A soldier who's seen more death than he cares to remember. A beautiful young Scandinavian immigrant. Two missing boys. A killer hiding in the dense New Zealand bush. First book in series.
Unhappy about his role in the wars against the Maori, ex-soldier Sergeant Frank Hardy is living in a small Scandinavian settlement in New Zealand, driving a mail coach through the dense bush and playing rigged card games with a Chinese cook. He's asked to find two missing settlers, but turns down the job, until his own past and the memory of the loss of his brother compels him to change his mind. When he saves a young woman's life he becomes the target of a vengeful killer. Now all he's worried about is keeping both his head and his heart.
Live for a while in the beautiful but challenging landscape of nineteenth century New Zealand.
What readers say about Not the Faintest Trace
"I read the whole thing in one sitting"
"Spellbinding story"
"Great adventure story about New Zealand."
"The characters are strong, compelling and interesting. I loved it."
" Superb debut book!" Amazon Top 500 Reviewer
The novel has a cracking pace, two likeable major protagonists, and some moments of real (cliff-hanging) tension. The action - involving both settlers and Maori - is interspersed with well described domestic life, in all its muddiness. The excerpts from newspapers of the time that introduce each chapter add to the evocation of life in a country still going through the pains of colonization. A good read. Linda Burgess, author of the upcoming memoir Someone's Wife
"My forebears lived in the wider area throughout the period covered in the book (and one was killed in the NZ Wars) - so I could have been a very hard-sell, but instead I loved the whole exciting story. I'm very happy to recommend this book and the second in the series, and roll on the publication of the next one." Val Burr, Local Historian, Palmerston North, New Zealand
