Crime fiction


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 idea. Fortunately, the oversight has recently been quickly remedied. And with much enjoyment; often of the laugh out loud type because Herron does a deft act of melding humour and deadly deeds. Both are quick and to the point, no messing about. Keeping the narrative… Continue reading

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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… Continue reading
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 and even sub-sub-genres used to categorise published works of  fiction and non-fiction. Among them is one that has reached cliche status due to its excessive use by publishers, promoters, advertisers, reviewers and even writers themselves. Noir has become the suffix of choice for almost every … Continue reading