Words — Karen McMillan, bestselling author
karenm.co.nz | nzbooklovers.co.nz
Haze
Sam Elliott
Constable Dahlia Turner is checking properties to ensure residents have evacuated as wildfires threaten their coastal Australian town, when she comes across the unimaginable – two of her close friends murdered and their son missing. With a sinister cult suspected of arson, Dahlia is on a race against time to find the missing boy as the fires burn, while her past collides brutally with the present. Atmospheric, twisty and gut-wrenching.
Macmillan, RRP $38
The Other Catherine
Lauren Keenan
Lauren Keenan returns to the terrain she writes so well: the lives of women caught in the undertow of history. This is a sweeping novel that threads together two worlds and timelines. In 1793, eighteen-year-old Catherine is on a convict ship bound for New South Wales. A century later in Aotearoa, we meet Keita, a Māori matriarch, after the devastation of her whānau. A previous NZ Booklovers Award winner.
Penguin, RRP $38
The Blood Says Otherwise
Ruben Miller
This book is utterly fascinating, blending crime and memoir. Ruben Miller has spent more than two decades as a forensic scientist, visiting crime scenes and gathering evidence. There are murders, gang violence and cold cases. Miller takes the reader behind the police tape, showing how small details matter, written with honesty and dark humour. He also shares the impact his work has had on his own life.
HarperCollins, RRP $40
LinkedIn: Ruben Miller
theforensicscientist.com
MEDesque
Georgina Hayden
With 110 recipes inspired by the coastlines of Italy, Spain, the Baltic, and beyond, this gorgeous hardback cookbook offers easy yet flavourful dishes that celebrate the best of Mediterranean cuisine, along with photography that will transport you to sun-kissed days. Joyful, comforting food with liberal use of olive oil and fresh ingredients. The author worked with Jamie Oliver for 12 years before writing her own cookbooks.
Bloomsbury, RRP $60
