SAFE HAVEN
A security guard dies in a detention centre. A woman dares to speak out and stand up. This is an important and moving story about displacement and about the lengths you’ll go to find safety and love. And home.
women’s writing
Sharp and engaging storytelling: Veronica Gorrie
Veronica Gorrie drew on her lived experience as a Gunai/Kurnai woman and former police officer for her book Black and Blue: A Memoir of Racism and Resilience (Scribe Publications). Through her sharp wit and engaging storytelling, she takes us on her journey as an Aboriginal person who joined the white, male-dominated Queensland police.
The Missing Girl by Kerry McGinnis
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 by L A Larkin
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.
The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart
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.
The Serpent’s Skin by Erina Reddan
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 …
The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey
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
Beware of Dogs by Elizabeth Flann
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.
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 …