Lonesome Highway

Australian noir is a popular genre - gritty crime thrillers set in a harsh and isolated landscape, drawing on gothic themes. As an avid reader of Garry Disher, Chris Hammer, Jane Harper and Hayley Scrivenor I am always on the lookout for a new Aussie noir to sink my teeth into. I have often seen Margaret Hickey's novels in bookstores alongside Hammer and Harper and thought I would check her out. 

Cutters End (2021), Margaret Hickey's debut novel, is set in remote South Australia. It's 2021 and Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti has been called back from his leave, assigned to a cold case. Thirty years ago a burnt corpse was found in the outback, 300 kilometres outside Cutters End. Long thought to be an accidental death, a high profile celebrity has been pushing for the case to be reopened, believing Michael Denby's death to be a murder. Ariti interviews the celebrity in her Bronte beachfront home, and then heads to Cutters End. With the help of local cop, Jadeep Kaur, Ariti pulls back the layers on this cold case and finds that he has a connection to a pair of hitchhikers - Ingrid and Joanne - who were in the area on New Year's Eve 1989 when the man was last seen alive. Will the fact that he dated Ingrid decades ago help or hinder his investigation?

The atmosphere is moody and readers cannot help but think of the Belangalo backpackers murders and the disappearance of Peter Falconio. Hickey capitalises on the location to bring a sense of foreboding to the story. Lots of people have gone missing in the outback, disappearing without a trace in the harsh landscape, through misadventure or malice. Like Hammer and Harper, Hickey has portrayed a strong sense of time and place. One of the things I loved about this novel was the Australian colloquialisms and slang which are peppered throughout the book.

Cutters End is a solid debut novel. It is a well crafted police procedural, with interesting characters. Ariti is not immediately likeable, so I will be interested to see how his character evolves in subsequent novels. Hickey has written two more books in the Ariti series - Stone Town (2022) and Broken Bay (2023), along with other novels The Creeper (2024), An Ill Wind (2025) and Cold River (2026).

Auguries of Innocence

The September selection for the Read Christie 2026 Challenge, 'Best According to Agatha', is another novel I had not heard of - Endless Night (1967). This is standalone novel - not featuring Poirot, Marple, or the Beresfords - and reportedly one of Christie's favourite among her 74 novels.

Michael Rogers, age twenty-two, is a restless but charming young man. In his short life he has tried his hand at many jobs and wooed many young women, unable to commit to anything or anyone. Mike currently works as a chauffeur and hopes to earn enough money to eventually buy his dream home for his dream wife. The problem is that he is broke and doesn't seem to have much of a plan. When he comes across a property called Gipsy's Acre, a beautiful spot in the English countryside, Mike imagines it is the perfect location for his house. But there are rumours of a curse on the property.  

By chance he encounters Ellie Guteman, a young American heiress, who is also admiring the property. The two are an unlikely pair, but they quickly fall in love and marry, much to the chagrin of Ellie's imposing family. Initially Mike appears lost in the world of the super-rich, with Ellie being advised by lawyers and bankers and her constant companion, Greta. The couple soon appoint a mysterious architect, Santonix, to build their dream home at Gipsy's Acre. Shortly after they move in they are haunted by the curse - with bricks lobbed through the windows and an old woman warning them to stay away.

 

I will refrain from spoiling the story by telling more of the plot. Suffice it to say that while Endless Night could be mistaken for a gothic romance, this is definitely an Agatha Christie. But Endless Night is so different to the typical Christie whodunnit. It doesn't begin with a murder. There are no quirky detectives, no gathering of suspects, no unravelling of clues. But there are layers of intrigue as the suspense builds to a page-turning finish. The twist in the final chapters almost made me want to go back to the start to see what I missed along the way.

The title of this novel comes from this verse in the William Blake poem, Auguries of Innocence (1863):

Every night and every morn
Some to misery are born.
Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight.
Some are born to sweet delight,
Some are born to endless night.

Christie uses Blake's verse well throughout the novel. Written in her later years, Christie has refined her skills as a storyteller. This novel brings through important themes of the late 1960s - including class and gender. Having read nine of her books this year, in my view Endless Night is one of her best and well worth reading.

My reviews of other Agatha Christie novels are available on this blog: 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)

Murder on the Links (1923)

Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

The Body in the Library (1942)

The Labours of Hercules (1947) 

The Rose and the Yew Tree (1948) 

Mrs McGinty's Dead (1952) 

A Caribbean Mystery (1964) 

By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968) 

Operation Vestal

A few weeks ago, the New York Times published a list of the '50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century'. I love a good thriller and have read many on this list. Irish author Tana French was listed multiple times with four books from her Dublin Murder series, including her first novel, In the Woods (2007), positioned at number three. I loved her Cal Hooper series (The Searcher, The Hunter, The Keeper) and know the quality of her writing. With her Dublin Murder series already on my e-reader, I downloaded the audiobook and set off on a new adventure, In the Woods.

The opening scene is in the summer of 1984 with three children running wild in the woods. The police are called when they don't return home. A search of the woods locates only one traumatised child, Adam, unable to recall what has happened to him or his missing friends. Flash forward twenty years and the boy has reinvented himself has Rob Ryan, a detective on the elite Dublin Murder Squad. When a twelve year old girl is found murdered in the same woods, Rob returns to Knocknaree to investigate, finding eerie similarities to the earlier crime. Are they connected? Will this bring closure to the childhood memories from that summer which continue to haunt Ryan? Or will his presence on this case undermine any chance of resolution?

