Sam Shephard Series

When the body of a young mother is found on the banks of New Zealand's Mataura River, young female police constable Sam Shephard begins an investigation, with horrifying and very personal implications. Book one in an addictive, atmospheric new series. *** SHORTLISTED for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger 2019*** ***SHORTLISTED for the Ngaio Marsh Award*** 'The tensions within a tightknit village, along with various aspects of Kiwi society, are laid out with real authority, but it is Symon's copper Sam, self-deprecating and very human, who represents the writer's real achievement' Guardian 'Lively evocation of small-town life, with a plot that grabs the reader's attention with a heart-stopping opening and doesn't let go' The Times 'An achievement that blends heart-stopping thrills with deep, believable characters in a stark New Zealand setting. It will leave readers reaching for the next Sam Shephard mystery' Foreword Reviews –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 'A sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip-roaring stories with a twist' Kate Mosse 'Symon has created a compelling series lead, and her treatment of small-town New Zealand is superbly atmospheric. This one's a cracker' Liam McIlvanney 'Overkill certainly feels like the beginning of something great. It's a clever first novel and a dark thriller that's well-paced and well-plotted ... with a satisfying and fitting ending' CultureFly 'Symon nicely balances action, character and story in a well-drawn rural setting, and realistically speckles the book with light-hearted moments and humour throughout' Kiwi Crime 'Powerful, coolly assured, and an absolute belter of a read' LoveReading 'The key to the novel for me is definitely the humorous portrayal of the one-woman police band, both extremely naÏve and too eager to prove herself in the eyes of her superiors and against the silent backdrop of her parents' disappointment' Crime Review 'With a twisty plot, a protagonist who shines and beautifully written observations of the cruellest things, Overkill is crime fiction at its best and this is an outstanding book. I predict that this series is going to soar here in the UK and it deserves to' Crime Watch ‘The author’s style of storytelling is smooth and engaging, making Overkill very easy to read, which is enough to keep you cranking through the pages. The ending is a cracker … We’ll look forward to the next in the series because with the author’s storytelling skills, the first is a pleasure to read’ Crime Fiction Lover ‘Overkill is Symon’s first novel, but it reads like the polished effort of a genre veteran. More, please’ Booklist

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 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 Shephard experiences the desperation of the scavengers first-hand, and ends up in an ambulance, nursing her wounds and puzzling over an assault that left her assailant for dead. What appears to be a clear-cut case of a cargo ship running aground soon takes a more sinister turn when a skull is found in the sand, and the body of a diver is pulled from the sea ... a diver who didn't die of drowning... As first officer at the scene, Sam is handed the case, much to the displeasure of her superiors, and she must put together an increasingly confusing series of clues to get to the bottom of a mystery that may still have more victims... –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 'Vanda Symon's work resembles Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series rather than the mysteries of her compatriot Ngaio Marsh. However, she knows how to tell a good story and the NZ setting adds spice to the flapdoodle' The Times 'It is Symon's copper Sam, self-deprecating and very human, who represents the writer's real achievement' Guardian 'Antipodean-set crime is riding high thanks to the likes of Jane Harper, and fans of The Dry will love Vanda Symon' Red Magazine 'With a twisty plot, a protagonist who shines and beautifully written observations of the cruellest things ... this is crime fiction at its best' Kiwi Crime 'Atmospheric, gripping and incredibly satisfying' Random Things through My Letterbox 'Raw, honest, punchy and smirky ... if you enjoy a quick-firing, fast-moving tale with a tight storyline, then Containment could be for you' LoveReading

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 ________________ 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 characters. The case seems cut and dried, but Sam has other ideas. Weighed down by her dad's terminal cancer diagnosis, and by complications in her relationship with Paul, she needs a distraction, and launches her own investigation. And when another murder throws the official case into chaos, it's up to Sam to prove that the killer is someone no one could ever suspect... ________________ Praise for the Sam Shephard series 'Vanda Symon's work resembles Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series ... she knows how to tell a good story and the NZ setting adds spice' The Times 'Atmospheric, emotional and gripping' Foreword Reviews 'A plot that grabs the reader's attention with a heart-stopping opening and doesn't let go' Sunday Times 'Powerful, coolly assured, and an absolute belter of a read' LoveReading 'It is Symon's copper Sam, self-deprecating and very human, who represents the writer's real achievement' Guardian 'Fans of The Dry will love Vanda Symon' Red Magazine 'With a twisty plot, a protagonist who shines and beautifully written observations of the cruellest things ... this is crime fiction at its best' Kiwi Crime 'Reads like the polished effort of a genre veteran. More, please' Booklist 'Atmospheric, gripping and incredibly satisfying' Random Things through My Letterbox

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... 'New Zealand's modern Queen of Crime' Val McDermid 'Fans of The Dry will love Vanda Symon' Red Magazine The shocking murder of a heavily pregnant woman throws the New Zealand city of Dunedin into a tailspin, and the devastating crime feels uncomfortably close to home for Detective Sam Shephard as she counts down the days to her own maternity leave. Confined to a desk job in the department, Sam must find the missing link between this brutal crime and a string of cases involving mothers and children in the past. As the pieces start to come together and the realisation dawns that the killer's actions are escalating, drastic measures must be taken to prevent more tragedy. For Sam, the case becomes personal, when it becomes increasingly clear that no one is safe and the clock is ticking...

When a university student is murdered in Dunedin's university district, newly transferred young female police officer Sam Shephard is drawn into the investigation ... The heart-stoppingly tense next instalment in the page-turning, international bestselling Sam Shephard series 'Finally, UK readers get to discover New Zealand's own Queen of Crime. Vanda Symon is a big talent and everything she writes is fast, intelligent and utterly gripping. This one's a cracker' Liam McIlvanney 'Fast-moving New Zealand procedural ... the Edinburgh of the south has never been more deadly' Ian Rankin 'It is Symon's copper Sam, self-deprecating and very human, who represents the writer's real achievement' Guardian 'Antipodean-set crime is riding high thanks to the likes of Jane Harper and fans of The Dry will also love Vanda Symon's The Ringmaster' Red Magazine –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Death is stalking the 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. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 'An absolute must-have' Daily Express 'A sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip-roaring stories with a twist' Kate Mosse 'Vanda Symon is part of a new wave of Kiwi crime writers ... her talent for creating well-rounded characters permeates throughout' Crime Watch 'Lively evocation of small-town life, with a plot that grabs the reader's attention with a heart-stopping opening and doesn't let go' The Times 'An absolute beauty of a read, well-written, absorbing, and extremely enjoyable' LoveReading 'Fast-moving New Zealand procedural ... the Edinburgh of the south has never been more deadly' Ian Rankin 'Full of action and plenty of plot twists, but the star of the show is always the small but mighty Sam Shephard. With her dry sense of humor, indomitable spirit, and constant need to prove herself, Sam is the perfect heroine to root for ... Atmospheric, emotional, and gripping' Foreword Reviews 'Symon follows up the terrific Overkill (2019) with this equally absorbing story ... A fine thriller by a writer who deserves a larger audience in the US' Booklist