Southern Cross Crime

I excitedly leapt at the opportunity to explore Southern Cross Crime, a long overdue guide to the crime fiction, film and television of Australia and New Zealand. Written by Kiwi Craig Sisterson, whose blog Crime Watch I’ve been following for close to a decade, Southern Cross Crime presents a comprehensive listing of authors, movies and TV shows from the last quarter of a century, with the inaugural Ned Kelly Awards as his starting point.

In the first section of Southern Cross Crime, Sisterson introduces authors whose settings range across the cities, suburbs and rural areas of not only Australia and New Zealand, but also international locales from Antarctica to Iceland. Long being a fan of crime fiction, I expected to be familiar with all but a few of the authors introduced by Sisterson, but just a few pages in I had a list of three author’s names to look up, and eventually added dozens more based on his succinct and tantalising descriptions of their work. You’ll not only find reference in Southern Cross Crime to internationally renowned author’s such as Michael Robotham (who also provides the Foreward), Jane Harper and Paul Cleave, but many others that may have slipped under your radar, as they did mine.

In the past year I’ve binge watched Blue Heelers, Water Rats, Rush, Murder Call, City Homicide and Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (and none for the first time), which are a handful of the television series highlighted in the second section of Southern Cross Crime exploring some of the Antipodean produced and set crime on-screen TV and film over the past 25 years. Sisterson provides a short synopsis for each series or film, many of which are available to watch on various streaming services for both local and international audiences. Of those Sisterson has not mentioned I’d like to recommend Harrow (2018 - ), a TV drama featuring forensic pathologist Dr. Daniel Harrow, played by Ioan Gruffudd, and Stingers (1998-2004) which chronicled the cases of a deep undercover unit of the Victoria police.

The final section of Southern Cross Crime features thirteen well-known crime fiction authors whom Sisterson has interviewed, or reported on, in the last decade or so. This includes Ned Kelly Lifetime Achievement Award winner Peter Corris, newcomer Emma Viskic, ‘The Kiwi Godfather’ Paul Thomas, and Sisters in Crime co-founder and President, Lindy Cameron. I very much enjoyed this section, learning a little more about the author’s I admire, and of whose work I have read.

I’ve been pleased to witness the growing popularity of Australian & New Zealand crime fiction over the last few years, and I’m thrilled that Craig Sisterson has taken the initiative to develop this essential guide which will further promote the genre both within our two countries, and on the international stage. Southern Cross Crime is a valuable and Illuminative resource for crime fiction fans everywhere.

This book should come with some kind of Government health warning, or at least some helpline numbers for financial advisors as I have a feeling it could be seriously detrimental to your bank balance. It's certainly made me add a good number of titles to my Want to Read lists as well as making me far more aware of a branch of crime fiction I am ashamed to say I knew very little of.

What comes across loud and clear in this book is the absolute passion that Craig Sisterson has for the field of crime fiction, but especially that coming from his native New Zealand and their neighbour, Australia. Having read through the long list of titles and authors he has collated here, which is really just the tip of the iceberg, I can fully understand why. starting with a background to the rise of crime fiction in the two countries he then takes us on a literary tour of the islands, detailing by city and by region, the best of the best that either hails from represents the place in question.

The book is told in a conversational style, highlighting the background of the individual authors, the style of their writing and the main stories, either series or standalone, that he recommends we read. It is engaging and really spells out to you why you might want to read the book. If you aren't convinced by the end of a particular pitch, don't worry, as there are a myriad of styles represented and you are pretty well guaranteed to find something you want to read. With a comprehensive selection and an author who is extremely knowledgeable on his chosen field, I'd be highly surprised if you can leave the book without at least one or two new titles added to your Amazon wish list.

If there is one thing I was left unsure of when I finished it was this ... Was I better to stick with the kindle edition and use a combination of Goodreads, highlights and a separate note pad to record all the many (many many) books I wanted to buy and read, or to buy the paperback when it comes out so I can underline and sticky note each author to my hearts content? The answer may well prove to be a combination of both.

A comprehensive guide to Antipodean crime fiction that readers really do need to peruse. Your next favourite read may well just be waiting within these pages.