PUBLISHERS BLURB
Chaos reigns in the sleepy village of Aramoana on the New Zealand coast, when a series of shipping containers wash up on the beach and looting begins.
Detective Constable Sam Shephard experiences the desperation of the scavengers first-hand, and ends up in an ambulance, nursing her wounds and puzzling over an assault that left her assailant for dead.
What appears to be a clear-cut case of a cargo ship running aground soon takes a more sinister turn when a skull is found in the sand, and the body of a diver is pulled from the sea … a diver who didn’t die of drowning…
As first officer at the scene, Sam is handed the case, much to the displeasure of her superiors, and she must put together an increasingly confusing series of clues to get to the bottom of a mystery that may still have more victims…
MY REVIEW
#3 in the Sam Shephard series, but can also be read as a stand-alone.
Set in the Small town of Dunedin, New Zealand, (which the author describes so well I feel I know it)…A cargo ship has run aground and shipping containers are strewn across the beach, so obviously people see this as an opportunity to loot. The police arrive amid the mayhem and DC Sam Shephard arrives only to be assaulted by one of the looters.
A skull is found on the beach and an investigation begins, for there only then to be found a divers body in a nasty state. Sam is heavily concussed, but with just a few days rest she’s back and searching for the truth….
I loved Sam, with her messy personal life, her family and her dogged determination at work. She’s strong, feisty, full of a dark humour and stubborn to say the least.
The amazing plot will keep you guessing, with plenty of twists and red herrings that all come together in a perfect and satisfying end. A marvel of creative writing by Vanda Symon and I was hooked from start to finish in this refreshingly original and totally compelling crime thriller. Brilliant.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/39ZQfe1
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vanda Symon is a crime writer, TV presenter and radio host from Dunedin, New Zealand, and the chair of the Otago Southland branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors. The Sam Shephard series has climbed to number one on the New Zealand bestseller list, and also been shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for best crime novel. She currently lives in Dunedin, with her husband and two sons.
Praise for Vanda Symon
Vanda Symon’s fast-paced crime novels are as good as anything the US has to offer – a sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip- roaring stories with a twist. Perfect curl-up-on-the-sofa reading’
Kate Mosse
‘Symon’s talent for creating well-rounded characters permeates throughout’ Crimewatch • ‘A plot that grabs the reader’s attention with a heart-stopping opening and doesn’t let go’
Sunday Times Crime Club
‘Powerful, cooly assured, and an absolute belter of a read’
Liz Robinson, LoveReading
‘It is Symon’s copper Sam, self- deprecating and very human, who represents the writer’s real achievement’
Barry Forshaw, The Guardian •
‘This one’s a cracker’
Liam McIlvanney
‘Reads like the polished effort of a genre veteran. More, please’
David Pitt, Booklist
White Tulip 