocked we she realizes how we often don’t know people as well as we think we do, even the ones closest to us. I find this thought kind of scary, but I guess we have to come to terms with it sooner or later. The aspect of family was implicitly woven in the story yet its importance still was a clear strength for Diana, therefore very significant.
What I most liked about this book was that it was like a ‘local thriller’!It felt cool to know it was set in NZ, north island! The story lines was very absorbing and the sudden twists certainly kept me stuck to till the very last page!! I have to say it kept me making up 'what if....' scenarios and i would absoultly recommed to others!
August 27, 2014
The first book in the Diane Rowe series, SURRENDER is part of a two book series (MY BROTHER'S KEEPER is out now), set in Wellington, New Zealand, featuring a private investigator scenario that makes a huge amount of sense.
Diane Rowe is an ex-cop and now missing person's expert. Her marriage to still serving cop Sean fell apart as she struggled to cope with the murder of her younger sister Niki (all of which happened before this book), and now Sean now finds himself investigating the murder of the man everyone believes is Niki's killer. Which investigation Rowe cannot help but interfere with - even though she's warned off by everyone.
Told from Rowe's point of view, the action is fast moving and the style is witty, pointed and nicely nuanced. Rowe's a strong character who will be the sort of wise-cracking, self-doubting, frequently daft but undeniably brave, and dedicated female character that reader's are either going to get, or hate. But she does work really well - holds the central viewpoint strongly, is believable and understandable. There's a strong sense of humour built into Rowe - even when she's grieving her sister, even when she's just got herself into a tricky situation. Her relationship with her now ex-husband is really well done, as are the trials and tribulations of someone you love moving on, and what Rowe is going to do about her own personal life.
It doesn't hurt that she's an animal lover and now owner of an ex-police dog who is a character in these books in his own right. It also doesn't hurt that the central investigaion is balanced against the discovery of a long dead body, deep in the New Zealand bush, who Rowe is called upon to identify.
As happens all too frequently around here, I read the second book first, which really made me want to go back to the start of the series and get Rowe's backstory from the outset. The missing person expert angle is an elegant way of getting Rowe into all sorts of situations, and the style with it's lighter touch, and slightly wacky female protoganist is increasingly common in the mystery world. Which means that fans of this sort of book have lots to choose from, particularly with a more local flavour.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
Diane Rowe is an ex-cop and now missing person's expert. Her marriage to still serving cop Sean fell apart as she struggled to cope with the murder of her younger sister Niki (all of which happened before this book), and now Sean now finds himself investigating the murder of the man everyone believes is Niki's killer. Which investigation Rowe cannot help but interfere with - even though she's warned off by everyone.
Told from Rowe's point of view, the action is fast moving and the style is witty, pointed and nicely nuanced. Rowe's a strong character who will be the sort of wise-cracking, self-doubting, frequently daft but undeniably brave, and dedicated female character that reader's are either going to get, or hate. But she does work really well - holds the central viewpoint strongly, is believable and understandable. There's a strong sense of humour built into Rowe - even when she's grieving her sister, even when she's just got herself into a tricky situation. Her relationship with her now ex-husband is really well done, as are the trials and tribulations of someone you love moving on, and what Rowe is going to do about her own personal life.
It doesn't hurt that she's an animal lover and now owner of an ex-police dog who is a character in these books in his own right. It also doesn't hurt that the central investigaion is balanced against the discovery of a long dead body, deep in the New Zealand bush, who Rowe is called upon to identify.
As happens all too frequently around here, I read the second book first, which really made me want to go back to the start of the series and get Rowe's backstory from the outset. The missing person expert angle is an elegant way of getting Rowe into all sorts of situations, and the style with it's lighter touch, and slightly wacky female protoganist is increasingly common in the mystery world. Which means that fans of this sort of book have lots to choose from, particularly with a more local flavour.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
January 7, 2024
I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, so I was pleasantly surprised by this local thriller. Even though I’m not from Wellington, it’s nice to see the familiar names & places.
I liked Diane - we only get her point of view for the story, but I loved her attitude. Recovering from her sister’s murder, she’s thrown back in when the suspected murderer is himself found murdered. My interest was held from start to finish, with her involvement in this case, the missing person case she is also investigating, and the people that she interacted with.
