Back in February, I reviewed Māori writer Michael Bennett's Better the Blood as one of my Best Reads of 2023. My gently read copy of the book, purchased from The Poisoned Pen, has been sitting on my desk ever since. I think it's more than ready to be given away, don't you? I have a feeling that some of you armchair traveling sleuths who read my blog would like to solve a crime in New Zealand.
Here's the synopsis of Better the Blood to refresh your memory:
"A tenacious Māori detective, Hana Westerman juggles single
motherhood, endemic prejudice, and the pressures of her career in
Auckland CIB. Led to a crime scene by a mysterious video, she discovers a
man ritualistically hanging in a secret room and a puzzling
inward-curving inscription. Delving into the investigation after a
second, apparently unrelated, death, she uncovers a chilling connection
to an historic crime: 160 years before, during the brutal and bloody
British colonization of New Zealand, a troop of colonial soldiers
unjustly executed a Māori Chief.
Hana realizes that the murders are utu—the Māori tradition of rebalancing for the crime committed eight generations ago. There were six soldiers in the British troop, and since descendants of two of the soldiers have been killed, four more potential murders remain. Hana is thus hunting New Zealand’s first serial killer.
The
pursuit soon becomes frighteningly personal, recalling the painful
event, two decades before, when Hana, then a new cop, was part of a
police team sent to end by force a land rights occupation by indigenous
peoples on the same ancestral mountain where the Chief was killed,
calling once more into question her loyalty to her roots. Worse still, a
genealogical link to the British soldiers brings the case terrifyingly
close to Hana’s own family. Twisty and thought-provoking, Better the Blood is the debut of a remarkable new talent in crime fiction."
Now let's get down to the basics!
~~~ What You'll Win ~~~
One gently read hardcover edition of Michael Bennett's Better the Blood.
~~~ Who's Eligible ~~~
Due to the high cost of postage, only those of you who live in the U.S. are eligible to enter and win this book.
~~~ The Rules ~~~
- Send an email to kittlingbooks(at)gmail(dot)com.
- The subject header of your email must read BENNETT GIVEAWAY.
- The body of your email must contain your name and mailing address.
- Get your entries to me no later than noon, Saturday, April 29, 2023.
The
winners will be announced Saturday evening, April 29, 2023, and the book
will be in the mail to the winner by the following Tuesday at the latest.
Now it's time to fill my inbox with entries! Good Luck!
How generous! Someone's going to be a lucky winner!
ReplyDeleteYes, they are. I'd love to be able to read this book for the first time again.
DeleteThanks. This is one I want to read, Hiw could I not?
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Kathy. Good luck!
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