Another day, another New Zealand crime fiction novel to delve into. The Water’s Dead by Catherine Lea has been on my radar for a while now and I have been yearning for a crime fiction fix for a couple weeks now – not to say all the romance I’ve been reading is making me violent, but the need for variety is there.

The chin tattoo confirms the victim is Maori. The whorls of ink from her lower lip to her chin—the moko, is worn only by Maori women. So, her ethnicity is a given. Finding who murdered Huia Coburn and dumped her body in the volcanic rock pool at the base of Mason’s Rock waterfall has now fallen to DI Nyree Bradshaw. From the strangely unsympathetic parents, to the belligerent boyfriend on home detention for drugs, it seems everyone has something to hide and no one is telling the truth. Then Nyree discovers six-year-old diabetic, Lily Holmes, is missing, last seen in the victim’s care. Now, Nyree must now find the killer to save Lily. She has already failed her own son. She cannot fail this child.

Getting a New Zealand crime fiction set outside of a main city centre is a fresh change of pace, not only because the vibe shifts but because there are more themes, aspects, and details that complicate the invesitgation, from cultural differences to cagey characters and the good ol’ lack of reception off the beaten track. While I’m not sure that all the elements of the story’s details, plot, and characterisations sit well with me, I can certainly appreciate the change of lcoation and change of pace the narrative brings.

Another aspect of this book that I wat to mention, harking back on the aforementioned cultural differeces and cagey characters, is the rural kiwi experience and how it comes through in this novel. Before I get into it, I want to say that I am neither glorifying or shading the work Catherine Lea has done in this book. No country has a perfect history, impeccable social relations, or institutions that benefit all. Seeing the poorer side of New Zealand, as well as a glimpse into Maori culture through the marae and community of characters within and the attitudes of civilians across the board in this novel is somewhat of a relief to see. Our experiences aren’t just the positive depictions in media, and it is fact that life outside of the big cities can be incredibly difficult for those struggling to make ends meet. There’s a realness in this book – social issues addressed and comments made – that I cannot ignore and thank Catherine Lea for including in this work.

It terms of a plot, The Water’s Dead has a classic small-town crime fiction feel to it. The boxes are ticked off, the characters are all doing their parts and fitting their roles, and there are more than enough details to put the reader in a tailspin. I appreciated the shocks and twists, a few i saw coming while others I was pleasantly surprised about. Is it an overall gripping read? not exactly, but it is interesting. I was engaged for the most part and only stopped for dinner. The short chapters and multiple perspectives help it keep things interesting. Another thing I liked was the fact this had a team feel to it. Instead of it being one detective’s mission to find the answers out, it showed a whole squad’s task from the dirty work to the press conferences. It had variety and different players interacting and engaging with one another. While the full impact of the story left me a little underwhelmed, I can wholeheartedly say the character work and perspectives were excellent.

I would still recommend this to my New Zealand readers and crime readers out there. If anything, you get a decent read out of it. I am sure there will be something in The Water’s Dead that intrigues you, possibly even stands out in a good way. It is an entertaining read and I will be picking up the next book, Better Left Dead in the coming months.