There’s nothing like putting one’s feet up with a good book, a cup of tea and a hot cross bun – and the Easter holidays present the perfect opportunity to do so. Verve’s curated a collection of the best reads below.
Nothing Like A Dane
Keri Bloomfield
A witty observer of cultural nuances, Bloomfield reveals the day-to-day realities of a New Zealander living her best life in Denmark. From interrogations to rye bread misdemeanours, Nothing Like a Dane provides a humorous and heartfelt insight into creating a new life in a faraway land. And what did she learn? That it’s not all hygge and pastries. Even in Denmark.
The Shadow Broker
Tina Clough
In 2026, in a New Zealand where state surveillance is everywhere, Minnie discovers coded messages on a found burner phone, top-level government corruption and a shadowy mastermind who calls himself The Broker. Two unlikely friends join her, quietly looking for connections and setting in motion a deadly game of hide and seek, learning that nothing is more dangerous than searching for evidence of government corruption.
The Water’s Dead
Catherine Lea
It’s a baffling murder case of a young Māori woman. From the strangely unsympathetic parents to the belligerent boyfriend on home detention for drugs, it seems everyone has something to hide, and no one is telling the truth. Then DI Nyree Bradshaw discovers six-year-old diabetic Lily is missing, last seen in the victim’s care. Now Nyree must find the killer to save Lily. The clock is ticking…
The Library Of Unfinished Business
Patricia Bell
Librarian Maurice dies one morning in a car crash, then finds himself in an unexpected afterlife. Meanwhile, Maurice’s daughter Andy is tasked with preparing his eulogy. As Andy struggles to comes to terms with her father’s death, Maurice and his new friend Kit uncover a terrifying heavenly plot. Maurice must decide for the first time ever: will he stand and fight for something, or risk losing everything?
