The Scandalous Life of Sacha Torte – Lesley Truffle

Harper Collins 2017 Reviewer: Kerry James Synopsis In the winter of 1912 on the wild West Coast of Tasmania, Wolfftown’s most notorious heiress and murderess, Sasha Torte, tells the tale of her own spectacular downfall. Forsaken by her parents and raised by criminals and reprobates, Sasha becomes a world-famous pastry chef at the tender age …

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Garret Podcast: Carmel Bird on how she recognises a good idea

Occasional crime writer Carmel Bird’s first short story collection appeared in 1976, and she has published steadily ever since. She won the Patrick White Award in 2016 for her lifetime contribution to Australian literature. Her latest book is Family Skeleton, launched by Sisters in Crime convenor, Lindy Cameron, in 2016. This contribution includes three works shortlisted for …

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Fallen Angel: Phoebe Handsjuk

Robyn Walton reports on an event with Robin Bowles where she discussed her latest crime book, Into the Darkness: The Mysterious Death of Phoebe Handsjuk (Scribe, October 2016). The book was launched by Susanna Lobez at SheKilda3. Robin Bowles, a long-time Sisters in Crime member, has been researching and writing about mysterious deaths and disturbing crimes …

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Crime in Medieval Time

FELICITY PULMAN: I’ve lived most of my life in Australia (although I was born in Zimbabwe) and yet at least half of my novels are set in medieval England where my heart and my dreaming seem to have taken root. This is somewhat unfortunate in terms of researching and writing historical crime (and historical fantasy.) ‘Unfortunate’ …

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Sisters in Crime celebrate 25 years – RN interview with Sue Turnbull and Melina Marchetta, 17 November 2016

Sisters in Crime, a group who champions women crime writers, is having its 25th Anniversary Convention, called SheKilda3. Topics under debate include domestic noir, detectives with a difference, unlikely heroes, mystery with history, where to draw the line in Young Adult fiction and more. Sue Turnbull, co-convenor of Sisters in Crime Australia, and author Melina …

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Crime and the big short… list

Catch up with The Fairfax Media report on the short lists for the 2016 Davitt Awards and the Ned Kelly Awards. http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/bookmarks-news-and-views-from-the-book-world-20160809-gqofe2.html

Bone by Bone – Sanjida Kay

Allen and Unwin – Corvus, 2016 Reviewer: Lesley Vick Synopsis Laura loves her daughter more than anything in the world. But nine-year-old Autumn is being bullied. Laura feels helpless. When Autumn fails to return home from school one day, Laura goes looking for her. She finds a crowd of older children taunting her little girl. …

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