Reminder: Launch of Vanda Symon's CONTAINMENT

Further to my post of 6 November, just a reminder that Kiwi crime writer Vanda Symon's third Sam Shephard book, CONTAINMENT, will be launched tomorrow night in Dunedin.

In CONTAINMENT, Sam is training as a detective at Dunedin Central when she’s assigned to investigate what seems to be a routine diving accident off the Otago coast. But the forensics reveal that the man didn’t die from drowning; and that the body was stuffed in its wetsuit after death. Perhaps there is a connection with another case Sam is involved with – citizens of Dunedin pillaging the wreckage of a container ship at the entrance to Otago Harbour?

Those who are readers of Australian books magazine Good Reading can peruse my feature article "The Stroppy Crime Fighter" on Vanda and her sassy heroine Sam Shephard in the November issue, see here.

The official information re: the book launch :

Penguin NZ and the University Book Shop invite you to the launch of -
CONTAINMENT by Vanda Symon
6.00pm
Tuesday 24 November 2009
University Book Shop
378 Great King StreetDunedin

RSVP to Vanda Symon on vandasymon@orcon.net.nz or

Tel: (03) 453 5371

Hopefully plenty of people in the southern part of New Zealand will head along, and help support some great local crime writing! For those of us not in Dunedin, hopefully Vanda will be doing some other events elsewhere sometime soon too. In the meantime, I recommend any crime fiction fans who like well-written stories with interesting and sassy protagonists, to go out and get themselves a copy of CONTAINMENT.

Book Launch for CONTAINMENT

Dunedin gets another crime fiction event this month, with the official launch of talented local crime writer Vanda Symon's third Sam Shephard novel, CONTAINMENT, at the University Book Shop on 24 November 2009.

Vanda Symon's third novel features the feisty young policewoman Sam Shephard who was the central character in her two previous books OVERKILL and THE RINGMASTER (click on the titles for my review of these earlier books).

In CONTAINMENT, Sam is training as a detective at Dunedin Central when she’s assigned to investigate what seems to be a routine diving accident off the Otago coast. But the forensics reveal that the man didn’t die from drowning; and that the body was stuffed in its wetsuit after death. Perhaps there is a connection with another case Sam is involved with – citizens of Dunedin pillaging the wreckage of a container ship at the entrance to Otago Harbour?

I was fortunate enough to read an advance copy of CONTAINMENT, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be writing a review of it for a few publications, and will post links here as and when they are published. It's a very good crime novel, that I happily recommend to my friends, especially those who like female crime fiction heroines with a fair bit of personality.

The official information re: the book launch is included below:

Penguin NZ and the University Book Shop invite you to the launch of -

CONTAINMENT by Vanda Symon

6.00pm

Tuesday 24 November 2009

University Book Shop

378 Great King StreetDunedin
Please RSVP to Vanda Symon on vandasymon@orcon.net.nz or
Tel: (03) 453 5371

Hopefully plenty of Southerners will head along, and help support some great local crime writing! For those of us not in Dunedin, hopefully Vanda will be doing some other events elsewhere too. In the meantime, I recommend going out and buying the book, as soon as it becomes available.

Vanda Symon's CONTAINMENT - radio reading and interview

As I noted recently, modern-day Kiwi crime queen Vanda Symon's third Sam Shephard novel, CONTAINMENT, was launched in Dunedin last week. I understand fellow southern crime writers Liam McIlvanney and Paddy Richardson were in attendance amongst a good crowd at the University Book Shop.

Dunedin-based Symon was interviewed on Radio New Zealand's Arts on Sunday show by host Lynn Freeman yesterday. The interesting ten-minute interview, in which Symon discusses the new book, and what goes into her intriguing protagonist, amongst many other things, also includes a short reading from CONTAINMENT. You can listen to an audio file of the interview here.

In CONTAINMENT, Sam is training as a detective at Dunedin Central when she’s assigned to investigate what seems to be a routine diving accident off the Otago coast. But the forensics reveal that the man didn’t die from drowning; and that the body was stuffed in its wetsuit after death. Perhaps there is a connection with another case Sam is involved with – citizens of Dunedin pillaging the wreckage of a container ship at the entrance to Otago Harbour?

Those in Australia or New Zealand can read my feature "The Stroppy Crime Fighter", based upon my interview with Vanda Symon, in the November issue of Good Reading magazine. Vanda spoke with me about a number of things, including creating a memorable heroine, juggling motherhood and storytelling, and life imitating art. Online subscribers worldwide can also read that feature via the Good Reading website.

Have you read CONTAINMENT? Any of Symon's earlier books? What do you think? Is she a writer you enjoy, or if you haven't yet read her, a writer you want to try?

Vanda Symon makes local bestseller list!

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you've probably seen me lament the relative lack of appreciation in New Zealand for our own crime writing, regardless of the quality of the writing. People like Paul Cleave, who is an excellent local author and has had brilliant international success with the most popular crime/thriller title on Amazon Germany in 2007, and was at #2 overall for much of that year (behind the then-latest Harry Potter book), still struggles to get much recognition or support from New Zealand media, booksellers (see my Bookstore reviews on the sidebar), and readers.

Meanwhile some other New Zealanders (in literary writing and other non-books fields, eg sports, fashion etc) get far more attention and acclaim, even when achieving far less on the international stage. Our general disgregard for our own crime and thriller writing (I'm making a sweeping generalisation here of course - there are people in New Zealand who do really support and appreciate our 'genre' writers, and buy their books - just not yet in the numbers they deserve) is a real shame - and something that will hopefully change in future.

That's why it's so great to see a Kiwi crime or thriller writer hit the New Zealand Adult Fiction bestseller list; it is an all-too-rare occasion over the past few years (especially as the weekly list is only a Top 5, rather than going any deeper), but one that will hopefully increase in frequency in future, as Kiwi crime and thriller writing continues to grow in strength.

So congratulations to Dunedin-based Vanda Symon, whose third book in her 'Sam Shephard' series, CONTAINMENT, made the most recent New Zealand Adult Fiction Bestseller list - debuting on the charts at #4.

