Book Reviews

Sam Elliott’s debut crime novel, Haze (Macmillan, 24 February 2026), ticks all the familiar thematic boxes for outback noir. There are bushfires, a damaged police detective who has returned to her hometown under a cloud, edgy local residents, old secrets and a horrific new crime. There is also sinister off-the-grid… Read more: AUSSIE OUTBACK NOIR: HAZE by SAM ELLIOTT

Ava Glass made a strong debut back in 2022 with her spy novel Alias Emma about newly minted MI5 agent Emma Makepeace. Now, writing under the name of A. C. Glass, she is moving more into the romantic suspense field with The Hiding Season, (Penguin, 26 March 2026). The premise of The… Read more: SHORT REVIEW: THE HIDING SEASON by A. C. GLASS

This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed three new novels of suspense from Australian authors Fiona Hardy, Fiona Lowe and J. P. Pomare. Children’s author turned crime writer Fiona Hardy, made an impressive entry into the genre last year with Unbury The Dead, which featured two great central characters… Read more: CANBERRA WEEKLY 12 MARCH 2026: NEW AUSTRALIAN CRIME FICTION FROM FIONA HARDY, FIONA LOWE AND J. P. POMARE

Over two months into the new year and the new crime and thriller releases are beginning to flow through at an overwhelming rate. It is hard to keep up with them all, but it does mean that there is a good selection from across the crime fiction spectrum for readers… Read more: APRIL ACTION: NEW CRIME AND THRILLER TITLES THAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO READING IN APRIL 2026

This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed three enjoyable crime novels that tackle the serial killer thriller from very different perspectives! First up is Inside Man, (Harper Collins, 28 January 2026), by John McMahon. Inside Man is the second book in John’s Head Cases series and is a really enjoyable read… Read more: CANBERRA WEEKLY 26 FEBRUARY 2026: NEW CRIME FROM FERGUS CRAIG, JOHN McMAHON and KATE ALICE MARSHALL

Australian crime fiction has certainly started with a bang this year, with some strong new releases over the first two months, and plenty more scheduled for March and April 2026. Leading off the March books are enjoyable new crime novels by Natalie Conyer and J. P. Pomare, while Fiona Lowe… Read more: AUSTRALIAN CRIME FICTION MARCH 2026: NATALIE CONYER, J. P. POMARE & FIONA LOWE

Here are three very good, and very different, thrillers to get your spy reading off to a good start in 2026. James Wolff’s Spies and Other Gods, (Baskerville, February 2026), flirts with the style of Mick Herron’s Slow Horses series, but is very much its own creation. Sir William Rentoul,… Read more: NEW 2026 SPY FICTION: By JAMES WOLFF, PAUL WARNER and JASON M. HOUGH

My recent trawling through old bookshops and bookfairs has uncovered an odd collection of old crime and spy novels, some adult titles and a striking western cover! John Creasey was an incredibly prolific author with over 600 books to his credit and a raft of pseudonyms. One of his most… Read more: TRASHY TUESDAY: BOOK HAUL – OLD CRIME AND SPIES, AUSTRALIAN CHANDLER AND WEIRD SCI-FI SEX ROMP.

Some short reviews and a quick look at a forthcoming new release by Australian crime maestro, Sarah Bailey. Kirstyn McDermott’s genre crossing What The Bones Know, (HQ, 24 February 2026), is part rural gothic and part psychological mystery. Set in a small town called Kiln Creek, outside of Melbourne, during… Read more: AUSTRALIAN CRIME FICTION – FEBRUARY 2026: REVIEWS AND PREVIEWS

Shailee Thompson makes a spectacular entry into Australian popular fiction ranks with her genre blending debut novel, How To Kill A Guy In Ten Dates (Atria, 28 January 2026). Combining the familiar tropes and themes of the slasher genre with the light-hearted spirit of a classic romantic comedy, How To… Read more: VALENTINE DAY MURDER: HOW TO KILL A GUY IN TEN DATES by SHAILEE THOMPSON