Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 17 April 2025.
A copy of this column also appeared on the Canberra Daily website.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews of Pacific Heights, 2 Sisters Murder Investigations and Landfall.
Tag: Candice Fox
2 Sisters Murder Investigations by James Patterson and Candice Fox
Publisher: Century (Trade Paperback – 18 March 2025)
Series: 2 Sisters Detective Agency – Book Two
Length: 352 pages
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
The team of iconic crime fiction author James Patterson and one of Australia’s best thriller authors, Candice Fox, once again come together for the outstanding 2025 sequel, 2 Sisters Murder Investigations.
James Patterson and Candice Fox are both very talented authors whose work I have been really enjoying since I started reading more crime fiction. Patterson, the iconic writer who is known for his various long-running series, has been primarily producing collaborative work with other authors in recent years, including Death of the Black Widow with J. D. Barker, The No. 1 Lawyer with Nancy Allen and The Perfect Assassin by Brian Sitts. Fox on the other hand, has been on a real roll with her great recent standalone novels, including Devil’s Kitchen, Fire with Fire, High Wire and The Chase. On top of those previous novels, Patterson and Fox have found time to collaborate on several great books, including the fun 2024 novel, The Murder Inn, and their outstanding previous novel, 2 Sisters Detective Agency, the latter of which, has generated a sequel I now want to talk about with 2 Sisters Murder Investigations. Following two mismatched sisters who find themselves investigating crimes in L. A. after re-opening their father’s old detective agency, this interesting series was very fun, I was very happy to receive a copy of the second 2 Sisters Detective Agency novel earlier this year.
Plot Synopsis:
Rhonda and Barbara “Baby” Bird are half-sisters—and full partners in their Los Angeles detective agency. They agree on nothing.
Rhonda, a former attorney, takes a by-the-book approach to solving crimes, while teenage Baby relies on her street smarts.
But when they take a controversial case of a loner whose popular wife has gone missing, they’re accused of being PIs who can’t tell a client from a killer.
The Bird sisters share a late father, but not much else…except their willingness to fight.
Fight the system. Fight for the underdog. Fight for the truth. If they can stop fighting each other long enough to work together.
Patterson and Fox produce another outstanding and highly entertaining crime fiction read with 2 Sisters Murder Investigations, which quickly grabs your attention and keeps pushing you forward. Slick, easy-to-read, and full of excitement, 2 Sisters Murder Investigations was another great thriller from two masters of the genre.
2 Sisters Murder Investigations had an excellent story behind it that sees the dysfunctional Bird sisters, older sister Rhonda and rampart teenager Baby, working together at their family detective agency after the events of the first book. After an entertaining start that shows that the sisters still aren’t on the same page, 2 Sisters Murder Investigations thrusts them into a compelling new case when the main suspect in a current murder case requests their help to prove his innocence. Deciding to take on the case against their better judgment, Rhonda and Baby try to help their new client, Troy Hansen, who is accused of murdering his missing wife, and whose unusual demeanour about the case has convinced the entire city he is guilty.
Patterson and Fox’s narrative for 2 Sisters Murder Investigations splits early, as Rhonda’s perspective chapters primarily focus on the Hansen case, which goes in some interesting directions. Under pressure from both the public and the police to stop helping Troy, Rhonda tries to prove his innocence, but she is quickly stymied by a series of problems, including lethal intruders trying, her client’s unusual behaviour, and a box full of concerning evidence hidden at the crime scene. At the same time, Baby attempts to help an older man who is being targeted as part of a sinister scheme to force him to sell his house to a corrupt company. The resulting storylines both go in interesting directions, especially the one around Rhonda and her attempts to help Troy, as the evidence continues to point to her client being a dangerous killer. The eventual result for this plot thread was very captivating, and there were some great twists here, including an unlikely alternate suspect who suddenly shows up. While the reveal about the actual killer wasn’t all that surprising, the way that Patterson and Fox set it up was extremely good, and the fast-paced conclusion to that arc, as well as the surprising tragedy, allowed for some captivating and intense moments. While I liked this main plotline, the secondary storyline with Baby attempting to take on her own case ended up being a little rushed, especially at the end, although I did enjoy seeing how Baby comes into her own and acquires an excellent canine friend. While this weak ending to the second storyline does rob 2 Sisters Murder Investigations of some of its overall impact, I did feel that this narrative for the sequel was very strong, and all thriller fans, even those unfamiliar with the series or the authors, will have a lot of fun with it.
I really enjoyed how entertaining and exciting the authors made 2 Sisters Murder Investigations, and Patterson and Fox ensure that this was a highly compelling and fun novel to read. Utilising the multiple short, sharp paragraphs that Patterson fans will be familiar with, 2 Sisters Murder Investigations was a very easy novel to power through as you jump from one compelling scene to the next. These quick chapters really encourage you to keep going, as the next twists could be only pages away, and I found myself speeding through the story. It helped that Patterson and Fox did a good job splitting the novel’s focus between the two sister protagonists, which allows for a layered narrative, especially as both characters have different focuses and priorities, resulting in a well-balanced and complex overarching story. These separate storylines have a certain distinctness given to them, especially as the authors switched up the perspective style depending on whose chapter it is. For example, Rhonda is shown as more of main protagonist due to her chapters being told in the first person, while Baby’s chapters are told in the third person, which helps to reflect her more junior role in the team. While Patterson and Fox could have perhaps done a better job at the front of each chapter showing which character is the focal point of the book at that point, for the most part this split is pretty seamless, and I liked the alternating and fast-paced nature of the novel that the author’s writing style allows for.
