It was really good to read this book, the second book in the Hana Westerman series.

Hana is no longer a police officer but she certainly thinks like one and she gets a little bit too involved when a body turns up in the sand dunes close to her house.

This is a complicated case for the police to solve and the fact that Hana's ex is a serving police officer doesn't help.

As with the first book, I loved all the references to Maori culture and I learned a few more words and concepts!

4.5 stars from me. Hoping there will be a third book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic.

A great sequel to Better the Blood. The next installment in the Hanna Westerman Thriller series extends Hanna’s story and sees the detective leave the force, solve the crime and face some truths about herself, her life and her family. Although not as gripping as the first book I love that the reader gets to know all the main characters better setting us up for more sequels.

This is book two in the series. It’s not quite as compelling as book one but it is very good. I’ve not read many books set in the Auckland area and it’s a nice change of pace. Hana is a fascinating character and I enjoyed this episode of hers and look forward to what’s next! I very much enjoyed the expansion of supporting characters and returning ones from book one.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

In Return to Blood, the gripping sequel to Better the Blood, Michael Bennett takes us on another thrilling journey through the heart of Māori culture and crime. Return to Blood, the second novel in the Hana Westerman Thriller series, immerses readers in a skillfully rendered narrative that weaves mysticism, family ties, and a decades-old murder mystery.

Synopsis: Two decades after Māori detective Hana Westerman investigated the killing of a young woman in New Zealand’s Tātā Bay, her daughter stumbles upon the bones of another victim in the same patch of sand. Tormented by the first case, which likely led to the wrongful conviction of a former gang member, Hana quit the Auckland police force and moved back home to escape “the darkness.” But when given a chance to revisit the case, she becomes determined to find the killer of the recent victim, Kiri—a troubled teen who disappeared four years ago.

🌿 Cultural: Bennett’s strength lies in his ability to immerse readers in Māori culture. From mysticism to the tension between traditional and modern lawmaking in New Zealand, the novel delves deep into the complexities of identity, heritage, and justice. Hana’s struggle to balance her roots with the demands of the present adds layers of authenticity to the story.

Characters: Hana Westerman is a multilayered protagonist. Her relationships with family, colleagues, and her ailing adoptive father are integral to the plot. The ex-cop’s determination to uncover the truth, despite lacking official authority, drives the narrative forward. Bennett also explores her daughter Addison’s fraught relationships, adding depth to the overall tapestry.

🌊 Atmosphere: The dunes overlooking the sea in Tātā Bay serve as a haunting backdrop. Bennett’s vivid descriptions evoke a sense of place—the whispers of the past, the crashing waves, and the weight of unresolved mysteries. Readers will feel the sand beneath their feet and the chill of the ocean breeze.

 Surprises: As Hana investigates, unexpected connections emerge. The shocking twist at the end leaves us questioning assumptions and reevaluating the characters’ motives. Bennett masterfully keeps us guessing until the final pages of this exciting standout novel.

After reading and loving Better the Blood earlier this year, I knew I had to read the sequel as soon as I could. I'm happy to say this one is just as good as the first!

In Return to Blood, Hana Westerman and the rest of the cast returns with a different, but still very intriguing, mystery. I loved the characters and the pacing, and I especially enjoyed learning more about Maori culture.

I can't wait for the next book in this incredible series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

After the first book Better the Blood, Hana Westerman has hung up her badge. She moves to take care of her aging father but finds herself in the middle of a new crime scene that has similarities to a murder of a classmate when she was in high school. Now Hana finds herself wanting to uncover the perpetrators, but she is no longer a cop.

I love the New Zealand setting for this mystery series and the character development. I found the crimes in this chapter interesting, but some of the writing was very uneven for me. The beginning was very slow and some of the writing was not that great. I did really like the storyline and the characters but feel this could have done with a little more editing. I am interested to see what Hana does next.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Set in present-day New Zealand, Return to Blood is worth reading, not just for its plot and characters, but for its depiction of a society that has embraced indigenous culture. Maybe "embraced" is too generous a word, but the interactions, the inclusion of ritual and community structures are genuine.

