Marianne's Reviews > Murder in the Midst

Murder in the Midst is a compilation of eight short stories by award-winning Australian author, Sandi Wallace.
Ball and Chain: violence and corruption are the hallmark of the local police force, and Jess Weldon worries for her disabled father and her own safety as they are regularly targeted. Will there ever be an escape?

Sweet Baby Dies: PI Mickey Fox is different, and newbie Andre Marchese soon discovers he’s learning from the best, a woman who isn’t about to let a physical disability hinder her performance.

Abandon: a puzzling murder in her small town presents an opportunity for journalist Chris Olden, if she can overcome her fatigue. But then she makes a discovery that leads her to a tragic truth.

Cheese, Wine and the Perfect Crime: Is revenge a dish best served cold? Or just as good with a log fire, a fine red wine and some sharp cheese?

The Witness: Matt says Narelle is just plain gullible, but she couldn’t leave that poor teen on the street: she had to be a Good Samaritan. But she’s not stupid; something about the girl’s not right, but what is really going on? Are they about to be scammed?

Fire on the Hill: Charlie loves her little town, but it’s being plagued by fires. As the officer in charge of their small police force, she’s determined to catch the firebug who’s threatening her town, her home. And then it gets personal…

Gun Oil, Bacon and Bleach: true crime writer Ash Clarke is back in her hometown to research her new book, but not everyone is happy about that; the subject of it is too close to home for some.

Duplicity: a dying husband, a cryptic note, a bewildered wife. And years ago, two tragic losses and a broken friendship. But maybe it didn’t happen the way she thought…

Wallace easily evokes her setting, be it the heat, dry and dust of a small outback town, the inner-city streets, clubs and cafes, the suburban backyard, the country pub. Her characters, too, feel familiar: the sort of folks you’d meet in those places. And the crimes? Murder, arson, theft, statutory rape, assault: we read about them all the time. But the women? They refuse to remain victims, refuse to cower; each in their own way, they take action, these spirited women.

Eight marvellous little bites of this talented author’s work, eight strong female protagonists, eight powerful little tales, and for those readers for whom this is their first taste of her work, there is a preview of the first book in Sandi Wallace’s excellent Harvey and Franklin series, Tell Me Why
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by the author.