29 May 2021

Back stories reveal spooks’ messy histories

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CONSIDERING his prolific output and the frequency of publication, crime writer supreme Mick Herron remained off my radar for an inexplicably long time. Years, in fact. During which time he published numerous much-praised books and won several prestigious awards. How I managed to miss him – or perhaps simply ignore him – I have no… Continue Reading

29 May 2021

Back stories reveal spooks’ messy histories

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CONSIDERING his prolific output and the frequency of publication, crime writer supreme Mick Herron remained off my radar for an inexplicably long time. Years, in fact. During which time he published numerous much-praised books and won several prestigious awards. How I managed to miss him – or perhaps simply ignore him – I have no… Continue Reading

12 March 2021

Murder and mayhem in hilarious crime fiction debut

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Book cover Richard Osman The Thursday Murder Club

NAH, it can’t be that good. Surely not. Must be because its cover has a celebrity’s name taking top billing as the author. Another example of vanity publishing, selling by popularity rather than content. Probably ghost written too. Isn’t that how it goes; win the public’s heart through the telly or sport then cash in… Continue Reading

12 February 2021

Criminals galore lurk in lockdown bedside library

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Living, coping and observing in the age of Covid #8 Feb 2021: THE Pisa-like bedside tower of books looked like toppling before I got around to recording some of its content. It was only thanks to some extended sessions of lockdown reading that it has been whittled down to a less perilous height. Sadly it… Continue Reading

20 January 2021

New writer’s thriller reveals Canada’s divisive dark side

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Book cover Osmand's Creek

ONE of the many pleasures gained from reading crime fiction is being plunged deep into places never previously visited. Or, if having been there only superficially as a mere transient, now getting down and dirty with the locals. No longer passing through but going well and truly off piste. The crime novel as a Baedecker…. Continue Reading

27 December 2020

Confused by sleuths of crime-ridden south coast

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Down to the Woods - MJ Aldridge

CONFUSION continues to await avid readers of two popular series of crime fiction tales centred on Britain’s south coast. They can be left flummoxed, not so much by the intricate plotting but rather by the naming of the two main characters. One wonders whether there is mutual admiration or deep rivalry between the books’ authors,… Continue Reading

10 December 2020

Garry dishes up Outback crime to rival the best

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Book review Bitter Wash Road Gary Disher

I HAVE been renewing acquaintance with an old friend. As always, it was a rewarding and compelling page-turning experience. It was also thought provoking, making me wonder yet again why so few Australian crime writers make it on to the international stage. Rather than becoming household names they are too often relegated to being the… Continue Reading

8 September 2020

Murdering bullies prove noir is noir wherever you are

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THIS Icelandic journey into the dark side sparked something of a defining moment. Or, more precisely, a desire to have something defined. Better than that, a search for the definition of a definition; one that  entailed going beyond the resources of the OED or Mr Google. The puzzle centres on the proliferation of genres, sub-genres… Continue Reading

17 August 2020

When a famous mystery writer becomes her own suspect

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OUR libraries and bookshops offer an intriguing double-whammy for devotees of crime fiction. They can either select a mystery by the enduring and much revered Josephine Tey,   or they can delve into a tale of  much more recent vintage in which the same Josephine Tey is the solver of the crime. To all intents… Continue Reading

2 July 2020

Taut teaser a good introduction to German crime fiction

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AND now for something completely different with a truly gripping thriller from a source not previously sampled. After years of immersion in the tide of Scandi Noir, I am stepping out into fresh fields with a switch to German Noir. Well, completely different and fresh for this reader, although no doubt it has been flourishing… Continue Reading

12 June 2020

McDermid delivers another twisting tale

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IN these uncertain times (I write in the era of Covid-19) there is little better than delving into a book knowing that satisfaction is guaranteed. Plot, characters and dialogue will meld into a teasingly enjoyable story of good fighting evil with at least some measure of justice being served. The good guys will at times… Continue Reading

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