Return to Blood is a two-timeline mystery. Hana Westerman, a Maori and a former member of the Auckland Criminal Investigation Bureau, has resigned from law enforcement and moved back to the small coastal village where she was raised. When a young woman's skeletonized remains are discovered in the dunes by Hana's daughter, Hana can't help but want to pursue the case, even though she shouldn't be. Hana's desire to investigate is inspired not only by her daughter's discovery of the remains, but also by a similar case more than twenty years ago in the same location. Someone was tried and convicted for that murder, but the new discovery opens up the possibility that the wrong man was convicted and that there may be more remains waiting to be discovered.

The plotting is excellent—and the characters are every bit as satisfying. Besides Hana, readers meet her former colleagues, who are understandably uncomfortable with her interest in the case; Hana's daughter Addison and Addison's nonbinary house mate (and perhaps partner) PLUS1, an aspiring rap/turntable duo; Eru, Hana's father, who has strong memories of the first murder and who is convinced the wrong man was convicted; a cousin bitter that Hana has returned and her son who desperately wants to move on to a life more glamorous and wealthy than anything that's possible at home.

I hadn't realized when I began this book that it was the second in a series. I am very much hoping there will be a third, and a fourth, and a fifth, and.... I had no trouble following Return to Blood because Bennett is deft at providing contextual information without beating readers over the head with it. Muticulturalism, a complex plot, and characters a reader is eager to meet—all of these mean I'm looking forward to more. I also want to say that, if you're a reader of mysteries and don't know this series, you're in for a treat. Get going!

I received a free elevtronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

An excellent detective novel with rounded characters and interesting background stories revolving around family, relationships and culture. Not as gritty or suspenseful as Book 1.

Solving the murders as a reader was not as straightforward as it seemed. There were several situations in the plot which threw up ethical questions and caused the reader to contemplate "Does the end justify the means?"

I enjoyed the personal journey of the main character and that of her daughter. I look forward to following the ongoing course their lives take if another book is added to this series.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The past comes back with a bang when Hana's daughter Addison stumbles on a skeleton in the dunes. Hana may have resigned her badge and moved home but she's determine to find out what happened to the young woman-Kiri-and to Paige, who was killed years ago as well. It moves between Kiri telling part of her story in the first person and Hana's investigation. This is a well done procedural with great characters not only in Hana but also her father Eru, her cousin Eyes, PLUS 1, and the rest. It's also atmospheric- Maori words appeared throughout and Maori culture is woven throughout the story. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Don't worry if you missed the first book (although you've missed a really good read) this will be fine as a standalone and then you, like me, will be looking forward to more from Bennett.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy!

This was a really good second installment in the Hana Westerman series. I think I liked it even better than the first. I liked that it involved a cold case, and that she was in an unofficial capacity and more like a PI than as a detective. It was less gory than the first which I also liked.

The setting and the inclusion of Maori language and culture were high points for me as well.

Well the gangs all back for this second installment. Hana, who is now a private citizen working part-time for her community and a private investigator friend since leaving the force after the last case (from the last installment). Her daughter, Addison, is back too, and is living with her non-binary roommate, Plus 1, now that Hana has left Auckland and moved back to her hometown, Tata Bay, to be closer to her aging father, Eru. I loved the conversation between Eru and Plus 1 about the definition of non-binary. LOVE ERU!!! It was a nice bonding moment between the two. Ex-hubby, Jaye, is also back, and struggling to save his marriage after what happened in the last installment. There is also Stan, Hana’s former partner, who is on desk duty after he lost part of his leg in the last installment.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about the first installment was all of the Māori history and how Bennett weaved it into the storyline. I’m happy to report, there is more of that in this installment. I also liked how Bennett footnoted the Māori words and definitions. I love learning new stuff about the stories I read and enjoy. As the book summary states, there are really two storylines going on here: what really happened to Paige Andrews, 20yrs ago and what happened to Kiri Thomas four years ago? Are they related? This is what Hana and Addison want to know and they do some investigating of their own now that the police don’t want to really devote the time and resources to do a thorough investigation.

The story flips back and forth between the present and the past, four years ago. It also flips back and forth between Kiri (when she was alive) and in the present with Hana and Addison and their separate investigations that they’re trying to keep from each other – at least at first. There is also a storyline around one of Hana’s reluctant students from Hana’s community program where she and Eru teach the youth of Tata Bay to drive. I say reluctant because while the student, Timoti, does not know how to drive, he thinks he doesn’t need a teacher to teach him because he is smart enough to learn on his own. Timoti is Hana’s nephew, the son of a cousin, Eyes, who can’t stand Hana and talks crap about her every time she sees her.

