AustCrimeFiction - All Blogs

I don't normally get too bothered one way or the other about book covers - but it has to be said - this one is wonderful.

Plus it's a very entertaining story so far :)

From the Blurb

A legendary group of sleuths, The Twelve Detectives, come together for the first time at the 1889 World Fair in Paris.  But the occasion provokes their greatest challenge when one of them, Louis Dabon, is found murdered at the base of the Fair's second most famous exhibit, the newly built 'Eiffel Tower'.

Opening Lines:

I've not put a category on this book yet as I'm really not too sure what to call it - it's not necessarily crime fiction, not necessarily a thriller, but more of a fictionalised memoir.  I think.

Anyway it's most unexpected and really very very involving.

From the Blurb:

'I love the poet in you,' she said.  But the poet was very small and the policeman was, and still is, getting bigger and one day soon the policeman will plant is big fat bum in the poet's face and it will be Game Over.

Opening Lines:

Obsession Warning - yes she's banging on about Let the Right One In again (his second book is out here this month - I didn't see it in the bookshop I was wandering around yesterday - otherwise I'd have been too busy to even read The Age let alone write this post :) )

It's no coincidence that I've just added JJ Cooper to the database here, along with his first book The Interrogator.

The wonderful thing about being a dedicated reader is that it doesn't seem to matter how many books you read these days there is always a pile / list longer than your arm of ones you want to read.  Adrian McKinty's books have been in that list for just a tad too long, so I'm rectifying the lapse on my part toots sweet.  The Bloomsday Dead will get me started, but there are 3 others of his lurking around here - Dead I Well May Be, Hidden River and The Dead Yard.

From the Blurb:

Move to Strike is the fourth book from Sydney Bauer - set in the US.

From the Blurb:

Doctor Jeffrey Logan, daytime TV's most loved psychologist, has a top-rating talk show seen around the world - his picture perfect life completed by his talented lawyer wife, Stephanie Tyler, their 16-year-old daughter, Chelsea, and 13-year-old son, J.T.

This book is flagged as the first book in an exciting and unique series set in Kenya - with a crime-busting due of Jake and Jouma who are a breath of fresh air amongst crime thriller heroes.  It's a bit hard to tell if I agree yet as I've only read the blurb - but I'm starting this book today :)

Opening Lines:

Shhhhh - this book from a newish Australian author is due out in March so "technically" I shouldn't be mentioning it, but I started reading this last night with a view to getting a review out at the right time.  I've got to say I'm really really enjoying this.  Set in and around the horse-racing community, it's more than just a "horse racing book" so far.

From the Blurb:

This is a book written by the son of a major crime / scandal figure in New South Wales in the '60s and '70s.  Abe Saffron was known in Sydney circles as Mr Sin and for many years ran clubs, strip joints, brothels amongst other things.

From the blurb:

Growing up the son of Australia's kingpin of vice, Alan Saffron had little chance of a normal life.  In the landmark nightspots of Kings Cross, his father pioneered the lucrative underworld businesses of girls, grog and gambling - and had Alan count the money after school.  But the real trouble was at home.

I do love a plan.  I particularly love a plan that might mean I get my monthly reading numbers back on track.  I've been a bit slow off the mark so far this year, and it really is time to get organised.  It's not like there's anything on summer TV worth watching, and goodness knows I've unpacked more than enough boxes for a while.  Besides I'm running out of places to put stuff - so it will just have to stay in a box until we build the "dream house" (which probably means forever the way we get organised :) )

This really isn't a week when I can talk about crime fiction as entertainment.  We've been incredibly lucky but the rest of Victoria(link is external)hasn't.  Yesterday large parts of our home State went up in flames and the human death toll is currently rising rapidly, to say nothing of the devastating loss of animals and huge areas of land.

There has been a bit of discussion around blogs recently about forgotten books and this morning's Blow off the Dust post on The Rap Sheet(link is external) seemed particularly appropriate as an incentive to join the ranks of reading some old forgotten books.  Firstly because we're surrounded by dust storms, and secondly because I got hold of some old favourites recently.  So today I'm going to pick up 

It's an interesting phenomena that in a country that used to pride itself on it's rugged outdoors / country style heroes, the vast majority of the population live on the coast - in large cities.