On top of the great story and exciting writing style, I quite enjoyed how Patterson and Fox revisited the main characters of the series, sisters Rhonda and Baby Bird. Still in conflict despite the initial successful nature of their relationship, Rhonda and Baby play off each other extremely well as dysfunctional sisters, which allows for a lot of fun interactions amongst the darker nature of the plot. While you could argue there is a slight loss of character growth between Rhonda and Baby in 2 Sisters Murder Investigations, as they lose some of the cohesion they built up in the first novel, I think their continued bickering and disagreement worked well in the context of the story, as Baby tried to stretch her wings, while Rhonda continues to adjust to being a responsible guardian to a new sister. Throw in some excellent supporting characters, including Rhonda’s complicated love interest, an obsessed cop investigating the murder, a lonely old man who finds purpose thanks to Baby, and one suspicious client who helped to showcase the unlikely choices those under pressure make, and this was a fun cast that turned 2 Sisters Murder Investigations into a really awesome read.
Overall, 2 Sisters Murder Investigations was a great sequel to James Patterson and Candice Fox’s 2 Sisters Detective Agency, and it was very cool to see the Bird sisters back in action again. Featuring a fascinating and gripping narrative that you can easily speed through and still have an awesome time, 2 Sisters Murder Investigations was an outstanding novel that is worth reading, especially if you have enjoyed the previous collaborations between Patterson and Fox.
Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Australian Books from the First Half of 2025
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was to lists books with a beachy theme to them. While this is an interesting concept, it’s not one I think I can contribute to in the dead of Australia’s Winter and I’m instead going to do something different and will provide two separate lists here that continue my theme of recapping the first half of 2025.
I have had a lot of fun recapping some of the best recent books and audiobooks released in the first half of 2025 in previous weeks, but I also need to spend this time highlighting other specific releases from the first half of the year. While last year I examined new authors and pre-2024 fiction in my mid-year lists, as I had an abundance of these in my reading list, 2025 is shaping up to be very different, as I instead seem to have read an awful lot of novels from Australian authors. While I generally tend to read a great deal of Australian fiction each year due to my location, I have found that 2025 has been a particularly impressive year for Australian fiction, with some truly outstanding novels from very talented local authors.
As such, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight some of the very best Australian talents who have so far released books in 2025. To make it onto this list, the book had to be released by an Australia author this year. I tend to take a bit of a different approach to Australian fiction than some other bloggers, as I highlight all books written by Australian authors rather than novels purely set in Australia or featuring Australian characters. The eventual list I pulled together was pretty long, but I was eventually able to whittle it down into the absolute best Australian books of the year so far, which included some amazing reads from across the genres.
Honourable Mentions:
Landfall by James Bradley
A gritty crime fiction read set in a deteriorating future Sydney.
Barren Cape by Michelle Prak
A compelling contemporary read that touches on some very pressing Australian issues.
Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge
A great young adult fantasy debut from a talented new author.
Top Ten List:
Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold
First of this list we have the exceptional urban fantasy novel, Whisper in the Wind by rising Australian author Luke Arnold. The fourth book in his Fetch Phillips series, Whisper in the Wind was a powerful novel that saw the author’s damaged protagonist once again dragged into the chaotic events engulfing the formerly magical city he doomed. A very clever novel that perfectly built on the amazing narrative threads of the previous entries in the series, this was one of Arnold’s most impressive books yet and I cannot recommend it enough.
Broke Road by Matthew Spencer
Next, we have one of the best pieces of Australian crime fiction in 2025, with Broke Road by Matthew Spencer. The sequel to Spencer’s excellent debut, Black River, Broke Road brought back the author’s compelling protagonists as they investigated a brutal killing in small town Australia. Featuring a particularly impressive and gripping case, Broke Road had me hooked the entire way through and I deeply enjoyed this complex and powerful read.
New author Ronni Salt greatly impresses with her debut novel, Gunnawah. A captivating crime fiction read set back in 1970s rural Australia, Gunnawah provides an interesting examination of the period while hooking you with a cool mystery. A great piece of Australian fiction from a memorable debuting author.
Sins of the Fathers by John Byrnes
John Byrnes once again dives back into the early 20th century with his historical epic Sins of the Fathers. Following several battling young characters as they attempt to survive the harrowing 1910s, Sins of the Fathers was another strong outing from Byrnes who has really found his writing niche.
After having a lot of fun with her cool 2023 debut, How to Kill a Client, Joanna Jenkins returns with the outstanding sequel, The Bluff. Moving Jenkin’s big city lawyer protagonist from her first book to small town Australia, The Bluff sees the protagonist attempt to unwind a series of events that lead to the death of the town’s local hero, and the disappearance of a young outcast girl. A masterful read that cleverly recaps events from the past, The Bluff was a brilliant sequel from Jenkins, who continues to showcase her massive potential as an author.
Pacific Heights by S. R. White
The next book on this list is the intricate murder mystery, Pacific Heights, by the distinctive S. R. White. A spinoff from his main series, Pacific Heights follows two detectives as they attempt to solve a murder that took place in easy view of multiple apartments. However, the case becomes complicated when each of the witnesses has a different story, and no series of events truly matches up. A powerful read that combines an excellent mystery with a fun cautionary tale about perception.
