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.
Robyn escaped the past once. Now it’s back—and this time there’s no way out.
Bruising classroom dynamics, manipulative parents and carers and horrendous small-town politics form the backdrop to a nail-biting thriller in which the tensions of ten years ago start to play themselves out, building to a violent climax in the present day.
“Mum, there’s some people here from college, they asked me back to theirs. Just for an hour or so. Is that OK?” At 11pm she sends her mum a text message. At 4.30am Kim awakens to discover that Tallulah has not come home.
Some secrets you try to hide. Others you don’t dare let out …
Ambitious young journalist Marlowe ‘Lo’ Robertson is horrified to discover the mutilated corpse of her best friend with seven strange symbols have been ruthlessly carved into Lily’s back.
The boys from back home stand beside the bed, watching her bleed onto the white sheet. ‘He only said to scare her,’ one of them says. A compelling portrait of mental illness, memory, and the ways that the years when we ‘come of age’ can be twisted into trauma
Witness by Louise Milligan is a book for our times and one that has the capacity to make a difference in how witnesses in sexual assault cases are treated by the justice system.
Clara is a small scruffy chook who is tormented by the rooster and the other hens. She escapes by watching a girl detective on TV and sees herself as a fellow crime-solver. She can’t speak human but writes a letter that there is an egg thief in the area ….
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.