Given Kiwis relative lack of appreciation for locally-set crime in both historic and recent times (eg Alix Bosco's CUT & RUN got great reviews from a number of major media outlets last year, but still didn't hit the bestseller list, while lesser titles from other 'genres' did), this is a great achievement - and Vanda can now deservedly call herself a 'Bestselling Author'. Hopefully her audience, both in New Zealand and abroad (her earlier novels are available in Australia and Germany as well) will continue to grow over the coming weeks, months and years. I enjoyed CONTAINMENT, as well as the earlier books OVERKILL and THE RINGMASTER - and am very much looking forward to the fourth title, BOUND, later this year.

Hopefully the Kiwi public will continue to buy CONTAINMENT (the reviews thusfar have been pretty positive), and it can stay in the charts for a while. Also, with crime and thriller titles from the likes of Paddy Richardson, Paul Cleave (whose earlier books have also made the Kiwi bestseller list) and Neil Cross also due for release in the next couple of months, we can only hope this is the tip of the iceberg for growing recognition of Kiwi crime and thriller writing.

Have you read CONTAINMENT? If so, what do you think of it? If not, does it sound interesting to you - the type of book you would buy? Do you buy much crime fiction, or instead get it out from the library or 2nd hand stores? What Kiwi crime titles are you looking forward to in 2010? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Radio review of CONTAINMENT by Vanda Symon

This morning, as part of its daily book review slot on the Nine to Noon programme, Radio New Zealand addressed modern-day Kiwi crime queen Vanda Symon's latest Sam Shephard thriller, CONTAINMENT.

One of the great things about the Nine to Noon show, hosted by Kathryn Ryan - who also regularly does interviews with New Zealand and visiting authors, is that they do semi-regularly cover some crime and thriller titles.

Today the reviewer was fellow blogger Graham "Bookman" Beattie, who is (deservedly) highly-regarded in the New Zealand book industry. He is the former head of Penguin Books, a Book Awards judge, and a Books Editor.

"This is a 300+ page cracker of a contemporary crime fiction novel set in and around Dunedin," says the Bookman. "A compelling whodunnit with all the usual twists and turns so loved by readers of the crime fiction genre... Detective Constable Sam Shephard is one of those wonderfully drawn but comparatively few women protagonists in this genre... and in many ways she reminds me of Sara Paretsky’s Chicago-based V.I.Warshawski and Sue Grafton’s California-based Kinsey Millhone. These three women are all characters that I like immensely, high achieving, determined, sassy and feisty women... they are all quite stubborn and often infuriating as well with their frequently chaotic personal lives."

You can listen to the Bookman's full review of CONTAINMENT here, or you can read the text of the radio review on his fantastic blog here (you might have to scroll down). Hopefully positive reviews like this one (from someone well-known and respected in the NZ Books industry) will help more Kiwis, and others, realise that with writers like Vanda Symon and her excellent heroine Sam Shephard, there are plenty of reasons to read NZ 'popular fiction', as well as the literary stuff.

Have you read CONTAINMENT? Vanda Symon's earlier Sam Shephard books? What do you think? What do you think of the Bookman's review?

Review: CONTAINMENT

CONTAINMENT by Vanda Symon (Penguin, 2009)

Reviewed by Kerrie Smith

When the container ship the Lauretia Express runs aground near Dunedin and spills containers across the Aramoana sands the city's normally staid and law abiding denizens turn out in force to apply their own rules of salvage. Detective Constable Sam Shepherd can't believe the pillage she is witnessing. Nor does she expect to be walloped when she intervenes in a squabble between two looters. To complicate things Sam's assailant very nearly dies in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and Sam saves his life.

One of the containers held a well-documented antique collection, now widely dispersed, which the owner is anxious to recover. The discovery a week or so later of a body in the sea off Aramoana, with all the signs of foul play, adds another complicating element.

And if work is not complicated enough, Sam's personal life hypes up a notch when her boyfriend announces he has applied to come to work in Dunedin, and she's not at all sure she wants him that close.

Containment is the third instalment in Vanda Symon's Sam Shepherd series. I thought there were elements of humour in this one that I had not noticed in the earlier novels, Overkill and The Ringmaster. Sam Shepherd is a likeable, feisty character who doesn't always make the wisest decisions. She is constantly in trouble with her section boss DI Johns, but then she often causes headaches for him.

I must admit there were times when I wondered if a detective constable would really behave that way, would really  take that action on herself, but those slight stretches of credibility aside, Containment is a well plotted page turner. I like the way the character of Sam Shepherd is developing and I think New Zealander Vanda Symon is an author well worth keeping an eye on. There is a fourth book in the series, Bound.

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Kerrie Smith is a renowned Australian crime fiction reviewer and the creator of Mysteries in Paradise, an outstanding online crime fiction resource where this review was originally published. She also runs the Global Reading Challenge. Kerrie has been kindly agreed to share her New Zealand crime fiction reviews here with the Crime Watch audience.  

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Whodunnit and Whowunnit?

The final details of the Whodunnit and Whowunnit? event, where the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel will be presented, have now been confirmed, with some adjustments to the author panel and confirmation of the prizes the inaugural winner will receive.

You can read the full press release below.

19 NOVEMBER 2010 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime novel to be presented this month
THE PRESENTATION of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, which was postponed when The Press Christchurch Writer’s Festival was cancelled due to the Canterbury earthquake, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, 30 November.

The Award will now be presented at the conclusion of the ‘Whodunnit and Whowunnit?’ event, a cocktail function and author panel where three of New Zealand’s most outstanding crime writers will discuss storytelling, the state of modern mystery writing, and the books industry in general, to be held amongst the relaxed atmosphere of Visions on Campus Restaurant at CPIT city campus.