The Whisperer’s War by Jackie French
A complex World War II drama from one of Australia’s best authors, this was an outstanding book and one I got really caught up in.
Another outstanding Australian fiction debut in 2025 was The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers. Following a group of former friends who return to the scene of a great tragedy from their shared past many years later, The Reunion brought out old secrets and lies as a deranged mother tries to discover how her son truly died. A clever and intense novel that you won’t be able to turn away from, The Reunion was very impressive, and I look forward to seeing what cool books Rivers will produce in the future.
2 Sisters Murder Investigations by James Patterson and Candice Fox
Acclaimed Australian author Candice Fox once again teams with the legendary James Patterson for the exciting read, 2 Sisters Murder Investigation. A sequel to 2 Sisters Detective Agency, 2 Sisters Murder Investigation was a thrilling novel that followed the turbulent sister protagonists on another wild ride. Exciting, fast-paced and very fun, this was another great read from this impressive team.
Vanish by Shelley Burr
The final book was the distinctive crime fiction novel Vanish. The final book in the author’s Lane Holland trilogy (which previously featured Wake and Ripper), Vanish sees the protagonist embark on an unusual investigation to try and find the fate of a missing girl. An outstanding novel from one of Australia’s best rising authors, Vanish was a great conclusion to the protagonist’s ongoing storylines and a very worthy entry to this list.
As you can see from the above, I have managed to check out a bunch of epic Australian novels in the first half of this year. Each of the above were exceptional and fun reads and I would strongly recommend to everyone. I look forward to reading more awesome Australian books in the second half of 2025, and I feel that books like The Strength of the Few by James Islington, Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson and Once a Villain by Vanessa Len are likely to make the end-of-year version of this list. Make sure to check out my other recent lists about the first half of 2025, especially my other Top Ten Tuesday post tonight, and let me know what cool Australian books you have already checked out this year.
Canberra Weekly Column – Crime Fiction – 17 October 2024
Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 17 October 2024.
A copy of this column also appeared on the Canberra Daily website.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews of High Wire, We Solve Murders and An Eye for an Eye.
WWW Wednesday – 9 April 2025
WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading:
Landfall by James Bradley (ebook)
I’ve just started reading the intriguing Australia crime fiction novel Landfall by James Bradley. Set in a dystopian, flooded Sydney, Landfall follows a dark missing person’s case with major complications. I’ve made a bit of progress with Landfall so far and I am very intrigued to see how it turns out.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Audiobook)
I didn’t get as much audiobook listening time as I would have hoped this year, but I have still made a bit of progress with the new Hunger Games novel, Sunrise on the Reaping. Set before the original trilogy, Sunrise on the Reaping follows a fan favourite character from the books and films as he goes through his own deadly Hunger Games. I am really enjoying this new addition to the Hunger Games universe, especially as Collins is taking the story in some very interesting directions. I’m just about to start the games section of the book, and I have no doubt I am going to love every second of this dark and compelling young adult read.
What did you recently finish reading?
A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett (ebook)
I managed to finish off the exceptional fantasy murder mystery, A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett this week and boy was it awesome. The sequel to Bennett’s 2024 novel, The Tainted Cup (one of my favourite books of 2024), A Drop of Corruption was an outstanding and compelling read that perfectly combined a complex mystery with Bennett’s inventive fantasy elements. One of the best fantasy novels of 2025 so far and a very highly recommended read.
Pacific Heights by S. R. White (Trade Paperback)
I had a lot of fun reading the captivating Pacific Heights by S. R. White this week. An intriguing Australian murder mystery, Pacific Heights contained a twisty and clever mystery, complicated by conflicting witnesses. A great piece of Australian fiction, I am hoping to get a review for it up soon.
2 Sisters Murder Investigations by James Patterson and Candice Fox (Trade Paperback)
I also managed to power through the very entertaining novel, 2 Sisters Murder Investigations by the outstanding team of James Patterson and Candice Fox. A sequel to their previous novel, 2 Sisters Detective Agency, this was an amazing book with a very strong story behind it.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Midnight Black by Mark Greaney
If I finish off Sunrise on the Reaping this week, I will probably start listening to the excellent spy thriller, Midnight Black. The latest Gray Man novel by Mark Greaney, Midnight Black will see the author’s elite assassin protagonist attempt to save the woman he loves from a remote Russian prison. This thriller has so much potential, and I cannot wait to see how explosive Greaney makes his latest book.
That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.
Book Haul – 7 April 2025
I’ve had an excellent couple of weeks for books, as I was lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from local publishers and Netgalley. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year. I cannot wait to dive into them, and I so excited to see how they all turn out.
The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell
First up we have one of the potentially most funny and over-the-top fantasy novels of 2025 with The Malevolent Eight. The sequel to the author’s previous novel, The Malevolent Seven, this new book will see a group of unlikely magical heroes as they attempt to save their world from the invading armies of heaven and hell. I had a lot of fun with The Malevolent Seven and I cannot wait to see how de Castell continues this entertaining story.
No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe
After having a ton of fun with Tess Sharpe’s previous novels, The Girls I’ve Been and The Girl in Question, I am excited for the author’s upcoming book, No Body No Crime. Another awesome thriller that will see two women try to survive a powerful crime family coming for them, No Body No Crime sounds really cool and I look forward to reading it.