The book progresses at a steady pace - it’s not loud & flashy with twists and reveals every chapter; instead, it seems to glide along, and you feel that you are moving slowly, but in reality you’ve actually moved quite quickly. I found this to be a gripping story & was so glad to have found this in at a book fair.
I liked Diane - we only get her point of view for the story, but I loved her attitude. Recovering from her sister’s murder, she’s thrown back in when the suspected murderer is himself found murdered. My interest was held from start to finish, with her involvement in this case, the missing person case she is also investigating, and the people that she interacted with.
The book progresses at a steady pace - it’s not loud & flashy with twists and reveals every chapter; instead, it seems to glide along, and you feel that you are moving slowly, but in reality you’ve actually moved quite quickly. I found this to be a gripping story & was so glad to have found this in at a book fair.
August 29, 2014
http://openbooksociety.com/article/su...
Brought to you by guest reviewer Alina
Beware of spoilers
Diane Rowe finds people for a living. She used to work side by side with police detectives, until her little sister was found dead on a golf course a year ago, and her life was turned upside-down. She started drinking, interfering with police work, stressing and annoying the detectives in charge of her sister’s case (including her husband, a cop too). So now, after a year of trying really hard to find out what had happened and how come Niki died, she is divorced and banned from working with the police on missing persons’ cases. She has also only just given up the search. However, the news that her sister’s presumed killer has just been found dead (killed exactly the way her little sister had been), makes her start the chase all over again. A pretty hard thing to do when the police are blocking her every move. Plus, the Inspector Frank McFay has given her a missing person’s case, as a gesture of good faith, on both sides, he says; it’s obvious that he really wants her off her sister’s case.
When I first picked up the book, I got really excited after the first few paragraphs. It really felt like a great read. And even though it was a good book, I did not manage to connect to the main character, and that spoiled it for me a lot. This is the kind of book that builds a relationship of trust and friendship with the reader, so that they find a place for themselves in its world. It’s definitely a really good first book in a series. I am certain a lot of people will think Diane extremely interesting. And for good reason: she is young, beautiful and tall, the kind of woman who definitely catches a man’s eye. She is also smart, tenacious, with good cop instincts, a real pro. Too rough for my taste, though, she behaves more like a man than a woman, at least that’s how it felt for me. I’m more into cozy mysteries, so Diane’s complaints about being without a man for 6 months left me completely cold. What made me warm up to her and her little sister was the fact that they lost their mom at a young age. They each dealt with it in their own way: Niki with her obsessive-compulsive behaviors and becoming a stripper later in life, because she felt it empowered her, and Diane by yelling at her sister and at the whole world:
“I’d never learned to keep my mouth shut or my opinion to myself, despite that being suggested to me on a regular basis by a number of people in my life”.
Yes, she is a rebel, with a crazy family and a one-eyed dog, the perfect kind of character to guarantee good entertainment. Speaking of entertainment, the way Diane describes her trips to the strip joint her sister used to work for, Pussy Galore, were extremely funny. Here’s how she sees a stripper’s dance act:
“She took custody of the pole and began swaying around it, her tiny hot pants and lace bra so luminous, a diffuse halo outlined her body. She walked four steps to the pole at the other end and swayed some more. I had a horrible suspicion it was my entrance that had set this enervated movement in motion.”
I was just beginning to like Diane’s good friend Gemma (much more than Diane, in fact), when she goes and starts lecturing her on sisterly love:
“All Niki ever did was try and live up to your expectations. She never judged you, Diane. She was just a fucked-up kid trying to do her best. But her best was never going to be good enough for you, was it?”
Well, go and read for yourselves about Niki’s “best” and then tell me what you think. For me, Gemma’s lecturing did not have it’s place there. It felt cliched and completely unreasonable. I don’t know what I’d do if I learnt my little sister was “best” at that.
After I finished the book I googled the author and found out she is Australian and that the action in the book takes place in Australia. I must admit I hadn’t the slightest clue while I was reading. Now I think of it, I did once stop to consider the British spelling of a word, but I dismissed it immediately. I think this was my first Australian author!
