‘A sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip-roaring stories with a twist’ Kate Mosse When the body of a young mother is found washed up on the banks of the Mataura River, a small rural community is rocked by her tragic suicide. But all is not what it seems. Sam Shephard, sole-charge police constable in Mataura, soon discovers the death was no suicide and has to face the realisation that … there is a killer in town. To complicate the situation, the murdered woman was the wife of her former lover. When Sam finds herself on the list of suspects and suspended from duty, she must cast aside her personal feelings and take matters into her own hands. To find the murderer … and clear her name. A taut, atmospheric and page-turning thriller, Overkill marks the start of an unputdownable and unforgettable series from one of New Zealand’s finest crime writers. ‘Vanda Symon is part of a new wave of Kiwi crime writers … her talent for creating well-rounded characters permeates throughout’ Crimewatch
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When a young mother is found dead, everything points to it being suicide, but Police Constable Sam Shephard soon uncovers evidence that suggests this might not be the case. As Sam digs deeper, her bosses discover she had previously been in a relationship with the dead woman’s husband and consequently Sam finds herself suspended from duty and suspected of murder.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and is the first in the Sam Shephard series (currently four books). I really like the main character and her way of doing things – she’s gutsy and down to earth and has a directness that’s refreshing in a crime story. She’s also a long way from the usual troubled-cop-with-attitude that is so familiar these days. Vanda Symon’s writing is refreshing, not only in her use of language but in her descriptions of the locations and countryside where the action takes place.
My only gripe concerns the prologue. My feeling is that aside from the fact it’s written from the POV of some all-seeing omnipotent being (whereas the rest of the story is relayed in first-person), I think the book would be a much more interesting read without it, allowing the reader to follow the clues along with the protagonist. Having noticed that the other books start in the same way, I’d be inclined to ignore the prologues and skip straight into the story.
Anyway, all moans aside, this is a cracking good read featuring a likeable and entertaining heroine.
For those of you who are about to discover Vanda Symons, I envy you. She writes believable crime novels set in the South Island of New Zealand. This, in itself, is a novelty, but she writes with fluency and authority, and her protagonist, Sam Sheppard, is believable and clearly the smartest cop in Gore (where her career starts) and Dunedin.
Try to read the books in order. I stumbled on them by chance, and the first book showcases Symons’ talent, and the subsequent ones confirm it. She’s the best NZ crime novelist since Ngaio Marsh, and may well outdo her.
Interesting plot & well developed characters.
I thought this book was well-written with well-drawn characters and it kept my interest to the last page.
Written by New Zealand author Vanda Symon — Sam Shephard, a sole-charge police constable in Mataura (New Zealand), is called to investigate a tragic suicide when the body of a young mother is found washed up on the banks of the Mataura River. The case is complicated by the fact that the victim, Gabriella Knowes is the wife of Shephard’s former lover Lockie Knowes. Things become even more complicated when evidence is uncovered that indicates Gabriella Knowes wasn’t a suicide at all, but a murder victim.
After notifying her superiors that she has a murder case on her hands, Shephard attempts to cast aside her personal feelings and does her best to uncover evidence aimed at identifying Gabriella’s killer. But, once the regional criminal investigators roll into the small rural community to take over the investigation, Sam finds herself on the suspect list and is suspended from duty when her past relationship with the victim’s husband comes to light.
But Shephard is the kind of copper who only ever gives 100 percent to her cases. In spite of warnings from her superiors to stay away from the case, she undertakes her own off the books investigation of the murder. She’s just a little too independent-minded to leave her fate in the hands of others once the finger of guilt has been pointed at her. She must find the murderer, and clear her name. Shephard also feels an obligation to both Gabriella and Lockie to find Gabriella’s killer.