In the Woods is a slow burn thriller, a form French has perfected since this assured debut. The central character Ryan is an unreliable and unlikable narrator (my favourite kind!), but what he lacked in personality was more than made up for by his partner Cassie Maddox. She is a marvellous creation - a smart, multidimensional character - and I really enjoyed the friendship she and Ryan had which made their partnership work so well. The supporting characters - Sam, O'Kelly, Devlin - are also well formed.

As a police procedural, the novel works well; showcasing the door-knocking, tip-fielding, daily grind of an investigation where leads often go nowhere. What I liked about French's approach, which can be frustrating for some readers, is how she revels in the messiness, refusing to tidy up all strands of the case. Her literary prose draws the reader in. I greatly enjoyed power-reading this alongside the audiobook performed by John McCormack who expertly gave Ryan the 'BBC' voice his character acquired while at boarding school in England.

Other books in this series are on the NYT '50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century' list including the second book The Likeness (2008) [#34], the fourth book Broken Harbor (2012) [#20] along with her standalone thriller, The Witch Elm (2018) [#33]. As The Likeness features Cassie Maddox, I am keen to continue with this series.

Something Wickedly Boring This Way Comes

The August selection in the 2026 Read Christie Challenge is By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968) in the category of 'beloved duo'. This is the fourth novel featuring Agatha Christie's husband and wife detective team Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. 

The story begins with a visit to Tommy's spinster Aunt Ada in the Sunny Ridge retirement home. Here Tuppence meets another resident, Mrs Lancaster, who mumbles something about a child behind the fireplace. The pair returns to the home a few weeks later when Ada has passed from natural causes and find that Mrs Lancaster has left the home, leaving behind a painting of a house on a river. Tuppence is determined to reunite Mrs Lancaster with the painting but cannot find her. With Tommy away for a few days, Tuppence sets off to find this mystery house, which is located near the village of Sutton Chancellor, and is currently rented to Alice and Amos Perry. Tuppence wants to find out more about the house so she talks to a the local vicar, various estate agents and the gossipy owner of a bed and breakfast where Tuppence is staying. 

When Tuppence doesn't return home as expected, Tommy gets worries and sets out to find her. I won't say more about the plot to avoid spoilers.  But suffice it to say there is a lot of superfluous dialogue and not a lot of mystery.     

I struggled with this novel. I have never been a big fan of Tommy and Tuppence, and this book reinforced my dislike of the pair. While the story starts well, it meanders and plods along. There are a handful of clues, and a mild sense of foreboding, but despite all the mystery tropes (creepy house, unsolved historical murders) this an unthrilling thriller. 

My reviews of other Agatha Christie novels are available on this blog: 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)

Murder on the Links (1923)

Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

The Body in the Library (1942)

The Labours of Hercules (1947) 

The Rose and the Yew Tree (1948) 

Mrs McGinty's Dead (1952) 

A Caribbean Mystery (1964) 

Payback Packages

Dervla McTiernan is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. Her Cormac Reilly crime series showcased her ability to craft an atmospheric crime drama with depth, heart and realistic characters. So any book she writes is an automatic pre-order as I know it is going to be really good. 

Her latest novel is Three Reasons for Revenge (2026) - her first set in Australia - and I hope it is the beginning of a new series. The main character is Detective Sergeant Judith Lee, a savvy Melbourne based police officer, with a complex past. The story starts with a young woman coming into the police station and asking for Judith. She tells Judith that she has been assaulted by a psychologist, Robert Walker. Judith recalls an almost identical allegation against Walker a decade earlier, but there was insufficient evidence at that time to actively pursue the matter. Then a package arrives at the Walker home from an anonymous sender which sets in motion a series of events which will end in murder. As more packages arrive for seemingly unconnected recipients, Judith has to race against time to figure out the links and capture the sender before more people get hurt. 

Judith Lee is a wonderful character. She is tough, smart and willing to take risks, often circumventing police procedure to get a result. Her friendship with Katy and her relationship with her boss and mentor Rocky is well formed. There is also a compelling back story and a subplot of police corruption which adds to the narrative.

McTiernan is an expert at pacing and plotting, building layers of the story to keep the reader engaged and guessing to the end. I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a gripping crime thriller. 

I had the pleasure of hearing McTiernan speak about this book, and her career, at the 2026 Sydney Writers' Festival. She spoke lovingly about Judith and I get the feeling she isn't finished with this character! McTiernan was so approachable, kind and delightful. It was lovely to meet her, have a copy of Three Reasons for Revenge signed, and grab a photo with her. I still have one more book of hers to read (What Happened to Nina?) and look forward to reading it and whatever McTiernan comes up with next. 

My reviews of other novels by Dervla McTiernan are available on this blog:

• The Ruin (2018)
• The Scholar (2019)
• The Good Turn (2020)
•  The Unquiet Grave (2025)

The Last Wolf

At the 2026 Sydney Writers' Festival I attended a panel session on crime writing with American author Shawn Andre Cosby. SA Cosby is best known for writing Southern Noir thrillers, set in his home state of Virginia. Reckoning I would enjoy his storytelling, I bought a couple of his novels and after the session I asked Cosby where I should start with his work. After discussing my reading preferences, Cosby recommended All the Sinners Bleed (2023) would be the best place to begin. So I started there, and it has been a perfect introduction to his work.

 

Set in the fictional Charon County Virginia, Titus Crown is the County's first Black sheriff. Titus is a former FBI agent who now leads a team of deputies as they break up bar fights in this small Southern town. The police are called out to a shooting at the local high school where a beloved teacher is killed by a former student. As Titus and his team investigate, tensions flare in the community, and they soon realise that there is serial killer, or killers, in their midst. Between the evangelical church groups, the sons of the confederacy, and the parents in fear for their children, Titus has his hands full as he races to solve this case.