I definitely recommend this book to fans of thrillers, murder, and police investigation type books. It’s got not only two murders to solve, but also a missing person’s investigation running parallel to the murder cases.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Brought to you by guest reviewer Alina
Beware of spoilers
Diane Rowe finds people for a living. She used to work side by side with police detectives, until her little sister was found dead on a golf course a year ago, and her life was turned upside-down. She started drinking, interfering with police work, stressing and annoying the detectives in charge of her sister’s case (including her husband, a cop too). So now, after a year of trying really hard to find out what had happened and how come Niki died, she is divorced and banned from working with the police on missing persons’ cases. She has also only just given up the search. However, the news that her sister’s presumed killer has just been found dead (killed exactly the way her little sister had been), makes her start the chase all over again. A pretty hard thing to do when the police are blocking her every move. Plus, the Inspector Frank McFay has given her a missing person’s case, as a gesture of good faith, on both sides, he says; it’s obvious that he really wants her off her sister’s case.
When I first picked up the book, I got really excited after the first few paragraphs. It really felt like a great read. And even though it was a good book, I did not manage to connect to the main character, and that spoiled it for me a lot. This is the kind of book that builds a relationship of trust and friendship with the reader, so that they find a place for themselves in its world. It’s definitely a really good first book in a series. I am certain a lot of people will think Diane extremely interesting. And for good reason: she is young, beautiful and tall, the kind of woman who definitely catches a man’s eye. She is also smart, tenacious, with good cop instincts, a real pro. Too rough for my taste, though, she behaves more like a man than a woman, at least that’s how it felt for me. I’m more into cozy mysteries, so Diane’s complaints about being without a man for 6 months left me completely cold. What made me warm up to her and her little sister was the fact that they lost their mom at a young age. They each dealt with it in their own way: Niki with her obsessive-compulsive behaviors and becoming a stripper later in life, because she felt it empowered her, and Diane by yelling at her sister and at the whole world:
“I’d never learned to keep my mouth shut or my opinion to myself, despite that being suggested to me on a regular basis by a number of people in my life”.
Yes, she is a rebel, with a crazy family and a one-eyed dog, the perfect kind of character to guarantee good entertainment. Speaking of entertainment, the way Diane describes her trips to the strip joint her sister used to work for, Pussy Galore, were extremely funny. Here’s how she sees a stripper’s dance act:
“She took custody of the pole and began swaying around it, her tiny hot pants and lace bra so luminous, a diffuse halo outlined her body. She walked four steps to the pole at the other end and swayed some more. I had a horrible suspicion it was my entrance that had set this enervated movement in motion.”
I was just beginning to like Diane’s good friend Gemma (much more than Diane, in fact), when she goes and starts lecturing her on sisterly love:
“All Niki ever did was try and live up to your expectations. She never judged you, Diane. She was just a fucked-up kid trying to do her best. But her best was never going to be good enough for you, was it?”
Well, go and read for yourselves about Niki’s “best” and then tell me what you think. For me, Gemma’s lecturing did not have it’s place there. It felt cliched and completely unreasonable. I don’t know what I’d do if I learnt my little sister was “best” at that.
After I finished the book I googled the author and found out she is Australian and that the action in the book takes place in Australia. I must admit I hadn’t the slightest clue while I was reading. Now I think of it, I did once stop to consider the British spelling of a word, but I dismissed it immediately. I think this was my first Australian author!
I definitely recommend this book to fans of thrillers, murder, and police investigation type books. It’s got not only two murders to solve, but also a missing person’s investigation running parallel to the murder cases.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
June 29, 2014
I was lucky enough to receive a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The Main character in this book is a missing persons expert.
Diane Rowe. And in this story Diane is trying to not only come to terms with but also solve the murder of her sister. And the case takes her on a long dark and dangerous journey, where she will find out about things maybe you are better not knowing about your sister.
She has involvement and help from the police, as she has done work for them in the past, and also because her ex husband Sean is still a copper.
The story also follows Diane trying to find the identity of a body that has turned up, and as the work she does for the police is for missing persons this part of the story sits in nicely and runs along side her trying to solve her sisters murder.
a quite enjoyable read, but I found it a little slow in parts. I would definitely read more from this author in the future.
The Main character in this book is a missing persons expert.
