Cutters End by Margaret Hickey
A gripping read that sits well in the outback noir genre. Captured is the dust, the searing heat, glimpses of rugged beauty, and stark loneliness of the Australian outback.
crime writing
Davitt Awards: a (long) shortlist for women’s best crime & mystery books announced
The Davitt Awards (long) shortlist is here! nine adult novels, five Young Adult (YA) novels, six children’s novels and five non-fiction books. Twelve books from all categories are competing for the debut award. Altogether, 127 books have been in contention.
Fatal female friendships: Author spotlight with Polly Phillips
Perth author, Polly Phillips, drew on her observations and portrayals of female friendships for her debut novel My Best Friend’s Murder (Simon & Schuster). Gaslighting in female friendship hasn’t been examined with the same nuance that romantic relationships have, she says.
Sarah Bailey: Author, advertising executive and managing company partner
This month’s Murder Monday interview by Sisters in Crime’s national co-convenor, Karina Kilmore is with Sarah Bailey whose debut novel, The Dark Lake, is a best seller in Australia, the USA and Canada and won both the 2018 Davitt Award for Best Crime Debut and the 2018 Ned Kelly award for Best First Crime. (Click on …
New rules apply! Sisters in Crime’s Annual General Meeting – Carmel Shute (secretary) reports
Sisters in Crime held its much delayed Annual General Meeting yesterday (30 May) by Zoom. Thanks to the pandemic, it has been a long year since its last AGM – 19 months, in fact – but financial members rallied to the call for a big turnout (a quorum of 10%) to pass the new rules …
Launch of the 28th Scarlet Stiletto Awards – with a body or three in the library
Sisters in Crime Australia is joining forces with its long-time supporter, the Melbourne Athenaeum Library, to launch its 28th Scarlet Stiletto Awards for best short crime and mystery stories by Australian women. A record $11,910 is up for grabs this year. The Melbourne Athenaeum Library has sponsored the ‘Body in the Library’ Award since 2012, …
Everyday psychopaths: Kelli Hawkins
Writing a crime thriller marks the author as a slightly suspicious person; perhaps even a downright shady one – or so I’ve recently discovered. My debut novel, Other People’s Houses, was released in March and I’ve lost count of the number of friends and family – even strangers – who’ve asked how, and why, I …
Now online: Witness for the Prosecution: Supporting survivors of sexual assault
Sisters in Crime Australia was again proud to join forces with the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre, Victoria University, to present its 15th Law Week event. An expert panel – Louise Milligan, Jane Patrick, Michele Williams QC and Rachel Spencer – discuss the experience of survivors of sexual assault and their journey through the Australian legal system and how it make it …
Zipping on the zeitgeist: Q&A with Meg Mundell
The Trespassers, Meg Mundell’s first foray into crime fiction, is presciently set during a global pandemic, and tracks the deprivations and fears of passengers sailing from London to Melbourne as new infections break out on board. It won Sisters in Crime’s 20th Davitt Award (Best Crime Novel). Meg talked to Janice Simpson about how this …
Number 10: The milestone or the millstone? – B.M. Carroll
Having just submitted my tenth novel, I find myself reflecting on the craft of writing and some of the challenges that come with having a long backlist. I was in my late twenties when I started writing my first novel. Writing was a hobby, a way of escaping the stress of my corporate job. I …