Hooked up by Fiona Sussman

A previous NZ Booklovers Award winner, Fiona Sussman’s latest crime novel is yet again first-rate.

DS Ramesh Bandara heads up a homicide investigation with few leads. The victim was found strangled at a building site in coastal Mangawhai, with little for them to work with. But then his colleague Hilary Stark spots surprising parallels with a case she worked on years before, the murder of a clinical psychologist. When they discover the victim in Mangawhai was on the same decade-old reality dating TV series as the clinical psychologist, the investigations seem linked.

It is not long before Bandara and Stark are trying to unmask the identity of a potential serial killer, all the while their slow-burning relationship seems to be heating up. They are like chalk and cheese, but they prove to be a formidable professional team. Will their unique partnership spill over into their private lives?

Hooked Up is an addictive read, and the writing is superb. It delivers a page-turning read with superb characters, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. A murder mystery, the novel also sheds light on the downside of so-called ‘reality TV’ and the real-life long-term psychological harm for some contestants. A clever premise delivered well.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Bateman Books