2 Sisters Murder Investigations by James Patterson and Candice Fox
The superstar team of James Patterson and Candice Fox return for the new fast-paced thriller, 2 Sisters Murder Investigations. The sequel to 2 Sisters Detective Agency, 2 Sisters Murder Investigations will see the dysfunctional sister protagonists dragged into a new murder investigation with potential lethal consequences. I had a lot of fun with the first novel in this series and I am excited to see how it continues.
Retreat by Krysten Ritter with Lindsay Jamieson
An intense and compelling thriller from acclaimed actor Kristen Ritter.
Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake
An intriguing novel that is essentially Succession with magic, Gifted & Talented sounds like a very fantastic read, and I have heard some good things about author Olivie Blake’s previous books.
When She Was Gone by Sara Foster
An intense and complex crime fiction read from a great Australian author.
Vanguard Strike by Jarom Strong
The final book I want to highlight in this blog post is the awesome science fiction novel, Vanguard Strike by Jarom Strong. Featuring a very cool sounding plot about a team of thieves trying to strip a valuable military ship in space, only to contend with its monstrous contents, Vanguard Strike’s plot really appealed to me, and I cannot wait to see how crazy this book gets.
Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post. As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in. Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.
Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Australian Books of 2024
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday participants were supposed to list the top new-to-them authors they read in 2024. However, as this was a topic I did a few weeks ago, I’m instead going to put together an alternate list today. The reason for this is because last Sunday, 26 January, was Australia’s national holiday, Australia Day. While Australia Day is getting controversial due to its historical implications, I like to look beyond that and instead focus on some of the amazing and varied writing talents Australia produces. As such, I once again took this opportunity to highlight some of the top pieces of fiction written by Australian authors in 2024.
Each year, a ton of talented Australian authors produce an impressive and exciting range of fiction from across the genres, many of which I am lucky enough to get copies of from my local publishers. Due to this, I tend to read and review a lot of novels by Australian authors, most of which turn out to be some outstanding reads that I deeply enjoy. As such, for the last few years I have taken to highlighting my favourite pieces of Australian fiction, which is something I really look forward to each Australia Day (check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022and 2023 lists).
I really love how much awesome Australian fiction there is each year, and this list is the perfect way to highlight some of the best Australian authors. Now I tend to take a bit of a different approach to Australian fiction than some other bloggers, as I highlight all books written by Australian authors rather than novels purely set in Australia or featuring Australian characters. To qualify for this list, a novel had to be released in 2024 and be written by an Australian author, which I am defining as anyone born in Australia or who currently lives here (Australia is very good at adopting talented people as our own). This resulted in a long list, and I was eventually able to whittle this novel down to the absolute cream of the crop and came up with a fantastic top ten list (with my typical generous honourable mentions). I really enjoyed how this list turned out, especially as it features novels from a range of different genres, all of which were very awesome Australian books.
Honourable Mentions:
A compelling and occasionally weird Australian murder mystery from the brilliant author of The Housemate.
The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman
The excellent sequel to Amie Kaufman’s young adult fantasy novel, The Isles of the Gods.
The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan
A gripping historical drama from Australian author Paul Morgan that follows the separate struggles of a Polish husband and wife separated during World War II.
A fantastic thriller that sees an Australian research team travelling to Antarctica forced to deal with dark secrets and dangerous elements. One of the top debuts of 2024.
Top Ten List:
Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
Australian author Benjamin Stevenson continued to impress in 2024 with his Ernest Cunningham series, as he released the third entry Everyone this Christmas has a Secret. A fantastic Christmas special that follows on from Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone and Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret was another compelling and highly entertaining read that blends clever mystery with the author’s excellent humour and some fun holiday themes.
The Ghosts of Autumn by Peter Watt
The master of Australian historical fiction had another stellar year with the latest book in the Colonial series, The Ghost of Autumn. Set amongst the carnage of World War I, The Ghosts of Autumn continues to follow a family caught up in every historical struggle of the 19th and 20th century, and I really enjoyed seeing how Watt brought this sixth book together.
Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox
One of Australia’s top thriller authors, Candice Fox, had an outstanding 2024, releasing three separate books. The first of these books from Fox that I want to highlight is the brilliant and dark thriller, Devil’s Kitchen. Following an undercover agent tasked with infiltrating a crew of firefighters who moonlight as murderous thieves, Devil’s Kitchen was a particularly intense read loaded with complex characters forced to make hard decisions. I deeply enjoyed this amazing book, and it really highlights Fox’s ability to write nuanced and complex narratives.
One of the more intense and shocking Australian novels of last year was the deeply impressive Endgame. The final entry in Sarah Barrie’s Lexi Winter series (Unforgiven, Retribution and Vendetta), Endgame sees the series’ titular protagonist finally face down her monstrous nemesis in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Barrie takes Endgame to some dark places, and I cannot recommend this thrilling novel, and indeed the entire Lexi Winter series, enough.
White Ash Ridge by S. R. White
Author S. R. White continued to produce some of the more distinctive pieces of Australian crime fiction with the addictive White Ash Ridge. The follow-up to the author’s previous novels, Prisoner and Red Dirt Road, White Ash Ridge sees White’s main protagonist, Detective Dana Russo, investigate a murder at an isolated bush hotel. However, things get problematic when it is revealed that the victim and all the potential suspects are board members for a prominent anti-police organisation. White Ash Ridge was such a clever read, and I loved its outstanding mystery and focused character-examination of the various suspects. Highly recommended.
