All the Reviews

This is a compilation of short stories that fans of crime fiction in general, and the local product in particular, will have on their must read lists.

Written from 1859 to 1933, this selection of 17 stories provide a fascinating insight into the social issues that were being addressed by crime fiction authors during that period.  Not surprisingly, the delivery may have changed - and I suppose we're not tracking murderers through the bush on horseback much anymore - but the fundamental worries then are not a lot different from those that are being written about now.  Nor ... Read review

There's nothing better than a well-executed version of one of the good old staples of crime fiction - a twist on the locked room scenario.

DEATH WORE WHITE is the first in a new series from CWA Dagger Winner Jim Kelly, an author well known for his ongoing Philip Dryden books.  DI Peter Shaw and DS George Valentine are a good pairing - Valentine the older cop, ex-partner of Shaw's father, his career has seen higher points.  Shaw, on the other hand, is a rising star, keen to prove himself and to clear his father's, and consequently Valentine's, reputations over the last ... Read review

With the publication of SALVATION Vikki Petraitis has written 9 true crime books, but in her notes at the back of SALVATION, she particularly mentions a book that was released in 1999 - Rockspider. The author wrote that book, with Inspector Chris O'Connor of the Victoria Police Child Exploitation Squad, to give the public an insight into how paedophile's operate. The suffering of the victims struck a chord when Rod Braybon first contacted her.

SALVATION is the story of Rod's life as a ward of the state. He was 6 years old in 1950, when his father died, leaving his mother ... Read review

After spending a fair amount of time in Tasmania in the 1970's, Canadian Gordon Aalborg did what all red blooded Canadian-Australian men do, he turned to writing romance novels.  20 or more of those novels later, he's now turned to crime fiction as well, and DINING WITH DEVILS is the second of those.

Set in Tasmania, DINING WITH DEVILS combines crime and caving - not a combination that you'd immediately think of (unless you're inclined towards the belief that activities in the dark are best when that dark is rocky, hard, damp, and far underground!)

Sergeant ... Read review

Storytelling or Storyweaving?  BLEEDING HEART SQUARE is a classic example of a carefully woven psychological suspense story written by one of the English masters.  Mind you, this isn't going to be a book for everyone.  It's one of those stories that starts out with central threads that slowly are interwoven towards the conclusion. 

Something has happened in connection to 7 Bleeding Heart Square.  In 1934, Lydia Langstone seeks refuge there from her violent husband.  It's a decaying London cul-de-sac, in a time that is feeling the threat of war.  It's a seedy part of the ... Read review

There's something in the water (or maybe it's in the dust) in Africa at the moment.  Whilst there has been a slowly increasing number of crime or mystery books set in Africa, there's now an increasing number written by African authors appearing for our enjoyment.  Michael Stanley (the South African duo of long-time friends Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip), have now released their second book - A DEADLY TRADE (aka The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu), follow up to the very well received debut book - A CARRION DEATH.

Wrapped up in the well devised plot of a solid police ... Read review

Anybody who hasn't indulged in the Dr Siri series by Colin Cotterill could be forgiven for wondering what on earth is going on with CURSE OF THE POGO STICK.  Booby-trapped corpses and reluctant coroners might be reasonably expected in crime fiction, but Hmong villagers needing exorcism by a thousand-year-old shaman who shares the aforementioned coroner's body?  Understandably a "What the" moment.

Whilst the spiritual (supernatural) component of CURSE OF THE POGO STICK is considerably stronger than the earlier books,  the series has been building the unlikely scenario of ... Read review

There are never enough new crime fiction writers and/or novels in Australia every year (okay so I'm greedy!), but there are certainly never enough quite as good as STORM PEAK which is John A Flanagan's first crime fiction novel, and I'm certainly cheering for more.

STORM PEAK is set in Colorado in the US, and I hope a reader would be hard-pressed to pick that the setting isn't the author's own, except perhaps for the use of the much beloved u (in spelling).  Setting away from the author's home base can sometimes not work - little inaccuracies in dialect and/or terminology ... Read review

A YEAR TO LEARN A WOMAN is the second novel and first crime fiction offering from New Zealand writer Paddy Richardson.  Travis Crill is a serial rapist - convicted and jailed for a series of bizarre attacks.  Claire Wright is a freelance journalist, living alone with her young daughter after the sudden death of her older husband.  When Claire is first contacted to see if she would be interested in writing the story of Crill for a very much needed large sum of money, she finds she can quickly overcome her initial reluctance to look closely at a man like him.  But understanding Crill's ... Read review