Closing 31 August: 28th Scarlet Stiletto Awards with a record $11,910 in prize money
Sisters in Crime’s 28th Scarlet Stiletto Awards for best short crime and mystery stories is now open and offering a record $11,910 in prizes this year.
THE PROSPECT
This book is a bit of a departure for Fleur McDonald. While her Detective Dave Burrows books are excellent, they can be of a slightly more gentle nature than The Prospect. This book is an all-out, gritty crime novel. It is Outback Noir at its finest.
THE POOL
A biting domestic noir, The Pool examines the enduring shrapnel of tragedy: if you witness the worst thing imaginable, how does it change you? Could it make you a murderer?
SKULL RIVER
Set in 1912, mounted trooper Gus Hawkins arrives in a small NSW town. Ambushed by a hidden gunman, he escapes back to town to find the police station on fire. And this is his first day at work.
THE RIP
A group of friends gather on WA’s Rottnest Island to celebrate a milestone birthday. The well-heeled and influential adults, some of whom loathe each other, party hard and ignore their children. Until one of the kids goes missing.
THE PRIVATE ISLAND
New Year’s Eve, Loloma Island, Fiji. At one of the most exclusive island resorts in the Pacific Ocean, the champagne is poured, the fireworks are ready, and the countdown to New Year is just beginning. It’s set to be a night that no one will forget.
Especially when a body washes up on the shore…
BARREN CAPE
Former housemates Mac and Erika are homeless until Mac discovers an abandoned resort. A perfect place to hide, but is Barren Cape a refuge or a trap? This spine-tingling thriller is about what happens when people are pushed to the edge and forced to make unthinkable choices.
THE WEDDING PARTY
A group of old friends. A grieving mother. A lying bride.
Adele and Jason are childhood sweethearts. Their wedding day on the sunny Australian coast is a chance to reunite and celebrate with friends and family.
But Adele isn’t telling the truth about her relationship. And some of the wedding party – still reeling from a tragic death in the group a decade before – hold secrets of their own.
SUNNY AT THE END OF THE WORLD
This wonderful YA novel was discovered on Steph Bowe’s computer after her tragic death in 2020 at the age of 25. Steph was a gifted storyteller, and this – her third and final novel – will immerse you.
Grief, Ghosts and Healing: Alicia Thompson
Playing with the whodunnit conventions, Ex from Alicia Thompson is a slow uncovering of the impacts of those close the the event. Alicia Thompson talks with Natalie Conyer about how she developed the story, the importance of notebooks (dated!) and where she found the starting point amongst all the story lines, themes and key plot points.
The Habit of Writing: Michelle Prak
Do you keep a diary? Michelle Prak talks about doing just that, how it informs her writing and how it also gives her the ammunition when someone queries a character.