One of my favourite sequels of 2024 was the fantastic spy thriller Dark Arena by recently adopted Australian author and former French spy Jack Beaumont. Following on from the author’s debut, The Frenchman, Dark Arena sees Beaumont’s team of spies become involved in another elaborate operation, the result of which could impact all of Europe. Beaumont provides another intense and highly realistic examination of espionage in this sequel, and I loved the epic and captivating narrative that emerges in Dark Arena.
The Youngest Son by John Byrnes
An excellent historical novel from John Byrnes, who presented a fantastic read in a different style from his debut novel Headland. The Youngest Son follows three children from the same lower-class Australian family who are forced to endure multiple hardships in 1930’s Sydney. Featuring crime, murder, betrayal, war, love and redemption, The Youngest Son was a really great book from Byrnes that had me hooked the entire way through.
The second book from Candice Fox that I want to feature on this list is the gritty Australian thriller High Wire. Set on a dangerous hidden road that traverses the length of Australia, High Wire sees two damaged protagonists kidnapped by a vengeful gang who strap bomb vests to them. Forced to commit a series of violent crimes across the outback, High Wire envisions a brilliantly intense, high-stakes scenario that Fox expertly utilises and explores. A very memorable and over-the-top read, High Wire was another excellent book from Candice Fox that I couldn’t get enough of. Readers should also check out the third 2024 Fox novel, The Murder Inn, which she cowrote with James Patterson.
The Death of Dora Black by Lainie Anderson
One of the more entertaining Australian novels of the year was the fun historical crime fiction read The Death of Dora Black. Set around a fascinating historical figure, The Death of Dora Black sees the iconic and strict Miss Kate Cocks, the first policewoman in the British Empire, stride throughout 1917 Adelaide attempting to solve the suspicious death of a young shop assistant. A clever blend of history and mystery with some real heart to it, The Death of Dora Black was an outstanding book that will appeal to a wide range of readers.
The final book I want to feature on this list is the fifth John Bailey novel from Tim Ayliffe, The Wrong Man. Following on from The Greater Good, State of Fear, The Enemy Within and Killer Traitor Spy, The Wrong Man was another compelling murder mystery, this time exploring a series of brutal murders across Sydney. With a great plot, compelling mystery and a fantastic trio of perspective characters, The Wrong Man was a strong read from one of Australia’s best crime fiction authors.
Well, that is the end of this latest list, and I am really happy that I got a chance to highlight some of the best Australian releases of 2024. The above books represent an outstanding collection of fiction from talented Australian authors, and each of them comes highly recommended by me. I had a lot of fun coming up with this list and I cannot wait to find out what the best Australian books of 2025 are going to be. Until then, stay tuned for more epic reviews and lists, and make sure you let me know who your favourite Australian authors are in the comments below.
High Wire by Candice Fox
Publisher: Bantam (Trade Paperback – 24 September 2024)
Series: Standalone
Length: 480 pages
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
One of Australia’s top authors of crime fiction finishes of 2024 with a massive bang as Candice Fox presents the powerful thriller, High Wire.
Few authors had the awesome year that Candice Fox did in 2024, as the author released three impressive crime fiction reads. The first of these was the fast-paced crime fiction read, The Murder Inn, which Fox cowrote with the legendary James Patterson. The sequel to their previous book, The Inn, The Murder Inn was a fantastic book that once again highlighted how well Fox and Patterson work together (see my review for their other book 2 Sisters Detective Agency). Fox also released the intense character-driven thriller, Devil’s Kitchen, that saw two highly damaged characters attempt to uncover the secrets of a seemingly heroic group of firefighters with a true dark side to them. Both The Murder Inn and Devil’s Kitchen were outstanding reads, and I was very happy I checked them out. However, Fox decided to provide us with even more fun before the year was over with the standalone novel High Wire. Taking the author back to her home country, High Wire was a compelling and deeply intense Australian thriller that takes you hostage and refuses to let go.
Out in the outback of Australia lies a notorious unmarked track known as the High Wire. Cutting across the country from Broome to Sydney, the High Wire is a lawless road full of small towns, unregulated trails and mobile phone blackspots. A favourite hangout of smugglers, hijackers and criminals, only the desperate, the dangerous and those looking for trouble use the High Wire.
Harvey Buck, former soldier and current recluse, knows all about the dangers of the High Wire, but desperation forces him to travel along it to reach his dying girlfriend. Despite knowing better, he stops to pick up a hapless traveller, Clare Holland, whose car has broken down on the road. However, Clare isn’t the person he should be worried about, as the two are soon ambushed by a masked assailants with their own sinister agenda.
Strapped into bomb vests, Harvey and Clare are forced into a twisted game by vengeful figures from Harvey’s past seeking to ruin his life and reputation. Forced to commit a series of increasingly murderous missions across several small towns, the two prisoners try to work together to escape and stop the insanity going on around them. Harvey and Clare’s only hope may be Senior Sergeant Edna Norris, one of the few police officers stationed on the Wire, and who soon begins to follow the trail of destruction being left in their wake. But Edna has her own problems, especially when Clare’s husband arrives on the scene with his own dark plans.
