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. It’s Melbourne, 1868 and dazzling theatre star Marie St Denis dies in the arms of her best friend, fellow actress Lola Sanchez, everyone believes it was suicide by laudanum overdose. Everyone except Lola. On the brink of stardom herself, she risks everything by embarking on a quest to find Marie’s killer.
When journalist Magnus Scott, writing as ‘the Walking Gentleman’, publishes a compassionate obituary about her friend, Lola decides to seek his help. A fraught attraction develops between these two amateur detectives from opposite sides of society, and their volatile relationship soon begins to compromise their investigation.
Neither are prepared for the truths they will uncover about the powers that rule Melbourne – or the consequences for their own lives. And now they must race to find the murderer before the city destroys them both.
Author bio:
Jane Sullivan is an author and literary journalist who loves books and has always written about them. Writing for The Age, she won the inaugural Australian Human Rights award for journalism. he has previously published two novels – The White Star (Penguin Australia, 2000) and Little People (Scribe, 2011) – and the nonfiction work Storytime (Ventura Press, 2019).
More info here.
The Crime Stack is a benefit for Sisters in Crime members. Every month there are 20 books to win in a random draw of members.
Join now and be in the running for a complimentary paperback copy of Murder in Punch Lane.
Winners for the July Crime Stack received Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor, kindly donated by Pan Macmillan Publishing Australia: Blanche Clark (VIC); Kellie Cox (QLD); Gwenda Davey (VIC); Imelda Evans (VIC); Deb Force (VIC); Lesley Gillis (VIC); Nette HILTON (QLD); Jane Hinchey (SA); Margaret Hollingdale (VIC); Lisa Kenway (NSW); Veronica Lando (QLD); Fiona Lowe (VIC); Ronni Murphy (VIC); Carin Needham (QLD); Christine Ostermann (SA); Tamara Potts (WA); Annette Robinson (QLD); Rhonda Ruddick (VIC); Sally Scott (WA); and Sandy Verschoor (SA).