Dunedin's favourite young police officer Sam Shephard is drawn into a perplexing investigation when a series of shipping containers wash up on a sleepy New Zealand beach, and a spate of unexplained deaths ensues...
'Fast-moving New Zealand procedural ... the Edinburgh of the south has never been more deadly' Ian Rankin
'If you like taut, pacy thrillers with a wonderful sense of place, this is the book for you' Liam McIlvanney
'A sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip-roaring stories with a twist. Perfect curl-up-on-the-sofa reading' Kate Mosse
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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...]]> Sun, 01 Nov 2020 17:10:17 +0200 https://library.land/vanda-symon/643385-expectant.html https://library.land/vanda-symon/643385-expectant.html

A pregnant Sam Shephard investigates the murder of an expectant mother in Dunedin, as it becomes clear that the killer is ready to strike again ... Queen of New Zealand Crime, Vanda Symon, returns with a shocking, twisty new Sam Shephard thriller...
'From the opening pages, this story left me gasping for breath' Michael Robotham
'Chillingly intense with a finely honed sense of place ... Vanda Symon knows Dunedin and brings it vibrantly to life in this fast-paced thriller' Craig Robertson
'An excellent thriller, definitely one of the best of this year. Vanda Symon is a master of characterisation, plot and dialogue ... I loved every moment' Liz Nugent 
'New Zealand's modern Queen of Crime' Val McDermid
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A killer targeting pregnant women.
A detective expecting her first baby...
The shocking murder of a heavily pregnant woman throws the New Zealand city of Dunedin into a...]]> Tue, 18 Apr 2023 22:05:30 +0300 https://library.land/vanda-symon/577745-bound.html https://library.land/vanda-symon/577745-bound.html

When the official investigation into the murder of a respectable local businessman fails to add up, and personal problems start to play havoc with her state of mind, New Zealand's favourite young detective Sam Shephard turns vigilante...
‘Fast-moving New Zealand procedural ... the Edinburgh of the south has never been more deadly' Ian Rankin
'If you like taut, pacy thrillers with a wonderful sense of place, this is the book for you' Liam McIlvanney
‘A sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip-roaring stories with a twist. Perfect curl-up-on-the-sofa reading' Kate Mosse
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The New Zealand city of Dunedin is rocked when a wealthy and apparently respectable businessman is murdered in his luxurious home while his wife is bound and gagged, and forced to watch. But when Detective Sam Shephard and her team start investigating the case, they discover that the victim had links with some dubious...]]> Mon, 03 Feb 2020 14:25:30 +0200 https://library.land/vanda-symon/617378-faceless.html https://library.land/vanda-symon/617378-faceless.html

A stressed, middle-aged man picks up a teenage escort and commits an unspeakable crime, unaware that a homeless man – her only real friend – will do anything to find her. A shocking, race-against-the-clock, standalone thriller from the Queen of New Zealand Crime.
'Astonishingly good ... compelling, horrifying, intriguing and entertaining. One of the best thrillers I've read this year' Liz Nugent
'New Zealand's modern Queen of Crime' Val McDermid
'Fans of The Dry will love Vanda Symon' Red Magazine
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Worn down by a job he hates, and a stressful family life, middle-aged, middle-class Bradley picks up a teenage escort and commits an unspeakable crime. Now she's tied up in his warehouse, and he doesn't know what to...]]> Mon, 19 Sep 2022 09:50:50 +0300 https://library.land/vanda-symon/509236-the_ringmaster.html https://library.land/vanda-symon/509236-the_ringmaster.html
Death is stalking the southern South Island of New Zealand...Marginalised by previous antics, Sam Shephard, is on the bottom rung of detective training in Dunedin, and her boss makes sure she knows it. She gets involved in her first homicide investigation, when a university student is murdered in the Botanic Gardens, and Sam soon discovers this is not an isolated incident. There is a chilling prospect of a predator loose in Dunedin, and a very strong possibility that the deaths are linked to a visiting circus...Determined to find out who's running the show, and to prove herself, Sam throws herself into an investigation that can have only one ending...Rich with atmosphere, humour and a dark, shocking plot, The Ringmaster marks the return of passionate, headstrong police officer, Sam Shephard, in the next instalment of Vanda Symon's bestselling series.]]> Tue, 19 Nov 2019 14:25:48 +0200 https://library.land/vanda-symon/219186-overkill.html https://library.land/vanda-symon/219186-overkill.html
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
'A sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and...]]> Fri, 16 Nov 2018 22:22:14 +0200