Still catching up, and obviously this isn't crime fiction but I just have to mention this book. Wow. A harrowing tale of what it means to be a refugee. An uplifting example of what it means to be human.
From the Blurb:
Anh Do nearly didn't make it to Australia. His entire family came close to losing their lives on the sea as they escaped from war-torn Vietnam in an overcrowded boat. But nothing - not murderous pirates, nor the imminent threat of death by hunger, disease or dehydration as they drifted for days - could quench their desire to make a better life in the country they had dreamed about.
Opening Lines:
I'm flying down the Hume Highway at 130 kilometres an hour. I've lost control a few times but the brrrr of those white guide things on the side of the road keep me on track. A steering wheel wet from tears is a very slippery object. I am sobbing uncontrollably.