Carmel Shute
Part of the reason Rae Cairns writes, alongside an absolute love of storytelling, is to try to understand why people do what they do. She is particularly intrigued by the complexity of relationships, especially within family units, and the power of the need to belong. She is driven by the idea of exploring the female ‘hero’.
The Scarlet Stiletto Awards for best short crime and mystery stories turn 30 this year and are offering a record $12,720 in prizes. The first prize winner takes home $2000, donated by Swinburne University of Technology, plus the coveted trophy. Closes 31 August 2023 – so start writing now, if you haven’t already.
Voting for Sisters in Crime’s 23nd Davitt Awards Readers’ Choice Award is now open to financial members.
An impressive 144 books are competing. Voting for the Readers’ Award Choice closes Friday 28 July, 11.59 pm. If you’re not a member, join now if you want to vote.
Our guest author for the June Murder Monday is the US best-selling author, T J Newman. T J, a former book seller and flight attendant based in Arizona, has been flying high since her debut novel, Falling, became a publishing sensation and debuted at number two on the New York Times bestseller list. She spoke about her crime craft to Jacq Ellem, bibliophile, copywriter, occasional broadcaster, award-winning podcaster, and a member of the new Tasmanian chapter.
For the June Crime Stack, Harper Collins Publishing has kindly offered 20 copies of The Benevolent Society of Ill-mannered Ladies, by Melbourne-based Alison Goodman, the New York Times bestselling author of Eon and Eona and The Dark Days Club trilogy. Alison mostly writes YA fiction but her very adult thriller, A New Kind of Death, was a Davitt Award finalist under its original title, Killing the Rabbit. To be in the running you need to be a member of Sisters in Crime. Why not join now?
Joan Sauers drew on her experience as a screenwiter for her debut crime novel, Echo Lake. She initially imagined the characters, setting and story in visuals, and while she was writing she looked around what might be on screen in her mind’s eye and described what she saw. She was also aware of rhythm and pace.
Nilima Rao’s debut novel, a historical crime fiction novel titled A Disappearance in Fiji is set in Fiji in 1914, which is a fairly unusual time and place to set a novel. She is often asked – why Fiji, why 1914? The setting is of particular significance to her family. In researching and writing this novel she learned of the sacrifices made by her great-grandparents, that led to the privileged life that she now enjoys
Another reason to celebrate. As part of the Scarlet Stiletto Awards launch on Friday 2 June at the Melbourne Athenaeum Library, Susanna Lobez, actor-turned-barrister-turned-broadcaster-turned-true-crime-author, will also introduce a podcast of the winning stories, Scarlet Stiletto Bites: Scintillating stories by Australian women.
Join us for an historic (and enjoyable) occasion – the launch of Sisters in Crime’s 30th Scarlet Stiletto Awards hosted by Angela Savage. Susanna Lobez and Leigh Redhead will read the winning Body in the Library stories from 2021 and 2022.
Pregnant cops – and cops with very young babies – don’t feature a lot (in fact hardly ever) in crime fiction. NSW award-winning author, Dinuka McKenzie, has been redressing the balance with her two novels, The Torrent, and Taken.