This is a very gritty Police Procedural that colours outside the lines of the formula that most authors employ as the book actually spans many decades in getting to the end.
Detective Matt Buchanan has a cold case that he has never managed to solve; the disappearance of 14 year old Samantha. To this date, many years later, he still visits with Samantha's mum and is desperate that the next time he visits he will be able to bring her the peace she craves. When a body is discovered in a mangrove swamp, his thought initially turn to Samantha. Although the body is not Samantha, in his investigations, he does discover a new lead in that case. He's also involved in a rape trial where the defence rips the young victim apart. Things come to a head and he quits the force but, with so much left undone, he is drawn back into the mix when new evidence comes to light which he can't ignore. But with his head in the space it is now, will he be able to complete the job professionally or will he cross that line to get the job done...?
Matt Buchanan has to be the most realistically described police character I have read about in a while. Maybe it's because the book spans decades and we get to see a bigger picture than usual. He's very much wounded in his perceived failure over Samantha and every case he works appears tainted by that. But he is also dogged and determined, something evident in his reaction to the rape trial. He's also wounded personally and just trying to bring up his daughter. It was easy to connect to him, mostly in a "wanting to save him" kind of way but a connection that grew the more I read.
The crimes described within this book are not for the faint-hearted. Nor is the language, it is a bit sweary at times but nothing too heavy. Plotting is tight and, at the end of the day when all is revealed, very clever. There is a lot to get to grips with throughout the book but when it started to all come together I couldn't help but sit back and applaud the author for a job well done.
Pacing was interesting, mostly again due to the span of time covered by the book. But within what was going on, there was enough action and intrigue throughout to keep me interested and wanting to read on. As I started the book, I did wonder if it was going to be a series opener. As things moved on, again considering the timeline, I reconsidered that thought. As we reached the end, well, I now have no idea! What I do know is that I would love to read more from this author and, if future books also starred Matt as either an MC or even in a smaller part, I wouldn't be disappointed.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Nathan Blackwell writes a truly brilliant and intelligent piece of Noir crime set in New Zealand, featuring Detective Matt Buchanan based at Orewa Police Station. Matt is held hostage by his deep feelings of failure at his inability to find 14 year old Samantha Coates who disappeared in 1999, and he continues to meet members of her family through the years. He is a widower, still missing his wife, Kate, and doing his best as a single dad bringing up his precious daughter, Hailey. As I began to read this book, I began to think this was the relaying of the disparate events and horrors in Matt's professional life as a police officer. However, this is not the case, all are eventually slowly pieced together by Matt as it becomes clear that the police have made errors and the resolutions to the cases are little more than manipulation by an evil and toxic mind involved in meth production, and the heinous crimes of rape, child sexual abuse, many murders, and more.

A skeleton of a young girl is found in the mangroves, with the hands and head missing. Matt's first thought is that this must be Sam, but this turns out not to be the case, and it is to take a long time before the police are able to identify the murder victim. As a rookie cop, Matt is shell shocked when he arrives on the scene where a cop friend, Gabby is shot dead. His psyche is damaged by the discovery of the body of 9 year old Brianna on the beach, and it is shot to pieces when fellow cop Steve, and a terrified police informant Pete are shot dead at a meeting where Pete was trying to give them vital information. Matt is shot too, and although he physically recovers, he has had enough, it's all too much, he has responsibilities to Hailey so he quits the police to become a poorly paid plane instructor, but he is happy although plagued by his horrifying memories. The discovery of a young woman on the beach, Tanya, left for dead, has Matt lured back to the police and back on the dangerous trail of a killer mastermind.

What differentiates this piece of quality crime fiction from others is how the author portrays to stunning effect the psychological meltdown experienced by Matt. Matt is a good and compassionate police officer, but he spirals into a deep depression, believes he is ineffective, suffering from the stress of all that he encounters and sees. He is enraged by a legal system that allows rapists to walk free, for the dead to have no voice, and the most evil of men to evade any form of justice. He begins to enter the darkest of territory, that he feels compulsively propelled into, feeling he has no choice, one which is to fracture his psyche even further. This is an amazing crime read, intense, desperately bleak and disturbing, and full of twists and surprises. Blackwell constructs a riveting story, showing incredible skill in his excellent characterisation and character development. An absolute must read for readers of crime fiction, although not for the faint of heart. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.

Written by an elite former detective and shortlisted for the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, The Sound of Her Voice is a brilliant and immersive work of literary noir. It's gritty and complex and certainly not for the faint of heart as it's full of profanity and brutal violence, but I absolutely loved this police procedural for its gripping plot as well as engaging and interesting characters. However, what sets it apart from the rest of the thriller market is the authenticity and realistic nature of the plot.

It's an evocative and emotional read and explores the effects of witnessing the brutality of a crime in terms of our protagonist, DC Matt Buchanan. He's a very troubled soul but will stop at nothing to get justice for the victims. This is a masterful, intense novel that is utterly brilliant. There are plenty of blind alleys that the author leads you down fooling you time and time again. A must-read for all crime connoisseurs and worthy of the full five stars. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.