Sisters in Crime Australia is dedicated to promoting women who write crime. Here are reviews of crime books (fiction and true crime) written by women.
If you wish to submit a book for review or be a reviewer, see the Contacts page for information.
Leah Swann’s writing is subtle which makes the narrative developments even more frightening. The finale leaves readers in a dark, ambiguous place, and sparked questions among the judges. Sheerwater is a standout, and we look forward to reading more from Leah Swann.
The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting is a fictional retelling of a true crime that was committed in 1998 and solved in 2017. It is for readers aged about 10-14 years
Through … vividly written characters the author skilfully introduces themes of family violence, teenage pregnancy, entrenched racism and family secrets. Then she weaves them into a more complex story of loss and love, beauty and horror. An outstanding work by a talented author.
The Good Sister is bursting with surprising twists and laced with a sinister undercurrent. It’s a novel of unforeseen love, betrayal and danger which concludes with a satisfying and rewarding ending. Judges enjoyed the journey.
Kerry McGinnis’s latest novel The Missing Girl is a terrific little read, laced with gothic elements: a mysterious disappearance, secret compartments, hidden identities, betrayals and lies. And, of course, there’s always McGinnis’s trademark lick of romance.
Widow’s Island isn’t the most complex thriller of its type, but its rhythm leads you easily into down the dark path of the story and on to a satisfying conclusion.
Propelling the reader back and forth between the 1940s, 1960s and 1980s, The Silent Listener is an unforgettable literary suspense novel set in the dark, gothic heart of rural Australia. Warning: depiction of family violence will make you quiver and wince.
Fourteen years after her mother suddenly disappeared JJ has a new life, but she puts it all in jeopardy when she stumbles across a chance to solve that dark mystery of her childhood. She organises a family reunion …
Massey’s Perveen Mistry series is set during a period of political unrest and violence sparked by the arrival of Edward, Prince of Wales (and the future King Edward VIII) on a tour of India in 1921. It’s an intricate tapestry of a story and a fascinating insight into a complex culture
Elizabeth Flann’s Beware of Dogs won the Banjo Prize for Fiction in 2019. It’s a carefully crafted cross-genre tale open to multiple readings: a contemporary castaway’s ordeal, a crime suspense story, a correlative of a psychological escape endeavour, and an exemplar of urbanised humanity’s need for the natural environment.