CANBERRA WEEKLY 29 FEBRUARY 2024: NEW CRIME NOVELS BY DERVLA McTIERNAN, C. L. MILLER AND SARAH BAILEY
This week in the Canberra Weekly, I reviewed three good new crime novels that ranged across the spectrum of the mystery genre from cosy to domestic suspense to police detection.
Sarah Bailey’s Body Of Lies (Allen & Unwin, 27 February 2024) joins the good run of early year Australian police novels by Simon Rowell and Dinuka McKenzie, and provides a thrilling finale to Sarah’s DS Gemma Woodstock series.
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Sarah Bailey’s Body Of Lies is a must read for anyone who enjoys well written Australian crime novels with a good sense of place and richly described characters. It is the fourth in Sarah’s series about Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock, and opens in an intriguing manner with a fatal car crash, the theft of a body from a morgue and a brutal murder. Gemma is on maternity leave, but gets drawn into the case when the mysteries start hitting too close to home.
Tightly plotted and well-paced, Body Of Lies is a good addition to this high quality series.”
I really enjoyed Body Of Lies and thought that it was a strong crime novel, with well fleshed out characters and a plot which engaged and entertained.
Sarah Bailey will be in conversation with Chris Hammer at the Australian National University on Tuesday 12 March at 6 pm, as part of the ANU’s Meet The Author series. More details are here: https://www.anu.edu.au/events/meet-the-author-sarah-bailey.
Here is a link to the longer review I did of Body Of Lies a few weeks back: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/friday-forecast-body-of-lies-by-sarah-bailey/
Another Australian author in good form is Dervla McTiernan, whose latest novel, What Happened To Nina? (Harper Collins, 28 February 2024), is set in America and provides a good mix of drama and crime.
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Dervla McTiernan’s latest novel is set in America and revolves around the disappearance of a young woman, Nina, and the media frenzy that follows. As Nina’s parents desperately try to find out what happened to her, the wealthy parents of the boy she was last seen with launch a well organised media campaign to protect their son. Soon, the facts are lost in a swirl of accusation and counter accusation, and in the chaos the truth about what happened to Nina gets lost.
What Happened To Nina? is a thought provoking and gripping drama that will keep you engaged until the thudding conclusion.”
A very enjoyable read. Like Sarah Bailey, Dervla will also be in conversation with Chris Hammer at the ANU, this time at 6pm on Tuesday 5 March, 2024. More details are here: https://www.anu.edu.au/events/meet-the-author-dervla-mctiernan
Here is a link to a longer review of What Happened To Nina?, which I recently did: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/aussie-crime-round-up-february-2024-news-reviews-and-previews/
Fans of cosy British murder mysteries and antiques will enjoy this very engaging debut by C. L. Miller, The Antique Hunter’s Guide To Murder (Macmillan, 27 February 2024).
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“C. L. Miller makes good use of her famed family’s connections to the world of British antiques, to produce a thoroughly enjoyable ‘whodunnit’.
Combining the fascination of the Antiques Roadshow with a treasure hunt murder mystery and a very appealing pair of investigators, The Antique Hunter’s Guide To Murder is probably the most captivating detective story I have read so far in 2024. When antiques dealer Arthur Crockleford dies in strange circumstances, Freya Lockwood is drawn back to the small English village of her youth as she tries to uncover who would want her estranged mentor dead. A delight from beginning to end.”
I also did a longer review here: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/british-crime-fiction-march-2024-new-books-from-c-l-miller-and-nicci-french/
So three good, but very different novels to get your March criminal reading off to a good start.
The column, and other reviews, can also be seen on the Canberra Daily site: https://canberradaily.com.au/category/entertainment/books/