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 N ovel:

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 N ovel:

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 N ovel:

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)

Bet Non-f iction 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)