From New Zealand to SOUTH WEST FRANCE – a story of adventure and resilience
Thriller set in Auckland
16th February 2026
Reaper by Vanda Symon, thriller set in AUCKLAND
In Reaper, author Vanda Symon revisits the seamier side of Auckland, New Zealand. It’s a world inhabited by homeless folk who may be all but invisible but who see everything that goes on. One of their number is former police officer Max Grimes, who is dossing in an abandoned villa while he escapes his past. Max has formed a bond with his new community of homeless folk, so when one is found dead, he can’t help applying his policing skills to get justice for the man. It seems that the perpetrator was spotted, and he’s described as ‘like the Grim Reaper’. Max knows he can’t officially investigate, so he gives what he knows to his former colleague, Detective Sergeant Meredith Peters. Peters is initially sure that the death is natural but when a second body turns up, she’s not so sure. The problem is, Max is linked to both deaths. Has he turned against his new friends? Or is his name also on the killer’s list?
And there’s more! In the sub-plot Max is approached by Shane McFarlane, the father of the man who killed Max’s daughter two years before. Shane asks Max for help to identify someone he holds responsible for his own son’s death. The encounter flips Max back into a past he hasn’t managed to reconcile himself with and into a world of danger.
Symon has such a skill for creating characters and making you care about them. Max has had his problems and taken wrong steps in the past but you can’t help liking him. The relationships, trust and loyalty he has with the street people, and with Meredith Peters, indicate his goodness. But this is a crime thriller, with many twists and turns, so it would be foolish to leap to conclusions until the final pages, where all becomes clear.
As is usual in her novels, the Symon chooses a setting that is not what a casual visitor might see. She describes the contrasting sides of Auckland: the capital city with smart suburbs, parks and business districts on one hand and on the other the derelict buildings and shop doorways that are temporarily home to Max and his friends. You probably won’t dwell on the descriptions of the locations because such is the pace of the story that you will be too busy turning pages. But of course these descriptions are vital to creating a vivid picture, which contributes to the tension.
If you’ve enjoyed previous Vanda Symon books, (and of course you have!) you will enjoy this one just as much. A tense crime-fiction thriller that you won’t want to put down.
Sue for the TripFiction team
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