AUSTRALIAN CRIME ROUND UP – MAY 2026: NEW BOOKS BY DERVLA McTIERNAN, DAVE WARNER, REBECCA LIM and HOLLY CRAIG

Early May 2026 brings a wealth of new Australian crime fiction, most of which is set in non-outback locations for a change!

After a string of books set in Ireland and America, celebrated crime novelist Dervla McTiernan, who moved to Perth fourteen years ago, has finally based her first novel in Australia.

Set against a nicely realised Melbourne backdrop, Three Reasons For Revenge, (Harper Collins, 28 April 2026), is Dervla’s most compelling novel yet and is probably her best book since her debut effort The Ruin.

The book opens with university student Alexis Turner reporting an assault against a well known psychologist at the local police station. The report seems legitimate, but just after she makes it Alexis disappears from sight.

Soon after her disappearance, three identical looking packages arrive at three very different doors: a respected psychologist’s home, a socialite’s mansion, and a struggling single father’s run-down apartment. Inside each parcel is an item that is perfectly tailored to cause maximum discomfort to the recipient.

Detective Sergeant Judith Lee was the officer who interviewed Alexis, and she quickly becomes caught up in the case, even though it is outside of her usual caseload. Judith has a personal stake in the case, but as she investigates she comes to realise that this is no simple assault, especially when the first murder occurs. Very soon she is desperately trying to find Alexis to determine the connection between her, the three recipients, and a possible murder.

Three Reasons For Revenge is a very carefully constructed suspense novel that quickly catches the reader up in its thrall. The central mystery around Alexis and the parcels is twisty and surprising, and is nicely complemented by a subplot involving police corruption that provides the early tension and excitement. The two storylines run smoothly together and the book builds to a taut and gripping finale that will have you keenly turning the pages.

Dervla is very good at creating a sense of mystery around what is actually going on, and just when it begins to become clearer, she hits the reader with some good twists and a shocking development. There seemed to be a couple of loose ends to me, but these are easily overlooked as the story races along. The whole thing is well supported by interesting, and well fleshed out, characters, and the suburban and urban settings ring true.

In all, one of the best suspense thrillers I have read this year.

Three Reasons For Revenge is released in Australia on 28 April 2026 and, with a different cover, will be released in the United Kingdom on 4 June and the United States on 21 July 2026.

Award winning Australian author Rebecca Lim makes her first entry into crime fiction with The Graduate, (Affirm Press, 28 April 2026).

Like Dervla’s book, at its core The Graduate is a story about revenge. New graduate Fei Fei Chou is an outlier at her prestigious law firm. She is seen as being too quiet and not as polished as her well credentialled new colleagues. But Fei isn’t there to climb the corporate ladder, she’s there for revenge.  
Thirty years ago, three schoolgirls were kidnapped and abused by a man who’s never been identified. The information Fei needs to find him is buried somewhere in the firm’s records. Deliberately placing herself in harm’s way, Fei sets out to uncover a secret history of power and privilege.

The opening sections certainly draw you in, as the story alternates between vivid descriptions of Fei’s early days at the law firm and intriguing message exchanges that hint at what is really going on. The central crime plot is interesting and the historical detail adds some texture to the story. The book touches on a range of issues, both contemporary and historical, and Rebecca’s legal experience adds credibility to her descriptions of the high powered law firm and its staff.

An enjoyable first crime novel that raises some important issues while maintaining a decent pace.

The Graduate is released in Australia on 28 April 2026.

In crime writing circles, Dave Warner is probably best known for his gritty Broome based novels featuring Western Australian detective Daniel Clement. However with Sound Mind Dead Body, (Fremantle Press, April 2026), he heads in a totally different direction with a quirky homage to the murder mysteries of Agatha Christie.

Drawing on his fondness for Christie’s cosy crime novels, Warner has crafted an enjoyable traditional whodunit set in an English manor house. It is 1929 and the Pedhurst and de Reve families are gathered in Devon for the reading of a will. However, the event is delayed when the unpopular family matriarch is found dead and another guest is killed. Fortunately, former Australian World War I air ace turned policeman, Fred Willets, is on hand to investigate, along with the quick-witted local pharmacist Prudence Meadows.

Sound Mind Dead Body is a delight. Despite the different location, it has all the hallmarks of a Warner crime novel: engaging characters, witty reflections, clever plotting and an interesting story. It also has touches of humour and a good awareness of the source material it is drawing upon. For connoisseurs of traditional murder mysteries, there are also floor plans for the manor and a family tree of the main suspects and victims. Of course, there is also a good mystery and a surprising finale.

Another fun outing from Warner.

Finally, for those craving some Australian wilderness crime, Holly Craig’s Find Me, (Simon & Schuster), is out at the end of May 2026.

When Pete vanished into the rugged wilderness of Tasmania’s Abel mountains three years ago, it only took a few weeks for the official search to be called off. He’d been warned, they said. Mount Mercy takes people. Brought together by their mother’s dying wish to find their brother once and for all, estranged sisters Hallie and Gertie head back to Mount Mercy. Their first step: to find the ‘Peakers’, an isolated and mysterious commune, who were the last people to see Pete alive. It doesn’t take long, however, for the sisters’ desperate hunt for answers to become a terrifying fight for their own survival. For it seems like the ‘Peakers’ are hiding something deadly.

I have a copy of Find Me sitting on my desk and I am looking forward to reading it in the next few weeks.

So, a nice selection of very different Australian crime novels that offer something more than the usual, dusty outback noir. Which ones appeal to you?