My Brother's Keeper

October 9, 2017
In this engrossing novel by New Zealand author Malane (Surrender), Wellington missing-persons expert Diane Rowe reluctantly accepts an assignment from Karen Mackie, a former drug addict who served seven years in prison for killing her son. Karen’s ex-husband, Justin, has disappeared with their 14-year-old daughter, Sunny, and Karen wants Diane to locate the girl, gauge the state of her well-being, and see whether a reunion might be possible. After Diane finds the volatile Sunny and her techie half-brother, Neo, in Auckland, she meets the rest of the family—hostile Justin; Justin’s two-faced wife, Salena; and Karen’s charming stepbrother, Ned—and wonders if Karen’s concern for Sunny may have grave implications. Her unease proves prophetic when Karen is murdered, the police question Diane’s version of events, and a friend of Karen’s refuses to reveal an important message he has for Sunny. Although Americans might scratch their heads at some Kiwi expressions and some readers may guess the perpetrator well before the denouement, unexpected twists bring meaningful changes to Diane’s life in the end. Agent: Daniel Myers, Word/Link Literary Agency (New Zealand).

October 15, 2017
A New Zealand woman who finds people for a living has yet to find herself in Malane's second novel (Surrender, 2010). Diane Rowe's life changed forever when the murder of her younger sister drove her into a spiral of depression and heavy drinking. Now her ex-husband, Sean, a police officer, is remarried and has a child, and Diane, who's recovered, lives with a retired police dog in their Wellington family home, which Sean wants to sell. Her current lover, Robbie, is also a policeman and, awkwardly, a friend of Sean's. Diane accepts a request from recently released murderer Karen Mackie, who found God in prison, to check up on her 14-year-old daughter, Sunny, who lives with her father in Auckland, after Karen agrees to let the matter drop if Sunny doesn't want to see her. Sunny and her brother, Falcon, were in a car that rolled into a lake while Karen was high on drugs. Sunny was rescued, Falcon was drowned, and Karen admitted to releasing the hand brake. In Auckland, Diane has the use of a town house belonging to Karen's deceased mother, who's left her a pile of money, much to the disapproval of Karen's sexy stepbrother, Ned, who also uses the town house. Sunny's short-tempered father, Justin, is remarried, has a son, and seems to be doing very well financially, but the Mackies are not exactly a happy family. Sunny, who dislikes her stepmother, does a lot of acting out but appears to be open to meeting the mother she has not seen for seven years. When Diane returns to Wellington, she finds Karen dead, most likely murdered. Diane's life becomes very complicated indeed when she tries to figure out who killed Karen while feeling obligated to make sure that Sunny is being properly treated. An entertaining combination of detective work, psychological thriller, and romance gone wrong.

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December 1, 2017

New Zealander Diane Rowe is a missing-persons expert with a messy personal life. She reluctantly accepts a job from ex-convict Karen Mackie, whose cellmate murdered Diane's little sister. Karen asks Diane to find her 14-year-old daughter Sunny after losing contact with her and Sunny's father while she was in prison, serving time for the death of her son Falcon. Karen assures Diane that she only wants to know if Sunny is okay. Sunny is easily located, but when Karen is murdered, the past and present hold clues to her death. Diane is a likable and resolute character with a haunted past. Her love life may be complicated, but her reliable ex-police dog Wolf is a constant companion. VERDICT This absorbing read by New Zealand author Malane (Surrender) mixes the investigative methodology of PI fiction with the fast pace of a thriller.--ACT

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