Provocation

by Charlotte Grimshaw

Young, bright law student Stella lives high above Auckland harbour in uneasy luxury with Stuart, a lawyer with a past, who seems to specialize in violent death. Their relationship enters a new phase when they take on the case of Carlos Lehmann, a half-Maori incomer to a remote bush territory who is driven to murder, and who Stella finds both frightening and fascinating.

Genres: Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Charlotte Grimshaw is the author of a number of critically acclaimed novels and outstanding collections of short stories. She has been a double finalist and prize winner in the Sunday Star-Times short story competition, and in 2006 she won the BNZ Katherine Mansfield Award. In 2007 she won a Book Council Six Pack prize. Her story collection Opportunity was shortlisted for the 2007 Frank O'Connor International Prize, and in 2008 Opportunity won New Zealand's premier Montana Award for Fiction or Poetry. She was also the 2008 Montana Book Reviewer of the Year. Her story collection Singularity was shortlisted for the 2009 Frank O'Connor International Prize and the South East Asia and Pacific section of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. Grimshaw's fourth novel, The Night Book was shortlisted for the 2011 NZ Post Award. She writes a monthly column in Metro magazine, for which she won a 2009 Qantas Media Award.

Reviews

[Tori B · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by a NZ author. I was travelling through NZ at the time and wanted to read something set there. It's fascinating how books give you an insight in to the culture of a place. There were tidbits here and there throughout the book. It was also nice to get an insiders view into Auckland (even if in the 20th century).

Grimshaw's style and storytelling kept me captivated. Whilst I was expecting certain twists by the end of the book, I certainly wasn't disappointed, unlike other review writers, that they didn't pan out.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Not sure how I ended up with two copies of it, though. Mom loaned me one, but the other??

I have another of her books to read soon. I always enjoy reading fiction set in New Zealand -- makes me yearn to return. And I tend to enjoy thrillers, which this wasn't quite, but was pegged to be. Close enough.

[Kirsty Darbyshire]

A legal thriller set in Auckland. Very psychological but lacking any kind of mystery. I enjoyed it up to the point where I realised that there was no twist at the end. Disappointing, but I hope she carries on to write better stuff, or at least more mysterious stuff. Not quite my cup of tea.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting but I lost the thread a bit towards the last few stories. (A series of stories interlinked somehow)

[Amy Thibodeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was brilliant - literary without being dull, a page turner without resorting to pot boiler tactics ... I can't wait to read her other books.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to enjoy this more than I actually enjoyed this.

[Fran Skilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Love her descriptions of familiar Auckland and Coromandel landscapes. Mystery and darkness surrounds the ordinary.