Sorted on book title (not in series order)

Crime Fiction

Stone's Fall, Iain Pears

STONE'S FALL by Iain Pears is one of those books that just looks intimidating.  Even in paperback it's a great big doorstopper of a thing - 597 pages long.  One of those books that you wonder if you can risk reading in bed, what with a tendency to doze off and the potential for blackened...Read more

Author: 

The Stoning, Peter Papathanasiou

In a conversation with a well known author of Australian Rural/Regional crime fiction on twitter recently, we talked about the differences between "rural noir" and "rural crime". She clarified the difference between rural crime fiction and rural noir fiction for me perfectly - a projection...Read more

Storm Clouds, Bronwyn Parry

Romantic Suspense and I do not get on so my viewpoint is probably somewhat skewed. I also cheerfully admit to a particularly strong allergy to anything at all that gets all "she's nothing without a man" or "women donning high heels to run through the bush to escape the bad guy". Which I'm...Read more

Author: 

Storm Peak, John A. Flanagan

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...Read more

The Storm Prophet, Hector Macdonald

Petra Woods is the director of the Sydney New Coastguard - a rescue service made possible by the financial support of her childhood friend and now boss of her family bank, Kirsten McKenzie.  Both girls grew up on Sydney Harbour and the water and boats are in their blood.  Kirsten has a...Read more

Straight Jacket, Adrian Deans

Something about STRAIGHT JACKET could make some readers a little uncomfortable. Not the serial killing aspect in this case - although the idea that there is a killer lurking in the bush that inserts itself into the Sydney suburbs isn't a welcome one. Certainly not a killer that sends...Read more

Author: 

A Straits Settlement, Brian Stoddart

The Le Fanu series from author Brian Stoddart is one of those extremely elegant combinations of mystery fiction and historical lesson that also provides entertainment for readers. There's even a bit of good old fashioned romance from the male point of view. In short, there's something for...Read more

Stratton's War, Laura Wilson

STRATTON'S WAR is the first in an new planned series of crime novels featuring Ted Stratton, a Detective Inspector in the London police during the Second World War.  This book includes a second protagonist - Diana Calthorp, young, socialite, not long and unhappily married and unexpected MI5...Read more

Author: 

The Student Body, Simon Wyatt

In case you hadn't noticed there's a number of debut novels recently out of New Zealand, often written by authors with a policing or related background, many of them telegraphing potential for interesting things to come. THE STUDENT BODY is Serious Fraud Office investigator Simon Wyatt's...Read more

Author: 

Sucked In, Shane Maloney

I happily went out earlier this week and bought a copy of Sucked In and it took me roughly one day to finish it - and that was an unfair delay - I could have sat down and read it in one sitting. Needless to say the 6th book in the Murray Whelan series (for which we've all been waiting an...Read more

Author: 

Suffer the Children, Adam Creed

SUFFER THE CHILDREN is the first book introducing DI Will Wagstaffe.  A confession early on - I try not to read blurbs on books so the first few chapters referring alternatively to Wagstaffe and Staffe left me mildly confused, a feeling that came back to visit me on a few occasions...Read more

Author: 

Sufficient Grace, Amy Espeseth

Winner of the 2009 Victorian Premier's Literary Award, SUFFICIENT GRACE is a difficult book to categorise.

Told from the viewpoint of young Ruth, it's a story about life and survival in a brutal climate, in a brutal, bleak, religious community.

Presented...Read more

Author: 

A Suitable Time for Vengeance, Edmund Bohan

THE LOST TAONGA and A SUITABLE TIME FOR VENGEANCE by Edmund Bohan were both entered in the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Awards, with THE LOST TAONGA making it onto the longlist. Both these books are from Bohan's Inspector O'Rorke series (six and seven respectively), historical crime fiction set in New...Read more

Author: 

Summer Girl, Kelly Vero

Crime fiction with a vampire as the central protagonist, set on the island of Malta. If this sounds like your ... err cuppa ... give it a try.

Jack Sant is a Knight of Malta, a sort of consultant detective keen to solve the country's worst cold cases, and a vampire....Read more

Author: 

Summertime Death, Mons Kallentoft

Mons Kallentoft is not making any bones about using the weather conditions as a feature in his books - MIDWINTER SACRIFICE, and now SUMMERTIME DEATH. Given that temperatures of 45º+ aren't exactly record breaking in these parts, it's a real testament to the way that this book is written...Read more

The Sun is God, Adrian McKinty

This is going to have to be another one of those reviews that comes with a disclaimer. I love Adrian McKinty's books. Although I will admit that it's always been the dark side, his flawed and controversial characters, and his noir stylings that I'd thought appealed particularly....Read more

Sun and Shadow, Åke Edwardson

Erik Winter is the youngest chief inspector in Sweden. He's quite the snappy dresser, an intuitive if slightly moody cop, consumed with his job and with his very pregnant girlfriend. When his father has a massive heart attack in Spain, he is pulled away from his job to spend a little time...Read more

Sun Storm, Åsa Larsson

When she discovers the mutilated body of the revivalist preacher and her brother, Viktor, laid out in ritualistic style, on the floor of The Source of All Our Strength church, Sanna turns to her old friend Rebecka Martinsson for support. Despite her demanding work schedule as a Tax lawyer...Read more

Author: 

The Sunday Girl, Pip Drysdale

Anybody thinking the cover of this novel with it's bright pink girly styling, means it's going to be on the light and fluffy side, might want to invest in some brown paper, cover the thing, and read it anyway. THE SUNDAY GIRL is not fluffy, girly fiction, even if the opening salvo makes you...Read more

Author: 

Surrender, Donna Malane

The first book in the Diane Rowe series, SURRENDER is part of a two book series (MY BROTHER'S KEEPER is out now), set in Wellington, New Zealand, featuring a private investigator scenario that makes a huge amount of sense.

Diane Rowe is an ex-cop and now missing person's expert...Read more

Author: 

The Surrogate, Tania Carver

A debut novel, THE SURROGATE could be quite confrontational reading for many people.  The image of unborn babies torn from their dead mother's bodies - dead themselves, or more shockingly possibly still alive is going to shock.  Undoubtedly.

DI Phil Brennan, a loveless and...Read more

Author: 

Surveillance, Bernard Keane

Set in Sydney, SURVEILLANCE is billed as a cyber-thriller about government spying and corporate underhanded behaviour. A timely and really interesting subject to be explored, this was picked up with much anticipation.

Perhaps the expectations were wrongly set, but SURVEILLANCE...Read more

Author: 

Surveillance, Riley Chance

Journalist Grace Marks needs a good story, but she has no idea how good a story she's unearthing when she starts out investigating a surge in suburban minor crime. I mean who would put that much organisation into a series of minor crimes. Maybe a security company CEO, a company that offers...Read more

Author: 

The Swap, Greg Moriarty

Dom and Donald Tolen are identical twins - in looks but not personality. Whilst Dom craves the quiet life, Donald has pushed the boundaries a lot more. But now, separated from his wife and living, as an increasingly unwelcome guest, in his brother's apartment, Donald needs to get himself...Read more

Author: 

Sweet Damage, Rebecca James

Things that go bump in the night add to the suspense in this cautionary tale of young adult friendships. 

Marketed as Young Adult, Sweet Damage is the second novel from Rebecca James delving into the nature of friendship and relationships in a way that...Read more

Author: 

Pages