Matt Buchanan is a long-serving senior police officer in the New Zealand Force. After a questionable judgement call and a break from duties, he is posted as sole-charge constable to the remote West Coast settlement of Haast.
Populated by decent people, some with secrets of their own, the town has been a good place for Matt. He’s enjoying his time there, with not much need for heavy policing.
However, Matt’s retired predecessor, Gus, turns up dead, followed by another murder in town. Matt knows Gus was looking into a disturbing local murder-suicide dating back many years. Although the investigation is above Matt’s present pay grade, old habits kick in.
He tugs at a single, fragile wispy thread – and the terrifying unravelling begins. Even in the face of danger, Matt can’t walk away.
This book is a thrilling page-turner and requires a weekend when you have absolutely no plans, or plans that you can (and I’ll bet you will) cancel. The plot moves at a cracking pace with twists, hooks and red herrings aplenty. I truly could not guess where the storyline was heading. The perpetrator reveal delivers a real ‘wait, what?’ moment.
Author Chris Blake has given us a raw, riveting piece, complete with police procedures at their darkest. With an authentic and commanding voice, Blake raises the bar for crime fiction a good few notches higher.
Gritty, compelling and utterly unputdownable – hugely recommended.
Reviewed by Alison Logie
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Blake was born and raised in Auckland. He served briefly in the New Zealand Army’s Reserve Force before joining the New Zealand Police in 2006. His debut novel, The Sound of Her Voice (published under the pseudonym Nathan Blackwell), was a double finalist in the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Awards for best novel and best first novel.
Chris was an assistant storyboarder for season two of the crime drama television series, The Gulf, released in 2021.
(5/5)
From the very first few pages of Softly Calls the Devil, I was completely drawn in. The opening prologue grabs your attention and doesn’t let go, pulling you in deep. The unexpected police stop on a remote road leads to a horrendous discovery that just hooks you in.
The writing flows seamlessly, weaving the storyline into moments that are both emotional and confronting from start to finish. This mirrors the landscape it’s set in: calm one moment, then dark and unsettling the next.
The characters are superb, each with real depth. Matt Buchanan is the lone-charge constable at the heart of the story and a fascinating mix of strength and vulnerability. You can feel the weight of his past and the quiet conflict in every decision he makes. The locals he encounters are just as compelling mysterious, flawed, and entirely believable. Each one adds to the sense that there’s far more to the town than meets the eye.
I loved following the clues myself and trying to figure things out along the way.
The atmosphere, the tension, and the characters all come together to create an unforgettable read. Highly recommended!
(5/5)
Constable Matt Buchannan is a perfectly-written character. Living a quieter life in a small, isolated settlement after more stressful times, he’s happy. Loving the location, he’s fitting in with the locals as their solo cop. Very quickly this changes, the necessity is dire, he must think like the capable Detective he once was.
Chris Blake knows how to write the skilled and flawed man. The one behind gun and the badge, the bloke that can have a beer at the local and the soldier, the soldier holding the M4 rifle for survival. The motivation and feeling of holding a weapon that can kill, the power and the reality it holds communicated to the page remarkably.
He conveys what it feels like to be hunted, and to be the hunter.
Flowing seamlessly, the narrative reflecting this is not the movies, interweaving horrifically convincing scenes of terror and real physical pain. Vivid descriptions of surrounding areas were intricate to this well plotted novel, the local players blended perfectly to form each of their roles in supporting the race to survival. More than a police procedural, it encompassed all the meaty parts in between that will undoubtedly have you turning the pages quickly as I did.
(4/5)
I really enjoyed the book. I found myself engaged with the characters, especially Matt Buchanan, and curious about where the story was going to take them. The language helped provide context and setting for the story. The chapters were relatively short, which seemed to more the novel along more quickly.
The hints scattered throughout were tantalising, but every time I thought I’d sussed out the ending, the narrative would twist off into another direction all together, keeping me guessing.
My only difficulty with the book was the large number of minor characters introduced throughout the story. At times it was hard to keep straight who fit in where, so I was occasionally flicking back through previous chapters to re-establish the links.