Titus is a wonderful, fully-formed character. He has to delicately balance the expectations of his role, the needs of his family, and the weight of the history in this place where racism is rife and violence is on the precipice. While his work is heavy, Titus has a keen sense of humour which helps to lighten his burden.

Cosby has a descriptive way of writing, heavy on metaphor, with a clever turn of phrase. His creativity is evident in the interspersed short chapters about Charon County itself, the memories it holds from its years as a Civil War battleground, and the ways it was shaped by decades of hate and bloodshed. I appreciate Cosby's nod to Greek mythology in the naming of his county. His intelligent writing elevates the police procedural, subtly layering class and race to produce a deeper, more meaningful story. 

I highly recommend All the Sinners Bleed to fans of gripping crime thrillers. This is a fast-paced story with riveting action. You will be thinking about long after you turn the last page. 

I look forward to reading more of his work as Cosby is well on his way to becoming one of my favourite crime writers. All the Sinners Bleed has also been optioned by Netflix and will be turned into a miniseries. That will definitely be one to watch!

Revisiting The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The June selection in the 2026 Read Christie Challenge is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) in the category of 'best to read in one sitting'. So while on holiday in Far North Queensland I sat poolside and read the novel in one go. This was a revisit for me, as I had previously read this novel in the 1990s but had forgotten much of the story. 

The story is narrated in first person by Dr James Sheppard, a general practitioner in the village of King's Abbot. He lives with his spinster sister, Caroline, who is a notorious gossip.  Wealthy landowner, Roger Ackroyd calls Dr Sheppard and asks him to come to Fernly Park for dinner. There he meets Mrs Ackroyd (Roger's widowed sister-in-law), her daughter Flora, Mr Raymond (Roger's secretary) and Major Blunt (Roger's old friend). After dinner the doctor has a private conversation with Roger in his study. Roger advises that he was secretly engaged to a local widow Mrs Ferrars who recently died by suicide. The day before she died, Mrs Ferrars told Roger that she had poisoned her abusive husband and was being blackmailed. She has sent Roger a letter revealing the identity of the blackmailer, so he asks Sheppard to leave so he can privately read it. 

Later that evening, Sheppard receives a call from Parker, Roger's butler, asking him to return to Fernly Park as Roger has been found dead in his study, killed with a ceremonial knife. Police are called and signs point to Roger's stepson, Ralph Paton, as the likely suspect. Flora does not believe Ralph was responsible. She reaches out to a new villager, the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and asks him to investigate. Poirot investigates alongside Sheppard, with the latter performing a similar role to Hastings in other Poirot novels. The story builds with red herrings and subplots, before Poirot brings all the suspects together in a room and declares he knows who committed the crime. 

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a delicious romp, showcasing Christie at her best. She is an excellent storyteller, crafting wonderful characters like gossipy Caroline. One chapter I particularly loved was where Sheppard and Caroline have friends over to play Mahjong. In between exclamations of 'pung', 'chow' and 'mahjong' and the discussion of rules, there is a gossipy session about the murder. 

I am so pleased to have re-read this novel. It is the only Christie novel to appear on the 1001 novels to read before you die list, and is a great example of her craft for readers new to this author. 

My reviews of other Christie novels are available on this blog: 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)

Murder on the Links (1923)

Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

The Body in the Library (1942) 

The Labours of Hercules (1947)  

Mrs McGinty's Dead (1952) 

A Caribbean Mystery (1964) 

The Quiet Life

One of the novels I was most looking forward to this year was Tana French's The Keeper (2026), the final instalment in her Cal Hooper trilogy. Like The Searcher (2020) and The Hunter (2024), The Keeper is a slow-burning crime thriller. 

Retired Chicago police detective Cal Hooper is living a quiet life in Ardnakelty, Ireland. His spends his time fixing up his ramshackle home, sitting by the fire with his fiancé Lena Dunne, and woodworking with teenage Trey Reddy. Trey is growing up and finding her way in the world, while Cal and Lena are navigating shifts in their relationship. Other than occasional gatherings at the local pub with his neighbours, or trips to the local shops, Cal keeps to himself. When a local girl, Rachel Holohan, goes missing and is found dead, the community is divided. Did she take her own life, was it an accident, or was she killed? Everyone in the townland has a view on this, and many think it has something to do with the Moynihans, a powerful family that has been buying up land in the area to build a factory. Rumours abound, and while Cal wants to stay out of it, he cannot as the gossip now includes Lena and him.

French has captured the fictional community so vividly, with its multi-generational, layered history, that it is easy to see how rumours are traded as currency. Placing an outsider like Cal into this town helps to explain the intricacies of this community, and how they double-down to protect their own. 

 

I loved this trilogy. I often read fast-paced, page turning crime thrillers, but appreciated Tana French's skill as a writer that she was able to make a gripping thriller by slowing down the pace.  I strongly recommend reading the series in order. While I am sad this trilogy is over, I am wholly satisfied and delighted to know French's Dublin Murder Squad series is waiting for me!

Poirot's Quest

The May selection for the Read Christie 2026 Challenge, 'Best Short Story Collection', is another Agatha Christie book I had never heard of - The Labours of Hercules (1947), the collection of tales featuring Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. 

Poirot is on the verge of retirement. He meets Dr Burton, who jibes Hercule about his name and how he is nothing like his namesake, the Greek hero Hercules. Poirot claims he is unaware of this legend. After Burton departs, Poirot asks his secretary, Miss Lemon, to do some research into Hercules and he learns about the hero's Twelve Labours in which he was tasked to perform terrific feats such as slaying or capturing beasts, obtaining rare items or stealing. Poirot decides his final cases before retirement will align with these Labours.