2010 Ngaio Marsh Award finalists Neil Cross (Burial) and Vanda Symon (Containment) will be joined by Christchurch’s own internationally best-selling crime writer Paul Cleave (The Cleaner, Blood Men) on the panel, which will be hosted by crime fiction reviewer and commentator Craig Sisterson. See below for more information on the three author panelists. The full details of the event are:

Whodunnit and Whowunnit?
with the presentation of the first-ever Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel
7:30pm, Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Visions on Campus Restaurant, CPIT, cnr Madras St & Ferry Road, Christchurch
Tickets $10, includes a glass of wine and nibbles
Drinks start at 7pm, author panel at 7:30pm
Contact: Ruth Todd 03 384 4721 or ruth.todd@xtra.co.nz

“We're really pleased that we've been able to keep the rescheduled presentation of the first-ever Ngaio Marsh Award in Christchurch," said Judging Convenor Craig Sisterson. "Not only because it was the birthplace and hometown of Dame Ngaio, but because of the fantastic support this new award has had from several people involved with the Christchurch Writers Festival. I really hope that booklovers in Canterbury will come along for what should be a very enjoyable evening, celebrating some of the truly world-class writers we have here in New Zealand."

The 2010 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel is made for the best crime, mystery, or thriller novel written by a New Zealand citizen or resident. A panel of seven local and international judges considered the best of locally written crime and thriller fiction published last year. The three finalists, who were named in the lead-up to The Press Christchurch Writer’s Festival, are:

• Cut & Run by Alix Bosco;
• Burial by Neil Cross; and
• Containment by Vanda Symon.

The international judges said Cut & Run was “complex and suspenseful” and had “scenes and incidents which are jaw-droppingly good”, that Burial “maintained the tension and the atmosphere from beginning to end, keeping the atmosphere creepy”, and that Containment had “an attractive series heroine (feisty but vulnerable)” while starting with a “superb” opening scene that by itself would make the judge “want to read more Vanda Symon”.
The winner of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel will receive:

• a distinctive handcrafted trophy designed and created by New Zealand sculptor and Unitec art lecturer Gina Ferguson (see photo);
• a selection of Dame Ngaio-related books courtesy of HarperCollins, her long-time publisher (being 20 Inspector Alleyn mysteries, her autobiography Black Beech & Honeydew, and the acclaimed recent biography Ngaio Marsh: Her Life in Crime by Dr Joanne Drayton); and
• a cheque for $500 courtesy of the Christchurch Writers Festival Trust.

“There were a number of high-quality crime novels published last year, and it has been a tough decision for the judges,” said Sisterson. “It is fantastic to see crime writing of this quality being produced by New Zealand writers, and great that the Award recognises both the best of our current authors, while also honouring the memory of one of our country’s true literary legends, who we have perhaps underappreciated in the past.”
The Award’s namesake, Dame Ngaio Marsh, is renowned worldwide as one of the four “Queens of Crime” of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, having published 32 novels featuring Inspector Roderick Alleyn between 1934 and her death in 1982.
WHODUNNIT AND WHOWUNNIT? PANEL
Christchurch’s Paul Cleave is one of New Zealand’s most successful authors internationally, with his dark thrillers already being published in 14 countries and translated into 10 languages. His debut, The Cleaner, was the number one best-selling crime novel on Amazon Germany for 2007, and was one of the biggest and fastest selling debuts to ever come out of New Zealand. Both The Cleaner and Cemetery Lake have featured in The New Zealand Listener’s annual 100 Best Books list, and his latest thriller Blood Men was signed up by a large US publisher and launched in the United States this year.
Wellington-based Neil Cross has written several acclaimed novels, including the Booker Prize long-listed Always the Sun, Burial (finalist for the 2010 Ngaio Marsh Award), and his latest, Captured, as well as the best-selling memoir, Heartland. He was also lead scriptwriter for series six and seven of the BBC spy drama series, Spooks, and is the creator of the new BBC crime thriller series, Luther, which has screened in Britain and the United States this year.
Vanda Symon is the author of an acclaimed home-grown mystery series set in Otago and Southland featuring feisty detective heroine Sam Shephard, including Overkill, The Ringmaster (one of the New Zealand Listener’s 100 Best Books of 2008), and Containment (finalist for the 2010 Ngaio Marsh Award). A former pharmacist, Symon also hosts Write On, a local radio show in Dunedin focused on writers and the world of books. Her fourth Sam Shephard novel, Bound, will be released early next year.

For more information, please contact:
Craig Sisterson: craigsisterson@hotmail.com or (021) 184 1206

Nice article on Vanda Symon in BOP Times

As I noted late last year, Dunedin-based modern-day Kiwi crime queen Vanda Symon has released CONTAINMENT, her third Sam Shephard novel, to some very positive reviews. It's great to see a Kiwi series built around such an interesting recurring heroine - I'm looking forward to Symon's fourth novel, BOUND, which should be coming out later in 2010 (I believe she is currently working on the fifth Sam Shephard novel).

As you may be aware, I wrote a feature article on Symon for the November issue of Australian-based Good Reading magazine. Those in Australia or New Zealand can read my feature "The Stroppy Crime Fighter", in the print issue of Good Reading magazine. Symon spoke with me about a number of things, including creating a memorable heroine, juggling motherhood and storytelling, and life imitating art. Online subscribers worldwide can also read that feature via the Good Reading website.

There has also been some other interviews with and articles on Symon over the past few weeks, which is great to see. She was interviewed on Radio New Zealand's Arts on Sunday show by host Lynn Freeman. The interesting ten-minute interview, in which Symon discusses the new book, and what goes into her intriguing protagonist, amongst many other things, also includes a short reading from CONTAINMENT. You can listen to an audio file of the interview here.

Last week there was also a good article on Symon by Ellen Irvine in the Bay of Plenty Times, one of New Zealand's leading regional newspapers. You can read that article here. I understand New Zealand's biggest newspaper, the Weekend Herald, may also be including an article on Symon in the next month or so - I'll keep you all informed about that as and when it occurs.

It's great to see New Zealand crime and thriller fiction writers seeming to get a little more media coverage than in days gone by. Hopefully this continues to build, and grow, in future. We certainly should be paying more attention to good Kiwi writing, regardless of genre.

