Book Reviews

This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed three new crime novels by ‘Downunder’ authors P. A Thomas, D. V. Bishop and Margaret Hickey. First up is Carnival Of Lies, (Macmillan, 1 July 2025), by New Zealand author D. V. Bishop. This is the fifth novel in Bishop’s highly acclaimed… Read more: CANBERRA WEEKLY 24 JULY 2025: NEW CRIME FICTION BY D.V. BISHOP, MARGARET HICKEY and P. A. THOMAS

I am about to head off on a seven week holiday, and thought it would be a good time to look back over the books I have read so far this year and sort through some of the main releases for the rest of the year before I go. In… Read more: MID YEAR REVIEW: THE BEST CRIME AND THRILLER BOOKS OF 2025 … SO FAR!

August brings two really good suspense thrillers to keep you happily reading well into the night! Steve Cavanagh’s books about New York ex-conman turned lawyer Eddie Flynn are always a twisty, fun read and his latest adventure, Two Kinds of Stranger (Headline, 29 July 2025), is no exception. Two Kinds Of Stranger is… Read more: DEADLY TWISTS AND TURNS: NEW AUGUST 2025 CRIME FICTION BY STEVE CAVANAGH AND KERRY WILKINSON

Matthew Spencer’s Black River stood out as one of the best Australian debuts of 2022, and he has now followed it up with the even better Broke Road, (Allen & Unwin, 1 July 2025). Broke Road once more features Homicide Detective Sergeant Rose Riley and crime reporter Adam Bowman, but moves the… Read more: NEW AUSTRALIAN RURAL CRIME: BROKE ROAD by MATTHEW SPENCER

My recent reading has been a real mix of styles and criminal approaches, with three of them exploring different historical periods and places. The only contemporary setting of the four books is provided by Lisa Jewell’s Don’t Let Him In, (Century, 1 July 2025). After her recent venture into the… Read more: RECENT READING: NEW BOOKS BY LISA JEWELL, TOM MEAD, RILEY SAGER and ALAN PARKS

Two times Gold Dagger winning, and twice Edgar short-listed author , Michael Robotham will be in conversation with Chris Hammer on 2 July 2025 on Michael’s new PC Phil McCarthy crime novel The White Crow. As the daughter of a London crime boss, Police Constable Philomena McCarthy walks a thin blue… Read more: MICHAEL ROBOTHAM IN CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS HAMMER: WEDNESDAY 2 JULY 2025 at 6:00 pm (AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY)

This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed two very good new crime novels by veteran authors Alex North and A. A. Dhand, and an exciting rural crime debut by Australian author Angie Faye Martin. Melaleuca, (HQ, 30 May 2025), by Angie Faye Martin is shaping up as being one of the… Read more: CANBERRA WEEKLY 19 JUNE 2025: NEW BOOKS BY A. A. DHAND, ANGIE FAYE MARTIN AND ALEX NORTH

Michael Robotham is in very fine form with his latest novel, The White Crow (Sphere, 25 June 2025). After recent, highly acclaimed books in his series about teenager Evie Cormac and forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven, Michael has now returned to PC Philomena (Phil) McCarthy who first appeared in 2021’s When… Read more: THE WHITE CROW By MICHAEL ROBOTHAM

The middle Long Dog assistant, Layla, had to go in for spinal surgery last week for Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). It was a worrying time, but the good news is that she seems to have come through surgery okay. A long recovery time ahead, but she is already making progress.… Read more: LONG DOG UPDATE: LAYLA’S SPINAL SURGERY

Welcome to the June 2025 update of things happening in Australian and New Zealand crime fiction. There are a couple of reviews, previews of forthcoming books and some news. Firstly some short reviews of three new books. REVIEWS Joan Sauers debut novel Echo Lake was at the cosy end of the crime… Read more: DOWNUNDER CRIME UPDATE, JUNE 2025: NEWS, REVIEWS AND PREVIEWS