Detective Sam Shephard is back - but not for long, hopefully. She's spending her last few weeks at work getting ready and eagerly awaiting her maternity leave.
But then, the brutal murder of a pregnant woman sends shockwaves through Dunedin, and through Sam. As it becomes clearer that the culprit is growing more desperate and dangerous, they realise it's going to take something drastic to end their reign of terror. She might be on the side-lines, but she isn't going to let this go without a fight.
Soon it's obvious that nobody is safe, including Sam. She'll stop at nothing to put an end to this nightmare - but can she put herself and her pregnancy in the path of danger to make sure mothers and children are safe again? There might not be another option.
"The image of her last moments crept into my brain, playing like an old-school noir movie, and I could almost feel the trace of cold steel against my belly."
An explosive new thriller from the Queen of New Zealand Noir - Expectant is a dark and disturbing take of murder and mystery that cuts deep. Symons creates a nightmare in real life - one where the monsters of Sams own nightmares enter the real world and nobody can be trusted. It's cinematic, electrifying and painfully intense right up to the last few words.
If you haven't read any Sam Shephard novels before, don't worry! Her characterisation is so strong that you'll know her within minutes, and the story doesn't rely on you knowing her previous novels so it packs a strong punch even as a stand-alone. I'd definitely still recommend them, but here's a great place to jump in!
I couldn't help but immediately find a connection with Sam - she's frightened, not just for her but for the other mothers and children facing this nameless threat, but despite her fear she is fiercely loyal and determined to protect those in need. There's a vulnerability and authenticity to her that doesn't cancel out her bravery and boldness, but empowers it.
This reads a bit like a procedural, but with the high-octane action and intense atmosphere of a block-buster thriller. As we move along, the motivations of our villain are called into question and we're left not knowing who could do this or why. As the sheer and strange desperation of their actions reach a fever pitch, the only thing that's clear is this is personal, and they're closing in. But is that because Sam is catching up to them, or they're catching up to her?
Symons writing is always striking, smart and snappy - with short chapters that get the story moving quickly and keep the pace. But somehow, she always finds time to paint a detailed picture of our setting, transporting us to beautiful cities, stifling offices and terrifying lairs in painstaking clarity. When it comes to the most horrific of murder scenes we find ourselves at, Symons handles it well - they're graphic and disturbing so should be read with caution but never go too far and glorify the gorier side of crime.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, Expectant is "having or showing an excited feeling that something is about to happen, especially something good." - and you will definitely spend this story excitedly waiting for something to happen, but don't expect a clear-cut good ending from this gritty noir novel as we delve into the depths of what humans are really capable of - the heroes, the monsters, and the people lost in between.
"I felt like I almost had all the pieces for this case, but just had to figure out how they slotted together, and of course, who they would reveal in the end. It was like one of those Wasgij puzzles, where they gave you the clues - the view from the other side, or hints from the past - but they were too bloody mean to print the solution on the box for you."
I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours and Karen at Orenda Books for inviting me to take part in this tour.
cw: pregnancy, fertility, hospitals, violence, graphic gore, kidnapping, injury.
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