Diane Rowe. And in this story Diane is trying to not only come to terms with but also solve the murder of her sister. And the case takes her on a long dark and dangerous journey, where she will find out about things maybe you are better not knowing about your sister.
She has involvement and help from the police, as she has done work for them in the past, and also because her ex husband Sean is still a copper.
The story also follows Diane trying to find the identity of a body that has turned up, and as the work she does for the police is for missing persons this part of the story sits in nicely and runs along side her trying to solve her sisters murder.
a quite enjoyable read, but I found it a little slow in parts. I would definitely read more from this author in the future.
July 11, 2013
Downloaded this as a freebie, so wasn't expecting very much or even to want to finish it.
What a surprise - this is a good thriller which kept me interested.
The story is about a woman, Diane, who's sister was murdered. The sister had been mixed up with stripping and other things. It was a good plot and well written.
Have just seen there is a second book about Diane. Will definitely be buying that one.
What a surprise - this is a good thriller which kept me interested.
The story is about a woman, Diane, who's sister was murdered. The sister had been mixed up with stripping and other things. It was a good plot and well written.
Have just seen there is a second book about Diane. Will definitely be buying that one.
February 28, 2013
Loved it! Couldn't put it down, really liked the double stories running parallel and both were just as interesting.
April 8, 2013
I don't read many mystery books but I read a really good review of this book's sequel and decided to read this one first.
Donna Malane is a New Zealand author and this book won the inaugural New Zealand Society of Authors-Pindar Publishing Prize in 2010.
The central character is missing persons expert, Diane Rowe. In the past Diane had worked on a lot of missing persons cases for the police and been married to a cop, Sean. When her younger sister Niki was murdered and the police unable to nail the prime suspect, Diane became obsessed with the case. The result was that her marriage to Sean ended and the police no longer employed her to help find missing persons.
The book opens with Sean arriving at Diane's house to tell her that the man she suspected of killing Niki, James Wilson (known as Snow), had been found murdered in exactly the same way that Niki was murdered, with a knife between the shoulder blades.
This event sets Diane off investigating Niki's murder again, now convinced that Snow must have been hired to murder Niki by someone else. She also gets a phone call from the police asking her to investigate a missing person - a 20 year old skeleton that had been found in the bush.
The plot follows these two separate story threads as Diane uncovers information about Niki and the John Doe. The threads are linked by the relationships Diane has with the police - ex-hubby Sean, friend Gemma, and new acquaintance Robbie. As the cases progress, so too do these relationships.
Having not read many mysteries I don't have a benchmark to compare this too, but it is really well written in places, both in terms of language and plot. I think it's probably worth 3.5 stars. The story is set in my home town of Wellington and it was great having the action take place in streets, bars and restaurants that are part of the background of my life. And I didn't come anywhere near to guessing whodunit which may be a sign of a good mystery, or maybe just a sign of my stupidity!
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this new series.
Donna Malane is a New Zealand author and this book won the inaugural New Zealand Society of Authors-Pindar Publishing Prize in 2010.
The central character is missing persons expert, Diane Rowe. In the past Diane had worked on a lot of missing persons cases for the police and been married to a cop, Sean. When her younger sister Niki was murdered and the police unable to nail the prime suspect, Diane became obsessed with the case. The result was that her marriage to Sean ended and the police no longer employed her to help find missing persons.
The book opens with Sean arriving at Diane's house to tell her that the man she suspected of killing Niki, James Wilson (known as Snow), had been found murdered in exactly the same way that Niki was murdered, with a knife between the shoulder blades.
This event sets Diane off investigating Niki's murder again, now convinced that Snow must have been hired to murder Niki by someone else. She also gets a phone call from the police asking her to investigate a missing person - a 20 year old skeleton that had been found in the bush.
The plot follows these two separate story threads as Diane uncovers information about Niki and the John Doe. The threads are linked by the relationships Diane has with the police - ex-hubby Sean, friend Gemma, and new acquaintance Robbie. As the cases progress, so too do these relationships.
Having not read many mysteries I don't have a benchmark to compare this too, but it is really well written in places, both in terms of language and plot. I think it's probably worth 3.5 stars. The story is set in my home town of Wellington and it was great having the action take place in streets, bars and restaurants that are part of the background of my life. And I didn't come anywhere near to guessing whodunit which may be a sign of a good mystery, or maybe just a sign of my stupidity!
