Better the Blood The past never truly stays buried. Welcome to the dark side of paradise.

It is deeply rooted in Maori tribes that you shouldn’t take what doesn’t belong to you, but if you do you should return something to restore balance. Something that was honoured over centuries, has been taken away without respecting the ways of the tribes. It started a long time ago, but not been forgotten today it may never be, some may take revenge too far at the cost of innocent lives. New Zealand or Aotearoa is truly a beautiful place, having been there myself I can confirm this. All those idyllic places invite you to explore and enjoy. What might get easily forgotten, are the not-so-talked-about aspects of the past of New Zealand. Sometimes we need to be reminded of this horrible time, and that’s where Better the Blood comes in. Here you can immerse yourself in Maori culture and enjoy a crime thriller all together in one book. As the investigation moves on you learn something about their ancestors and even some of the language. I think that historical information is not a hindrance, it rather makes the story more complex. Which also helps to understand the decisions made in the story. The storyline is easy to understand, and the most suspenseful part is in my opinion close to the end with an unexpected twist or two. I thought the end well well-suited and not wrapped up too quickly. As it has some historical background I describe this book as more than just a crime novel, readers interested in Maori culture might enjoy this story as well.

I have bought this book because I love crime novels and I am interested in the Maori culture as well. So I thought why not give it a try and I was blown away right from the start. I hope that this novel wasn't the last one from Michael Bennett.