This is the fourth book in the Anna Travis series - the earlier ones are Above Suspicion, The Red Dahlia and Clean Cut.  I've really enjoyed the earlier books so I was somewhat taken aback when I saw the sheer size of this one - 641 pages makes for a very very big book, so I sincerely hope that it lives up to the weight.

From the Blurb:

The Carnival of the Criminal minds seems to have gone a bit damp and sweaty - Number 31 is being hosted over at Helen's It's Criminal blog.  There are some tremendous points including the Reg Keeland's site.  Reg is Stieg Larsson's translator (amongst others).  There is also a very useful pointer to Crimewav.com for a regular podcast.  Anyway - wander over to Helen's blog and you too can be somewhat startled and slightly amazed that such a refined, genteel and proper

I've got a fascinating book here that I've been dipping in and out of for quite a while now (and some of the authors mentioned will come up again in my Wednesday Waffles), but it's called The Anthology of Colonial Australian Crime Fiction - written by Ken Gelder and Rachael Weaver.

From Random House - Channel 7 has finished filming the 8-part true crime series starring Aussie crime writer Leah Giarratano. Though delayed, we have news that the series is amazing and looks set to hit our screens come March or April.

Continuing a little on my theme of those who came before, there are some little heard of (and darn hard to find the work of) pioneering female Australian crime writers who deserve to be mentioned.

This is a debut book from Andy L Semple, which has a very catchy concept - the killing off of politicians, until they return power to the Australian people - it's a concept that undoubtedly is going to spark some interest ;)

From the blurb:

The night before a crucial Senate vote, one of Canberra's most powerful politicians is executed with surgical precision.  The assassins deliver a shocking ultimatum to the Federal and State Governments - "Stop your partisan politics and restore power to the Australian people or more of you will die!"

Opening Lines:

On 4_Mystery_Addicts(link is external) this week there has been a fascinating discussion about Unreliable Narrators, and I've wanted to expand this out to consider local books.

The problem with the blogosphere is that anybody can be an expert. 

All it takes is time - time to post constantly, time to self promote, time to comment anywhere and everywhere - time to "get the name out there". 

Australian Crime fiction is an older beast than the blogosphere though, and there have been, over many many years, a number of heroes of promotion, support and sheer graft that have tried to carry the message to readers here and all over (right back to when that was truly hard work - before blogs and email signatures  )

The next book is due out in April - from Text Publishing.

Well it's summer.  It's seriously summer at the new house - it's seriously seriously seriously seriously hot.  Which you'd think would be good reading time, but I'm really having bad attacks of the guilts if I sit down in the afternoon's with a book - particularly as I'm STILL looking for missing coffee cups in boxes.

There's going to be some great books out this year - with new offerings from Garry Disher, Peter Temple and Geoff McGeachin's 3rd in his series already out and about.  Let's hope there's even more and that some of the "girls" get in on the act as well.

I'm about to announce the winners of a copy of English Toss on Planet Andong, and it is definitely time I started the book myself.  Which I did last night.  Slyly funny thus far, I'm really enjoying this.

From the blurb:

"'Don't you realise you can get by without other people?  They're the ones who make you sad.  They're the ones who let you down, who disappoint you.  And a troubled heart's such a chore.'

Thank you to everybody who entered the last competition on AustCrime - for a copy of Dave Franklin's slightly mad English Toss on Planet Andong. He's giving away three copies, so the lucky winners are:

Jenifer Nightingale-Ethier Canada

Sally Roddom NT, Australia

Gary Svoboda NE, USA

Next Up - I've got a copy of Katherine Howell's terrific second book The Darkest Hour to give away so stand by for the announcement of that competition.

I'm slowly getting the routines re-established around here, and one of those is a bit of a report on the book I'm currently reading.  I confess I snatched this one of MtTBR because I felt like I needed a visit with an old friend who writes thrillers, crime fiction, mystery fiction - whatever you want to call it, better than most.  A DARKER DOMAIN is set partly in a mining village of the author's own childhood, built around the Miners Strikes in the early 80's.  Thus far the book is absolutely fantastic.

