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The Eel That Slept: A murder mystery set in the mountains of New Zealand, where gods and monsters of Maori mythology still haunt the rivers and valleys.
In the wild and rugged mountains of Aotearoa New Zealand, the mutilated body of a TV fishing celebrity has been discovered, and Detective Sargent Rachael Blunt is assigned the case.
Meanwhile, Jenny Sunley, a TV weathergirl, is sent to cover the story of a once-in-a-lifetime weather event, an unusual ‘blood rain’ that has travelled all the way from Australia’s red centre.
Working with a newly assigned cameraman, Jenny quickly bonds with the like-able yet secretive character, but she’s left feeling that there is much more to Dave Norman than meets the eye.
This all happens in a modern world of cars and mobile phone, but all the while, something else is watching them, an ancient creature from Maori legend, and its reawakening heralds the start of much darker days still to come.
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The Eel That Slept is a book which crosses the genres of crime thriller and adventure mystery. With contemporary themes of racism and misogyny, along with a narrative thread based on the mythology of the South Pacific, it’s a must-read book for fans of crime, adventure, and magical realism (It’s Da Vinci code meets Rizzoli and Isles)
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Similar writers and themes:
Dan Brown - Da Vinci Code, Inferno, etc
David Gibbins - Atlantis, Tiger Warrior, etc
Neil Gaiman - American Gods
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Gods, Monsters, Mystery, Treasure, Murder, Thriller, Adventure, Mountains, New Zealand, South Pacific.
Meanwhile, Jenny Sunley, a TV weathergirl, is sent to cover the story of a once-in-a-lifetime weather event, an unusual ‘blood rain’ that has travelled all the way from Australia’s red centre.
Working with a newly assigned cameraman, Jenny quickly bonds with the like-able yet secretive character, but she’s left feeling that there is much more to Dave Norman than meets the eye.
This all happens in a modern world of cars and mobile phone, but all the while, something else is watching them, an ancient creature from Maori legend, and its reawakening heralds the start of much darker days still to come.
------------------------
The Eel That Slept is a book which crosses the genres of crime thriller and adventure mystery. With contemporary themes of racism and misogyny, along with a narrative thread based on the mythology of the South Pacific, it’s a must-read book for fans of crime, adventure, and magical realism (It’s Da Vinci code meets Rizzoli and Isles)
-------------------------
Similar writers and themes:
Dan Brown - Da Vinci Code, Inferno, etc
David Gibbins - Atlantis, Tiger Warrior, etc
Neil Gaiman - American Gods
-----------------------
Gods, Monsters, Mystery, Treasure, Murder, Thriller, Adventure, Mountains, New Zealand, South Pacific.
367 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 30, 2019
5 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 7, 2020
Parts of this book were good, parts not so good, and I struggled with the author's writing of his female characters, and his portrayal of the Māori characters. There were far too many old-fashioned cliches about women and Māori for this to be a truly enjoyable book. If this book had been written in the 1970s or even the 1980s, the sexism and cultural tropes might have made more sense. As it is, it just makes for uncomfortable reading at times.
On the plus side, the twist at the end was unexpected and made the ending better than I anticipated. And the Māori mythology was interesting, and worthy of a bigger platform in the book. Definite highlights. And although some of the character descriptions and situations the author put them in were sexist, the characters themselves were interesting - an excellent collective. Kudos for having an entertaining cast of unusual characters.
On the plus side, the twist at the end was unexpected and made the ending better than I anticipated. And the Māori mythology was interesting, and worthy of a bigger platform in the book. Definite highlights. And although some of the character descriptions and situations the author put them in were sexist, the characters themselves were interesting - an excellent collective. Kudos for having an entertaining cast of unusual characters.
December 9, 2019
Kept me guessing right until the end!
Wrong place at the wrong time for the story’s main protagonist, Jenny “Sunshine” the TV weather girl. Opportunity has landed her in the middle of a murder mystery much to the annoyance of the other protagonist, Police Officer Racheal, who’s conducting the investigation.
Lively characters throughout – All with possible motive and secrets to hide. I’d pinned the murder on everyone at least once I think. When I was certain I had it all figured out, Boom! Wrong again.
A solid and satisfying ending whilst at the same time laying down enough creepy foundations for more. (I hope there will be more).
Small Town New Zealand is captured brilliantly throughout. I got a “Brokenwood Mysteries” vibe - For those fans of the series
Wrong place at the wrong time for the story’s main protagonist, Jenny “Sunshine” the TV weather girl. Opportunity has landed her in the middle of a murder mystery much to the annoyance of the other protagonist, Police Officer Racheal, who’s conducting the investigation.
Lively characters throughout – All with possible motive and secrets to hide. I’d pinned the murder on everyone at least once I think. When I was certain I had it all figured out, Boom! Wrong again.
A solid and satisfying ending whilst at the same time laying down enough creepy foundations for more. (I hope there will be more).
Small Town New Zealand is captured brilliantly throughout. I got a “Brokenwood Mysteries” vibe - For those fans of the series
January 1, 2022
A Electrifying Read!
I enjoyed this read from start to finish. Good strong characters, plots twists and beautiful, adventurous locations. Bits of history sprinkled with slimy creatures and beautiful heroines with just a dash of Indiana Jones treasure to boot!
I enjoyed this read from start to finish. Good strong characters, plots twists and beautiful, adventurous locations. Bits of history sprinkled with slimy creatures and beautiful heroines with just a dash of Indiana Jones treasure to boot!
November 8, 2019
A fast and pacey read, the short chapters make this an ideal book to read while on the bus or train.
I was initially intrigued as to how the book got its name, but this becomes clear once you get about half way through.
Lots of dialogue, with a good mix of humour and clue dropping that kept me guessing who the killer was right until the final chapters.
It's not gonna win any literary prizes as the writing style is a pretty straight forward third-person perspective, but overall it's a fun read that does exactly what it says on the tin.
I was initially intrigued as to how the book got its name, but this becomes clear once you get about half way through.
Lots of dialogue, with a good mix of humour and clue dropping that kept me guessing who the killer was right until the final chapters.
It's not gonna win any literary prizes as the writing style is a pretty straight forward third-person perspective, but overall it's a fun read that does exactly what it says on the tin.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews