NEW AUSTRALIAN CRIME FICTION JULY 2026: SUSANNAH GLENN, RILEY JAMES, A.T. PREWETT

The Australian crime fiction titles have been coming thick and fast so far in 2026. There has been quite a bit of variety, although the old favourite of outback/small town mystery still seems to dominate.

Continuing the diversity of approaches, are three new releases for July and August by Riley James, Susannah Glenn and A. T. Prewett.

Riley James’ first novel, The Chilling, was a gripping Antarctic thriller that made the most of its inhospitable terrain. Now with THE WRECK, (Allen & Unwin, 1 September 2026), she continues her panache for cold, unwelcoming locations and gradually mounting tension.

In September 1977, a young pilot named Donovan ‘Van’ Spector vanishes over Australia’s dangerous Bass Strait after a chilling radio transmission: ‘A large aircraft seems to be flying above me … it’s colossal … it’s soaring down.’ Twenty years later, a rumour surfaces that Spector’s plane wreck has been sighted on a remote island in the notorious ‘Bermuda Triangle of the South’. A group of researchers set sail to uncover the truth. On board are Teo Young, an ambitious PhD student chasing a lead, and Hannah Buttery, a UFO enthusiast with an agenda of her own. After a storm leaves them stranded on the island, with the rest of their party missing, Teo and Hannah are left facing a terrifying reality. Their lives are in danger. No one is coming to their rescue. And a sinister presence is lurking in the shadows.

THE WRECK is a gripping survivalist thriller, with a lingering sense of mystery at its core. The events of 1977 and 1997 are told through a series of shifting viewpoints, with transcripts from a 2017 podcast on “The Bermuda Triangle Of The South” providing the broader context in which the two disappearances occurred. It is an unusual approach, but Riley handles it quite well and the story powers along at a decent pace.

The descriptions of the harsh island are very evocative, and Riley certainly makes you feel the cold and the desolation. The shipwreck leading to the stranding of Teo, Hannah and the others is particularly vividly told, and will have you keenly turning the pages to see what happens.

Once on the island, Riley skilfully shifts the telling between three main characters, and different timelines, to good effect, and for a long time she keeps you guessing as to what is going on. The suspense builds steadily throughout the book, and some gruesome scenes keep the tension at a high point. The excitement falters a little at the end, but the final revelation is a good payoff.

Adding to the enjoyment are a good cast of nuanced, interesting characters that avoid the usual stereotypes. The mysterious Malin is particularly well drawn, and Riley manages to make her both scary and sadly pathetic.

In all, THE WRECK is a good, original crime thriller that makes a nice change from the usual Australian small town mystery. Warmly recommended. 

THE WRECK is released in Australia on 1 September 2026.

Susannah Glenn provides some nice variations to the psychological suspense thriller with her second novel WITHOUT A TRACE, (Pantera, 30 June 2026).

WITHOUT A TRACE opens with pilot Charlotte Clarke at rock bottom and even thinking about suicide. As the daughter of a scenic flight company owner, her life was spent soaring over Sydney’s glittering harbour, until a series of devastating tragedies sent her crashing to earth. First, the deaths of her beloved grandmother and father in separate flying accidents and then her newish boyfriend Connor’s seaplane vanishes without a trace.

Haunted by Connor’s mysterious disappearance, Charlotte flees to a quiet coastal town where her grandmother used to live. When she is rescued by a mysterious fisherman, she begins to think that her life is getting back on track, but that peace is shattered when she spots a man she believes is Connor, only to be told she is mistaken. A series of events suggest that she is being stalked, but no one is willing to believe her. As she uncovers shocking secrets about those she holds closest, Charlotte realises her life isn’t the only thing at risk.

WITHOUT A TRACE is an enjoyable psychological suspense thriller that explores that old trope of a central character not being able to trust those closest to her. The use of three shifting viewpoints helps to generate suspense, especially as readers try to work out how Moira’s story fits into the broader plot.

The story moves along at decent rate and the small coastal town where Charlotte is hiding is nicely limned. The characters are competently sketched, and Susannah uses them to explore some interesting issues, especially around grief and the pressure of career for women.

The outcome is probably predictable, but there are some good twists and shocks along the way.

In all, an entertaining suspense thriller for fans of Frieda McFadden, Anna Downes et.al.

WITHOUT A TRACE was released in Australia on 30 June 2026.

THE PICASSO RANSOM, (Macmillan, 30 June 2026), by A. T. Prewett is a fun-filled crime novel that is loosely based on a true event.

In 1986, Picasso’s Weeping Woman was stolen from the National Gallery of Victoria. The painting was eventually found, but to this day, the culprits have never been identified. In THE PICASSO RANSOM Prewett presents a light-hearted view of what might have happened.

Phoebe is about to turn 70, and has grown sick of retirement. She enrols in an evening art course, where she befriends fellow retirees Eva and Dave. They also happen to be studying across the road from a two-million-dollar Picasso. The trio make a promising start, only to find that the school is to be closed due to arts cuts implemented by a blundering government minister. When protests against the closure falls on deaf ears, Phoebe, Eva and Dave decide to take matters into their own hands and set out to conduct the ultimate caper.

Full of rich Australian humour and likeable characters who would not be out of place in a Richard Osman novel, THE PICASSO RANSOM bounds along at a sprightly pace. The story is engaging and Prewett does a good job of recreating the sights and mood of 1980s Melbourne. Phoebe is a captivating central character and Prewett cheerfully explores the positive side of getting older.

Some may find the suspense a bit too mild for their tastes, but THE PICASSO RANSOM is a fun, feel good crime story that will keep you well entertained.

THE PICASSO RANSOM was released in Australia on 30 June 2026.

So three very different Australian crime novels that showcase the current breadth of the local scene.