From the Blurb:

No one does television crime better than the Brits and there seems to be a goldmine coming up in 2009.  Here are just a few.  Hopefully they will all make it onto Australian television screens this year.

Sir David Jason to retire Inspector Frost in 2009.

Top Books of 2008 is something everybody is doing at the moment. 

I find these lists very uncomfortable - it seems so unfair to distill down an entire years entertainment into a Top 10 or similar.  Besides I'm notoriously mathematically challenged so I don't do 10.  What I have done is found a number of books that are well worth another mention from last year.

Starting out with the locals:

Text Publishing have Peter Temple's much anticipated follow up to The Broken Shore - Truth - listed for publication in August (according to their latest newsletter).  Fingers and toes crossed that this is close to the date now :)

"Peter Temple, Truth (fiction, August)

There is absolutely nothing like moving to stuff up your posting time.

I swear if I could find a crime fiction book about somebody who goes completely feral and murders everybody who says "oh you're moving over Christmas...." I'd read it, quote it, start leaving copies around all over the place!

Still the move is half way through - and we've switched over to living in the extreme rural environment of the Pyrenees Ranges in Central West (I think that's right) Victoria.  It's peaceful - beautiful, although bloody hot.  Bloody dry.  Did I mention BLOODY HOT!

Having just released the third book in the Alby Murdoch series - Dead & Kicking (I'll type up my review as soon as I've finished giggling!), Geoff has happily agreed to a bit of a chat about the book.  Which we're going to do backwards and forwards as I've got a few things I thought I'd like to ask him.

Sounds of trumpets / fanfares / mutterings from deep in the couch on Day Two of the Boxing Day test - and we managed a few moments to draw a winner.

Heartiest congratulations to:

Patricia P in Toronto, Canada

Your books will be winging their happy way to you, ready to bring a little Australian sun and fun to coldest Canada with my hope that you enjoy them as much as I did!

Thanks again to Geoff without whose kind support AustCrime couldn't have done this particular competition.

A new, Auckland-based journal/web zine is coming out towards the end of January.

Prima Storia aims to publish quality fiction, essays and interviews by emerging and established writers - including science fiction and crime writers - and, especially, novel work that defies categorization.

Please got to http://primastoria.com(link is external) for more information.

Longer pieces will be paid for in book tokens - but you are not going to make a killing.

In great news from P D Martin,The Murderers' Club is now available in the US and Canada in the mass market paperback format. Just in time for Christmas, and Fan Mail is now available here in the smaller 'mass market' format. 

(Perfect stocking stuffers to keep in mind for everyone!)

With another incredibly generous offer from one of our local crime writers, lucky participants can win a copy of Dave Franklin's latest book English Toss on Planet Andong.  Please follow the link below for entry details.

It's well worth a look at the Critics' Choice for 2008(link is external) from the SMH website particularly for Sue Turnbull's selections in Crime Fiction. 

Let's talk about the local books that I was lucky enough to read this year.

There have been some fabulous ones around - both as new releases, and I did some serious catching up on some books that have been lurking on Mt TBR for way too long.  There have been a few though, that really stuck in the memory.

Next book up is another historical - which I confess I would have never read in the past, and I've had quite a few as review books recently - many of them extremely good.

From the Blurb:

Constantinople, May 1453.  In the dying days of the Byzantine empire, as 7000 armed men prepare to defend the city against the might of the Ottoman Turks, Isaak Merochites and his family are entrusted with a purple velvet bundle.  Inside is a silver reliquary entrusted with a purple velvet bundle....

This book comes labelled as the first Arabic detective novel to be translated into English.  THE FINAL BET is set in Casablanca and the author, Abdelilah Hamdouchi, is one of the first writers of Arabic Language detective fiction.  He has written eight novels.

From the Blurb:

Radio National's Bookshow first announced, and a story has just been aired on ABC Radio's The World Today Show - Dorothy Porter died from breast cancer this morning.

A profound loss to the Australian literary community, and to the cause of poetry the world over, Dorothy was one of those women that, if you were lucky enough to hear her speak, made you profoundly jealous of anybody fortunate enough to have been a student of hers.