Have you read CONTAINMENT? Any of the earlier Sam Shephard books? What do you think of Vanda Symon's writing? Do you like recurring heroes, or standalones? Thoughts and comments welcome...

Kiwi crime in Latitude magazine

As I've noted before, the editor of the excellent Canterbury regional lifestyle magazine Latitude, Joanne Taylor, has been kind enough to let me republish any crime fiction reviews published in Latitude, here on Crime Watch. It's an excellent magazine - it comes out quarterly and is about 160-180 pages each issue - so keep an eye out for it if you're in the area. I've written some large features, travel articles, and book reviews for them over the past year.

The current (Spring) issue, which came out the week prior to the Canterbury earthquake, included several crime fiction reviews - including reviews of the latest books from each of the three Ngaio Marsh Award finalists; Vanda Symon, Alix Bosco, and Neil Cross.

As I've already published a longer review of Neil Cross's CAPTURED here on Crime Watch, I won't republish the Latitude review here. However, here are the other two Kiwi crime fiction reviews from the latest Latitude. Enjoy.

SLAUGHTER FALLS
By Alix Bosco
Reviewed by Joanne Taylor

I eagerly awaited the second novel from Auckland writer Alix Bosco. SLAUGHTER FALLS continues the ability of the prime character, Anna Markunas, to end up in bizarre crime scenes. Eager to put her research skills to use in Queensland while there on holiday, Markunas attempts to track down the family of a fellow tour party member who died suddenly. As she gets closer to the truth, the dark world of Australia's corrupt underbelly looms - who is helping and who is hindering the investigation continues to keep the reader turning the pages.

The character of Anna Markunas develops nicely in this sequel (to the first novel CUT & RUN) with the stories of her children interwoven throughout with the impending arrival of a grandchild and the worry that her sone will slip back into bad habits. A great book to curl up with.

CONTAINMENT

by Vanda Symon

Reviewed by Craig Sisterson

Dunedin crime writer Vanda Symon brings back her feisty local heroine Sam Shephard for a third instalment in what has become an excellent detective series. In CONTAINMENT, the junior detective investigates a bizarre death - what seems a routine diving accident before forensics reveal the man didn't die from drowning and his body was stuffed in the wetsuit afterwards - that might be linked to the grounding of a container ship on the Aramoana coast.

CONTAINMENT once again shows Symon's talent for well-rounded characters, unique set-pieces, and Dunedin touches that give readers a strong sense of the student-packed southern city, while fleshing out even more about Shephard's personal life. Enjoyable, and well worth reading.

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What do you think of the reviews (we are very constrained for space)? Are you planning on reading either book? If you already have, what to do you think of it/them? Thoughts and comments most welcome.

Vanda Symon's CONTAINMENT now available on Amazon

Over the past few months, it's been fantastic to hear from many people who are now more interested in trying some New Zealand crime and thriller writing. Unfortunately, one of the biggest hurdles to increasing the awareness and appreciation of well-written Kiwi crime, is that the latest books of many of our authors, regardless of quality, are currently rather hard to get your hands on if you're anywhere other than Australia or New Zealand.

Things are slowly improving, with Paul Cleave, Vanda Symon, and Paddy Richardson all now being published in Germany (and Cleave in several other continental European countries), and Cleave being published for the first time in the UK late last year, and in the US mid this year.

And now, as of tomorrow, Vanda Symon's latest book CONTAINMENT is available brand new (and at a reasonable price) on Amazon.com. Normally I don't link through much, if at all, to book sales websites, preferring to keep this blog about information and opinion rather than ads - but in this case I'll make an exception as this is something of a key moment on the road to greater recognition for Kiwi crime on a global scale.

Previously, many of you based overseas would have had to pay quite hefty freight charges to order most New Zealand crime and thriller titles from downunder sources, or rely on the small quantities that trickled through unofficially (e.g Vanda Symon's earlier book OVERKILL is available second-hand through Amazon.com, and even though it hasn't been published in North America yet, you could get the UK version of Paul Cleave's CEMETERY LAKE in a similar manner). But now the latest book from one of our burgeoning if still overlooked group of modern crime writing stars is readily available brand new, free shipping and all. I'm hoping it's a sign of more good things to come. And hopefully a few more readers will now have a better chance to try some Kiwi crime for themselves.

You can read my 9mm interview with Vanda Symon here, and more about CONTAINMENT's availability via Amazon.com here.

Links to external crime fiction (particularly Kiwi) reviews

Now and into the future, this page will contain two regularly updated lists of links to relevant crime, mystery or thriller fiction reviews (that are available for viewing online):

• Reviews I have written for other magazines, newspapers, or websites;
• Some reviews of books written by Kiwi authors (by other reviewers for other publications).

You will be able to quickly and easily access this page (which will be regularly updated) at any time by clicking on OTHER REVIEWS on the grey linkbar at the top of the blog. Enjoy!