High Wire was another awesome book from Candice Fox that provides readers will some of the best Australian thrills and action that there were likely to get in 2024. Featuring a bold, compelling and powerful character-driven tale of revenge and escape, High Wire was an outstanding read from one of my favourite Australian authors and one that I cannot recommend enough.
Fox hits the ground running hard with High Wire’s excellent narrative, and I honestly was hooked early on thanks to the compelling and intense story. Quickly introducing the protagonist, Harvey Buck, as well as the High Wire, the lawless road that serves as an intriguing background setting for the plot. After a quick introduction to a secondary protagonist, the mysterious Clare Holland, the main plot of High Wire takes off as the two are ambushed by a group of armed attackers, who take them prisoner after a bloody shootout, and strap them into elaborate bomb vests. Fox keeps the tension running high here, as it becomes clear that the kidnappers know Harvey and are seeking revenge for some past misdeed. Around the same time, the readers are introduced to the other major point-of-view character, Senior Sergeant Edna Norris, who finds herself on the trail of Harvey, Clare and the kidnappers without knowing who is responsible and with an unlikely teenage sidekick helping and hindering her in equal measure.
The plot soon becomes even more intense on several levels, as Fox works several intriguing storylines and elements simultaneously to tell a complex and exciting narrative. The main plot around Harvey and Clare proves to be quite intense, as the two are forced to commit a series of brutal crimes while also trying to escape or take out their captors. Fox carefully doles out intriguing background on both Harvey and Clare to the readers, and you soon discover both have complicated pasts, as Clare is running from her suddenly murderous husband, while Harvey’s past connection to the kidnappers is revealed in a series of dark flashbacks. These flashbacks help to paint the main storyline in some different shades of grey, as you begin to realise that Harvey isn’t the moral hero you initially believed he would be, and while the antagonists are worse, you begin to doubt that Harvey deserves to survive.
At the same time, the focus on Edna and her intriguing supporting cast goes in some interesting directions, as she follows the carnage left behind by the kidnappers and their unwilling pawns. Not only is Edna forced to deal with her hard-headed charge Talon, but she finds herself in all manner of trouble when Clare’s husband, Gareth Holland the Northern Territory Police Commissioner, arrives on the scene looking for his wife. Instantly suspicious of Gareth, Edna is forced off the case due to police politics but continues to try and investigate, determining that she needs to get to Clare first. Edna’s storyline, which I personally enjoyed the most in High Wire, goes in some fantastic directions, and she soon finds herself forced to survive the murderous attentions of Gareth, while also trying to solve the clues being left behind by Harvey. Fox does an excellent job running these somewhat separated storylines simultaneously, and they tie into each other just enough to create an amazing overarching narrative. Fox wrapped these various storylines up in a very effective way, with a satisfying moment in the Edna storyline, while the main narrative goes out on a very dark note, which I felt was a powerful result to some of the character work that Fox had been building up. This honestly ended up being an epic and compelling standalone thriller, and I really appreciated how Fox held back no punches to create this powerful read.
Fox did another amazing job bringing this intense and complex narrative together, and I felt that High Wire was one of her more hard-hitting and enjoyable novels. I loved how the author imbued High Wire with a very dark edge, and between the intense action, despicable villains and deadly plot you really come away not wanting to visit central Australia. The setting of the “High Wire”, a semi-secret road running the length of Australia proved to be an awesome background, and Fox’s strong descriptions of the red-earthed, isolated road combined with its inherent lawlessness and dangerous inhabitants, gave me some major Mad Max vibes as I was reading the book. I felt that Fox utilised this setting perfectly throughout High Wire, and it helped to give this novel a very distinctive feel. The author also made great use of splitting the story across several intriguing central characters. The two main storylines, the one involving Harvey and Clare and the one following Edna and Talon, played off each other extremely well, and having Edna constantly behind the other protagonists and their captors allowed for a great chase narrative, as they tried to interpret all the events going on in front of them. Information from Harvey and Clare also cleverly increased the tension in the other storyline, especially as you learn in advance just how deadly secondary antagonist Gareth Holland is, which allows you to fully appreciate his manipulations and darker agenda. The balance between these two storylines was extremely effective, even with the additional flashback chapters, and this ensured that High Wire had a great pace to it that easily keeps the reader’s attention.
High Wire’s intense and compelling story was greatly enhanced by several fantastic and complex characters whose unique, and often dark narratives, provided some nuanced and complicated tales of personal growth and survival. The main protagonist, Harvey Buck (a great uber-masculine name btw), is a former soldier who spends the book trying to survive the plans of his attackers and save as many people as possible. While Harvey seems to be a good character, Fox makes excellent use of flashbacks to dive into his history with the antagonists, which provides some added complexity to the plot, as both sides have committed atrocities against the other. The same can be said for secondary protagonist, Clare Holland, a seemingly helpless figure inadvertently dragged into events. While Clare is portrayed as a victim for much of the plot, she eventually reveals an intriguing backstory to Harvey that ties into her complicated marriage, which implies she isn’t as innocent as she seems. The character I most got drawn to was local cop, Senior Sergeant Edna Norris, who comes away as one of the few legitimately decent people in the book. Thanks to her caring personality and clever insights, Edna is a protagonist you can get behind 100%, and even when elements of her past are brought up, it proves hard not to still see her as the best figure in the book.
