Tessera

Fans of heist stories, both new and old, must check these new releases. #GaryPhillips' The Haul is a great old style heist story brought up to date, while #PaulBishop's Complications Always Ensue is a must read collection of essays on the heist story. murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/one-last-hei...

ONE LAST HEIST: THE HAUL by GARY PHILLIPS and COMPLICATIONS ALWAYS ENSUE by PAUL BISHOP

The heist, particularly the idea of one last job before going straight, has long been a popular trope of crime novels. Probably reaching its peak during the hardboiled writing of the 1960s and 1970…

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July opens with two dark, but engaging, crime novels from a pair rising stars on the Australian crime fiction scene. #MattNable @sherrylwriter.bsky.social #AustralianCrimeFiction murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/new-australi...

NEW AUSTRALIAN CRIME FICTION JULY 2026: FOR ALL THE DEAD GIRLS by SHERRYL CLARK and MIRE by MATT NABLE

July brings two new Australian crime novels that buck the recent trend of outback murder and damaged detectives returning home. For All The Dead Girls by Sherryl Clark (HQ, 30 June 2026) Australian…

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Fans of exciting Arctic thrillers with a good premise and plenty of realistic action and suspense will enjoy The Ice by John Kare Raake (translated by Adam King) - probably one of the best ice thrillers since Alistair MacLean's Night Without End murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/throwback-th...

THROWBACK THURSDAY: THE ICE by JOHN KÅRE RAAKE

The Ice by John Kåre Raake (Pushkin Vertigo) Night Without End was one of my favourite Alistair MacLean novels, and it instilled in me at a young age a liking for Arctic thrillers. In the early day…

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For fans of spy fiction here are two good, fast moving novels by @davegoodman.bsky.social & Jason M. Hough to enjoy Solitary Agents also works well as a straight chase thriller too for non spy fans @headlinebooks.bsky.social @crookedlanebooks.bsky.social murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/spy-fiction-...

SPY FICTION 2026: SOLITARY AGENTS by DAVID GOODMAN and THROW AWAY THE KEY by JASON M. HOUGH

Quality spy fiction continues to trickle out in 2026, with these two new releases adding to the good books from James Wolff and Paul Warner earlier in the year. There are also some very promising n…

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In the Canberra Weekly in June I reviewed 5 enjoyable crime novels by @michaelconnelly.bsky.social @jomurraywrites.bsky.social Inessa Jackson, Mark Smith & @vavazquezwrites.bsky.social and a moving novel by #CanberraWriter Ayesha Inoon. Enjoy! murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/canberra-wee...

CANBERRA WEEKLY JUNE 2026: NEW BOOKS by JO MURRAY, MICHAEL CONNELLY, INESSA JACKSON, MARK SMITH, V. A. VAZQUEZ and AYESHA INOON

I had two columns in the Canberra Weekly in June 2026, which covered a range of crime fiction from international writers Michael Connelly, Jo Murray, and V. A. Vazquez, and local Australian authors…

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Fans of Aussie outback crime fiction have 2 entertaining books to choose from this month. Find Me by Holly Craig is a creepy wilderness survival thriller, while Jason Summer's Red Lake is a good, twisty detective novel. #outbacknoir #crimefiction murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/australian-c...

AUSTRALIAN CRIME FICTION JUNE 2026: RED LAKE by JASON SUMMERS and FIND ME by HOLLY CRAIG

2026 has already seen a real smorgasboard of Australian crime fiction, from the almost obligatory outback crime to big city murder and a surprising number of cosy mysteries. There have also been so…

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Australian crime fiction fans will enjoy these two new releases from Mark Smith & Inessa Jackson that traverse very different areas of the genre from political thriller to small town crime. #crimefiction #Downundercrime murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/australian-c...

AUSTRALIAN CRIME FICTION JUNE 2026: DEVIL MOUNTAIN by INESSA JACKSON and WHERE TRUTH ENDS by MARK SMITH

The steady stream of new Australian crime fiction in 2026 has turned into a torrent, making it hard to keep up with it all. I have managed, however, to find time to read two of the more recent rele…

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Some James Hadley Chase femme fatales from across the decades from John Pollack illustrations to photographic covers, and a rare Australian cover for The Double Shuffle. #1960s #bookcovers #coverart #femmefatale #1970s murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/trashy-tuesd...

TRASHY TUESDAY: JAMES HADLEY CHASE FEMME FATALES

Over the course of his long career, James Hadley Chase (pseudonym of Rene Lodge Brabazon Raymond) wrote nearly ninety novels. They covered the spectrum of thriller writing from spy novels to privat…

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Fans of intelligent, slightly quirky British crime fiction will enjoy these new books from C B Everett @stuartmacbride.bsky.social & Chris Brookmyre. All offer clever plots and good fun. Short reviews attached. murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/british-crim...

BRITISH CRIME WRAP-UP: MAY 2026 – NEW BOOKS FROM CHRIS BROOKMYRE, C. B. EVERETT & STUART MACBRIDE

A quick wrap up of three recent British releases that offer very different takes on the crime novel. The Final Chapter by C. B. Everett (Simon & Schuster, 7 May 2026) C. B. Everett, aka Ma…

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Aust publisher Horwitz is known for their salacious war novels about the violation of pretty nurses by Japanese soldiers & notorious Nazi sex camps. But they also produced several non-fiction war books featuring striking covers. #ColCameron #1960s murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/trashy-tuesd...