His first case is the Nemean Lion, which Hercules had to slay despite the creature's impenetrable golden fur. In Poriot's adventure the lion is a yappy Pekinese dog named Shan-Tung that was kidnapped from a local park. Poirot soon discovers other dogs have been ransomed in a similar way and works to determine who is stealing the dogs and why. There is a twist in the tale as Poirot realises something larger is afoot. 

The stories continue with Poirot investigating: gossip undermining a local doctor (the Lyrnean Hydra); the disappearance of a maid (the Arcadian Deer); a gangster in the Swiss Alps (the Erymanthian Boar); a political scandal (the Augean Stables); blackmail (the Stymphalean Birds); a broken engagement (the Cretan Bull); drug addiction (the Horses of Diomedes); an art theft (the Girls of Hyppolita); a cult (the Flock of Geryon); an antique heist (the Apples of the Hesperides); and a drug ring (the Capture of the Cerebus).  

These are light-hearted tales which truncate the usual Christie style into short stories of the detective at work. While the stories are uneven in quality, the overall effect is very clever. Fans of Poirot will appreciate his familiar mannerisms and humour, and the unusual places he finds himself (like the London Tube). It is also great to see other characters - Chief Inspector Japp, Countess Rossakoff - make an appearance. For the most part, I really enjoyed this collection of stories. It is a good option for someone looking for a quick read. 

My reviews of other Christie novels are available on this blog: 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)

Murder on the Links (1923)

Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

The Body in the Library (1942)

Mrs McGinty's Dead (1952) 

A Caribbean Mystery (1964) 

Preserved in Peat

Detective Cormac Reilly returns in Dervla McTiernan's The Unquiet Grave (2025). Reilly and his partner, Constable Peter Fisher, receive a call to say a body has been found in a peat bog outside Galway. Bogs preserve bodies, so initially it is unclear if this is a recent death or an ancient burial. Perhaps it could be the body of Thaddeus Grey, a teacher at a local school who disappeared two years prior and whereabouts remain unknown.

As Reilly and Fisher investigate the crime, they are each holding secrets from the other. Peter is planning to resign and move overseas with his girlfriend, while Cormac has been offered a job managing internal affairs in Dublin. While Reilly would be great at this role, investigating police corruption is a friendless job and he is not sure he wants it. In a further complication, Reilly's ex-girlfriend Emma approaches him for help. Her new husband has gone missing overseas and she is having difficulty getting French police to take it seriously. Reilly has to wrestle with complex feelings as he realises that Emma has moved on and is now living the life he had once expected them to share. Meanwhile, there is another crime underway as a creepy computer programmer has plans to cheat the national lottery. When more bog bodies are found, the Garda have to race to figure out whether they are dealing with a serial killer or a copycat.

Reilly is such a good character. He is a committed detective with a strong ethical core and an unwavering gut instinct. He is thoughtful and diligent and has a big heart. I loved the way McTiernan portrayed Reilly and Fisher's relationship and their inability to say what is on their minds.

McTiernan smoothly weaves the various plot threads together. She is expert at pacing, knowing when to trickle out information to keep readers guessing. It is a brilliant police procedural, with moments of thrilling action. Plus, there is the atmospheric Galway weather which adds to the storytelling.

This is the fourth book in McTiernan's Cormac Reilly series, and I suspect it will not be her last. While new readers can safely read The Unquiet Grave without prior knowledge, it is such a great series that I highly recommend starting at the beginning. My reviews of other Dervla McTiernan novels in this series are available on this blog:

• Cormac Reilly #1 - The Ruin (2018)
• Cormac Reilly #2 - The Scholar (2019)
• Cormac Reilly #3 - The Good Turn (2020)

I will be seeing Dervla McTiernan next month at the Sydney Writers' Festival where she will be speaking about her forthcoming standalone thriller, Three Reasons for Revenge (2026). I have pre-ordered that novel and am looking forward to it.

A Holiday to Remember

The April selection for the Read Christie 2026 Challenge, 'Beloved in your Collection', is a novel I had never heard of - A Caribbean Mystery (1964), the ninth novel featuring elderly amateur sleuth Miss Marple.

 

Jane Marple has taken a holiday. At the urging of her nephew, the elderly detective has left England for the West Indies. At the Golden Palm Hotel, on the island of St Honore, she meets an array of interesting characters: married hotel owners; a retired Major who talks too much; an American and his glamorous second wife; a couple from the UK; a South American woman travelling solo; a Canon and his sister; a disabled elderly man and his caregivers; and, a local doctor. Soon after she arrives, Major Palgrave meets his demise, seen by most as a death from natural causes. But Miss Marple has a niggle about his death, something seems off. She replays the few conversations she had with him and decides to investigate. She plonks herself down with her knitting and observes how other hotel patrons interact and starts drawing together various threads. Before long there is another death, and Marple has to enlist help to work through her theories and prevent a third murder.

I approached A Caribbean Mystery without any preconceptions. It is a light tale, lacking much intrigue, but with plenty of Christie tropes to keep readers engaged. But I found myself less interested in the mystery element, and more invested in nutting out Christie's secret of success.

Christie has a way of describing characters that make you immediately know who they are. For example, on Major Palgrave she writes: 'He had been rather a garrulous elderly man of the club-bore type, always telling you personal reminiscences that you had no particular desire to hear' (ch5).  She injects a lot of humour in this novel and I routinely found myself laughing aloud. One of my favourite lines was 'The fruit on the island, thought Miss Marple, was rather disappointing. It seemed always to be pawpaw.' (ch3).