Reviews list last updated Wednesday 22 September 2010


MY REVIEWS FOR OTHER PUBLICATIONS

• Barclay, Alex - BLOOD RUNS COLD (EuroCrime, May 2009)
• Barclay, Linwood - FEAR THE WORST (Nelson Mail, 12 August 2009)
• Barclay, Linwood - NEVER WALK AWAY (Scoop Review of Books, 4 May 2010)
• Billingham, Mark - BURIED (EuroCrime, June 2009)
• Billingham, Mark - BLOOD LINE (EuroCrime, August 2009)
• Carter, Chris - THE CRUCIFIX KILLER (EuroCrime, September 2009)
• Child, Lee - 61 HOURS (Reviewing the Evidence, March 2010)
• Coben, Harlan - CAUGHT (Scoop Review of Books, 4 May 2010)
• Coben, Harlan - LONG LOST (Nelson Mail, 20 May 2009)
• Cleave, Paul - CEMETERY LAKE (Reviewing the Evidence, September 2009)
• Crais, Robert - THE FIRST RULE (Reviewing the Evidence, April 2010)
• Cross, Neil - BURIAL (EuroCrime, July 2009)
• Cross, Neil - CAPTURED (EuroCrime, August 2010)
• Doherty, P.C. - THE ANUBIS SLAYINGS (EuroCrime, June 2010)
• Fairstein, Linda - HELL GATE (Scoop Review of Books, 4 May 2010)
• Flynn, Gillian - DARK PLACES (Reviewing the Evidence, October 2009)
• Hurwitz, Gregg - OR SHE DIES (Reviewing the Evidence, October 2009)
• Koryta, Michael - THE SILENT HOUR (Nelson Mail, 23 September 2009)
• MacBride, Stuart - BLIND EYE (EuroCrime, July 2009)
• MacBride, Stuart B. - HALFHEAD (EuroCrime, October 2009)
• Patterson, James and Marklund, Liza - POSTCARD KILLERS (Reviewing the Evidence, September 2010)
• Robotham, Michael - BLEED FOR ME (Nelson Mail, 5 May 2010)
• Russell, Craig - LENNOX (EuroCrime, September 2009)
• Sanders, Ben - THE FALLEN (Weekend Herald, 31 July 2010)
• Schlink, Bernhard - SELF'S MURDER (EuroCrime, March 2010)
• Symon, Vanda - CONTAINMENT (Latitude, Spring 2010)

KIWI CRIME FICTION REVIEWS IN OTHER PUBLICATIONS

• Bohan, Edmund - A PRESENT FOR THE CZAR (NZine, 10 December 2004)
• Bosco, Alix - CUT & RUN (Weekend Herald, 24 October 2009, Paul Thomas)
• Bosco, Alix - CUT & RUN (Otago Daily Times, 27 February 2010, Neal Wallace)
• Bosco, Alix - SLAUGHTER FALLS (Latitude magazine, Spring 2010, Joanne Taylor)
• Bosco, Alix - SLAUGHTER FALLS (Otago Daily Times, 4 September 2010, Gillian Vine)
• Cleave, Paul - BLOOD MEN (Radio New Zealand, 18 February 2010, Graham Beattie)
• Cleave, Paul - BLOOD MEN (Nelson Mail, 10 March 2010, Jessica Le Bas)
• Cleave, Paul - CEMETERY LAKE (EuroCrime, October 2009, Michelle Peckham)
• Cleave, Paul - CEMETERY LAKE (DJs Krimiblog, 3 April 2010, Dorte Jakobsen)
• Cleave, Paul - THE KILLING HOUR (NZ Listener, 14 May 2007, Terry Snow)
• Cross, Neil - BURIAL (EuroCrime, January 2009, Maxine Clarke)
• Cross, Neil - CAPTURED (EuroCrime, January 2010, Maxine Clarke)
• Druett, Joan - SHARK ISLAND (Kittling: Books, 22 July 2010)
• Edwards, Denis - MIRAMAR MORNING (NZ Listener, 4 June 2005, David Hill)
• Fowler, Dorothy - WHAT REMAINS BEHIND (Bravado Literary Magazine, Jenny Argante)
• Gee, Maurice - ACCESS ROAD (NZ Listener, 3 October 2009, Charlotte Grimshaw)
• Gee, Maurice - ACCESS ROAD (Nelson Mail, 30 September 2009, Angela Fitchett)
• Grant, Andrew - MESQUITE SMOKE DANCE (Critic, 22 July 2005, Miranda Grange)
• Grant, Andrew - SINGAPORE SLING SHOT (Expat Living, June 2009, Shamus Sillar)
• Green, Michael - BLOOD BOND (92 More FM, 10 November 2009, Kerrie-Maree Adams)
• Green, Michael - BLOOD LINE (The Reviewer, 19 April 2009, Lee Pletzers)
• Kelly, Lindy - BOLD BLOOD (Nelson Mail, 4 March 2009, Tedi Busch)
• Kelly, Lindy - BOLD BLOOD (Reactions to Reading, 23 March 2010, Bernadette B)
• Loates, Lyn - BUTTERSCOTCH (NZ Listener, 29 August 2009, Catriona Ferguson)
• Loates, Lyn - BUTTERSCOTCH (Nelson Mail, 5 August 2009, John Ewan)
• Marsh, Ngaio - ARTISTS IN CRIME (DJs Krimiblog, 26 June 2010, Dorte Jakobsen)
• Marsh, Ngaio - ENTER A MURDERER (Mystery File, 22 June 2009)
• McCormack, Trish - ASSIGNED TO MURDER (Domion Post, 11 September 2010, Joanna Davis)
• McIlvanney, Liam - ALL THE COLOURS OF THE TOWN (The Independent, 25 Sept 2009)
• McIlvanney, Liam - ALL THE COLOURS OF THE TOWN (The Telegraph, 21 Oct 2009)
• McNeish, James - THE CRIME OF HUEY DUNSTAN (NZ Herald, 20 July 2010, David Hill)
• McNeish, James - THE CRIME OF HUEY DUNSTAN (Overkill, 6 July 2010, Vanda Symon)
• Nixon, Carl - ROCKING HORSE ROAD (Weekend Herald, 7 July 2007, Linda Herrick)
• Nixon, Carl - ROCKING HORSE ROAD (NZ Listener, 21 July 2007, Sally Blundell)
• Parsons, Julie - I SAW YOU (Heatseeker Reviews, 4 November 2007, Lucille Redmond)
• Richardson, Paddy - A YEAR TO LEARN A WOMAN (A Certain Book, 7 February 2010)
• Richardson, Paddy - HUNTING BLIND (Radio NZ, 9 Feb 2010, Graham Beattie - ffwd to 6:55mins)
• Sanders, Ben - THE FALLEN (Nelson Mail, 28 August 2010, Sharyn Croft)
• Symon, Vanda - CONTAINMENT (Radio New Zealand, 9 December 2009, Graham Beattie)
• Symon, Vanda - CONTAINMENT (Nelson Mail, 10 March 2010, Jessica Le Bas)
• Symon, Vanda - OVERKILL (Mysteries in Paradise, 23 November 2008, Kerrie Smith)
• Symon, Vanda - OVERKILL (The Game's Afoot, 3 April 2010, Jose Ignacio Escribano)
• Symon, Vanda - THE RINGMASTER (Otago Daily Times, 2 August 2008, Geoff Adams)
• Thomas, Paul - THE IHAKA TRILOGY (AustCrimeFiction, 18 August 2010, Karen Chisholm)
• Thomas, Paul - THE IHAKA TRILOGY (M/C Reviews, 27 August 2010, Danielle Mulholland)

