Better the Blood: The compelling debut that introduces Hana Westerman, a tenacious Maori detective

**Shortlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, Ockham New Zealand Book Awards** **Longlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger** 'A compelling, atmospheric page turner with an authentic insight into Maori culture' Val McDermid A DETECTIVE IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH. A KILLER IN SEARCH OF RETRIBUTION. A CLASH BETWEEN CULTURE AND DUTY. THE PAST NEVER TRULY STAYS BURIED. Hana Westerman is a tenacious Ma ori detective juggling single motherhood and the pressures of her career in Auckland's Central Investigation Branch. When she's led to a crime scene by a mysterious video, she discovers a man hanging in a secret room. As Hana and her team work to track down the killer, other deaths lead her to think that they are searching for New Zealand's first serial killer. With little to go on, Hana must use all her experience as a police officer to try and find a motive to these apparently unrelated murders. What she eventually discovers is a link to an historic crime that leads back to the brutal bloody colonisation of New Zealand. When the pursuit becomes frighteningly personal, Hana realises that her heritage and knowledge are their only keys to finding the killer. But as the murders continue, it seems that the killer's agenda of revenge may include Hana - and her family . . . WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE OF PARADISE. 'A tensely plotted, gritty crime novel that has the courage to force us all to rethink our relationship with the past' Vaseem Khan