The Second Stage of Grief by Katherine Hayton

"A false accusation. A brutal murder. Can Ngaire find a killer before he finds her?

Ngaire Blakes is trying to put her life back together. The ex-cop resigned from the police after a vicious assault left her battling PTSD. Dragged into a murder investigation, she’s shocked to discover that all the evidence points to her.

When the body count climbs, Ngaire flees to the cold comfort of her estranged father’s hometown. In danger and not knowing who to trust, she severs contact with her closest allies and must learn to rely on herself if she’s going to catch the killer before it’s too late.

The Second Stage of Grief is the second book in a series of mystery novels set in the dark shadows of New Zealand. If you enjoy gritty mysteries, strong women who rise to the challenge, and thrilling psychological suspense, then you’ll love Katherine Hayton’s latest installment in the Ngaire Blakes trilogy. "


I love the Ngaire Blakes series.

In this second book in the series, we learn more about Ngaire's background, her parents and how she grew up. We also get to visit a different part of New Zealand, Te Kauwhata, where her father lives. I have always like learning about different parts of the world and cultures. We learn about New Zealand tribes and which Ngaire's family comes from. I found that very interesting, and looked up more about the area and people. Also many of the names of the characters are very different. That is interesting to me too. (I know I am not pronouncing "Ngaire" correctly in my head when I read, even though I looked it up.)

Ngaire is trying to find out who is framing her for murder from this remote town with barely any technology, and not letting anyone from Christchurch know where she is. Will she succeed in hiding while the police force sort through suspects? As in previous books, right when you think things are all tied up in a nice package, we are thrown a curve. The author is very good at surprises. This book is very suspenseful. Hard to put down.

Oh it looks like some of the bad guys might follow into the next installment....