Bookstore Review: Whitcoulls Richmond Mall (Nelson)

In the tenth of an irregular series on this blog, I take a look at how well (or not) the Whitcoulls bookstore in the Richmond Mall in Nelson (the largest mall in the top of the South Island of New Zealand) displays, publicises and otherwise supports New Zealand crime and thriller writing instore.

As I said in the first bookstore review on 25 August, there are many many things, other than the quality of a book, that can play a big part in how successful it, or its author, may be in terms of sales, readership, mainstream media coverage, and potentially interested readers even becoming aware of it/them. There are so many books out there, and so many good and great authors and titles amongst them, that many haven't received the success or attention they deserve.

While many things can't be controlled, some can - so with this series, I will be 'mystery shopper-ing' some New Zealand bookstores, examining how well (if at all) they highlight, display, or otherwise offer NZ crime fiction to their customers. After all, if our own bookstores don't support local crime writing, how can we expect overseas ones to? Although, as was noted from my brief trip to Germany, some overseas bookstores (e.g. the Koln airport store) may, embarrassingly for bookstores here, be better at supporting top quality Kiwi crime writing than some of their New Zealand counterparts.

So far in my series, the Whitcoulls chain has largely been pretty disappointing, ranging from basically no support (Whitcoulls Wellington airport) to okay-ish but needs big improvement (Whitcoulls Queen Street), with an occasional semi-bright spot (Whitcoulls Courtenay Place in Wellington). So it was with some trepidation and not particularly high hopes that I walked into Whitcoulls Richmond Mall on a cloudy Saturday afternoon last weekend. Here are some of my findings:

• This Whitcoulls store didn’t have a dedicated crime section (although a very large percentage of the fiction A-Z wall, and also the ‘bargain tables, were crime/thriller titles), and is rather small-ish in size overall, restricting the number of titles they can carry.
• Surprisingly there were no copies of one of the latest New Zealand crime titles, Alix Bosco's CUT & RUN, which has received good reviews and had actually been one of the few books reasonably well-stocked in many of the other bookstores previously reviewed (POOR);
  There were a couple of copies of Dorothy Fowler's WHAT REMAINS BEHIND in the A-Z section, spine-facing (GOOD);
• There did not seem to be any copies of Lindy Kelly's BOLD BLOOD, even though it was a #1 bestseller last year, stayed in the top 5 for several weeks, and Kelly is a local (Nelson region) author (POOR).
• Andrea Jutson’s SENSELESS (1 copy) and Liam McIlvanney’s ALL THE COLOURS OF THE TOWN (2 copies) were available in the A-Z section (GOOD);
• There was a Neil Cross book in stock, but perhaps surprisingly it wasn’t his latest (last year’s BURIAL), but his older Booker long-listed title ALWAYS THE SUN (GOOD);
• There was also a copy of Michael Green's BLOOD BOND in the A to Z section (GOOD);
• There were no copies of any Joan Druett, Vanda Symon, or Paul Cleave, title, although the staff I spoke to did say Vanda Symon’s CONTAINMENT had been in stock but they’d just sold out (and would presumably be getting more), and that they’d also had THE RINGMASTER in stock, but that had been purchased recently too. From memory, I have seen copies of Symon's THE RINGMASTER in the A to Z section of that same store earlier last year (POOR/OKAY);

So overall, Whitcoulls Richmond Mall was one of the better Whitcoulls stores thusfar, stocking books from five different Kiwi crime/thriller writers, and also usually stocking at least one other. Could they improve? Yes - there was no stock of some recent crime thrillers, including from a #1 bestselling local writer. There were also some glaring omissions (Joan Druett, Vanda Symon – if temporarily, Alix Bosco) which have been well-stocked in some Whitcoulls stores elsewhere. I also had to look pretty hard to find the Kiwi crime titles, which were all spine-facing and not highlighted in any way. There was also no mention of Vanda Symon’s CONTAINMENT in any ‘Top 5’ Kiwi books etc, even though the book had been in the Top 5 bestseller list very, very recently.
But given the small size of the store (about 1/3 the size of the Courteney Place Whitcoulls, and only about 10-15% the size of Whitcoulls Queen Street) they are doing pretty well. The staff also seemed quite aware, and enthusiastic, about some of the Kiwi authors. Whitcoulls Richmond Mall, especially given their small size, is already doing well in a relative sense, but by doing a few more little things, they could really make a difference and help out the reading public in terms of exposing them to great crime writing, that just happens to be written by locals.
So overall for Whitcoulls Richmond Mall, I give them 3.5 out of 5. Good work, but has the potential to do even better. Thoughts?

Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel: event details!

Further to my post of last week, the time and date of the replacement event for the presentation of the first-ever Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel (pictured right) has now been confirmed - the original event of course being postponed due to the Canterbury earthquake.

The event will be held in Christchurch on the evening of 30 November 2010. The full details are:

Whodunnit and Whowunnit?with the presentation of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel7:30pm, Tuesday 30 November 2010
Visions on Campus Restaurant, CPIT, cnr Madras St & Ferry Road, Christchurch
Tickets $10, includes a glass of wine and nibbles
Drinks start at 7pm, author panel at 7:30pm
Contact: Ruth Todd 03 384 4721 or ruth.todd@xtra.co.nz
So those of you who are reading the three finalists now have a little over three weeks to formulate your own opinion, before the official announcement. And booksellers have more time to promote all three finalists prior to the winner being announced. If any of you need any help sourcing copies of the three finalists, or other New Zealand crime fiction you'd like to give a go, please feel free to get in touch with me (craigsisterson[at]hotmail[dot]com) and I'll do my best to help.