This is my second Miss Marple mystery, having recently read The Body in the Library, and I have really warmed to the delightful Miss Marple. As a largely invisible old woman she is able to gain access to people in a disarming manner. She is underestimated, as Mr Rafiel found out when he exclaimed 'I must say, though, that nobody would think you had any brains in your head to hear your unusual line of talk. actually, you've got a logical mind. Very few women have' (ch16).  She is definitely not 'the gentle fluffy old lady' (ch17) she is mistaken for. 

I have really been enjoying participating in the Christie Challenge this year. Her novels are like comfort food, a warm blanket and a cup of tea. Perhaps that is the secret to her success. I look forward to continuing to explore extensive bibliography.

My reviews of other Christie novels are available on this blog: 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)

Murder on the Links (1923)

Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

The Body in the Library (1942)

Mrs McGinty's Dead (1952)

Revisiting Murder on the Orient Express

It has been 20 years since I last read Murder on the Orient Express (1934), Agatha Christie's classic tale of a death on a train wherein all the suspects are trapped together and detective Hercule Poirot must ascertain who committed the crime. I first read it in high school in the 1990s, read it again in 2006,  and have seen the various film adaptations over the years. So when it was listed as the title for the 2026 Christie Challenge for March, in the category 'biggest impact on you as a young reader', I wasn't sure if I would bother to re-read it for the third time.

With a few hours to spare on a lazy weekend, I decided to give it another go and despite knowing the story well I really enjoyed it. This time I read not so much for the mystery but for Christie's structure and style. 

The story is simple. Poirot is returning from Istanbul to London on the famous railway line, the Orient Express. Other travellers include a Russian princess, a Hungarian Count and Countess, a British Colonel, an English Governess, a Swedish missionary, an American car salesman, and various secretaries, valets and maids. On the first night there is a commotion in sleeper 2, and Samuel Ratchett is found dead from a dozen stab wounds. Poirot investigates, working out loud to identify the killer or killers, and their possible motive for the crime. 

We learn early on that Ratchett is an alias. He was an American gangster who was responsible for the kidnapping of a young girl, Daisy Armstrong. Before he died, he expressed fear that he may be attacked. But who did the killing and why?

Poirot sets himself up in the dining car and interviews the other occupants of the sleeper carriage. One-by-one they answer his questions, each giving tiny morsels of evidence which paint a picture of what may have transpired the previous night. Once he has all the details, Poirot gathers the travellers together and posits two theories as to what transpired. The first, a simple case that a stranger boarded the train, committed the crime, and alighted. The second is that the killer is still on the train, among the group gathered together. 

Murder on the Orient Express is a great example of Christie's work and one I would recommend for someone new to her stories. It is short, fast-paced and humorous. It can be a bit confusing with so many characters, many of whom have aliases. There are also plenty of red herrings along the way, which Poirot deftly deals with as he investigates. Overall, a great revisit of this famous novel.

My reviews of other Christie novels are available on this blog: 

• The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)
• Murder on the Links (1923)
• The Body in the Library (1942)
• Mrs McGinty's Dead (1952)

For another great train caper, check out Murder on the Canadian (1976) by Eric Wilson.

End Point

Garry Disher's latest novel, Mischance Creek (2025) is a masterful crime novel and the fifth outing in his Hirsch series.

Twice a week Constable Paul Hirschhausen (Hirsch) leaves his single-officer police station in Tiverton, South Australia and does the rounds of his large rural beat. His wellbeing checks usually involve him assisting the isolated locals with small chores in exchange for a cup of tea and a biscuit. Times are hard in this part of the world, with a drought devastating farmers and families being crushed by the cost of living. At the moment, Hirsch is conducting compliance checks on licensed gun owners, inspecting their firearms and making sure they are safely stored.

Hirsch is called out to Mischance Creek to assist a tourist who has been caught in a ditch. Annika Nordrum isn't exactly sightseeing. She has come to this place to find her mother's remains. Eight years ago her parents were fossicking in the area when tragedy stuck. Her father was found dead at the bottom of a disused mine shaft but her mother was never found. For Hirsch, this mystery allows him to be more than a beat cop so he agrees to help with the investigation.

But Hirsh doesn't get to focus on one thing at a time. There are other issues in town: illegal dumping of building materials; the theft of a caravan; hoons driving dangerously; some misfits calling themselves sovereign citizens; and much more. Plus, Hirsch has a lot of personal matters to deal with. He worries about his mum, now a widow, and while his relationship with Wendy is going well, her daughter has now entered her awkward teenage years.

Readers of this blog will know that I am a huge fan of Garry Disher. Other Aussie Noir writers may have a higher profile (looking at you Hammer and Harper!) but Disher is the real deal. His plots are brilliantly paced, his characters are realistically crafted and multi-dimensional, and he depicts the landscape so well that readers can immediately feel a sense of place. Disher also presents the social issues facing rural communities well.

While Mischance Creek can be read as a standalone novel, you don't want to miss enjoying this series from the start. My reviews of other novels in the Hirsch series are available on this blog:

• Bitter Wash Road (2013)
• Peace (2019)
• Consolation (2020) 
• Day's End (2022)

I also recommend highly Disher's standalone novels, like: The Way it is Now (2021) and Sanctuary (2024). 

Finally, special thanks to my mum for giving me this book last Christmas. Loved it!

Very Nice People

In Agatha Christie's Mrs McGinty's Dead (1952), Hercule Poirot arrives home to his flat in London to find a gentleman has called. Superintendent Spence needs urgent assistance. A court has just convicted James Bentley of the murder of charwoman Mrs McGinty, his landlord, and sentenced him to death. Spence doesn't think he is guilty and wants Poirot's help to prove this and save the man from execution. 

