Vanda Symon

Vanda Symon; another kiwi flying the flag for crime fiction.

A second helping of Vanda Symon's crime series has just been served up. It is called The ringmaster and again features lowly Detective Sam Shepherd who this time has left Mataura and headed for Dunedin. Sam is truculent, stubborn and subversive and like all good crime novel characters trouble or murder follows in her wake. A third “Sam Shepherd” novel, Containment, is a work in progress.

In another life Vanda was a pharmacist in Hawkes Bay but now combines writing with parenting, chairing the Otago/Southland branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors, blogging, book-reviewing and hosting a local monthly radio show. No wonder she indulges in the odd toffee pop for energy!

Vanda admits to admiring Ian Rankin’s Edinburgh based Rebus series and considers Dunedin a similarly gothic setting. She also admires the character driven crime novel and purposely avoids too much gore or violence in her titles. Her festival appearance is with the gore-meister Paul Cleave so that could create some interesting differences of opinion. The other panellist Mark Billingham isn’t adverse to a bit gratuitous bloodshed either so it could be interesting watching Vanda fight her corner.

Find more information about Vanda Symon

• in the library catalogue
• Vanda Symon's official website