Crime Fiction Down Under | Episode 2

In our second episode we review:Bad Neighbours by Joanna Jenkins and The Cursed Road by Laura McCluskey And we recommend two books from New Zealand:Dead Girl Gone by Gareth Ward and Lousie Ward and Slash by Gavin Strawhan.We talk about the Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival, our picks from the long list for New Zealand’s Ngaio Marsh Awards for Crime Fiction and the Short List for this Year’s Ned Kelly Award for best Crime Fiction Debut.We also have details of the Sisters in Crime Davitt Award Night which will be in Melbourne on 12 September 2026 - you can get tickets at this link: https://sistersincrime.org.au/davitt-awards-2026/ This is the final week to enter the Sisters in Crime 2026 Scarlet Stiletto short story award - entry details can be found at this link: https://sistersincrime.org.au/scarlet-stiletto-awards-how-to-enter/ All of Robert’s book reviews can be found at www.pilebythebed.comSome of the many other books mentioned in this episode:How to Kill a Client by Joanne JenkinsThe Bluff by Joanna JenkinsFinding the Bones by Natalie ConyerThe Last King of the Cross by John IbrahimKing of the Cross by Mark DapinIris by Fiona McGregorThe Wolf Tree by Laura McLuskeyCold River by Margaret HickeyThe Lost Man by Jane HarperCormac Reilly series by Dervla McTiernanMurder in the Pacific series by Matt FrancisA Bad Bad Place by Frances CrawfordThe Deadly Dispute by Amanda HampsonLucky Thing by Tom BagwarnathCarved in Blood by Michael BennettSoftly Calls the Devil by Chris BlakeA Beautiful Family by Jennifer TrevelyanHades by Candice FoxIn Bloom by Liz AllanThe Butterfly Women by Madeleine ClearyThe Peak by Sam GuthrieMalaleuca by Angie Faye MartinThe Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskeyThe Wykehamist by Alexandra Strnad Tea Cake and Death by Gareth Ward and Louise WardMurder and Mojitos by Gareth Ward and Louise WardThe Call by Gavin Strawhan