Poirot heads to the village of Broadhinny and stays at a ramshackle guest house owned by the Summerhayes family. The accomodation is terrible - draughty, dirty and messy, with awful meals which offend Poirot's gastronomic sensibilities. From here Poirot wanders about the village interviewing the locals, whom he concludes are all very nice people. Poirot reminds Spence that very nice people 'has been, before now, a motive for murder' (Chapter 8).  He learns that a few days prior to the murder, Mrs McGinty had taken a clipping from the Sunday Comet, a gossipy newspaper. She had also purchased some ink and written letters to persons unknown. The newspaper clipping contained photos of four women who were involved in old criminal cases. Perhaps Mrs McGinty had recognised one of the women. Perhaps one of the women was now living in Broadhinny. Perhaps one of the women did not want her past revealed and killed Mrs McGinty to stop her from sharing this secret.

Like most Poirot novels, there are little clues scattered everywhere, a few red herrings, and the story culminates in a gathering of all potential suspects to hear Poirot narrate his findings and reveal the killer in dramatic fashion. 

I had never heard of Mrs McGinty's Dead so I went in with no knowledge of the story. This allowed me to theorise and guess motives and suspects, and while I had kind of worked it out, there were a few twists I had not foreseen. What I found problematic was that there were so many characters I could not keep them straight in my mind.  Between the Hendersons, Carpenters, Weatherbys, and Summerhayes there were too many similar characters that I could not tell them apart detracting from my enjoyment of the book. 

However, one of the delights of this novel is the character Ariadne Oliver, famed crime novelist in town to work with a playwright adapting one of her works. Oliver talks about the famous Finnish detective she has based her stories around, Sven Hjerson. Olivier exclaims: 

'How do I know why I ever thought of the revolting man? I must have been made! Why a Finn when I know nothing about Finland?.... You try something - and people seem to like it - and then you go on - and before you know where you are, you've got someone like that maddening Sven Hjerson toed to you for life. And people write and say how fond you must be of him, Fond of him? If I ever met that bony gangling, vegetable-eating Finn in real life, I'd do a better murder than any I've ever invented.' (Chapter 14)

Christie must have delighted in creating this fictitious version of herself and to critique her own famous detective. Mrs McGinty's Dead was Christie's 29th Poirot novel, and it marks the beginning of Poirot's final phase and Oliver's ascendency.

I read this novel as part of the 2026 Read Christie Challenge 'Biggest, Best, Beloved', which has placed Mrs McGinty's Dead in the 'Beloved Characters' category. While I cared little for most of the characters, I certainly enjoyed Poirot and Ariadne Oliver.

My reviews of other Christie novels are available on this blog: 

• The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)
• Murder on the Links (1923)
• The Body in the Library (1942)

 

Dance of Death

Agatha Christie's The Body in the Library (1942) begins with a murder. The body of a young woman is found lying on the hearth rug the library of Gossington Hall, the estate of Colonel and Mrs Bantry, by the maid. She wakes the Bantrys with a shriek.

While the Colonel contacts the local police - Inspector Slack and Colonel Melchett - Mrs Bantry has other ideas. She telephones her dear friend Miss Marple, the amateur sleuth. Marple is able to disarm witnesses with her charming, grandmotherly visage, and piece together a mystery with her fine intellect and quick wit. The police know Miss Marple and are keen to hear her perspective. 

The detectives need to identify this woman, who is unknown to the Bantry household. Their investigation takes them to the Majestic Hotel in Danemouth where an invalid guest, Conway Jefferson, has reported an 18 year old dancer, Ruby Keene, missing. She was onstage at 10pm, and seen dancing with a man at 11pm, but did not return for her midnight set. her cousin Josie, who recommended Ruby for the hotel job, confirms the identity of the body.

Suddenly there are a lot of potential suspects and when a second body is found, things become more complicated. There are many threads to pull in the investigation, revealing bitter rivalries, secret relationships and financial incentives among the many suspects. 

Miss Marple attends police interviews and notices things that others don't. She sees the state of someone's fingernails, the sideways glances another gives, and can tell if a person is lying. Marple figures everything out long before the police, and helps to solve both murders.

This is the second Miss Marple book, preceded by The Murder at the Vicarage (1930), and I enjoyed her as a character, even though she was in the background for much of the story. While Miss Marple worked alongside the police, she did not dominate or show them to be incompetent. Rather she partnered with them and helped them with the investigation. 

The Body in the Library is a delightful novel, brimming with humour. Christie is clearly having a great deal of fun telling this tale.  

I have had this book for a very long time, but had never read it. I recently stumbled across the "Read Christie" challenge, run by Agatha Christie Ltd (the company established by the author which owns the rights to her works). The 2026 challenge, 'Biggest, Best, Beloved' has selected twelve titles for a monthly read along. The Body in the Library has been given the category of 'Best Opening' and it certainly starts lives up to that description. I don't know if I will pursue the full Read Christie challenge this year, but I might give it a go. The Agatha Christie books I have previously enjoyed have generally been quick reads.

My reviews of other Christie novels are available on this blog: 

• The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)
• Murder on the Links (1923)

An Excellent Vintage

Matthew Spencer's debut novel Black River (2022) introduced readers to Detective Sargent Rose Riley, as she investigated a serial killer prowling Sydney. Journalist Adam Bowman covered the case and the two worked in parallel, each thriving in their respective jobs. Following this high profile case, Bowman wrote a book which changed his fortunes and, with Riley as a central figure, she lost some of her prized anonymity.

