Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an outstanding upcoming piece of Australian crime fiction with Shot by Shelley Burr.
For the last few years, one of my favourite authors of Australian crime fiction has been the very impressive Shelley Burr. A rising and talented writer who experiments with new styles and writing ideas with each novel, Burr appeared on the scene back in 2022 with her debut novel, Wake. An excellent and addictive outback mystery about a historical disappearance, Wake was an outstanding novel, which served as the first book of her Lane Holland series. Followed up by the amazing novels, Ripper (also released as Murder Town), and last year’s release Vanish, each book in this series told its own unique and narrative, while also further exploring the complex life of its recurring protagonist. I had an incredible time with these books, and I’ve been keen to see what Burr would write next, especially as she seemed to wrap up her first series with Vanish.
It looks like Australian crime fiction fans don’t have long to wait until they’re lucky enough to get another Shelley Burr novel, as the author has an interesting new release coming out in October. This new book, Shot, will tell a distinctive new tale of murder, regret and hidden secrets, as a new investigative protagonist dives into the past to uncover the truth behind an infamous killing.
Set to follow a disgraced true-crime vlogger (Burr likes her damaged protagonists), as she does a feature on a double killing that occurred in the middle of a livestream, Shot sounds extremely intriguing, and I love the cool and unique elements to its proposed plot. Sure to bring the drama and dive into modern audience’s obsessions with glamourous streaming families and famous murders, Shot has a ton of potential, especially if Burr weaves her typical storytelling magic. Based on how good Burr’s previous novels were, Shot is now one of my most anticipated crime fiction novels coming out in the second half of 2026, and I have no doubt that this will be a top piece of Australian fiction.
Plot Synopsis:
A murder is witnessed by thousands, but who pulled the trigger?
Dahlia and Duncan Crews are rich, famous, glamorous – they share their lifestyle and picture-perfect family with hundreds of thousands of online subscribers. The Crews have it all – until they don’t. Shot dead in the middle of a livestream, the couple’s teenage daughter, Karma, is the sole survivor. And the prime suspect.
Years later, disgraced true-crime vlogger Jennifer Benedetta is hired to film a cold-case documentary on the unsolved Crews family murders. It’s the chance she needs to salvage her reputation, but there’s a catch: prove Karma Crews innocent. But something – or someone – is lurking just off camera, and the closer Jennifer gets to the truth, the further she is from safety.
Who is watching? And how far will they go to remain unseen?