Aside from these key characters, Fox features several intriguing supporting figures in High Wire, including some impressive antagonists. The main supporting character that is featured in the book is Talon, a teenager who is taken under Edna’s wing after she arrests him. An initially annoying and impulsive figure, Talon grows on you as the book continues, especially with his entertaining imagination and surprisingly accurate insights. However, it is the villains of the High Wire who I think stole the show here. The two kidnappers who take control of Harvey and Clare with bomb vests prove to be despicable, if highly damaged figures, and it was fascinating to see how much their current behaviour is due to previous rough treatment from Harvey. Clare’s husband, Gareth Holland, proves to be an excellent secondary antagonist, especially as he has his own murderous agenda and uses his position as Northern Territory Police Commissioner to get away with his goals. In some ways Gareth was a better villain than the kidnappers, especially as he is far more soulless figure who ends up being quite smug and controlling. I really enjoyed the entertaining way that Fox wrapped up Gareth’s storyline in this book, and it was quite satisfying to see him get what he deserved. These character deeply enhanced Hire Wire’s narrative, and it was awesome to see their various storylines unfold.
High Wire ended up being an incredible and thrilling piece of crime fiction from one of Australia’s best writers Candice Fox. Dark, brutal and filled with some complex and damaged characters, High Wire quickly gets you hooked, and you are in for an outstanding time with this brilliant read.
Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Sequels of 2024
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday required participants to list their most anticipated books for Summer (Winter for the Northern Hemisphere). However, as I have already done this list a few weeks ago, I decided to continue with my annual end-of-year lists that I have been working on the last few weeks. I have already covered my favourite new-to-me authors I read in 2024, as well as the best pre-2024 novels I read this year, but in this week’s list I am going to highlight the best sequels I read in 2024. This is a relatively new topic that I only started exploring in 2023, however I had fun doing it last year so decided to replicate it again now.
Everyone loves a good sequel, and nearly every novelist and author has written some form of sequel in their career. I’m sure we can all name some awesome books that requires some form of continuation and each year the talented authors we follow produce interesting sequel novels that cleverly expand from outstanding first novels. I read a ton of sequels every year and I felt that it was about time that I highlighted the very best sequels of the year in a specific post.
To complete this list, I pulled together the best sequels released in 2024 that I had the pleasure of reading. I primarily focused on second novels in a series that were released this year, especially those that I felt were outstanding follow ups to an impressive first novel and which followed the same characters or storylines. For my top ten list, I prioritised those books I considered to be the best sequel, so while I might have enjoyed a specific novel more overall, if a book was a better sequel, it made the cut instead. I think the resulting top ten list turned out pretty well as a result, and definitely highlights my favourite sequels released in 2024.
Honourable Mentions:
The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox
The superstar team of James Patterson and Australian author Candice Fox had a great time returning to the unusual group of protagonists living at The Inn by the Sea, with their entertaining thriller, The Murder Inn. The sequel to their previous novel, The Inn, The Murder Inn is a highly entertaining read and a great novel for fans of both these authors.
The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman
A fast-paced and emotionally charged young adult fantasy novel from Australian author Amie Kaufman that finishes the story started in The Isles of the Gods.
The Wrong Hands by Mark Billingham
The highly entertaining novel, The Wrong Hands, was a very fun book that followed on from Billingham’s first DS Declan Miller book, The Last Dance.
Top Ten Tuesday:
Warhammer 40,000: Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers
The first book on this list is one of my favourite sequels of 2024, Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers. The follow-up to Flowers’ previous awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, Outgunned, Above and Beyond reunites two of Flower’s complex and traumatised protagonists, a newly cynical propaganda expert and a broken war hero, and throws them into hell. Taking them into another adventure laden with intrigue, lies and manipulation, Above and Beyond was Flowers’ best novel yet, and I loved how effectively it continued the epic story from Outgunned.
M. W. Craven had a brilliant year in 2024, as not only did he release the exceptional and dark murder mystery, The Mercy Chair, but he also presented the fantastic novel, Nobody’s Hero. A sequel to his 2023 novel, Fearless, Nobody’s Hero is a beautifully over-the-top thriller loaded with brutal action and so much fun. Providing a very interesting continuation to several storylines started in Fearless while also standing on its on with its excessive plot, Nobody’s Hero is a great book and a wonderful sequel.
Ian Ross continued his exciting historical adventures this year with War Cry, the fantastic follow-up to his captivating read, Battle Song. Battle Song, one of my favourite books of 2023, introduced readers to a young squire who participated into one of England’s more intriguing historical civil wars, and featured an exceptionally addictive story. Ross continued the series in a big way with his sequel, War Cry, that dragged his protagonist, now a knight, into the next stage of war, and all the tragedy that contains. I had a great time with this sequel, and it really moved the overarching story along in a big way. Special mention also needs to go to the third book in the series King’s Enemy, that also came out this year, and which ended the series in an excellent manner.
The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe
Back in 2021 I had the very great pleasure of reading the particularly intense and clever young adult thriller, The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe, that followed a teenage former con artist caught up in a bank robbery. I really loved The Girls I’ve Been, and I was very happy that Sharpe released a sequel this year in The Girl in Question. Another captivating and exciting read that I really got hooked on, especially with its distinctive style and damaged teenage protagonists, The Girl in Question was an outstanding sequel that comes highly recommended.
