A sea of scarlet and pearls: Celebrating 30 years of mystery, murder, and malice with Sisters in Crime’s Scarlet Stiletto Awards

South Melbourne’s Rising Sun Hotel was awash with scarlet and pearls on Saturday night (25 November) as crime writers and fans gathered to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sisters in Crime’s Scarlet Stiletto Awards for best short stories. This year, a record 250 short stories competed for a record $12,720 in prize money. Over the…

The mystery of the Fiji Islands: B.M. Allsopp

For the March Author Spotlight, Sydney author Natalie Conyer spoke to fellow Sydneyite B.M. Allsopp about Death Off Camera, the fifth book in her popular Fiji Islands Mysteries series, starring policeman and rugby legend Joe Horseman. Here the death of a contestant in a Survivor-like reality series is the start of a thorny investigation for Horseman and his team. Impressive for its realistic portrayal both of life in Fiji and reality TV, Death Off Camera is a satisfying, engrossing treat for crime fiction lovers.

Read more

18th Law Week Panel: Postmortem

Sisters in Crime Australia is again proud to join forces with the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre, Victoria University, to present its 18th Law Week event. An expert panel from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) – Dr Melanie Archer (forensic pathologist and forensic entomologist), Associate Professor Linda IIes (Head of Pathology forensic pathologist), Dr Samantha Rowbotham (forensic anthropologist), and Dr Lyndall Smythe (forensic odontologist) – will explore the what, when, who, and where revealed by postmortems with true crime author and novelist, Dr Liz Porter.

Read more

Reimagining the sleuth

The sleuth in crime fiction is no longer a cop or PI. Three authors explore some of the new-style investigators now at work. For Haque-based author, Lisa Medved (The Engraver’s Secret), it’s a contemporary art historian exploring a mystery in the 17th century world of Reubens. For Sulari Gentill from Batlow, NSW (The Mystery Writer), it’s the aspiring author herself who finds something sinister going on in the world of publishing and has to unravel the mystery before she becomes the next victim. For Melbourne-based author, Aoife Clifford, the title says it all: It takes a town. . . to solve a murder. Interrogating the authors is multi-award-winning author, Emma Viskic.

Read more

Murder Monday: Ovidia Yu

For the March Murder Monday, Sisters in Crime’s Jacq Ellem spoke to Ovidia Yu, one of Singapore’s best-known and most acclaimed writers. Ovidia has had over thirty plays produced and is the author of the Aunty Lee Singaporean Murder Mysteries series and the Crown Colony Crime series, which has been optioned for TV by Poisson Rouge Pictures.

Read more

Vikki Wakefield, To the River

For the March Crime Stack, Text Publishing has kindly offered 20 copies of To the River, the second thriller by Adelaide writer, Vikki Wakefield. The Crime Stack is a benefit for Sisters in Crime members. Every month there are 20 books to win in a random draw of members. Join now and be in the running for a complimentary paperback copy of To the River, a ripper read.

Read more

FNQ – The home of Tropic Noir: Caroline de Costa

Caroline de Costa first discovered FNQ – Far North Queensland – in 1994 when she came to do a locum in Cairns Hospital. The town had more of a frontier atmosphere then. She was soon hooked by the land, by the work, and by the people. It’s no surprise that when she decided to try her hand at crime fiction, she chose to set it in country she loves.

Read more

Vale Brenda Richards

Sisters in Crime and the St Kilda community are mourning the death of Brenda Richards at the age of 85. She was a member of Sisters in Crime for over 30 years and wrote two crime novels. Brenda was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2011. primarily for her role in founding the Council of Single Mothers and their Children. A few years later she was made an Ambassador for Women by the Labor Party, as well as the Number 1 female ticket holder for the local St. Kilda City Football Club. In 2021, Brenda received an OAM “for service to the community through social welfare organisations”.

Read more

Murder Monday: Jo Dixon

For the February Murder Monday, Sisters in Crime’s Jacq Ellem spoke to Tasmanian author Jo Dixon who has two crime novels under her belt – The House of Now and Then and, now, A Shadow at the Door, both with HarperCollins Australia. Like many writers, Jo has had a varied career. She has been a dental assistant, an event co-ordinator, a travel agent, and has run an online shop-never really believing her passion for writing could lead to anything.

Read more

Celebrating 30 Years of Mystery, Murder and Malice

To mark the Scarlet Stiletto Awards big anniversary, Sisters in Crime published The Scarlet Stiletto: 30 Years of Mystery, Murder and Malice, edited by Vice-President Lindy Cameron, courtesy of Clan Destine Press. Sue Turnbull says that this precious volume contains all 30 of the winning stories that are so different in their approach that it is evident that there is no ‘right’ way to write a winning Scarlet Stiletto story. Indeed, what the unpredictability of these stories suggest is that the more unconventional and original your take on the genre might be, the more likely you are to succeed.

Read more

New Reviews

Every month Sisters in Crime brings you new reviews from women who write criminally good books.

Read more