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The Fallen by Ben Sanders

Auckland detective Sean Devereaux sails a bit close to the edge at times so it is not surprising that he does a favour for his attractive but nervous neighbour while investigating the murder of a sixteen year old Epsom girl. Grace, his neighbour has seen a mysterious BMW she swears is watching her and he enlists friend, unconventional ex-colleague and security specialist John Hale to help.

As they work on the cases, a scam involving senior police officers is uncovered, as well as an escalating circle of kidnapping, murder and violence.

Ben Sanders writes a murder mystery with an edgy style reminiscent of some American crime writers. The first chapter definitely could have been set in any one of a number of places around the world, but by the second chapter, you have no doubt that the book is set in Auckland. The author’s own love of music also shines through in a novel which is as much about building strong main character as it is about solving a mystery.

The Fallen is written in colloquial language, possibly to give it more of an edgy feel. I found some of the events a bit unrealistic and that it can be a bit too descriptive of people and places but it shows promise and is a good first attempt for a New Zealand detective novel. I wouldn’t be surprised if we read a lot more about Sean Devereaux in the future (a second book has already been ear-marked for release).

RRP $29.99
Published and distributed by HarperCollins Publishers
 

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