Sara HoodPrizes will be awarded for the best overall stories and for those that are judged to be the winners of each individual category.In order to be eligible for a category prize, stories must incorporate the themes of that category. Please note: you may enter a single story in as many categories as you want (for …
Australia’s premier short story awards for crime fiction written by Australian women. As ever, the Scarlet Stiletto Awards are supported by a huge number of wonderful sponsors. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their commitment. Without these organisations the Scarlet Stiletto Awards would not be what they are: the premier short …
With more than $13,000 in prizes up for grabs, the Scarlet Stilettos are Australia’s premier short story awards for crime fiction written by Australian women. More female criminal talent – of the literary kind – is about to be uncovered!
This is what good crime books do: delve into secrets and human flaws, exposing the things that have shaped us, or show that what the characters once believed to be true are complete lies. That someone is always trying to manipulate things or cover up secrets. It’s what makes this a powerful book, as there is no easy answer to justice. And when it’s a cold case, if the perpetrator is caught, how is justice served after four decades of living free?
I don’t know how to describe how real this story felt to me, and as a result how important I have come to view it. I think the telling of stories such as this in a novelistic form have the power to reach a broader audience because it’s entertaining, but more importantly it may show someone who needs it they are not alone.
This is a character-driven story that is beautifully written. It explores themes around the pressure of being a woman and what it costs many of us, medical malpractice and the reality of life in small communities. Told from multiple points of view it leaves you thinking about some challenging issues. The story leaves the reader wanting more and demanding action for an end to male violence towards women. Dove might make you angry, frustrated and sad at times but it also leaves you feeling that we’re not going to accept this any more.
When I read true crime, I often have to remind myself that this is a real person’s life. They lived and breathed, loved and were loved. This was not a problem in The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron. Vikki Petraitis never loses sight of the women. They are why she is writing and why she has doggedly pursued this case for decades. I’m grateful for the work that she has done and the grace with which she has done it.
Whilst on the surface, Smother is a legal thriller, it is way more than that. The book looks at relationships that come in all shapes and sizes and how we need to nurture these at all stages of life. This is a must-read – an enjoyable and thought-provoking story.
Like, Follow, Die was hard to put down. A thrilling exercise of dot connecting to work out who was responsible, and for what. I was mesmerised from the first page, but the climax was so intense, I couldn’t read quickly enough. I flew through the pages, my heart pounding, cooking dinner totally forgotten. I thoroughly recommend you read Like, Follow, Die, not just for an incredible crime story, but also as a reminder. Beware.
As I write its only March, but I am willing to bet that Good Boy will be one of my top reads for this year. I doubt that any other book will break my heart so very exquisitely – and that is not a spoiler re the ending, for there is heartache and redemption seeded through every page.