DS Riley is back in Broke Road (2025). Wakened by a phone call advising her of a murder in the Hunter Valley wine region, Riley quickly packs for a few days away and begins the two-hour drive north of Sydney. Riley is familiar with the area, having grown up nearby, in the part less frequented by tourists. Past the cellar doors and golf resorts, there is a seedier side to the region marked by poverty, drug abuse and a large prison. 

In a new estate near Pokolbin, a woman has been found strangled in her home. Riley calls in her colleague Priya Patel to assist, and the two book in to a local inn as they realise this case may take a while to solve. The woman's husband, a geologist working for the coal industry, has an alibi. But there are plenty of other suspects for Riley and Patel to investigate and rule out.

When the forensic analysis reveals similarities to cold cases interstate, Riley's investigation becomes much bigger. She needs to crack the case before the killer strikes again. With the local tabloids muddying the waters, she calls on Adam Bowman to resurrect the working relationship they established on the earlier case. He arrives in the area and quickly begins following his own leads, some of which may land him in trouble. 

Spencer has crafted a captivating thriller. He excels at the police procedural aspects of the case, and has created compelling new characters like the local cop Christian Rodrigues who has been assigned to help Riley and Patel. There are plenty of intriguing subplots and red herrings along the way to keep readers guessing. Riley is smart and diligent, but with an underlay of vulnerability. Patel is a perfect partner, with her quick wit and likability, she can build relationships to assist in their work. 

One aspect I really appreciated was the way in which Spencer covered the tension in the area. The tourism industry, which thrives on weekends, causes the towns and villages to swell and locals resent being priced out as homes are converted to AirBnBs and boutique hotels. Beyond the vineyards, farmers are struggling with increased costs, and the coal industry which has sustained generations of workers faces protest from environmentalists. 

Broke Road is an excellent novel which can be read on its own, but I would encourage starting with Black River to get the full effect. 

His Bloody Project

On a small island in Scotland's Outer Hebrides a shocking crime occurred in an otherwise peaceful crofter community in July 1857. Angus MacPhee, a troubled and troublesome man, brutally murdered his parents and aunt, then took off fearing capture. Locals formed a hunting party and found him, taking him to Inverness for trial. MacPhee's siblings are left to pick up the pieces.

Graeme Macrae Burnet has taken this true crime story and composed a novella, Benbecula (2025), narrated by MacPhee's brother Malcolm. Told retrospectively, Angus first appears to be a lazy man in a household which tolerates his weirdness. His father is disinterested, his mother is only focussed on the hearth fire at the croft, and his siblings are busy working to bring in sea ware to make a small living off selling kelp. Angus smokes his pipe and pleasures himself, without lifting a finger to help. His sibling do their best to avoid him.

Neighbours are worried about Angus. His creepiness disturbs passersby, and his odd behaviour has caused concern. One day he behaves so erratically that he is shackled and forced to remain at home, restrained. As the days pass, the family gives him more latitude and he seems to be better. Until he commits the horrendous act of violence for which he is incarcerated. Several years after the crime Malcolm MacPhee recounts the tale and the aftermath, alone from the croft. 

I always admire Macrae Burnet's writing style. By using Malcolm as narrator, he inhabits the brevity of the man's storytelling and infuses it with the local dialect. Readers can see the bigger picture, and read between the lines of what is not being overtly said. Relying on the scant records from witness statements, which would have been translated from Gaelic and made to sound more proper than the words of the illiterate locals, Macrae Burnet builds a whole world. He is able to depict the bleakness of this life - growing potatoes, harvesting kelp - on this small island. I appreciated the way the narration switched between Malcolm's later recall, and the lead up to the crimes. 

In less than 170 pages, Macrae Burnet has crafted a wonderful novella. While I greatly enjoyed it, I did not feel it was as good as Macrae Burnet's His Bloody Project (2015) which I absolutely adored. My review of Macrae Burnet's Case Study (2021) is also available on this blog. 

Dust and Division

Day's End (2022) is the fourth novel in Garry Disher's Hirsch crime series and his best to date. 

Paul Hirschhausen (Hirsch) has been stationed at the single-officer police station in Tiverton, South Australia for three years now and has gradually become part of the community. He covers a huge rural area, and does the rounds twice a week to check in on locals and providing a visible police presence. The pandemic has reached the town, bringing with it division and isolation. 

A Belgian visitor, Janne Van Sant, is in town looking for her son. He was a backpacker working on a rural property before he allegedly took off to Queensland with a girl. A body has been found in a smouldering suitcase, but it is not Van Sant's son. On top of this, some residence have been the victims of online scams, including Hirsch's partner Wendy. Up in the more populated Redruth, his colleagues are dealing with racist graffiti, druggies and other crime. 

There is a lot going on in Day's End and Disher handles it all brilliantly. I really appreciated the way he depicted the COVID lockdown impact on the regional area and the challenges young people face in a town which gives them little to do. 

Disher is such a great crime writer. He is an expert with pacing and uses short chapters which always leave the reader wanting more. As such, I was easily able to finish this 400 page book in two days. You really get feel for the landscape here, and Van Sant, as a foreigner in this strange land, comments that places are named for ill-adventure - Mischance Creek, Desolation Hill etc. 

I was fortunate to receive book five in this series, Mischance Creek (2025), for Christmas so will be returning to Hirsch's world before long.   

You don't need to read the first three Hirsch books to enjoy Day's End, but I would encourage fans of the genre not to miss them. My reviews of other novels in the Hirsch series are available on this blog:

• Bitter Wash Road (2013)
• Peace (2019)
• Consolation (2020) 

I also recommend Disher's standalone novels, like: The Way it is Now (2021) and Sanctuary (2024). 

