True crime author Ruth Wykes (Mornington Peninsula, Vic) took out the 23rd Scarlet Stiletto Short Story Award presented on Saturday night (19 November) at SheKilda3: One-day crime spree, Sisters in Crime’s 25th anniversary convention. To mark the silver anniversary, a special silver stiletto trophy was presented – the winner, Jacqui Horwood (left), a librarian from …
Sisters in Crime is mourning the death in Melbourne of Kerry Greenwood, founding member and beloved friend and author, at the age of 70. Sisters in Crime is planning a celebration of Kerry Greenwood’s life.
How refreshing to have a murder mystery set in 1920s’ Vietnam – and one by a Vietnamese-Australian adult fiction writer. Jacquie Pham has set her debut thriller in 1928 amongst a group of young men running their families’ formidable businesses. They make up Saigon’s most powerful group of friends in 1928 Vietnam’s elite society – until one of them is murdered. All members are automatically included in the draw at the end of each month.
What a night. What winners. Here is the lowdown on the 31st Scarlet Stiletto Awards night. Including all the winners.
Love the twisty, turny plots of Pip Drysdale? Twenty copies of her latest The Close-Up are up for grabs in the November Crime Stack draw for members only. The Close-Up is an electrifying, dark and (of course) twisty thriller that follows a young novelist, once full of promise but now failing to live up to it, who becomes embroiled in the life of a hot movie star… and his stalker.
The Crime Stack is a benefit for Sisters in Crime members. Every month there are 20 books to win in a random draw of members.
Join now and be in the running for a complimentary paperback copy of The Close-Up
Judging is now very much underway, to review the 77 adult fiction, 5 non fiction, 11 young adult and 15 children’s books submitted for the Davitt Awards 2025. The goal is to have the long list finalised by early June, at the latest. More info in due course.
Multi-award-winning author, Candice Fox, will present Sisters in Crime’s 31st Scarlet Stiletto Awards, after first discussing her life in crime with fellow award-winning author, Sarah Bailey.
Sisters in Crime Australia is proud to announce that 28 stories by 28 authors have been shortlisted for its 31st Scarlet Stiletto Awards for best crime short stories written by Australian women. This year 195 stories are vying for a record $13,400 in prize money. All authors receive a framed certificate and, if lucky, they also win one of the 16 prizes on offer. The first-prize winner also scores a spectacular trophy – a scarlet stiletto shoe with a steel stiletto heel plunging into a mount.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Scarlet Stiletto Awards for best short stories in 2023, Sisters in Crime, Susanna Lobez, actor-turned-barrister-turned-broadcaster-turned-true-crime-author, has been progressively narrating the winning stories in a podcast – Scarlet Stiletto Bites: Scintillating stories by Australian women. Find out how to listen here.
For the September Crime Stack, Affirm Press has kindly offered 20 copies of The Crag, by Claire Sutherland, award-winning journalist, former Herald Sun Book editor, and keen climber. It’s literally a cliff-hanger. While walking on an isolated track in the windswept Wimmera, rock-climber and ambo Skye discovers the body of a young woman. The body has injuries that suggest a rock-climbing accident, but it’s been found more than 5km from the nearest cliffs at Mount Arapiles. Police ask Skye to help them navigate the perilous world of rock climbing as they try to unravel what happened.
The Scarlet Stiletto Awards for best short crime and mystery stories turn 31 this year and are offering a record $13,400 in prizes. The first prize winner takes home $2000, donated by Swinburne University of Technology, plus the coveted trophy. Cate Kennedy is offering a new award for the Best Story Inspired by a Forensic Clue ($500). Closes 31 August 2024 – so start writing now, if you haven’t already.