Prime Minister’s Literary Awards Writing Australia announced the winners of the 2025 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Two of the winning titles, chosen by an independent panel of judges from shortlists announced in August, are: Fiction Theory & Practice (Michelle de Kretser, Text) Nonfiction Mean Streak (Rick Morton, Fourth Estate) * The awards were presented at a special event,
Reviewed by Rod McLary Chris Hammer is one of Australia’s finest – and one the most successful – crime writers. The setting for most of his novels is the Australian outback – a setting as harsh and unforgiving as the crimes which lie at the heart of his novels placing them securely within the sub-genre
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Sally Hepworth, in Mad Mabel, has launched a very sympathetic and likeable character in the person of 81year old Elsie Fitzpatrick, once the infamous young murderer, mad Mabel. The eye-watering success of the Thursday Murder Club series, which is set in an aged care facility, proved that characters’ ages would not
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Catch is the story of sixteen-year-old Beth who discovers a hidden talent viz a nausea attack signalling someone is in danger of falling followed by a new ability to catch the person before he/she can self-harm. Having this skill brings challenges and with them responsibility. It is soon revealed that the
Reviewed by Ian Lipke James Dunbar does not normally have much to do with crime-mystery writing. We can be thankful that he changed his habits to write Twisted River. When Rory and Cate, a married couple returning from a vacation overseas, they are met by a set of nightmarish circumstances. Their credit cards no longer
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This is the second story about Runt, the street dog befriended by eleven-year-old Annie Shearer. In the previous story the reader learns how these two bonded and went on to become famous thereby rejuvenating the small out-of-the-way town of Upson Downs. For readers who have not read the first story, the
ARA Historical Novel Prize 2025 shortlists The Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) today announced the shortlist for the 2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize. Running since 2020, the prize is open to novels where the majority of the narrative takes place more than 50 years ago. This year’s shortlist for both categories features authors who have
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Once again Fiona McArthur has her readers visiting the town of Lightning Ridge. This was also the setting for her book, The Opal Miner’s Daughter, number two in her Aussie Outback Medical Romance Series. Her latest book, The Lightning Ridge Ladies, is the fourteenth book in that series. As is her
Danger Awards 2025 winners announced Winners of the 2025 Danger Awards have been announced. From shortlists released in August, the winners in each category are: Debut crime fiction A Town Called Treachery (Mitch Jennings, HarperCollins) Crime fiction Bone Lands (Pip Fioretti, Affirm) Crime nonfiction Black Witness (Amy McQuire, UQP) Libby App People’s Choice Girl Falling (Hayley Scrivenor, Macmillan). The Danger Awards
Reviewed by Rod McLary In his Afterword [p127] to this novella, Colm Tóibín explains that A Long Winter was written twenty years ago and first appeared as a story in his collection Mothers and Sons published in 2006. The stories in the collection explore the nature of relationships between and mothers and their sons –
Ngaio Marsh Awards 2025 finalists The shortlists for this year’s Ngaio Marsh Awards, which celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand crime, mystery or thriller writing, have been announced. The shortlisted books in the Best Novel category are: Best novel 17 Years Later (JP Pomare, Hachette) * The Call (Gavin Strawhan, A&U NZ) A Divine Fury (DV Bishop, Macmillan) Home
Reviewed by Ian Lipke One should be warned by the title and general appearance of the title On Wings of Blood that this book is not for the fainthearted. Until now I have steered clear of the blood-and-guts variety of fantasy novel. More accurately, I have avoided the fantasy genre almost entirely. On Wings of
Davitt Awards 2025 Sisters in Crime has announced the winners of the 2025 Davitt Awards for the best crime books by Australian women. The winning title in the Adult Novel category, chosen from the shortlist announced in July, is To the River (Vikki Wakefield, Text) A highly commended certificate was awarded to Fiona McFarlane for Highway 13 (A&U). This book has
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Windy Washing Day is a 210x210cm hardback picture book for ages 3-8 by Yvonne Low and Kate Talbot. This is a wonderfully funny story about a young child helping mum hang out the washing when the wind whips up and the clothes are blown off the line. Told in the first
Reviewed by Rod McLary Gus and the Burning Stones is the sequel to Gus and the Missing Boy [2024] and continues Gus’ search for his birth mother after discovering in the first book that he was adopted. With the help of his friends Kane and Shell, Gus was able to track down the details of