Michael Bennett Claims Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel

Michael Bennett has secured the prestigious Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel for his latest work, Return to Blood. This recognition was announced during a ceremony held at Christchurch’s Tūranga library on the evening of October 12, 2023. The Ngaio Marsh Awards celebrate outstanding contributions to the fields of crime, thriller, mystery, suspense, and true crime writing in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Judges lauded Bennett’s novel for its “excellent characters, nuanced plot, and important themes.” This marks a significant achievement for the author, as Return to Blood is the second installment in his acclaimed series featuring detective Hana Westerman. The series began with his debut novel, Better the Blood, which won the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel. The third book, Carved in Blood, was released earlier in 2023.

Bennett, originally from Reefton and currently residing in Auckland, has a background in screenwriting and served as the executive producer for the television series Vegas on TVNZ. His previous accolades include winning the best non-fiction award in 2017 for In Dark Places, a compelling examination of the wrongful conviction of Teina Pora in the murder of Susan Burdett in 1992.

Other Award Winners Highlight Crime Literature

Other notable winners at this year’s ceremony included The Crewe Murders by former investigative journalist Kirsty Johnston and Massey University Associate Professor James Hollings, which won the Best Non-Fiction category. This book revisits the unsolved murders of Harvey and Jeannette Crewe in a Pukekawa farmhouse in 1970, a case that has seen two trials, two appeals, and a royal commission uncovering police corruption.

Additionally, Wendy Parkins received the award for Best First Novel for The Defiance of Frances Dickinson. Judges praised her work for immersing readers in a historical context that resonates with contemporary issues. Parkins joins the ranks of previous winners like JP Pomare, Jacqueline Bublitz, and last year’s recipient, Claire Baylis.

Now in their 16th year, the Ngaio Marsh Awards, supported by WORD Christchurch, were established in 2010 by journalist and legal editor Craig Sisterson. Named after Dame Ngaio Marsh, one of the four “queens of crime” during the golden age of detective fiction, the awards honor the literary legacy and contribution of crime fiction in New Zealand.