Silent Kill, Peter Corris

After coming to love the regular January Cliff Hardy fix it was a happy day when SILENT KILL arrived. Reading blurbs though can sometimes be problematic and so it was with this one, and the reference to a "rogue intelligence agent". Recently that seems to have been code for "no idea how to...Read more

Author: 

Avenger, Chris Allen

AVENGER is the third book in the Alex Morgan, INTREPID series of thriller, action style novels. Whilst the earlier books (HUNTER and DEFENDER), were enormously enjoyable entrants in those categories, this third book has more to offer again.

Alex Morgan is an ex-soldier, now...Read more

Author: 

Dead Girl Sing, Tony Cavanaugh

Follow up to PROMISE, DEAD GIRL SING again takes Richards out into the field, away from his retirement, all in the defence of somebody he feels he owes.

Triggered by a phone call from Ida, a girl he never expected to hear from again (even though he left that phone on / charged /...Read more

Only Daughter, Anna Snoekstra

Debut author Anna Snoekstra has taken on one of the more difficult challenges in writing fiction - creating an engaging, morally ambiguous central character, who sometimes borders on unlikeable. ONE DAUGHTER shows that an intriguing scenario helps, as does pace and the provision for some...Read more

The Lost Man, Jane Harper

I'm going to start this review in an odd way, by declaring that I didn't like Jane Harper's second book FORCE OF NATURE as much as I had been expecting to. Initially I thought this was because it read like an idea that Aaron Falk had been hammered into it later on, weakening the plot,...Read more

Author: 

Amongst the Dead, Robert Gott

AMONGST THE DEAD is the third novel in Robert Gott's William Power series.  William is an "aspirational" but failed Shakespearean actor, turned Private Investigator who finds himself in very unusual circumstances in the Top End of Australia during World War II in AMONGST THE DEAD....Read more

Author: 

The Echo of Others, S.D. Rowell

Opening up with a duck hunting scene that will stay with readers for a while, THE ECHO OF OTHERS is a debut novel set in my part of the world - Central and parts of Western Victoria. There's a heap of potential here - from a good solid, cleverly structured plot; some excellent characters -...Read more

Snake Island, Ben Hobson

There is little sympathy to be found anywhere for a man who beats his wife.  Caleb Moore finds this out soon enough into his stay in prison, convicted for the assault that has finally severed his shaky marriage to Melissa. The prison staff are fine with turning a blind eye to a little lay...Read more

Author: 

Over My Dead Body, Dave Warner

To be honest, I took one look at the blurb for OVER MY DEAD BODY and wondered whether or not it sounded ... quite right (well to be brutally honest, I thought to myself, it sounds as daft as a brush), but if there's one thing I've learnt in quite a lot of years of crime fiction reading, it'...Read more

Author: 

Tank Water, Michael Burge

Small towns, big secrets, inter-generational trauma, unquestioned deaths, fractured families, kids moving away and never returning, all the sorts of things that sound so very familiar to many of us who grew up in rural Australia from more recent history, back, unfortunately, for generations...Read more

Author: 

Black River, Matthew Spencer

Not so long ago, you couldn't move for serial killer novels, and a lot of readers (including this one) were over them. Since then the "popularity" does seem to have waned, and there's a marked tendency to make that those that do show up - very good indeed. As it was with BLACK RIVER which...Read more

Kill Your Husbands, Jack Heath

Bit of background to commence - KILL YOUR HUSBANDS is billed as a follow up to KILL YOUR BROTHER, which I've not read / listened to yet. None of which seemed to matter a jot, although I understand there is some character crossover it's definitely didn't feel like I should have read these in...Read more

Author: 

Resurrection, Roger Simpson

The second novel, spinning off from the excellent TV series, Halifax f.p., RESURRECTION is definitely an unusual crime fiction novel, which would work well as a starting point if you've not read the earlier book - TRANSGRESSION.

Unusual for a number of reasons, the first being...Read more

Author: 

Three Boys Gone, Mark Smith

When three 16 year old boys on a school hiking trip run into perilous surf, the only witness is Grace Disher, the teacher in charge of the trip, who reluctantly defers to the first rule of rescue: don't create another casualty and stands helplessly by as the boys disappear. 

...Read more

Author: 

Stillwater

After years away from his hometown of Melbourne, Luke Harris is back on track. All he wants is a normal job, his own house and a dog.

But Luke is a man with a past, where life was anything but peaceful and his skills ran to the dark side. A past not easily forgotten – or forgiven...Read more

Sharkbait, Susan Geason

Shark Bait is the 3rd Syd Fish book (and sadly the last), which has been sitting in my shelves for years now, being carefully rationed because there are so few of them.  

Syd Fish is an ex-political minder, turned Private Investigator - there is a touch of the Murray Whelan's...Read more

Author: 

Shooting Star, Peter Temple

Frank Calder is a bit of a maverick.  Ex-cop / ex-soldier - current day "mediator".  He's the sort of bloke that gets called in to sticky situations where unusual solutions are required.  He's worked for the Carsons before.  When a crazed gunman took store staff hostage, Frank wandered into...Read more

Author: 

Dark Mirror, Barry Maitland

Fans of Barry Maitland's Brock & Kolla series have had a wait on their hands.  The last book - Spider Trap - was released in 2006, with a standalone book Bright Air in 2007.  Leaving aside the eagerness with which we fans wait for the next book in a favourite series, there's also the...Read more

Paydirt, Garry Disher

Wyatt is back in a new adventure set on the far side of morality. Introduced in Kickback, Garry Disher's fast-selling, widely praised crime novel, Wyatt reappears in the South Australian outback, intent on snatching a payroll. But Wyatt is not the only one eyeing the funds. The Outfit has...Read more

Author: 

Arms for Adonis, Charlotte Jay

I have been promising myself for a few years now to go back to some of the older classic Australian Crime Fiction books and reread them with a view to noting something about them on the website.  Mostly because all of these books were read a long time before I started writing my own reviews...Read more

Author: 

Murder With the Lot, Sue Williams

MURDER WITH THE LOT is set in the fictional Mallee town of Rusty Bore, featuring Cass Tuplin, fish and chip shop owner, mother, and self-appointed private investigator. The story is told all from Cass's viewpoint, a viewpoint which is somewhat skewed towards a ... how should we put this...Read more

Author: 

A Vintage Death, Colin King

With tongue firmly in cheek, and only because I live in the Pyrenees wine district, yes, well why on earth WOULD somebody kill for a Heathcote shiraz??? (Kidding!)

There's nothing better than books that are set in your own stomping grounds. Places that are very familiar,...Read more

Author: 

Cold Deception, D.B. Tait

The author of COLD DECEPTION has had many years experience in the Criminal Justice system, and that knowledge shines through in this debut crime fiction offering.

Julia Taylor's release from prison, her struggles to re-establish life and normality, and the way that she balances...Read more

Author: 

Pages