Book Reviews

Some very good crime novels, especially from ‘downunder’ authors, are coming our way in June and July 2026. The senior ‘long dog’, Toby, who just turned 11, has picked out the best of the ones currently lying on the floor of the study. Short publisher synopses below. All release dates… Read more: BOOK HAUL: NEW CRIME RELEASES FOR JUNE/JULY 2026

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

My April 2026 reading has been dominated by two very good thrillers by father and daughter writing teams! Both are very suspenseful and have a touch of the extra-ordinary about them. Short reviews below. Douglas Preston’s Extinction (2024) was a good fun read that showcased his ability to mix Crichton-like speculative ideas… Read more: 2026 THRILLERS: PARADOX by DOUGLAS & ALETHEIA PRESTON and WITCH HUNT by RICHARD & BERNADETTE O’RAWE

Antony Trew is largely forgotten these days as a thriller writer, and if he is remembered it is mainly for his naval war novels, such as Kleber’s Convoy, and his nautical adventure books. Both of which were heavily influenced by his experience as a naval officer in both the South… Read more: FORGOTTEN THRILLERS: THE SOUKOUR DEADLINE by ANTONY TREW

Australian crime fiction of the cosy variety seems to be going through a bit of a golden period at the moment. After years of relative neglect, local cosy mysteries featuring amateur sleuths of various types and occupations now seem to be on the rise. Probably spurred on by the success… Read more: AUSTRALIAN COSY CRIME FICTION 2026: NEW BOOKS BY JESS KITCHING, KATE SOLLY, PENNY TANGEY and AMANDA HAMPSON

Writing crime fiction is obviously more dangerous than it looks, based on the number of recent books about authors being caught up in murder and mayhem. Pleasant looking writing retreats seem to be particularly dangerous, with normally idyllic locations around the world being turned into scenes of carnage. From a… Read more: DEADLY AUTHORS AND MURDEROUS RETREATS: NEW 2026 CRIME FROM EVELYN CLARKE, ANTHONY HOROWITZ & VICTORIA BROWNLEE

We have already seen some very good UK crime releases so far this year and there are plenty more in the publishing pipeline, including new forthcoming books by Mike Ripley (Played To Death), Jane Casey (Everything She Didn’t Say) and Chris Brookmyre (Quite Ugly One Evening). My recent UK reading… Read more: UK CRIME 2026 WRAP-UP: NEW BOOKS by TOM BRADBY and E. A. JACKSON

Highly acclaimed Australian author Sarah Bailey is in good form with with her latest novel, Click (Allen & Unwin, 31 March 2026). Set on the eve of the COVID pandemic in Australia in early 2020, Click brings back journalist Oli Groves, and other characters, from my favourite Bailey book, The… Read more: CLICK by SARAH BAILEY

Plantation/slaver pulp was a popular, but unpleasant, sub-genre championed by many publishers in the 1970s. In the United Kingdom, New English Library (NEL) was a particularly enthusiastic promoter of plantation novels, or ‘slavesploitation’ as it is sometimes called, and between 1968 and 1981 published around 50 slaver novels. Many of… Read more: TRASHY TUESDAY: PLANTATION PULP BY ROBERT TRALINS

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