Otherwise, Softly Calls the Devil was a solid thriller, which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre.
(4/5)
Softly Calls the Devil by Chris Blake is a complex crime novel set in rural and remote parts of New Zealand. The author writes well and I was totally engaged from the prologue; he had me immediately wanting more of the story.
There is a weight of evil woven through the story from the beginning through the use of landscape description and links to Greek mythology, even before the true horror of the crimes emerge. It was a tangled tale, involving a lot of characters and I did need to concentrate and recap occasionally to keep track of it all. But the complicated plot kept me guessing and the conclusion was satisfying. I’d like some of my friends to read this now, so I can discuss a few points with them.
The landscape itself was almost a character in the story and the author obviously is very connected to the land. He transports you there so vividly.
I’d give this book four or of five stars, and recommend it to crime readers.
(4/5)
A cracking NZ Noir, a bit blokey, but still enjoyed by a 70+ female. Reminiscent of Garry Disher’s Hirsch, Matt Buchanan is a likeable copper with a history, who finds himself in the middle of some unfinished business relating to an old case.
A rollercoaster of a plot with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Particularly enjoyable is the imagery: the landscape is a vivid participant in this story.
I enjoyed Softly Calls the Devil and I’ve already recommended as a good read.
(4/5)
Softly Call the Devil is an easy but compelling read by New Zealand author Chris Blake. I love the short (2-5 page) chapters. If you’re after a gripping, fast-moving crime thriller, you’ll enjoy this tale of murders, as I indeed did.
Set in picturesque coastal areas of New Zealand, once we are introduced to most of the characters, the story rips along at a fast pace. All the while, we spiral deeper and deeper into “ghosts of the past” which are no doubt linked to the present day murders.
The likeable detective (the narrator) Matt Buchanan, delves into the lives of all the characters we meet in the book, and some are not who they appear to be, as we find out as the story progresses.
There’s plenty of twists and turns as Matt endeavours to link the “old” and “new” murders. I was shocked at the surprise “bloody” ending. Thoroughly recommended.
(3/5)
The author really captured the small town lifestyle in a way that only someone who has lived and experienced this could. I appreciated the casual writing style and the shorter chapters, this made the book really enjoyable and easy to read. The language was a little coarse at times and might not appeal to all readers. This is the only thing I found a bit off-putting (at first), but you do get used to it.
(3/5)
Softly Calls the Devil is a gritty and atmospheric crime novel that offers a fresh take on the classic detective story.
Chris Blake’s background in the police force lends a sense of authenticity and credibility to the story’s procedural details and dialogue. While the large cast of characters sometimes made the narrative feel a little crowded, I found the lead, Matt Buchanan, to be a likeable and morally grounded protagonist.
The novel opens with an intriguing prologue that immediately pulled me in, though I found that the pacing faltered somewhat in the following chapters. Similarly, the romance subplot felt rushed, lacking the depth of the central crime thread.
Despite this, Softly Calls the Devil delivers enough tension, realism, and twists to satisfy any crime fiction lover, with the final chapters building to a satisfying conclusion.
(4/5)
The prologue had me intrigued from the start and I knew this book was going to hold my interest.
A storyline of a past crime in 1978 was brought to light and so began the investigation
into the case. New lines of enquiries have opened up, along with a spate of recent deaths, that are intertwined and connected. Matt Buchanan is in charge of the case and follows the leads and his gut instinct. He unravels the clues and hunts down the killer.
Softly Calls the Devil is a crime story that has all the right elements.
(4/5)
Softly Calls the Devil was a cracking read, with a good pace and some twists and turns. There are quite a lot of characters, but the plot was very unpredictable and held my attention enough to keep track.
I found the brutality and descriptions of torture confronting in some parts, but it rang true and made for a very realistic look at the underbelly. No doubt the author’s experience in the police force adds authenticity.
I would happily read more novels about Matt Buchanan, who is a likeable character with intelligence and integrity. It was also refreshing to read a crime novel where all the police are good, honest, capable and get on with each other.
If you like a good crime and police procedural story, you will love this book.
