Murder and mystery in Mangawhai

Mangawhai – better known for its golden beaches, surf breaks and summer markets – is the unlikely stage for murder in Fiona Sussman’s latest psychological thriller, Hooked Up.

For Detective Sergeant Ramesh Bandara, the series’ thoughtful and quietly observant protagonist, the death of a local builder on a construction site just off Black Swamp Road raises more than a few questions.

“Mangawhai seems an unlikely backdrop for murder,” he muses, and it’s precisely that juxtaposition which drew Sussman back to the town she has loved for over two decades.

“I’m fascinated by the human psyche and what sorts of stressors, both societal and personal, might push a ‘regular’ person into forbidden territory,” Sussman says.

“Hooked Up is a story about ordinary people caught up in an increasingly tense murder investigation – a builder, a preschool teacher, a paramedic and a reality-TV producer. They’re the kind of people you might meet on any given day, and that relatability gives the story its emotional weight.”

For Sussman, Mangawhai isn’t just a setting – it’s a place woven into her own family’s story.

“We’ve holidayed there for 20 years – first in cabins, then camping, and finally in our own home. Two of our dogs are buried under a grevillea in the garden. There’s a special kind of magic to the place.

“So setting a murder there adds to the sense of disquiet – the idea that even the most beautiful places have their shadows.”

As the novel unfolds, Bandara and his friend and colleague Hilary Stark find themselves chasing increasingly elusive leads. When Stark notices echoes of one of her earliest cases – the killing of a clinical psychologist – the mystery deepens. A shocking link emerges: both victims once appeared on a beleaguered reality TV show called Hooked Up a decade earlier.

What begins as a small-town homicide quickly spirals into a tense, layered investigation that forces Bandara and Stark to navigate secrets buried both in the past and among those closest to home.

“Every place has its secrets and every person, a past.”

An award-winning author and former GP, Sussman has earned critical acclaim for her deft blending of psychological insight and suspense. Her previous novel, The Doctor’s Wife (Bateman Books), was shortlisted in 2023 for both the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel and the NZ Booklovers Award for Best Fiction.