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this new series.
September 12, 2014
Surrender by Donna Malane
Thriller/Mystery
I received this book as an advanced copy from Angry Robot Books via Net Galley. I was thrilled to be granted permission to read and review it as the blurb really enticed me. I love a good thriller and plotted book.
The plot was good, it had good twists and turns in its pages. We have situations and circumstances that open up along the way, enough to keep me interested.
Diane was married to a Policeman. They still are on speaking terms as they have to get along for several reasons, one of them their work. Diane is a missing persons expert and the Police use her skills and talent often.
However, when her sister is brutally killed she gets quite frustrated at the way the Police are handling the case and one of the officers on her sisters case is her ex.
I cannot tell you all of the plot, just to say she discovers more about her sister than any sister should know.
Because of her wanting to get involved and interfering she is taken off work from the Police force for a while. When she is calmer and agrees to "behave" and let the Police do the work she is then handed a case of her own. This then gets very interesting.....
I would have loved the author to have kept the constant humor out of each page. For MY PERSONAL LIKING I thought as a thriller, a serious matter the way Diane spoke, thought, comments at times went way past just being comical it became annoying. I so wanted her to be more serious when it came to serious matters.
Keep Diane's sense of humor for her ex husband not the main part of the story.
Story
100% LOVED it.
Comical humor to make things light use 20% I felt it went OTT at times.
This still won't stop me reading more of this authors books as she's good. But I felt it was too much like Murder she wrote on TV a simple mystery.
Thriller/Mystery
I received this book as an advanced copy from Angry Robot Books via Net Galley. I was thrilled to be granted permission to read and review it as the blurb really enticed me. I love a good thriller and plotted book.
The plot was good, it had good twists and turns in its pages. We have situations and circumstances that open up along the way, enough to keep me interested.
Diane was married to a Policeman. They still are on speaking terms as they have to get along for several reasons, one of them their work. Diane is a missing persons expert and the Police use her skills and talent often.
However, when her sister is brutally killed she gets quite frustrated at the way the Police are handling the case and one of the officers on her sisters case is her ex.
I cannot tell you all of the plot, just to say she discovers more about her sister than any sister should know.
Because of her wanting to get involved and interfering she is taken off work from the Police force for a while. When she is calmer and agrees to "behave" and let the Police do the work she is then handed a case of her own. This then gets very interesting.....
I would have loved the author to have kept the constant humor out of each page. For MY PERSONAL LIKING I thought as a thriller, a serious matter the way Diane spoke, thought, comments at times went way past just being comical it became annoying. I so wanted her to be more serious when it came to serious matters.
Keep Diane's sense of humor for her ex husband not the main part of the story.
Story
100% LOVED it.
Comical humor to make things light use 20% I felt it went OTT at times.
This still won't stop me reading more of this authors books as she's good. But I felt it was too much like Murder she wrote on TV a simple mystery.
March 23, 2012
While SURRENDER would be worth reading as a character study of heroine Diane Rowe alone, Malane also weaves in an absorbing mystery storyline, some well-evoked Wellington settings, and a great cast of well-drawn supporting characters. Even quite minor characters feel authentic, and the main cast all have some nice layers and depth. Like the narrative itself, they provide a few surprises and revelations, and keep the reader guessing until the end.
Read my full review of SURRENDER in the New Zealand Herald, here
Read my full review of SURRENDER in the New Zealand Herald, here
April 16, 2013
This was a very good book that had some very surprising twists but at times could be quite repetitive and dull however the ending especially her kidnapping, finding out that her Niki's killer was Vex and also wondering if she ended up getting her happily ever after with Robbie made up for all of the dull sections.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2017
Fun, quick read. Especially good if you're looking for a non-preachy and exciting novel about "letting go". And a badass female protagonist always helps. Smart plot-twists and a few good mysteries woven well together. Did not expect to feel this... hopeful (?) at the end of a crime novel but there you have it
March 9, 2013
A good local thriller.
March 14, 2013
I liked it, didn't love it. Even though this story is set in New Zealand's North Island, it felt a bit American to me.
April 26, 2013
Ok book but it didn't have a storyline that's going to stick with me (didn't find story or characters that memorable).