My Reading Year 2025

I read a lot in 2025! My reading goal for 2025 was 35 books, which I surpassed reading 45 titles this year - over 15,500 pages! When planning for 2025, I had a stack of books on my to-be-read pile, and managed to read only a handful before I got distracted, as I always do, by other titles. 

So here's what I read in 2025:

Fiction

This was the year I finally immersed myself in the Elizabeth Strout universe. I began the year with Olive Kitteridge, Strout's Pulitzer Prize winning novel. I jumped ahead to her latest novel, Tell Me Everything, which was shortlisted for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction. I then went back to the beginning and read her debut novel,  Amy and Isabelle. I am now fully converted to her genius and plan on exploring more of her work next year.

Another author that I have had on my radar for years but never conquered was Hilary Mantel. This year I read two-thirds of her Cromwell Trilogy with the Booker Prize winning Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up the Bodies.  I have started the final novel in the series, a hefty hardback of The Mirror in the Light, but will not complete it this year. 

Literary award longists added many titles to my reading list. Among my favourite novels this year were by Australian authors - Melanie Cheng's The Burrow (Stella Prize), Emily Maguire's wonderful Rapture (Stella Prize) Fiona McFarlane's linked short stories in Highway 13 (Miles Franklin Award), and Evie Wyld's ghostly tale, The Echoes (Victorian Premier's Prize). The 2025 Women's Prize introduced me to two heartbreaking novels which I still think about: Yael Van Der Wouden's The Safekeep and Roisin O'Donnell's Nesting. Carys Davies' lovely novel Clear (RSL Ondaatje Prize) was also brilliant. 

I wanted to read Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead ever since it was published and won the Women's Prize (among other accolades) in 2023, but I felt compelled to re-read Charles Dickens' David Copperfield first. I am so glad I did, as it greatly enhanced my reading of Kingsolver's remarkable novel. Having recently tidied my bookshelves, I find that I already possess a number of her novels so I look forward to exploring her back catalogue.

Other titles that had been languishing unread on my shelves finally moved up the to-be-read pile. I loved Anne Enright's The Green Road and am slowly working my way through all of her books.  Alex Miller's A Brief Affair, Penelope Lively's Heat Wave, Sarah Waters' The Paying Guest and Kevin Wilson's Nothing to See Here were great reads in 2025. I also finally read Barbara Trapido's Brother of the More Famous Jack which I had heard about for years. 

Some of the series that I have been following had new novels published. I really enjoyed Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on the Reaping, Tara Moss' The Italian Secret and Philip Pullman's The Secret Commonwealth. I have been saving Pullman's latest and last novel in the Lyra Bellaqua series - The Rose Field - but will read that next year. 

Taylor Jenkins Reid's Atmosphere, a novel I read without any expectations, was such a beautiful, heartbreaking story it left me sobbing. Another great standalone novel was Liz Moore's The God of the Woods.

I love a good crime thrillers, especially 'Aussie Noir'. This year I read Hayley Scrivenor's Girl Falling, Chris Hammer's  Legacy (another Martin Scarsden pageturner), Jane Harper's Last One Out and Garry Disher's Sanctuary. I read two Irish crime novels by Dervla McTiernan - The Scholar and  The Good Turn in the DS Cormac Reilly series. I enjoyed the latest in the Strike/Ellacott series by Robert Galbraith, The Hallmarked Man. I also started Mick Herron's Slow Horses series after being gifted a box set of his novels, and will undoubtedly work my way through these next year. 

Non-Fiction

This year I didn't read as much non-fiction as I had planned to and will need to rectify this in 2026.

I really enjoyed the Quarterly Essays this year. I have subscribed for the past decade and each year there are usually one or two on topics that I am not that interested in. This year I read George Megalogenis' Minority Report (QR96), Hugh White's Hard New World (QE98) and Sean Kelly's The Good Fight (QE100).

I read Anne Applebaum's Autocracy Inc when it was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction.  Janet Malcolm's essay collection Nobody's Looking at You, had been lingering unfinished for a while so I was pleased to have completed that. 

I read two memoirs this year which I loved. I borrowed Kate Grenville's Unsettled from my mother after she raved about this personal journey of reconciliation. Hannah Kent's Always Home, Always Homesick was such a delight - transporting me to Iceland and making me long to read Burial Rites again. 

I will read anything Helen Garner writes, including a book about footy - The Season. I also loved her book with Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein, The Mushroom Tapes, about the trial of Erin Patterson who bumped off her husband's family with a deadly beef wellington.

My last book for the year was Niki Savva's Earthquake on the 2025 federal election

Best of 2025

I read so many great books this year. If I had to whittle down the 45 into my absolute favourites for 2025, without any hesitation I would pick Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead and Hannah Kent's  Always Home, Always Homesick.  

I would give honourable mentions to:

• Carys Davies - Clear
• Anne Enright - The Green Road
• Robert Galbraith - The Hallmarked Man
• Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein - The Mushroom Tapes
• Kate Grenville - Unsettled
• Mick Herron - Slow Horses
• Emily Maguire - Rapture
• Fiona McFarlane - Highway 13
• Roisin O'Donnell - Nesting
• Taylor Jenkins Reid - Atmosphere
• Elizabeth Strout - Olive Kitteridge
• Yael Van Der Wouden - The Safekeep

Well, that's my year of reading! A new year starts tomorrow and I cannot wait to discover new books and rediscover old favourites. Happy New Reading Year!