THE THREE finalists for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, which will be presented at a ceremony in Christchurch next month, were announced in August. The award is made for the best crime, mystery, or thriller novel written by a New Zealand citizen or resident, published in New Zealand during 2009.

A panel of seven local and international judges considered the best of locally written crime and thriller fiction published last year. The three finalists are:

• CUT & RUN by Alix Bosco (Penguin);
• BURIAL by Neil Cross (Simon & Schuster); and
• CONTAINMENT by Vanda Symon (Penguin)

The international judges said CUT & RUN was “complex and suspenseful” and had “scenes and incidents which are jaw-droppingly good”, that BURIAL “maintained the tension and the atmosphere from beginning to end, keeping the atmosphere creepy”, and that CONTAINMENT had “an attractive series heroine (feisty but vulnerable)” while starting with a “superb” opening scene that by itself would make the judge “want to read more Vanda Symon”.
The Awards namesake, Dame Ngaio Marsh, is renowned worldwide as one of the four “Queens of Crime” of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, having published 32 novels featuring Inspector Roderick Alleyn between 1934 and her death in 1982.

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Will you be heading along to the event? Are you keen to find out who has won the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award? What do you think of the three finalists for the first-ever award? Have you read any of them? Do you agree with the judges? Which is your favourite? What Kiwi crime novels might be in the running for the 2011 award, based on this year's books? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Kiwi crime writer Paddy Richardson makes local bestseller list!

Further to my post of 16 January celebrating Dunedin crime writer Vanda Symon's third Sam Shephard book, CONTAINMENT, debuting on the NZ Adult Fiction Bestseller list, another Kiwi crime writer has now also made the bestseller list; Paddy Richardson with her second thriller, HUNTING BLIND.

As I have said several times, New Zealand readers clearly have a good appetite for international crime fiction, but in the past we have been not-so-great at recognising, encouraging, supporting, or buying locally-written crime and thriller novels. Even books which have got great reviews, or sold many thousands of copies overseas, have been overlooked here at home. Even Dame Ngaio Marsh was more famous here in NZ for her theatre work, rather than as an internationally acclaimed crime writer.

That's why it's so great to see a series of recent New Zealand crime and thriller titles making the local bestseller list (especially as the list is only a Top 5, rather than top 10, making it even tougher to get on given the support of some other books/authors in this country). Seeing Lindy Kelly's BOLD BLOOD hit #1 on the charts last March was fantastic - and even more so the fact it stayed in the Top 5 for several weeks as well. Alix Bosco's CUT & RUN received good publicity and bookseller support, and made the list a couple of times. Vanda Symon's CONTAINMENT climbed to #3 a couple of weeks after my 16 January post.

And now Richardson's second thriller, which well-respected reviewer, book judge, and longtime industry insider Graham "Bookman" Beattie has called "her breakthrough novel", has made the charts, debuting at #3. It's great to see - not only for Richardson and her writing, but for the recognition of New Zealand crime and thriller writing as a whole.

Hopefully the more that New Zealand (and overseas) readers are exposed to locally-written crime and thriller writing, whether through media interviews, reviews, and articles, via booksellers stocking or highlighting such titles a little better in the past, or by word of mouth as readership grows, the more they will enjoy it, overcome any historic 'cultural cringe', and realise that there are some pretty darned good writers here too.

On a related point, I understand there may be a feature on Richardson in today's Dominion Post. So if you are in New Zealand, keep an eye out for that. If it is later placed online (as some Dominion Post articles are), I will post a link for you all as well.

Crime Watch Giveaway #1 - Winners' thoughts on Kiwi crime

You may remember the first-ever Crime Watch competition that I ran back in September, where blog readers could win a copy of a Kiwi crime or thriller novel, signed by the author, shipped to them anywhere around the world. It was great to get entries from so many different places.

As I announced on 9 September, the 3 winners were Fred from Arizona (USA), Richard from Cork (Ireland) and Jen from Ohio (USA). Now that some time has passed, I thought I'd share some of their feedback about the Kiwi crime novels they won, with you.

Fred won a signed copy of Vanda Symon's THE RINGMASTER, having said in his entry that he had little experience with Kiwi crime writing (other than Dame Ngaio Marsh's UK-set cosy mysterys), but would prefer a police procedural set in New Zealand.

THE RINGMASTER is the second instalment in Vanda Symon's Sam Shephard series, and is a little more of a police procedural than Symon's debut, as Sam has 'graduated' to working as a probationary detective as opposed to being a sole charge rural cop in OVERKILL.

In THE RINGMASTER, our heroine has moved to biggish-city Dunedin from small-town Mataura; bridges burnt. On the bottom rung of the detective training ladder, Sam is sidelined from a Botanic Gardens murder investigation by her grudge-holding boss. Assigned to peacemaking duties between the visiting circus and animal rights protestors, Sam uncovers a link between the circus and deaths spread throughout the South Island, sparking serial killer fears.

You can read my 14 November 2008 review of THE RINGMASTER here.

Last month our winner Fred, who is a fellow book blogger (Fred's Place), shared his thoughts on his first experience of Vanda Symon's writing. He says: "I think Vanda Symon is the first crime writer from New Zealand that I've read, or at least the first one who has set her novels in New Zealand. I read many of Ngaio Marsh's mysteries years ago, but most were set in England."

Fred goes on to say: "Detective Constable Sam Shepherd makes the novel work, and I definitely intend to read the first one in the series, and the third when it appears in December." You can read Fred's full review here.

Symon's third Sam Shephard novel, CONTAINMENT, has just been released. I thought CONTAINMENT was another great read - I will post reviews (my own and links to other peoples') in due course.


Richard won a signed copy of Paul Cleave's debut THE CLEANER, having said in his entry that "I expect Paul Cleave would be the sort I would enjoy. In fact, he is on my list of authors to start collecting."

