DOWNUNDER CRIME UPDATE, FEBRUARY 2025: REVIEWS AND PREVIEWS

2025 has gotten off to strong start for Australian crime fiction with a steady stream of books, most of which have been of very good quality.

I have finished reading seven 2025 titles by Australian crime writers so far, and have been impressed by the breadth of the themes and styles, from historic rural crime to remote outback noir to family drama and a very twisty novel set in Winnipeg!

I have already reviewed the books by Ronni Salt, Shankari Chandran and Fiona McIntosh, and here are short reviews of the other four.

REVIEWS

Michael Trant’s No Trace was one of my favourite crime novels of 2023. A terrific example of outback noir, it ably captured the isolation of northern Western Australia while adding in a good mystery plot.

Blood And Gold, (Penguin 21 January 2025), continues the adventures of wild dog tracker Gabe Ahern, who heads once more into the far outback of Western Australia.

Gabe is asked to look into the disappearance of his friend Terry Drage, who was last seen boasting about a spectacular gold find at a local pub in the remote mining town of Cue. Police believe that the missing Drage is a victim of an accident, but Gabe is not so sure, especially when he finds a sinister link to other similar events. Going back to Cue also presents some personal issues for Gabe, as the last time he was there it was under the worst of circumstances.

This is tough and gritty fare. Trant is very good at portraying the harshness of life in the outback and his descriptions ably capture the beauty and the isolation of the desert region. The plot is solid and the story moves along at a good pace. There are some well placed red herrings as to who is doing what, and the book builds to an exciting climax. The flashbacks to Gabe’s past slow the story a bit, although they do help to flesh out the taciturn dog tracker’s background. I also thought that the character of the Afghanistan refugee Amin Tahir was well developed and interesting and added some layers to the story.

In all, an evocative and enjoyable crime thriller with a very good sense of place.

Thanks to the publisher and the Canberra Weekly for an early copy of the book for review.

Australian-based Ashley Kalagian Blunt made a strong impression with her first novel Dark Mode, and she has now followed it up with the well-crafted Cold Truth (Ultimo, February 2025), which is probably my favourite of the current batch of books.

Set in Canada, Cold Truth draws on Blunt’s experience as an influencer to produce another atmospheric tech-noir thriller. Harlow Close has made a career as a podcaster and guide uncovering the secrets of Winnipeg, dubbed ‘North America’s strangest city’. The region is known for its sub-zero temperatures and the peculiarities of its inhabitants, and Harlow has done well out of its uniqueness. When her father disappears during a brutal cold snap, Harlow suspects foul play, especially after she is attacked on her father’s doorstep. The police are less convinced, and it falls to Harlow and her sister Blaise to uncover the truth about their father’s disappearance, and his past.

Cold Truth features good twists, vivid locations, and a cast of credible characters. The story moves quickly, and the occasional changes in perspective are used effectively. Harlow is portrayed as an interesting and believable character, and two hapless crooks add some quirkiness and dark humour to the story. The sense of place is conveyed well, though it may not appeal to the Winnipeg tourist bureau. The twists are unexpected, particularly one at the midpoint, but the conclusion while exciting, is perhaps just a little too neat.

Additionally, technology and its dangers are well integrated into the story, and will give readers something to think about. I had minor queries about some aspects of the plot, but not enough to ruin my enjoyment. Highly recommended.

Cold Truth is released in Australia and the United Kingdom in February 2025. Thanks to the publisher and the Canberra Weekly for an early copy of the book for review.

Catherine Jinks has quietly established herself as a leading writer of Australian crime stories with a strong social overlay and gritty down-to-earth characters.

Her books are slow burning tales in which the tension steadily builds before erupting into credible, low key violence. Her recent books have explored domestic violence, misogyny and the unexpected dangers of the COVID pandemic. In Panic, (Text, 7 January 2025), she turns her attention to the growing sovereign citizen movement and rural isolation.

After a drunken rant that went horrifically viral, Bronte is forced to lie low. She heads bush and agrees to look after a dementia sufferer, Nell, on an isolated homestead. Bronte’s host is Nell’s daughter Veda, who runs spiritual rebirthing retreats. She also claims the rights of a sovereign citizen and rejects the authority of the state, refusing even to register her car. She has acquired a small but devoted following. At first Bronte thinks that they are harmless cranks with their conspiracy theories, but some escalating events make her worry that they might be more dangerous.

Nicely written with strong vivid images and fully fleshed out characters, Panic gradually builds the suspense and delivers a taut climax that will keep you turning the pages.

An interesting thriller that raises some important issues.

Panic was released in Australia and the United Kingdom (Kindle only) on 7 January 2025. Thanks to the publisher and the Canberra Weekly for an early copy of the book for review.

Kate Horan’s debut novel, The Inheritance, (HQ, 1 January 2025), probably skirts around the edges of the crime genre, although there is a dose of mystery.

An anonymous Christmas gift of DNA testing kits to the members of a wealthy family causes chaos when the results are not what is expected.

