Michael Bennett: Return to Blood
Hana Westerman #2
This is an interesting new series. In the first novel, New Zealand cop Hana Westerman took down a serial killer – and then walks away from the job. She’s not just a New Zealander, she’s a Māori. The Māori culture is infused into both books, lending them an interest and snap. She was conflicted in book one: is she a Māori, or is she a cop? Is she meant to enforce laws against her own people? In book two she’s back in the tiny seaside town where she grew up, living down the street from her father, Eru. Her daughter, Addison, and her roommate, PLUS 1, are back in Auckland living in Hana’s old place – and to Hana’s annoyance their new puppy is peeing all over her beloved garden.