Australian crime fiction is having a moment; see the new books to have on your radar in 2023.
Have you noticed that Australian crime novels seem to be increasing in popularity over the past few years?
It’s not all in your head. Outback crime fiction, sometimes referred to as outback noir, is a burgeoning genre that plays on the unique Australian landscape to increase tension in already-tense crime and thriller novels.
Interested in checking it out for yourself? Scroll on to see some of the best rural Australian crime fiction picks of 2023.
Australian Outback crime novels 2023
Bloodwood Creek Kerry McGinnis
Having been awarded Order of the Outback in 2022, it’s no surprise that Kerry McGinnis’s work leans heavily on the outback landscape, and her new novel, Bloodwood Creek, is no exception. Set between the bustling streets of Darwin and an alternative-lifestyle commune outside of Tennant Creek, the novel highlights Australia’s wild and remote places while captivating readers in a chilling thriller that will grab you from the first page.
The Fall Between Darcy Tindale
Debut author Darcy Tindale has made a splash with her first novel, The Fall Between. Fellow crime writer Candice Fox called the book ‘rural noir at its very best’ – quite an achievement for a first-time author. Introducing Detective Rebecca Giles, the book follows the local hero as she uncovers generations of crime in a Hunter Valley town where nothing much changes. At least, that’s how it seems on the surface.
No Trace Michael Trant
Outback action thriller meets classic locked room mystery in Michael Trant’s No Trace. Since busting open a major criminal operation, Gabe Ahern has known that the bad guys will come for revenge, and now, it feels like it’s finally happening. When a helicopter falls from the sky, phone lines go down and a guest ends up dead, Gabe fears that he’s finally been trapped.
Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect Benjamin Stevenson
This novel is the eagerly-awaited sequel to Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone. Featuring the same witty protagonist and a brilliant locked room (train) mystery, you’ll be racing to find out Whodunnit. Set on the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, the book is a fresh take on the classic murder mystery, out 17 October 2023.
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Penguin Random House is proud to have twenty-four titles on the list this year.