September 25, 2018
Great book. Relatable “real” characters. Relatively fast moving plot that kept me wanting to read more. Interesting main character.
November 10, 2020
When I think of New Zealand - which is not very often - the first things that come to mind are Lamb, Maoris, an earthquake some years back, oh, and I think they might play rugby (I'm not a sports fan but I have sat through many a televised rugby match while my wife cheered Ireland on).
And the excellent 'Brokenwood Mysteries' TV series - each episode is way too long but I always make it to the end.
So 'Surrender' was somewhat of an eye-opener - strip clubs, pole dancing, prostitution, sexual blackmail, drug abuse and murder abound.
While there is much made of locations in and around Wellington the simple truth is that 'Surrender' could be anywhere in the world (except, maybe, the Vatican City, though I would not swear to that).
Diane is a police consultant specialising in missing persons - at least she was until her younger sister Nikki (stripper name Bonnie) was brutally murdered. She divorced her policeman husband, Sean, and is persona non grata at police central after becoming a nuisance on the case.
As time passes the door to work with the police again is left ajar, but Diane keeps plugging away at the murder of Niki.
Two stories are explored, Bonnie's death and that of a headless skeleton found in a remote area.
Central to both is the question of how well do we actually know people, even those who are closest to us. How willing are we to believe the worst of them, or will we forgive them their vices?
When the headless body is eventually identified it is only as a pseudonym and there is little or no possibility of ever discovering his real identity.
Diane is a believable character, angry and flawed but with many redeeming characteristics.
I liked this book a lot, particularly the twists in Niki's story as the book progressed.
And the excellent 'Brokenwood Mysteries' TV series - each episode is way too long but I always make it to the end.
So 'Surrender' was somewhat of an eye-opener - strip clubs, pole dancing, prostitution, sexual blackmail, drug abuse and murder abound.
While there is much made of locations in and around Wellington the simple truth is that 'Surrender' could be anywhere in the world (except, maybe, the Vatican City, though I would not swear to that).
Diane is a police consultant specialising in missing persons - at least she was until her younger sister Nikki (stripper name Bonnie) was brutally murdered. She divorced her policeman husband, Sean, and is persona non grata at police central after becoming a nuisance on the case.
As time passes the door to work with the police again is left ajar, but Diane keeps plugging away at the murder of Niki.
Two stories are explored, Bonnie's death and that of a headless skeleton found in a remote area.
Central to both is the question of how well do we actually know people, even those who are closest to us. How willing are we to believe the worst of them, or will we forgive them their vices?
When the headless body is eventually identified it is only as a pseudonym and there is little or no possibility of ever discovering his real identity.
Diane is a believable character, angry and flawed but with many redeeming characteristics.
I liked this book a lot, particularly the twists in Niki's story as the book progressed.
May 11, 2020
I enjoyed this book and would go as far as to say it's the best NZ crime novel I've ever read. Having read a lot of Tess Gerritsen and Patricia Cornwell as a young adult, I found Malane's writing was of a similar vein; slick and engaging. I liked that it was set in Wellington and enjoyed the references to well known cafes and beaches. The plot had enough twists to keep me wondering where things would go.
November 1, 2022
A hard to put down thrilling read. Set in my home city, which was interesting, about a missing person expert trying to solve her sister's brutal murder while coping with her own life which is in tatters. She is also trying to work out who an old, decapitated corpse found in the bush might belong to.
Although it is raw in some places it is written with humour and enough intrigue to keep me reading on.
Although it is raw in some places it is written with humour and enough intrigue to keep me reading on.
April 13, 2025
A good thriller, with strong characters. I enjoyed the Wellington setting, and the fast pace.
The main character is interesting but somewhat unlikeable. The plot centres on relationships, family, and the choices one might make. All of which have consequences. Here we are very aware of how the weft and warp of past interactions create the fabric of now. Maybe the ending is a bit lame, but the reader hangs in there to the last word.
The main character is interesting but somewhat unlikeable. The plot centres on relationships, family, and the choices one might make. All of which have consequences. Here we are very aware of how the weft and warp of past interactions create the fabric of now. Maybe the ending is a bit lame, but the reader hangs in there to the last word.
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