It’s well into the second half that the two different cases begin to merge into a shocking end that I did not see coming. The conclusion to the Timoti storyline was also really intense and scary. However, the very ending, and that last comment from Jaye to Hana, was the ending that I had been hoping for throughout the whole book. I love it when that happens.

I can’t wait until the next installment to see where Michael Bennett takes the series and what he has in store for Hana and the rest of her loved ones. The characterization was really good for most of the MC’s and the pacing was fine. Even though the first half didn’t have as much action as the second half, one of the joys of the appeal of crime thrillers are the investigations; that’s my favorite part. The storylines and writing were wonderful. Once again, I love all the Maori stories and history and even the footnotes of the definitions of the Maori words, phrases, and places. Some people might find that annoying, but I don’t. I’m looking at a rating of 4.3 and am rounding down to a 4star read. I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #GroveAtlantic #ReturntoBlood

New Zealand author Michael Bennett’s Return to Blood (2024) is another Hana Westerman crime mystery. Hana is back in her hometown, after resigning as a Detective Sergeant in Aukland CIB. She is teaching local youth to get their driver’s licenses and working the odd private investigator case. When her daughter discovers female remains in the sand dunes, Hana decides to look into it further. Hana’s daughter keeps dreaming of the young woman and Hanna wonders whether the placement of the body is connected to a similar discovery twenty-one years earlier. A nicely built up tension, a dangerous confrontation and Hana’s actions place her in grave danger. The compelling narrative has richly drawn characters and seamlessly interwoven Māori cultural links, which makes for a delightfully engaging crime mystery. A fine standalone must-read classic detective tale that has a five stars rating. With thanks to Inkubator Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

I was eagerly awaiting this next instalment to the Hana Westerman series, and it did not disappoint! Another fantastic tale that weaves together the skills of a great storyteller, a compelling storyline and wonderful characters. Two mysteries across two timelines are incorporated into the book, and through these, the intricacies of the justice system here in 'post-colonial' Aotearoa-NZ as it collides with being a Māori woman and a relational human being are explored with empathy and sensitivity. To say that I look forward to the writer's next novel is an understatement!

Full thoughts to be posted on instagram. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this complimentary copy!

Return to Blood is a fantastic sequel to Michael Bennett's adult fiction debut, Better than Blood. That was fabulous, but I think this sequel may be even better. It's five years after the events covered in Better than Blood. Hana Westerman has resigned from the police and is living a quiet live in her small coastal hometown. Or she was until her daughter accidentally discovers some bones buried in the sand dunes, the same dunes the body of another young woman, a girl who had attended the same school as Hana, twenty years earlier. Hana may no longer be a member of the police but she can't stop herself from investigating unofficially.

The plot in this book is decidedly less high octane compared to its predecessor, which leaves the author space to focus a little more on Hana as a person. We see her relationship with her father Eru and her concerns about his possible dementia and her relationship with a cousin Eyes, who believes Hana thinks she is better than those who never left Tata Bay and whose son, Hana discovers, has fallen in with a dangerous crowd. We see Hana as a mother to Addision, as a friend and ex-colleague, and also witness her interactions with ex-husband Jaye and his wife, whose marriage is under threat due in part to Hana. I loved the balance between plot - and make no mistake, this is a cracking crime novel - and character, but it may not be to the taste of those who loved Bennett's former book for its fast paced high stakes plot.

The other aspect of this book that I really loved was the way it was steeped in the Māori world. Plenty of te reo is incorporated, with translations helpfully provided for those not familiar with the language, readers see the important role Eru plays in the community, a kaumātua providing advice , guidance and practical help, particularly to young people. The novel also incorporates Māori mythology, tradition, and worldview, with dreams and premonitions being significant to at least two of the characters.

The ending came with a twist, which I partially foresaw.That reveal felt a little rushed - my main criticism of this book, and really it's a minor quibble. The ending \hinted at a possible return to the police for Hana... and presumably more books in the series, something which would make this reader very happy.
Thanks to @netgalley and @groveatlantic for the eARC. Return to Blood is out in New Zealand now and releases in the US on 21 March.