I started this book last night and I have got to say it's shaping up as a book that's going to keep me awake way past my regular bedtimes for a while.  Set in 1950's South Africa it's a thriller, but it's set in a social environment which I have little explored in my reading life.  I'm hoping that this is going to be one of my favourite sort of books - on the one hand simply a good read, on the other hand social commentary and exploration.

From the Blurb:

In 1950's South Africa, the colour of a killer's skin matters more than justice.

Grant McKenzie's new thriller SWITCH (Bantam Transworld UK) has just been released in Australia and is now on the shelves.

The Blurb of the Book:

"How far would you go to save the ones you love?

Would you commit murder?

Readers of this site are lucky (lucky lucky lucky), oh so lucky to be offered the chance to win a copy of the first two books in the comic Alby Murdoch series by local author Geoffrey McGeachin.  For more:

Win Copies of D-E-D Dead! and Sensitive New Age Spy

Entries are open to all geographical locations and you just never know, Geoff could possibly be prevailed upon to inscribe them with a personalised message.

This is an unusual (and from the first few pages I've read), rather funny memoir written by Judith Fordham.  The "About the Author" page is fascinating enough to start off with:

Thanks to Australian Online Bookshop,(link is external) I was finally able to track down a copy of this book, originally published by Spinifex Press in 2001.  It's described as a comic crime novel.

From the Blurb:

When the ghostly Fedora interrupts Julie Bernard's coffee in Brunswick Street, Julie's life is set to change.

Opening Lines:

I've had this book on the top of the stacks for what seems like a lifetime now, and as per usual, you start these things and leave yourself wondering what the hell you've been doing not picking it up the second it arrived through the door.

This is the second book from Howell - an ex-paramedic herself, and they provide a very unique viewpoint of crime.  From the paramedic point of view and from a very engaging female cop.  Anyway more on that when I finish the book.

From the blurb:

Another book that's been in my mind as something to track down, has just lept into my hands demanding to be read.  To be honest I feel the need for something a little quirky - hopefully funny, so we'll see how we go.

From the Blurb:

Self-appointed private investigator Sam Chauvel finds himself back in the corporate world.

This is the second thriller from Mark Abernethy starring Australian spy Alan McQueen.  Alan made his debut in the book Golden Serpent, which was one of the best military sort of spy thriller's I'd read in a while, so I'm looking forward to this one.  Golden Serpent was a fabulous combination of action, humour, and even a bit of romance (although not of the soppy variety). 

From the Blurb of Second Strike:

From Text Publishing on 7th November 2008:

Peter Temple has been shortlisted for the Swedish Crime Writers Academy’s 2008 Martin Beck Award, for his multi-award-winning novel The Broken Shore(link is external).

This True Crime book by sisters Lindy Cameron and Fin J Ross starts off quoting some seriously sobering statistics:

"In the seventeen years to 2006 there have been 5226 homicide incidents in Australia, involving 5617 victims and 5743 
offenders.  Even for nearly two decades, that seems like way too much murder.  In the latest reporting period alone there were 283 homicide incidents in which 336 offenders were responsible for the deaths of 301 people."

From the Blurb:

Calling all short story writers, orators and lovers of words! 

The Newstead Short Story Tattoo is planned for May 2009 (15th, 16th, 17th). 

We need submissions from writers who wish to read their work, or storytellers / orators who wish to be a part of some live storytelling (around a big camp fire). 

This is the only event in Australia that celebrates the short story alone. 

Another excellent Scandinavian author - The Black Path is Åsa Larsson's third book (Sun Storm aka The Savage Altar, The Blood Split being the first two).  The books are set in the same region of Sweden that the author comes from - a small place deep in the north of Sweden (it's the northernmost city, situated in Lappland).

Another fantastic short story collection that I've been on the lookout for.  The title "Crosstown Traffic" gives you a bit of a hint on the concept - this is a collection of stories from well known writers at the time (and many who have endured) that blur the genre lines.  Whilst there is crime at the heart of each of these stories, the settings and often the style are very much cross-genre.

Worth it for each of the stories, and for the introduction which explains the concept and expands on the reactions of the writers.

From the Blurb: