THE GRIPPING NEW THRILLER FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF BETTER THE BLOOD AND RETURN TO BLOOD.

In the depths of the bleak New Zealand winter comes the rising of Matariki – a sacred constellation in Māori culture, heralding a time of new beginnings. For former Detective Senior Sergeant Hana Westerman, life is good: her work in her hometown of Tātā Bay is going well, the community is thriving, and her daughter Addison is getting engaged.
 
But this Matariki brings unwelcome change. When Hana’s ex-husband Jaye walks into an Auckland liquor store and directly across the path of a gunman, their family’s hard-won peace is shattered.
 
With the stakes at their highest, Hana finds herself picking up a path she thought she’d never return to. Desperate for answers, she rejoins the police to help scour the city for the unidentified shooter. But as the investigation progresses, she finds herself unprepared for the darkness of the world she is entering.
 
A darkness much closer to home than she knows.

‘Marries a crash course in Māori culture with a gripping mystery . . . The good news is that Westerman will be back’ The Times, Best Crime & Thrillers of 2025

‘Cogently plotted and well-written, this novel brings a new perspective to Māori culture’ Belfast Telegraph

‘With Australian thrillers doing well right now, New Zealand’s hot on their heels’ Peterborough Telegraph

PRAISE FOR MICHAEL BENNETT:

'Stunning . . . Hana Westerman, the Māori detective at the centre of the story, instantly becomes one of the great characters in crime fiction on any continent' David Heska Wanbli Weiden
'As page-turning as it is eye-opening. An excitingly fresh perspective upon a world you thought you knew' Ambrose Parry
'Bennett opens a unique window onto a fascinating Antipodean society as only world-class crime fiction can' Deon Meyer
'A significant addition to Indigenous literature' Kirkus Reviews 
'Bennett is a writer to watch' Publishers Weekly