Author Topic: Southern Cross Crime  (Read 16286 times)

KiwiCraig

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Southern Cross Crime
« on: July 04, 2019, 04:52:41 am »
So I've written a lot (hundreds/thousands) of features and reviews about mystery fiction in the last 11 years.

I am now writing my first book about the genre (with another couple potentially in the pipeline too).

I'm writing a pocket essential guide to Australian and New Zealand crime writing for a London publisher.

This will slot in with leading UK critic Barry Forshaw's series of readers guides (Brit Noir, Scandi Noir, American Noir, Historical Noir, etc) - so it's not an academic treatise but an introduction for booklovers, with 250+ entries about particular authors, and some interviews and other commentary. Written in an accessible, magazine style rather than an academic one.

So a bit of a 'Lonely Planet' or 'Rough Guide' for a particular segment of the mystery genre.

It's focused on the modern era of Australian and New Zealand crime writing (1995-2020), though will include historic mysteries written during that period but set in decades/centuries past. It will also include some film/television etc.

I hope that this will be useful and of interest to readers around the world. All going to plan, it will be out Spring 2020 or so.


JRob

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Re: Southern Cross Crime
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2019, 08:11:00 am »
I'm by no means all that familiar with Australian and New Zealand crime fiction but I did recently read the Chris Hammer thriller "Scrublands" and found that to be a fantastic book.

KiwiCraig

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Re: Southern Cross Crime
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2019, 10:44:46 am »
I'm by no means all that familiar with Australian and New Zealand crime fiction but I did recently read the Chris Hammer thriller "Scrublands" and found that to be a fantastic book.

Yes, SCRUBLANDS is terrific, eh. One of my fave reads of 2018 (it came out in NZ/Oz then - even though I'm in London I get sent books for review by NZ/Oz publishers/multinational offices). I thought it was a fantastic tale - will get compared to Jane Harper's THE DRY, which was so huge a couple of years ago, but despite both having the dusty smalltown Outback setting (in different states of Australia), quite different books. Very fine tales in different ways.

JRob

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Re: Southern Cross Crime
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2019, 05:53:26 am »


Yes, SCRUBLANDS is terrific, eh. One of my fave reads of 2018 (it came out in NZ/Oz then - even though I'm in London I get sent books for review by NZ/Oz publishers/multinational offices). I thought it was a fantastic tale - will get compared to Jane Harper's THE DRY, which was so huge a couple of years ago, but despite both having the dusty smalltown Outback setting (in different states of Australia), quite different books. Very fine tales in different ways.

I have Jane Harper's THE DRY in my piles of books waiting to be read so at least I will at some point get around to reading that one.

Kate Stine, Editor

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Re: Southern Cross Crime
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2019, 03:26:46 pm »
Hey Craig,
Wow, that's great news! Congratulations! I didn't know you had a book deal when we were working on your article about New Zealand and Australia crime fiction in Mystery Scene. Be sure and keep me updated so we can cover it in Jon L. Breen's column "What About Murder?"

Becke Davis

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Re: Southern Cross Crime
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2019, 09:56:06 am »
So I've written a lot (hundreds/thousands) of features and reviews about mystery fiction in the last 11 years.

I am now writing my first book about the genre (with another couple potentially in the pipeline too).

I'm writing a pocket essential guide to Australian and New Zealand crime writing for a London publisher.

This will slot in with leading UK critic Barry Forshaw's series of readers guides (Brit Noir, Scandi Noir, American Noir, Historical Noir, etc) - so it's not an academic treatise but an introduction for booklovers, with 250+ entries about particular authors, and some interviews and other commentary. Written in an accessible, magazine style rather than an academic one.

So a bit of a 'Lonely Planet' or 'Rough Guide' for a particular segment of the mystery genre.

It's focused on the modern era of Australian and New Zealand crime writing (1995-2020), though will include historic mysteries written during that period but set in decades/centuries past. It will also include some film/television etc.

I hope that this will be useful and of interest to readers around the world. All going to plan, it will be out Spring 2020 or so.

Congratulations on this fabulous book deal! I know quite a few romance writers from Australia and New Zealand, but off the top of my head, the only mystery writers that come to mind are Kandy Shepherd (who writes romance, too) and Kerry Greenwood. I love her Miss Fisher books!

Can you post a reminder when your book comes out? I definitely want to pick up a copy!

KiwiCraig

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Re: Southern Cross Crime
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2020, 02:18:10 am »
So SOUTHERN CROSS CRIME is out in ebook and audio download today.

The paperback had just been sent to the printers when all the COVID-19 lockdown began in the UK, so that's now been pushed back to late September - which makes sense with all physical book launch, events, and several festivals where the book would be included/showcased being cancelled.

So it's a surreal day here in London. Blue skies and warm sunshine which remind me of home. I've got a few congratulations messages from people in Australia and New Zealand (who could download teh book first because of time differences) and some crime writers I know, which is lovely. At the same time it doesn't feel particularly real - as we're in lockdown and it's all just onscreen/virtual etc.

Anyway, for those interested in Australian and New Zealand crime fiction, hope you might check it out. I'm happy to answer any questions or have a chat about anything in the book or otherwise.

JRob

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Re: Southern Cross Crime
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2020, 09:36:02 am »
Craig, I just can't read a book on an e-reader. I will put the book on my buy list for when it comes out in September and then pick it up so I can take a look at your work then!

Congrats on the book's e-release!

Becke Davis

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Re: Southern Cross Crime
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2020, 01:02:54 pm »
Craig, I just can't read a book on an e-reader. I will put the book on my buy list for when it comes out in September and then pick it up so I can take a look at your work then!

Congrats on the book's e-release!

Congratulations! I accidentally destroyed my Nook and rather than get another ereader, I'm sticking to "actual" books for now. So I'll put this on my calendar for September, too!

Kate Stine, Editor

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Re: Southern Cross Crime
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2020, 02:47:27 pm »
Hi Craig,
Congratulations on the new book! It sounds wonderful, can't wait to read it. Do you know if your publisher is sending out review copies to Jon Breen? He'll want to take a look for sure.


KiwiCraig

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Re: Southern Cross Crime
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2020, 04:10:30 am »
Hey Kate, if Jon is happy to read an e-version, I can get him one now. If he prefers to read non-fiction in paperback, which I'd understand, then I can make sure he gets one later in the year when that becomes available.