Slash | Gavin Strawhan

The explosive new crime novel from the bestselling author of The Call.

A year after a brutal shootout left her lover dead, ex-police sergeant Honey Chalmers is a hot mess, drinking too much and eating too little, working casual gigs for a shady firm of private investigators - while holding conversations with a ghost.

A desperate father asks her to investigate his missing son - a double-murder suspect last seen during the chaos of Cyclone Gabrielle. Honey's quest brings her in conflict with dangerous locals and takes her from the wrecked forests of Tairāwhiti to the dark side of Fiji - into the orbit of a strange, secretive teen, a deranged forestry boss, and a terrifying ex-cop turned drug lord.

The closer Honey gets to the truth, the closer she comes to spinning out of control, leading to a final shown down with a killer who'd do anything to keep the past buried.

Gavin Strawhan is the author of the internationally best-selling The Call, winner of the 2023 Allen & Unwin Fiction Prize. The Call was shortlisted for Best Novel at the 2025 Ngaio Marsh awards. He is one of New Zealand's most experienced scriptwriters. Gavin lives in Auckland, New Zealand.