(4/5)
Softly Calls the Devil is a great read – an antipodean mystery with lots of twists and misdirects. Set on the South Island of New Zealand, the author conveys presents the isolation and splendour of the region as an important character in this excellent police procedural. There is a laconic sense of humour infused throughout, which adds to the enjoyment of spending time with policeman Matt Buchanan and other local characters.
(4/5)
Softly Calls The Devil by Chris Blake is gritty and compelling, with an intricate plot, a cast of compelling and complex characters, and set in a location that enhances the story and makes you feel like you are there.
Matt Buchanan is nuanced and believable as the burnt-out homicide detective with too many bodies in his past to allow him to sleep peacefully at night. However, this leaves him uniquely skilled to deal with the dark underbelly of his new small hometown. You can tell that author Chris Blake, a former police officer, knows how to make the reader feel the story every step of the way.
This new NZ crime thriller starts off as a slow burn, but once it gets going it just doesn’t let up until the very last page.
I’ll definitely be looking out for more books by this author.
(2/5)
Ok, I struggled to finish this book. It took a long time to get into it and it was hard working out which characters were which. A lot of the places names were hard to read. Guess if I was a kiwi I might have enjoyed the book more. Personally I didn’t like it, didn’t understand the plot and would definitely not recommend. Sorry.
(4/5)
I found this detective novel Softly Calls the Devil by Chris Blake thoroughly absorbing, I enjoyed it.
The story was set on NZ West Coast known for it’s wild, rugged landscape, the writer’s imagery drew me in straight away, wanting to read big chunks at a time.
The story line was intriguing and I see the author drew from his experience in the police force.
It’s a good paced read for anyone who loves detective/mystery with a gutsy flavour. I shall now look out for Chris Blakes first novel.
(4/5)
I enjoyed Chris’ first book The Sound of her Voice, written under the name Nathan Blackwell. Now using his own name this former undercover police officer has again delivered an action-packed story featuring Matt Buchanan from his first novel.
Matt is now the sole charge constable of a police station in Haast, a tiny town on the West Coast of New Zealand. He’s enjoying his new role in a quieter environment, making friends and settling into life at a slower pace. When his predecessor is found dead with a bullet in his head his quiet life is shattered. He starts to look at what Gus was himself looking into and finds his death might be linked to that. Soon tensions in the town are running high and with more deaths Matt is suddenly dealing with more than just finding the murderer but also facing some old demons.
I found the storytelling very parochial and wonder how the lingo would fare on an overseas audience. It wasn’t until the character of Matt started to do some real investigations that for me the story really kicked into gear and I found myself turning the pages as the story took off.
A good read even though it took a while for me to get into the story.
(4/5)
I enjoyed this book. As a lover of crime fiction I was not disappointed. Matt Buchanan is a likable if flawed character, and Chris Blake brings the community of Haast to life as well as the surrounding landscape.
A great back story of unsolved crimes and secrets which pulls you in from the start with a lot of good twists and turns that kept me guessing. Hope we see more of Matt Buchanan.
In the tradition of ‘The Dry’ this would make a great movie.
Softly Calls the Devil is the debut novel by former policeman Chris Blake. It’s set in a small town in New Zealand where not everything is at it seems. Constable Matt Buchanan starts investigating the murder of Gus, the former constable and soon secrets from the past soon to unravel. As Matt digs deeper into Gus’s murder and killings from over 40 years before, he learns that everything is connected.
Softly Calls the Devil is a terrific mystery and quite a page turner. I love the setting and Matt is a fantastic MMC. It’s well written and readers of the genre will love it. Highly recommended
This book had me from the very first sentence/paragraph.
Just the right amount of mystery and action to keep me reading and wanting to know what was going on and what would happen. With Constable Matt Buchanan desperately trying to find out the mystery of murders that occurred on Haast, New Zealand, both from years ago and in the present day, he has a suspicion that everything was somehow connected.
This is not my usual genre of reading, but I am just starting to read various mystery novels and I really enjoyed Softly Calls the Devil.
I loved that the book included a lot of technical terms in the police world, and various references to everyday living and listening to music while driving.