Davitt Delights

 

Sisters in Crime Australia has announced a rather long shortlist – 25 – for its 21st Davitt Awards for the best crime and mystery books by Australian women: nine adult novels, five young adult (YA) novels, six children’s novels and five non-fiction books. Twelve books from all categories are competing for the debut award. Altogether, 127 books have been in contention. Here are all this year's finalists:

Best Adult Crime Novel:

• B M Allsopp, Death Beyond the Limit (Fiji Islands Mysteries #3) (Coconut Press)
• Sarah Barrie, Deadman’s Track (Calico Mountain #3) (HQ Fiction, an imprint of Harlequin Australia)
• Candice Fox, Gathering Dark (Penguin Random House Australia)
• Sulari Gentill, A Testament of Character (Rowland Sinclair #10) (Pantera Press)
• Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister (Pan Macmillan Australia)
• Karina Kilmore, Where the Truth Lies (Simon & Schuster Australia) Debut
• Suzanne Leal, The Deceptions (Allen & Unwin) Debut
• Mirandi Riwoe, Stone Sky Gold Mountain (University of Queensland Press)
• Kimberley Starr, Torched (Pantera Press)

Best Young Adult Crime Novel:

• Davina Bell, The End of the World Is Bigger than Love (Text Publishing) Debut
• Sarah Epstein, Deep Water (Allen & Unwin Children’s)
• Ellie Marney, None Shall Sleep (Allen & Unwin Children’s)
• Christie Nieman, Where We Begin (Pan Macmillan Australia) Debut
• Lisa Walker, The Girl with the Gold Bikini (Wakefield Press) Debut

Best Children’s Crime Novel:

• Jackie French, The Ghost of Howlers Beach (Butter O’Bryan Mysteries #1) (HarperCollins Publishers Australia) Debut
• Amelia Mellor, The Grandest Bookshop in the World (Affirm Press) Debut
• Julianne Negri, The Secret Library of Hummingbird House (Affirm Press) Debut
• Pamela Rushby, The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle (Walker Books Australia)
• Lian Tanner, A Clue for Clara (Allen & Unwin Children’s) Debut
• Sue Whiting, The Book of Chance (Walker Books Australia)

Best Non-fiction Crime Book:

• Stephanie Convery, After the Count: The death of Davey Browne (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House Australia) Debut
• Melissa Davey, The Case of George Pell: Reckoning with child sexual abuse (Scribe Publications) Debut
• Louise Milligan, Witness: An investigation into the brutal cost of seeking justice (Hachette Australia)
• Caroline Overington, Missing William Tyrrell (HarperCollins Publishers Australia)
• Angela Williams, Snakes and Ladders: A memoir (Affirm Press) Debut

Best Debut Crime Novel:

• Sonya Bates, Inheritance of Secrets (HarperCollins Publishers Australia)
• Davina Bell, The End of the World Is Bigger than Love (Text Publishing)
• Melissa Davey, The Case of George Pell: Reckoning with child sexual abuse (Scribe Publications)
• Anna Downes, The Safe Place (Affirm Press)
• Mary Jones, Troubled Waters (Green Olive Press)
• Karina Kilmore, Where the Truth Lies (Simon & Schuster Australia)
• Amelia Mellor, The Grandest Bookshop in the World (Affirm Press)
• Kate Mildenhall, The Mother Fault (Simon & Schuster Australia)
• Julianne Negri, The Secret Library of Hummingbird House (Affirm Press)
• Leah Swann, Sheerwater (4th Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Australia)
• Lian Tanner, A Clue for Clara (Allen & Unwin Children’s)
• Lisa Walker, The Girl with the Gold Bikini (Wakefield Press)