Title:	The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton
	Author:	Katherine Hayton
	Published:	March 29, 2016, Kindle Press
	No. of Pages:	282
	Cover Price:	$29.99 Hardcover, $15.99 Paperback, $3.49 Kindle

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Katherine Hayton has released the first installment in the Ngaire Blakes mystery series, The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton. Set in New Zealand, Ngaire (pronounced NY-Ree – don’t ask me why) Blakes is a Maori detective still recovering from a near-death stabbing, but working light duty. Magdalene’s death happened almost 40 years prior, and was ruled an accidental death. However, when Paul Worthington, who is dying of cancer, comes in to confess to Magdalene’s murder, Ngaire looks into the case. Paul’s old friend, Billy, and boyfriend of Magdalene prior to her death, who is now a lawyer, gets involved, and appoints himself to represent Paul. Magdalene’s death happened while she lived on a farming commune, which is now abandoned except for a less-than-bright man, Isaiah, who seems to have nowhere else to go. Isaiah insists that he pulled Magdalene’s body out of the slurry; Paul says he dumped her body in the river.

Ngaire’s partner, Deb, is helping her investigate what their superiors think is a waste of time, and Ngaire also has some major personal issues which not only affect her health, but her skills as a detective. As the story is told, the suspense builds consistently, and both Ngaire and Deb become endangered. Apparently, someone doesn’t want the truth to come out. After hearing Paul’s story, and then reading the police reports, as well as a version from Paul’s lawyer, William Glover (Billy), and Isaiah, Ngaire spends much of her time visiting the scene and working with Finlay, a journalist friend who helps her sort out the facts of the case. Ngaire feels like an outsider in the police department, and is fighting for her career as well as to be accepted. There are dozens of conflicts between the characters, which make the novel one that must be read fairly carefully. The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is certainly not a fast read, but it is a good read; the New Zealand influence is different from dozens of bestselling thriller series, and this one is quite well-written. Readers who like interesting, unique thrillers will definitely want to pick up this novel.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton (A Ngaire Blakes Mystery Book 1)