The City looks away … but someone is watching…
A killer is hunting Auckland’s homeless. No one cares. No one but Max. These are his people.
Max Grimes is homeless, living on the streets of Auckland – among the forgotten, the invisible. But now someone is hunting the homeless, killing them one by one. No one cares. Except Max.
Trying to put his shattered life back together, Max is pulled into a deadly game when a face from his past reappears, reopening wounds he thought were long buried.
As whispers of a Grim Reaper spread terror through the city, Max must race against time – not only to find the killer, but to outrun the ghosts chasing him.
Because if he fails, he’ll be next.
I'm thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for Reaper today. Huge thanks to Orenda Books and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for my advance copy of the novel.
When I read Faceless, Vanda Symon's introduction to Max Grimes, it was billed as standalone but Vanda has chosen to bring him back in Reaper, which is excellent news. It isn't necessary to have read Faceless before Reaper but I'd recommend it to fully appreciate the character progression (and because it's a first-rate crime novel!) This new series is much darker and grittier than her beloved Sam Shephard books but still bears all the hallmarks of an author whose empathetic exploration of human behaviour invariably shines through in every novel she writes.
Max isn't quite as diminished by his circumstances as he was in Faceless but neither has he turned his life around; he has a shelter of sorts and a small cleaning job but he is still a part of Auckland's homeless contingent. Therefore, when his former partner, Meredith asks him to identify the body of a homeless man found dead on the streets, it hits Max hard. Worse is to come, however, as more bodies are discovered and Max is the link between them. The responsibility he feels towards the city's homeless population is obvious and there's a marked contrast between the small acts of kindness he demonstrates and the attitude of many of Auckland's more privileged populace.
The narrative is shared between Max, Meredith and the killer who becomes known as the Reaper. Max is our window onto the streets where Vanda Symon has created a community which isn't sanitised or sentimentalised but still allows the humanity of the people who live on the streets to be acknowledged, regardless of their problems and flaws. They have become Max's people and so it's particularly devastating for him when it becomes clear that their deaths are more than a tragedy caused by the cold weather. Meanwhile, he is also approached by a figure from his past whose appearance triggers a raw emotional response. Max is understandably wary and doesn't know whether he can trust a man who is so tragically connected to him but although still tormented by his loss, he is also intrigued by the man's request.
Meredith's internal turmoil as the investigation takes an unexpected turn adds a further layer of conflict to the story; although supported by her boss, she knows she faces opposition and doubts as to her abilities to head the case but is the ever watchful Reaper one step ahead of them? As a police officer, Meredith is resolute in her determination to find the killer but as a friend, she often feels helpless and is presented with some heartbreaking dilemmas.
The chapters which follow the Reaper are laced with malevolence and evoke a sense of dark foreboding as it becomes obvious just how conniving he is. However, while his bitterness towards the homeless community is evident throughout, Vanda Symon also shows us the more insidious societal contempt for those living on the streets. From the lack of concern initially shown for the first victims of the Reaper, to the opportunistic treatment of scared, vulnerable people and the cruel, judgmental attacks prevalent on social media, Reaper is as much a perceptive, honest examination of the topic as it is an intriguing mystery.
The cold weather and lonely, dark nights lend a chilling sense of apprehension to the storyline and although there are a few lighter moments, this atmospheric read is tense and emotive.
Reaper is an exciting, nerve-shredding thriller and an insightful look at what is often dismissed as the underbelly of a city, while Max Grimes is a fascinating, engaging protagonist. He is the outsider with insider knowledge and it's a juxtaposition which prompts a host of intriguing developments and complications. The addictive plot is taut, pacy and poignant, and Reaper is Vanda Symon at her very best. More please!
Reaper is published by Orenda Books and can be purchased directly from their website. Further buying links can be found here.
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