CANBERRA WEEKLY 15 JANUARY 2026: NEW CRIME BY GEOFF PARKES, TIM AYLIFFE and M. K. OLIVER
This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed three enjoyable crime novels to get your 2026 criminal reading off to a good start.
First up is a very good outback Australian noir thriller.
Tim Ayliffe’s Dark Desert Road, (Echo), sets an early high standard for Australian crime fiction in 2026.
Moving away from his series about journalist John Bailey, Dark Desert Road introduces a new central character in the form of burnt-out police officer Kit McCarthy and takes the reader on a dark journey into the world of sovereign citizens, bikies and extremism.
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Tim Ayliffe mixes sharp-eyed social commentary with fast paced action in his latest novel, Dark Desert Road.
Burnt-out Sydney police officer Kit McCarthy has been ordered to take time off work to recover from a recent case. Any respite is short lived, however, when she gets a frantic cry for help from her estranged identical sister. Billie has been living off the grid with her young son and American marine husband in a sovereign citizen camp in outback New South Wales and is now in trouble. As Kit searches for Billie others are also in pursuit, leading to a blood-soaked climax. Superior Australian crime fiction.”
This is a very strong and exciting crime novel, I predict that it is going to be one of the year’s best.
I did a longer review here: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/new-2026-outback-australian-crime-dark-desert-road-by-tim-ayliffe/
Dark Desert Road was released in Australia on 6 January 2026.
Geoff Parkes’ The First Law Of The Bush is a good follow-up to his 2025 debut, When The Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole.
In his new novel Parkes returns the reader to the remote rural town of Nashville in New Zealand’s rugged King Country.
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Geoff Parkes made an impressive entry into the crime fiction realm with his first novel When The Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole. His new book is set ten years after the first, and finds young lawyer Ryan Bradley back in the remote New Zealand rural town of Nashville. Hired to seek compensation for the death of a local resident, Ryan finds himself caught up something a lot nastier and more dangerous.
Parkes once more excels in his depiction of time and place, and his characters vividly come to life as the story gradually weaves it way to a strong conclusion.”
Once again Parkes impresses with his portrayal of time and place, and his characters have a depth to them that is often missing in crime fiction. The pacing, however, is slow and it takes some patience to work through the early stages of the book. Nevertheless it is another stand-out addition to the increasingly healthy New Zealand crime scene.
The First Law Of The Bush was released in Australia on 6 January 2026.
I enjoyed M. K. Oliver’s A Sociopath’s Guide To A Successful Marriage, (Hemlock Press), far more than I was expecting to. Clever and witty, it had me smiling and laughing at different stages, while also frequently wondering where it was going next.
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Providing lighter, albeit dark at times, reading is M. K. Oliver’s sparkling debut, A Sociopath’s Guide To A Successful Marriage.
Lalla Rook has a lot on her plate. She needs to ensure that her unambitious husband makes partner at his firm, secure her dream house in Hampstead, get her slightly odd daughter into a prestigious prep school and deal with the corpse in her living room. She also has to host a four-year-old’s birthday party without anyone noticing the body of the stranger she stabbed seven times. Fortunately Lalla has her lists to keep her focused and her ability to compartmentalise. A hilarious and brilliantly executed beach novel.”
This was a really good read, that also made some pointed comments about sections of British society and modern preoccupations! Highly recommended.
I did a longer review recently here: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/sociopaths-serial-killers-and-deadly-reunions-new-2026-british-crime-by-nicci-french-m-k-oliver-and-paul-finch/
A Sociopath’s Guide To A Successful Marriage was released in Australia in early January 2026 and is scheduled for release in the United Kingdom on 12 February 2026.
So three very good crime novels to start your 2026 reading off with. I think that both the Ayliffe and Oliver books will be firmly in the mix for Best of Year discussions at the end of 2026.
Happy reading!