Hana Westerman is a Māori detective juggling single motherhood and the pressure of her career in Auckland's Central Investigation Branch. When mysterious videos lead her to multiple bodies that are seemingly unrelated, Hana finds herself chasing New Zealand's first serial killer. While Hana is busy figuring out the connection behind the deaths, she is also forced to confront her past actions when she was a junior police officer and her Māori identity working in the police force.

BETTER THE BLOOD is a fast-paced mystery thriller that reads like a movie. As someone who has trouble visualizing books, I could almost "see" the actions in my head while listening to the audiobook.

I particularly love the inclusion of Māori philosophy, tradition, and history in BETTER THE BLOOD and exploring the cultural nuance as a Māori detective. In the book, Bennett asks the reader: Can justice be achieved from within the system? How do we forgive but not forget the brutality of colonialism? What do reparations mean to our community and us as an individual?

I'm in no way comparing the oppression experienced by different communities. But for those who read THE TREES (Percival Everett) and wanted more examination of POC in the police force and the complexities of being used as a tool to oppress one's own community, BETTER THE BLOOD is a powerful and riveting book that goes deeper into this topic.

Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC