Nerdette Book Club: Michael Bennett on ‘Better the Blood’

Nerdette

WBEZ

Tv & Film, Self, Nerd, Books, Technology, Tv, Improvement, Culture, Wbez, Society & Culture, Pop, Nerdette, Nerds

4.7 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 4 April 2023

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Our April book club pick is ‘Better the Blood’ by Michael Bennett. It is both a page-turning detective novel and a deep exploration of the lasting scars of colonialism. Hana Westerman, a Māori detective in Auckland, New Zealand, discovers that a series of murders are connected to the execution of a Māori chief by British colonial soldiers more than 150 years earlier. In pursuing the serial killer, Hana must confront her loyalties to both the police and her roots. In this spoiler-free interview, we talk to Michael Bennett about his experience as the first Māori author to write a thriller about a Māori detective. We will be back on the last Tuesday of the month to discuss the book, spoilers and all, and you can participate! Record a voice memo with your thoughts on the book and email the file to NerdettePodcast at gmail. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Transcript

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0:00.0	This WBEZ podcast is supported by the Field Museum.
0:04.4	With 4.5 billion years worth of wonders,
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0:34.3	Get your tickets and plan your visit at fieldmuseum.org.
0:42.8	From WBEZ Chicago, I'm Greta Johnson,
0:45.5	and this is the Nerd At Book Club.
0:47.2	It's just like a regular book club,
0:48.6	except sometimes the author stomps by.
0:50.8	It is April, and our pick this month is Michael Bennett's
0:53.7	Detective Mystery Novel Better The Blood.
0:56.7	It's about Hana Westerman,
0:58.3	a Maori detective in New Zealand.
1:00.0	Her personal life is tumultuous.
	...

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