It is criminally good reading …
… and I was never going to refuse an offer of a review copy of this anthology. I thoroughly enjoyed the first volume and was very keen to find out what was on offer in this volume. And what did I find: twenty-one short stories and an excerpt from Dorothy Porter’s verse novel ‘El Dorado’.
Something here for every taste. So, who are the contributors? Charity Norman; Anna Downes; Jack Heath; Jennifer Lane; Robert Gott; Shelley Burne-Field; Natalie Conyer; Ashley Kalagian Blunt; Jean Bedford; Chad Taylor; Dorothy Porter; Malla Nunn; Stephen Johnson; Peter Papathanasiou; Andi C Buchanan; Ben Hobson; Emma Viskic; Dani Vee; Michael Botur; Helen Fitzgerald: Peter Corris and Renée.
If you are a keen reader of crime fiction, then you will recognise at least some of these names, and (possibly) some of the characters. But there are standalone tales as well, and one of my favourites is ‘Bad Listener’ by Jack Heath. I was pleased to read the Cliff Hardy story by the Godfather of modern Australian Crime, the late Peter Corris, and to read Renée’s short story. Renée, Craig Sisterson tells us, wrote her first crime novel aged 89. She passed away in December. I’ve added Dorothy Porter’s prose novel to my reading list, and there are some other authors whose work I need to read as well.
Now all I need to do is live for another fifty years or so!
I agree with Craig Sisterton: we do have a diverse array of fantastic Australian and New Zealand storytellers. If you enjoy criminally good short stories, then add these anthologies to your reading list.
A terrific anthology!
I really enjoyed this and offer my thanks to Clan Destine Press for offering me a review copy.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Tasmanian Bibliophile @Large 