Deep Black by Miles Cameron
The most recent sequel I have picked up was Deep Black by Miles Cameron, which contains a massive and complex science fiction adventure. The sequel to his previous novel, Artifact Space, Deep Black continues the great narrative of exploration and interstellar mystery, as the crew of a massive human trading vessel attempts to learn more about a series attacks trying to destroy it. Cameron’s inventiveness and great character work is on full display in Deep Black, and I loved how he continued the outstanding story started in Artifact Space.
Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell
I’m slightly cheating with the next entry on this list, Play of Shadows, as it is technically the first book in de Castell’s new Court of Shadows series. However, at the same time Play of Shadows is also a loosely connected sequel to de Castell’s previous novel, Crucible of Chaos, which was released in advance of Play of Shadows as a prequel. As such, I am counting Play of Shadows as a sequel, and frankly the book was so good I want to highlight it as many times as I can in the coming weeks. An entertaining, compelling and unique fantasy novel, Play of Shadows saw a young actor unravel an ancient conspiracy infecting his city when he gains the ability to manifest the spirt of a notorious historical villain while on the stage. A brilliant, witty and highly addictive read, Play of Shadows really impressed me, and I am so very eager to see how this series continues in the future.
Another outstanding sequel I was happy to read this year was the intricate spy thriller Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont. A particularly authentic spy novel set in Paris, Dark Arena serves as a sequel the Beaumont’s debut, The Frenchman (one of my favourite debut novels of 2021), and follows members of France’s intelligence community as they attempt to unravel a deadly plot impacting all of Europe. A gripping read that served as a great continuation to The Frenchman, Dark Arena is an amazing sequel that is worth checking out.
Warhammer 40,000: Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks
I had a lot of fun with Warhammer fiction in 2024, and that includes the outstanding Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks. The direct sequel to Brooks’ hilarious Warhammer 40,000 novel, Brutal Kunnin, Da Big Dakka showcases the continued adventure of Brooks’ ork protagonist as he brings war, fighting and brutal fun to all corners of the galaxy. This second book pits the orks against a tricky new foe in the most dangerous city in the universe, and the result is as hectic and bloody as you would expect. Pure chaotic fun that any fan of Warhammer 40,000 fiction can enjoy.
The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence
Another highly complex and powerful fantasy novel from the always impressive Mark Lawrence, The Book That Broke the World is a great follow-up to the 2023 novel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn. Continuing the elaborate narrative from the first book, while also expanding out the twists, turns and intricate details, The Book That Broke the World was a very smart novel that serves as a very satisfying sequel to The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and is very much worth checking out.
The final sequel I want to highlight on this list is the action-packed novel, Sentinel. The follow-up to the action-thriller, Armored, Sentinel throws the protagonist of the first book into an elaborate coup in Africa, with his family’s safety also at risk. A highly exciting and compelling novel, loaded with impressive action and an elaborate narrative, Sentinel was an awesome sequel and I look forward to seeing how Greaney will continue this series in the future.
Well, that’s it for this list. As you can see, I have read several outstanding sequels this year and had a wonderful time doing so. Every entry above was an epic novel, and I loved how they each successfully continued impressive story threads started in the previous novel. All these books come highly recommended, and I cannot wait to see how these talented authors add to their already awesome series in the future.
WWW Wednesday – 16 October 2024
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading:
The Waiting by Michael Connelly (Trade Paperback)
I just started reading the new Michael Connelly novel The Waiting. The latest book from Connelly to feature his awesome police protagonists, Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch, The Waiting sees them team up to investigate another series of intriguing cases, including an infamous cold case murder. Set to be one of the best crime fiction reads of 2024, I have been really excited for The Waiting and I cannot wait to see how this twisty mystery unfolds.
Warhammer 40,000: Dominion Genesis by Jonathan D. Beer (Audiobook)
I also started listening to one of the latest Warhammer 40,000 novels, Dominion Genesis by Jonathan D. Beer. The second book from Beer following their excellent 2023 debut, The King of the Spoil, Dominion Genesis sees Beer follow the mechanical and inhuman tech priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus as they attempt to survive a devastating alien invasion. I haven’t gotten too far into Dominion Genesis yet, but it’s so far been an interesting start. I look forward to seeing how this entire novel comes together, and I am eager for more Warhammer awesomeness.
What did you recently finish reading?
High Wire by Candice Fox (Trade Paperback)
An exciting and explosive Australian thriller, High Wire was an excellent read and I am hoping to write a review for it soon.
A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan (Audiobook)
I absolutely powered through the audiobook version of the new Anthony Ryan fantasy novel A Tide of Black Steel this week. A sequel to Ryan’s The Covenant of Steel trilogy (The Pariah, The Martyr and The Traitor), A Tide of Black Steel was an epic read that I could not get enough of. An outstanding novel and one of my favourite fantasy books of 2024 so far.
What do you think you’ll read next?
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler
I’ve got several great books to read at the moment, but I think I’ll try to read the hilarious sounding novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler next. A comedic take on the classic tale of good vs evil, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying will follow a hero who keeps dying in a time loop as they finally snap and decide to become an evil dark lord to survive. I love the sound of this funny and cool fantasy novel, and I know I am going to have a ton of fun reading it.
That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.
The Unseen Library 