The best crime books set in Australia

Corris and his protagonist, the hard-scrabble private detective Cliff Hardy, are quintessentially Australian. The Dying Trade introduces Cliff (smoker, drinker, ex-boxer) and sets the standard for all the books that follow in this series. It’s dry and laconic, with a wonderful sense of place (a very gritty 1980s Sydney). There’s a definite nod to the greats— Chandler and Hammett in this series; you know Cliff Hardy probably shouldn’t take this job, it’s odds-on he’ll cop a beating along the way, possible he’ll find love and lose it again. I enjoy the author’s economy with words and the moral complexity of his characters. If you like hard-boiled crime, this series is worth a look!

*Note: Sydney is much nicer than it may seem when you walk in Corris’s shoes!

Crime but with such achingly good prose, I sometimes have to stop and re-read a sentence just to admire the way Temple wrote it. It’s a slow-burn, with a very dark, noir feeling, and the more you learn about the backstory of protagonist, Detective Senior Sergeant Joe Cashin, the more intriguing he becomes. A great plot, and I love the way Temple weaves different threads together to bring about the slick resolution. If you’re unfamiliar with Australian slang, expect a crash course in the first part of this novel. What makes this book one I return to again and again is the way Temple takes the standard formula of crime fiction and bends it to his will. This is not just a great crime, it’s a great novel.  

The entire Miss Fisher series is a delight but Ruddy Gore is a stand-out. In this book, the reader sees the Hon. Miss Phryne Fisher at her absolute best. In 1920s Melbourne, the lady detective is investigating the strange on-stage death of an actor during a performance of  Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘Ruddigore.’ I like this book because it is here readers are introduced to Phryne’s only long-term lover, the charming and handsome Lin Chung. Phryne is a gutsy heroine and the 1920s setting and fashions are marvellous. A dashing tale to keep readers on the edge of their seats!  

What draws me to The Dry is that it’s a classic small-town murder mystery but instead of rural America or a village in the UK, the action takes place in a drought-stricken, outback Australian setting. There is a recent brutal triple homicide, a decades-old secret, and an investigator with a deeply-troubled past. Harper gives her characters great depth, the writing is sharp and the mystery is solid. Best of all, even if you guess whodunnit, you’re unlikely to figure out why; it’s always satisfying to read crime with a good reveal! 

I like the historical setting of Gentil’s books (mainly 1930s Australia, although her characters venture overseas in a couple of the books) and the original newspaper clippings that introduce the chapters, which give you a glimpse of current affairs that form the backdrop to the story. Personally, I also enjoy the fact that her protagonist is an artist, albeit one with a wealthy family behind him. There’s danger, disapproving family, Blackshirts, unrequited love, and above all, staunch friendships; Rowland and his mates are people you wish you could hang out with. Give the Devil His Due is the seventh book in the Rowland Sinclair series.