The Inheritance mixes large slices of family drama with mystery and power politics, as wealthy Isobel Ashworth tries to navigate her way through the complexity of a controversial property development deal to seal her position in the family’s succession plan. Meanwhile, struggling journalist Meg Hunter desperately tries to untangle a trail of corruption and her mother’s mysterious past in order to deliver a career saving story.

Family dynamics and old secrets feature heavily in this ‘Succession’ styled story and fans of novels about rich families behaving badly will love this one.  

The Inheritance was released in Australia at the beginning of the year. Thanks to the publisher and the Canberra Weekly for an early copy of the book for review.

PREVIEWS

I have already highlighted some of the Downunder crime novels I am looking forward to reading in 2025, https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/crime-novels-that-i-am-looking-forward-to-reading-in-2025/, but here are four more which have recently come to my attention.

In last year’s The Bookshop Detectives, Gareth Ward and Louise Ward skilfully mixed humour, crime, bookselling lore and social observation in an enjoyable concoction that just enough bite to stop it from being too cute. Now they are back with a second adventure: The Bookshop Detectives 2: Tea And Cake And Death, (Penguin, 1 April 2025).

“In this promising follow-up, Garth and Eloise (and their dog Stevie) must sniff out a prolific poisoner ahead of a vital fundraising event, the Battle of the Book Clubs. As time runs out and the body count rises, it seems that the bad actors are circling closer to the people and places they care about.

Could Pinter, the infamous serial killer from Eloise’s past, somehow be involved? And when anyone could be a suspect, how can Garth and Eloise keep their customers, their small town and their beloved bookshop safe?”

I am sure that this New Zealand based mystery will be another fun read.

Also featuring a touch of humour is the third book in Amanda Hampson’s Tea Ladies Mystery series: The Deadly Dispute (Penguin, 1 April 2025).

The publisher has provided the following description:

“1967: Hazel’s new job at the docks quickly turns perilous when she stumbles into the criminal underworld that lurks beneath the surface. A million in gold coins has vanished from a cargo ship and a dead body washed up. Suddenly, she’s in over her head.

Disillusioned with her life, Betty is led astray by a charismatic new friend and finds herself exposed in more ways than one – until a crisis drags her back to reality.

Living in a high-class brothel, Irene gets wind of a threat that could destroy her livelihood. She takes on the Maltese mafia and becomes involved in a dangerously sticky situation.

When one of the tea ladies disappears, they face their greatest challenge yet, pushing their detective skills to the limit. It will take more than a glass of Hazel’s homemade wine to solve this one.”

Combing cosy mystery, nostalgia and plenty of tea and biscuits, The Deadly Dispute is sure to appeal to Amanda’s many fans.

Zane Lovitt’s first two crime novels, The Midnight Promise and Black Teeth, drew considerable praise, and a Ned Kelly Award, and it will be interesting to see if he can repeat that success with The Body Next Door (Text, 4 March 2025).

The publisher has provided the following description:

“When Claire Corral goes missing from her home on Carnation Way, her neighbour Jamie isn’t too concerned. He’s busy—caring for his dad, recovering from a broken heart and eating himself into a bigger pair of pants.

Then the police turn up.

Is Claire’s disappearance connected with the body found next door thirteen years ago? Does Jamie’s father, now grappling with dementia, know more about these events than he should? And then there’s Tess, equal parts mysterious and charming, who just moved in at number thirty-five.

As Jamie asks around, an unsettling picture begins to form. Perhaps quiet, respectable Carnation Way is home to the same secrets and heartaches as any other neighbourhood, but with a few more murders thrown in.”

It sounds fun. I have already started reading it and I am quite enjoying it so far!

Matthew Spencer’s Black River stood out as one of the best Australian debuts of 2022. I have been keenly waiting for a follow-up novel, and now we have one, although it is only scheduled for release in the United Kingdom at this stage.

Broke Road, (Thomas and Mercer, 8 July 2025), once more features homicide detective Rose Riley and crime reporter Adam Bowman, but moves the action from Sydney’s Parramatta River to the wine region of the Hunter Valley:

“A young woman is found dead in her isolated town house in rural Red Creek, an up-and-coming wine tourism destination outside Sydney. No forced entry. No signs of struggle. And her geologist husband has an alibi, though it’s not exactly solid. While a tabloid journalist is quick to spin her own damning narrative, homicide detective Rose Riley is questioning everything she sees—especially in a rapidly developing community that already seems on edge.

While Riley and her partner, Priya Patel, work the case with a local detective, crime reporter Adam Bowman follows his own leads. Then forensic evidence matches that of a pair of unsolved murders elsewhere in Australia: two other married women, murdered months apart yet in the exact same manner. Riley realizes she’s dealing with a serial killer. But one whose victims weren’t random. These women were chosen, watched, and targeted for a purpose.

As the secrets in this small town emerge, the suspects mount. Now Riley must unearth the deadliest secret of all—the true motive behind the murders—before another woman dies.”

From first glance, Broke Road looks very good. It is unfortunate that Spencer has shifted publishers, but hopefully Broke Road will also find its way to bookshops in Australia sometime this year.

So plenty of good Down Under crime for you to get into. Which ones appeal the most?