After reading and loving Better the Blood I was so excited to jump into another Kiwi murder mystery thriller. Little did I know the journey of culture, heartbreak and family drama I would enter into reading Return To Blood.

This book despite not being about a serial killer, somehow felt more traumatic and harrowing than Better the Blood and I just like the first book in the series I was hooked straight away. The unravelling of the two murders in the dunes was artfully done and the twists and turns in this book kept everything well paced right til the last chapter.

Michael Bennett managers to write all of his characters with a wonderful clarity, and this book had a wonderful Lovely Bones Esq narrative style which I found engaging. Every characters POV is so distinct and clear, from their inner monologues, to their outward dialogues they scream the different classes they were raised in and this book should feel familiar to anyone who was spent any time in New Zealand. If you haven’t spent any time here this book has some great Māori representation and even as a kiwi I learnt a huge amount about Māori culture and language just from this book.

Highly recommend for fans of NZ Fiction or Thrillers.

Michael Bennett’s Better The Blood was one of my favourite crime debuts of last year. Featuring Auckland detective Hana Westerman, it was a richly described crime novel that encompassed the tropes of the serial killer thriller and the legacy of New Zealand’s colonial past.

In Bennett’s second novel, Return To Blood, Hana has left Auckland and her career as a detective behind and has settled for a quieter life in a small coastal town. Her hopes of a more peaceful existence are shattered, however, when a skeleton is discovered in the dunes near her house. The remains are those of a young Māori woman who went missing five years before. Hana has a connection to the case and to another similar death. Twenty years ago, a schoolfriend of hers was found buried in the exact same spot. Her killer died in prison, but did the police get the wrong man? And if he was innocent, then why did he plead guilty? No longer part of the Criminal Investigation Branch, Hana turns to her former colleagues for assistance, but soon realises that she will have to find the answers that she needs on her own.

Return To Blood is a great second novel by Bennett. The plotting is clever, and the characters are fully fleshed out and interesting. The pacing is a little slow at times, but the story has real depth to it, and the cultural commentary and reflections on modern society are fascinating. A side story involving a young relation of Hana is also compelling, and the novel builds to a powerful conclusion that grips and surprises. There is also a good final reveal that comes as a real shock.

Supplementing Hana’s investigation are post mortem reflections by the second dead girl, Kiri, which add an extra dimension to the story and plenty of poignancy. They also provide a sad reflection on the impact of drugs and tragedy on lives.

Return To Blood is a powerful novel that stays in the mind long after it is finished.

4.5 - rounded up

🌊Gripping suspense that I couldn't put down!👍

Unpredictable and full of complex relationships and emotions, Return to Blood was a fantastic read!

It revolves around two young women murdered decades apart whose remains are discovered on the same remote New Zealand beach dunes near former New Zealand police detective Hana Westerman's beach refuge after her abrupt resignation from the police force after a high profile case. Hana has returned to her hometown to find peace and less stressful purpose after abandoning a promising police career, but she is caught in conflict, unable to turn her back on her investigative expertise when an unsolved crime turns up on her local turf. Family is a vital element in the story, as is her Maori cultural heritage.

The story seemed to race by and the ending was totally unexpected; I was sad to see it end! Definitely recommended.

Thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

This is the follow up to Better the Blood which I loved, and hated that the lead character, Hana Westerman, was leaving behind law enforcement, and which seemed to end the series. But the author found and adept way at bringing her back to the edges, with her former colleagues, in a case that literally comes to her door. In this book Hana is able link the found body to a high school classmate, and soon she has a personal stake in solving the crime. It's a great way to introduce the reader to Maori beliefs and practices, while solving a mystery, making for an unique read, that is like a breath of fresh air on the genre. Don't miss this series!

Easy to read as a standalone but part of the ongoing Hana Westerman series, this atmospheric story is packed with Māori culture. Return to Blood is an engaging book that is full of excitement.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Really loved this sequel to "Better the Blood." Michael Bennett's new book is another suspensefull story set in New Zealand. In addition to the mystery, I appreciated learning more about Maori cultural and the gorgeous scenery. Great character development as well. This story had a twist that I didn't see coming. I hope Bennett will continue this series with Hana Westerman. Highly recommended.