Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overkill | 2007 | Vanda Symon | Buy |
| 2 | The Ringmaster | 2008 | Vanda Symon | Buy |
| 3 | Containment | 2009 | Vanda Symon | Buy |
| 4 | Bound | 2011 | Vanda Symon | Buy |
| 5 | Expectant | 2023 | Vanda Symon | Buy |
| 6 | Prey | 2024 | Vanda Symon | Buy |
The Sam Shephard series begins with Overkill (2007), introducing Detective Constable Sam Shephard as she investigates a murder in provincial New Zealand. The series continued with The Ringmaster (2008), Containment (2009), and Bound (2011), with Containment appearing on the New Zealand Adult Fiction Bestsellers List and being shortlisted for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award.
After a long gap, the series returned with Expectant (2023) and Prey (2024), picking up Sam’s story years later. The books are set in the South Island of New Zealand and draw on the region’s landscapes and small-town dynamics.