Carmel Shute
For the August Author Spotlight, Narrelle M Harris spoke with author and literary journalist, Jane Sullivan about her debut crime novel, Murder in Punch Lane (Echo Publishing). It was inspired by the historical life and death of young actress, Marie St Denis, in Melbourne in 1868. She was drawn to write about Marie after reading her
obituary.
The complexity of criminal behaviour is one of the themes that Emily Gale and Nova Weetman loved exploring in Outlaw Girls, their time-slip novel in which one of the central characters is Kate Kelly, younger sister of the Australian bushranger and gang leader Ned Kelly.
For the August Crime Stack, Echo Publishing has kindly offered 20 copies of Murder in Punch Lane, by Jane Sullivan, the literary correspondent for Nine Newspapers, and a former Davitt judge for Sisters in Crime.
Inspired by real events and people, Murder in Punch Lane is a dark and gripping crime novel that maps the sins and secrets of nineteenth-century Melbourne.
Sisters in Crime Australia has announced a shortlist of 19 books for its 24th Davitt Awards – seven adult novels, four non-fiction books, two YA adult novels, four children’s novels. A reminder for members to vote for the Davitt (Readers’ Choice) will be sent out on 30 July, with the vote closing on 31 July.
For the July Murder Monday, Sisters in Crime’s Jacq Ellem spoke to Sherryl Clark, the prolific author who has published more than 70 children’s and YA books, including novels, chapter books, picture books and award-winning verse novels. And now lots of crime. Sherryl has recently moved from Australia to New Zealand (Aotearoa). Sherryl will be talking to Sisters in Crime in Melbourne on Friday 26 July.
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.
On offer for the July Crime Stack are 20 copies of Girl Falling kindly donated by Pan Macmillan Publishing Australia. Award-winning Wollongong writer, Hayley Scrivenor displays again her razor-sharp skills for character, landscape and narrative. Join now and be in the running for a complimentary paperback copy of Girl Falling.
For this month’s Author Spotlight Deborah Challinor, a prolific author from across the ditch, spoke to Robyn Walton about her new historical novel, Black Silk & Sympathy (HarperCollins, 2024), set in Sydney in the 1860s – with a very unusual sleuth. She has had an interest in cemeteries and mourning and funeral traditions forever, she says. In 2018 she received a New Zealand Order of Merit award for services to literature and historical research.
Global best-selling author, Alison Goodman, asks if we have noticed a quiet revolution happening on our bookshelves and television screen. She’s talking about the rise and rise of the older woman amateur sleuth.
Twenty years ago, she would have been pressed to name more than Miss Marple as an example, but now we have Elizabeth and Joyce from the Thursday Murder Club, the new Marlow Murders team in the books by Robert Thorogood, Agatha Raisin in the books by MC Beaton, and Susan Ryeland in the Magpie Murders series, to name just a few.
Thirty books have made it to Sisters in Crime Australia’s longlist for its 24th Davitt Awards for the best crime and mystery books published by women in 2023. A 153 crime books, including a formidable 120 adult novels are in contention.