Review: BEHIND THE HOOD

BEHIND THE HOOD by Marita A. Hansen

Reviewed by John Ling

I first encountered Marita A. Hansen when we bumped into each other on Goodreads. Goodreads, of course, is the largest networking site for readers and writers. And we immediately connected because we're both Kiwis writing urban fiction set in New Zealand.

On impulse, I picked up her novel, Behind The Hood, even though she didn't ask me to.

And, in hindsight, I'm glad I did.

Behind The Hood is tough, gritty and uncompromising. The kind of story that I like to call 'faction'. Where razor-sharp realism reinforces a propulsive narrative that's so gut-wrenchingly harrowing, it can only have come from the mind and soul of someone who's actually been there and done that.

Marita, you see, grew up in Manurewa. So she understands intimately and instinctively what it means to be young and desperate in a South Auckland ghetto. And she hammers her point home with prose that's punchy, gritty and unsentimental. It's incredibly precise in the the way it examines the minutiae of street life; the daily beats of the turf wars; the struggles of the underclass. Think George Pelecanos and Richard Price -- but executed with a Kiwi flair and sensibility. And if I had to compare Behind The Hood to celluloid, I would say it most closely resembles The Wire. It's not just sharp and compelling drama; it's a sociology class wrapped up in down-and-dirty observation.

This is incendiary stuff that slashes at your soul with all the power of a switchblade. And if only our politicians could read it, they would break down, weep and get their act together.

Behind the Hood is a hard-boiled story that's frighteningly authentic. So don't read it because you want to. Read it because you have to.

It's available now as an e-book and paperback from Amazon.

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John Ling is the Amazon best-selling author of THE BLASPHEMER. You can find out more about him and his work at www.johnling.net.

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Have you read BEHIND THE HOOD? Does it sound like the kind of book that would interest you? What do you think of John's review? Do you know any other recent New Zealand crime novels, print or ebook, that should be featured on Crime Watch? Comments appreciated.