Review: Angels of Clay

The Past's Impact on Today

Angels of Clay

by Madeleine Eskedalh

Mystery

Angels of Clay is a taut, atmospheric crime novel that draws its strength from the rich tapestry of the Matakana/Warkworth/Whangateau region and the close-knit community that inhabits it. When a dead body is found in a clay pit at a local pottery retreat arranged in an eerie angel‑like X, the tranquillity of summer is shattered. Sergeant Bill Granger and Constable Niko Sopoaga take on the case, already juggling a spike in petty crime that has shopkeepers on edge.

Eskedahl excels at grounding the mystery in a vivid sense of place. The beaches, bush tracks, cafés, and back roads form a living backdrop, and the locals – artists, shop owners, retirees, teenagers – create a layered community portrait. Each character adds a thread to the wider tapestry, revealing tensions, loyalties, and histories that ripple beneath the surface.

A parallel storyline follows Annika Granger as she uncovers wartime secrets buried in old notebooks and photographs from the WW2 era when US Marines were stationed in Whangateau. When a second body appears, posed in the same chilling way as the first, past and present converge.

Angels of Clay is a compelling blend of small-town warmth, local history, and unsettling crime. it’s a book rich in atmosphere and community texture.

^{Matheson Bay Press}

^{Published: 2025}