TRASHY TUESDAY: “TRUE TALES OF COURAGE AND DARING” – 1960S AUSTRALIAN PAPERBACK MILITARY HISTORY FROM HORWITZ

Popular Australian paperback publisher Horwitz usually focussed their war story output on salacious tales of military endeavours, often involving the violation of pretty Australian nurses by Japane…

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This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed 2 dark and thrilling new crime novels by Kiwi Gavin Strawhan, and thriller maestro John Connolly and a good non-crime book by Aust author Anna Johnston murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/canberra-wee...

CANBERRA WEEKLY 21 MAY 2026: NEW AUSTRALIAN CRIME THRILLERS by JOHN CONNOLLY and GAVIN STRAWHAN

This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed two dark crime novels by John Connolly and New Zealander Gavin Strawhan, and an engaging non-crime book by Anna Johnston. Slash by Gavin Strawhan (Allen …

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@michaelconnelly.bsky.social has a 2nd book in his Catalina Island series coming out next week & it is a good one! Detective Stilwell is back with a pair of intriguing cases & there is a good appearance by Renee Ballard &even a brief glimpse of Bosch! murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/ironwood-by-...

IRONWOOD by MICHAEL CONNELLY

Ironwood by Michael Connelly (Allen & Unwin, 19 May 2026) In Ironwood, (Allen & Unwin, 19 May 2026), Michael Connelly successfully returns to Catalina Island for the second book in his seri…

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2026 continues to provide some stellar crime reading! These 3 books by @jomurraywrites.bsky.social John Connolly and Mike Ripley are very good - Murray's debut is stunning & Ripley's book is a real treat for crime aficionados. murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/may-mayhem-n...

MAY MAYHEM: NEW CRIME NOVELS BY JOHN CONNOLLY, JO MURRAY and MIKE RIPLEY

May and early June brings a very entertaining trio of books, each of which offers something a little different. A River Red With Blood by John Connolly (Hodder & Stoughton, 5 May 2026) John Con…

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This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed a trio of very good crime novels by 3 of Australia's best female suspense authors. Sarah Bailey @dervlamctiernan.bsky.social @natconyer.bsky.social murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/canberra-wee...

CANBERRA WEEKLY 7 MAY 2026: NEW AUSTRALIAN CRIME FICTION by DERVLA McTIERNAN, NATALIE CONYER & SARAH BAILEY

This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed a trio of very good suspense thrillers by three of Australia’s best female crime writers, just in time for a late Mother’s day gift. Click by…

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Crime readers are well served by some strong releases heading our way over the next month, or so, here are my picks of the best (mainly Aust & NZ). @annawoodsauthor.bsky.social Gavin Strawhan Matt Nable @sherrylwriter.bsky.social Jason Summers Mark Smith murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/book-haul-ne...

BOOK HAUL: NEW CRIME RELEASES FOR JUNE/JULY 2026

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 t…

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Fans of Aussie crime fiction can look to some good releases in May, including a great suspense novel from @dervlamctiernan.bsky.social, a homage to the classical whodunit by Dave Warner & a forthcoming Tasmania wilderness thriller from Holly Craig murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/australian-c...

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

Early May 2026 brings a wealth of new Australian crime fiction, most of which is set in non-outback locations for a change! Three Reasons For Revenge by Dervla McTiernan (Harper Collins, 28 April 2…

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April brings two very good thrillers by father & daughter teams: Paradox by Douglas & Aletheia Preston and Witch Hunt by Richard O'Rawe & Bernadette O'Rawe. Both highly entertaining with a touch of the macabre and the extraordinary! murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/2026-thrille...

2026 THRILLERS: PARADOX by DOUGLAS & ALETHEIA PRESTON and WITCH HUNT by RICHARD & BERNADETTE O’RAWE

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 …

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Antony Trew is mainly remembered, if at all, for his naval war novels & thrillers. With The Soukour Deadline (1976), however, he ventured into the terrorist thriller with a taut tale about London being held to nuclear ransom. #1970s #ClassicThrillers murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/forgotten-th...

FORGOTTEN THRILLERS: THE SOUKOUR DEADLINE by ANTONY TREW

The Soukour Deadline by Antony Trew (Fontana, 1977) 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&#…

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Aust crime fiction is not all dusty roads and outback noir! Recently there has been a rise in cosy mysteries set in suburban settings with engaging groups of amateur detectives #AmandaHampson, #JessKitching #KateSolly @pennytangey.bsky.social #cosycrime murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/australian-c...

AUSTRALIAN COSY CRIME FICTION 2026: NEW BOOKS BY JESS KITCHING, KATE SOLLY, PENNY TANGEY and AMANDA HAMPSON

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 var…

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My latest post looks at the recent number of crime books set in writers' retreats or having the author as the detective. Including new and forthcoming books by @anthonyhorowitz.com Evelyn Clarke, Victoria Brownlee, Jess Kitching @martynwaites.bsky.social murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/deadly-autho...

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My recent crime reading has involved 2 very different, but equally enjoyable, books by @tombradby.bsky.social & @eajackson.bsky.social One is a gripping thriller with spy elements, the other an absorbing police novel. Both recommended. #BritishCrimeFiction murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/uk-crime-202...

UK CRIME 2026 WRAP-UP: NEW BOOKS by TOM BRADBY and E. A. JACKSON

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 C…

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