Carved in Blood

June in New Zealand means a chilly winter. But it also marks the rising of the sacred stars known as the Matarike, launching the start of the Māori New Year. “When Matarike rises, it is a time for remembering the dead; a time for saying goodbye. And it is also a time for starting anew.” Like the sacred Matarike celebrations, Bennett’s emotionally charged third Hana Westerman mystery (after Better the Blood and Return to Blood) revolves around a series of transitions, in which beloved characters say goodbye to loved ones and embark on new directions in their lives. Returning from festivities in his ex-wife Hana’s hometown, Detective Inspector Jaye Hamilton stops at an Auckland convenience store to pick up champagne to celebrate his daughter’s engagement when he is shot and seriously wounded by a balaclava-wearing assailant. The getaway car is quickly found and a young Māori man, Toa Davis, is implicated in the crime. But Hana, who has asked to join the investigation as a temporary constable, soon suspects that this was no random assault but a targeted attack. Could it be connected to Jaye’s work as an undercover cop years ago? Māori author Bennett delves deeper into New Zealand’s aboriginal culture (with helpful footnotes translating Māori words) while exploring the deeply embedded racism that the country’s first peoples face. An open-ended conclusion will have fans eagerly awaiting the next installment.