Plenty of Australian authors in this year’s Top 5 crime novels for 2025 (and 5 honourable mentions). Plenty of darkness here but also some fun reads and plenty of thrills and action.
Mark Brandi returns to the world of his debut Wimmera in the equally dark and engaging Eden – the story of a man fresh out of prison who quickly becomes homeless and finds himself working and living in a Melbourne cemetary.
The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer is part historical fiction part crime fiction. It centres around the collection of coloured guillemot eggs for sale to wealthy collectors in early twentieth century Yorkshire and then the modern day collection industry which emerges from the investigation by two young men trying to recover a stolen heirloom.
Lyn Yeowart’s second novel The Hollow Girl tackles the dark history of homes for unwed pregnant mothers that were run in Australian in the 1960s and 70s. The story is deepened by a strand of the narrative which focuses on the challenges faced by a female detective in those years.
Fiona Hardy’s debut novel for adults Unbury the Dead introduces readers to fixers Alice and Teddy. Alice and Teddy live very much in the grey and when their separate jobs go preashaped and connect they have to use all of their street smarts to get clear.
The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd Robinson is a delicious historical crime romp through the streets of 18th century London. It centres around Hannah Cole who is struggling to keep her sweet shop viable and debonair conman Williiam Devereux. The Art of a Lie is the full package – engaging, if fairly amoral, main characters, a fun range of side characters, fascinating historical detail and a slippery page-turning plot that keeps twisting all the way to its conclusion.
Honourable Mentions
Skull River by Pip Fioretti is the second book in her historical crime series featuring Boer War veteran Gus Hawkins. This book moves the action to the NSW goldfields in the early twentieth century and delivers a viesceral crime novel with a great sense of time and place.
Michale Robortham follows up what was supposed to be a stand alone crime novel (When You Are Mine) with The White Crow. Philomena McCarthy, policewoman and white sheep (or crow?) of a London crime family gets involved in investigating a home invasion which turns out to have links to her family who have a fairly agressive take over attempt to deal with. An effortlessm, compulsive thriller.
The third book in David McCloskey’s espionage series whch started with the excellent Damascus Station, The Seventh Floor moves the action to America where it turns out there is a mole in the CIA. Agent Sam Joseph and his old handler the profane Artemis Proctor have to go rogue to unmask the traitor.
Guide Me Home is the third and final book in Attica Locke’s stunning Highway 59 series set in Texas and featuring ranger Darren Matthews. Locke once again uses the crime genre to explore the people and the landscapes of Texas but this is also an angry book. Locke effectively makes readers understand the impact of Trump politics on the State not to complain because she cleasrly wants things to be better.
Stillwater by Tanya Scott is another great Australian crime debut which eschews the ubiquitous rural noir tropes and sets its action firmly in the city. Luke is trying to get his life back together but is drawn back into the criminal world he had been avoiding. Fortunately he has a set of Jack Reacher-style skiils that he can draw on when things get complicated.
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