Richard had come across the competition via the reader forums on the Mark Billingham website. Billingham of course is a big fan of Cleave's writing, having said:

"Most people come back from New Zealand talking about the the breathtaking scenery and the amazing experiences. I came back raving about Paul Cleave. These are stories that you won’t forget in a while: relentlessly gripping, deliciously twisted and shot through with a vein of humour that’s as dark as hell. Cleave creates fictional monsters as chilling and as charming as any I’ve ever come across. Anyone who likes their crime fiction on the black and bloody side should move Paul Cleave straight to the top of their must-read list."

Despite Cleave's writing not yet getting the attention he deserves in the English-speaking markets, Germany (which 'discovered' Linwood Barclay and Stieg Larsson, amongst others, before those authors became popular or noticed in the UK and the US) has embraced his tales filled with dark crime and dark humour. THE CLEANER was the #1 crime thriller title on Amazon in Germany for 2007, and in the top 10 for all books. In reasonably short order more than 250,000 copies had been sold (international sales of Cleave's books are now approximately half a million), making THE CLEANER one of the biggest and fastest-selling fiction books to ever come out of New Zealand (even though it hasn't yet been released in the UK or the USA).

THE CLEANER centres on Joe, a serial killer who works as a janitor at the Christchurch Police Department. When a killing he didn't perform is linked to him, Joe uses his inside access to try and find and punish the copycat.

After reading his prize, Richard shared his thoughts on the Billingham forums, saying:

"All I can say is wow!. I heartily recommend this book to other forum members. I understand it is to be published in the UK, hopefully in the not too distant future. Not sure about the US. I don't think I am including any real spoilers here, as the back cover blurb and reviews on the internet reveal even more. I would compare it with Mark's SLEEPYHEAD, not because there is any similarity in the plot but because it is, in my view, such a unique premise for a first crime novel...

While not a writer myself, I alway assume that writing in the first person is more difficult than in the third. To do so and relate the narrative from the perspective of the serial killer must have called for extensive research and a brilliant, (and maybe warped ) imagination. There is one male lead and IMHO three female characters who are vital to the story. The way Paul slips parts of their backstory seamlessly into the tale is very well done... Paul's explanation of the thought processes of the insane Joe are enlightening and frighteningly logical. There is a dark humour throughout and one scene in particular had me wincing. Male readers will easily work out which one. All in all, a very entertaining read and I look forward to reading more by this author."

So, two happy prize-winners, who have now been introduced to some modern Kiwi crime writing. Hopefully more readers will give Symon, Cleave, and other Kiwi crime writers a go at some stage. Have any of you read THE RINGMASTER or THE CLEANER? Do you agree or disagree with Fred and Richard's comments? Do they sound like the kind of crime novels you'd want to try? What are your thoughts?

Kiwi crime reviewed in today's Nelson Mail

As many of you will know, one of the publications I review crime fiction for on an ad-hoc basis is the Nelson Mail, the newspaper for the region in which I grew up (the Nelson region at the Top of the South Island of New Zealand). It's a great region, and a very good regional newspaper as well. In fact, when I was contemplating making a move from law to writing a few years ago, my first newspaper freelance features were for the Nelson Mail (profiles of lesser-known but high-achieving sportspeople, rather than books or authors). It's one of the reasons I still contribute occasionally.

Today there was an excellent review of two recent Kiwi crime novels, Vanda Symon's CONTAINMENT and Paul Cleave's BLOOD MEN, in the Nelson Mail's weekly books section. I had planned on reviewing both of these for the newspaper (I hadn't told the books editor - I just contribute occasionally when I can), but I didn't write it - the review was by Jessica Le Bas, a Nelson-based teacher and poet.

You might think I'd perhaps be a little annoyed that another reviewer covered books I was planning to write about, but in fact I was very, very pleased when I saw the review in today's edition - because it was so thoughtful and well-written; a great example of how (in my opinion) reviewers should approach their task. For example, unlike the recent Otago Daily Times review of Kiwi crime novels (which had some interesting insight, but overlooked several things while trying to make a particular point), Le Bas looks beyond plot to talk about the quality of the writing, and the layers beneath.

"Symon does Otago justice, despite the murder and the drugs; it's portrayed with a sense of belonging," says Le Bas. "CONTAINMENT is a ripping good story, told in first person by the spirited Sam Shepherd, with a dash of colloquial humour and plucky attitude, sometimes reminiscent of Janet Evanovich's sassy female sleuth Stephanie Plum. It's fast-paced and addictive reading."

When she turns to Cleave's BLOOD MEN, Le Bas impressively looks beyond the occasional bout of brutal violence (something a few reviewers seem unable to do) to assess the quality of the book as a whole. "This is the most accomplished of Cleave's works, not for the writing or the story, which is always strong and original, but because BLOOD MEN has a new edge of complexity, a growing intelligence that comes with the reader learning not just about Edward Hunter, but also about the light and the dark side of the human psyche, about those faced with an inconsolable loss."

You can read Le Bas's full 700wd review, "Ripping good stories evoke place superbly", here.

When I came across Le Bas's review in the Nelson Mail today, I was pleased not just because it was great to see quality Kiwi crime featured in the media (which is good), particularly in a positive way (which is great), but moreso because it was great to see a reviewer that looked beyond plot summary and personal preference, to provide readers with some insight about the quality of the writing (which is excellent). It's something I aim for in my own reviews, although whether I always achieve this or not, is of course another matter.

What do you want from a book review, as a reader? What should be included in a book review? If you review books, what approach do you try to take? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel: watch this space!

Due to the Canterbury earthquake last month, what was looking like it would be an absolutely fantastic edition of The Press Christchurch Writers' Festival, was understandably cancelled.

Unfortunately this meant that the presentation of the first-ever Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel (pictured right) was also affected, as the winner was due to be announced at the marquee Friday night event at the Festival. However, in some good news, we are now very close to confirming a replacement one-off event in Christchurch next month for the presentation of the inaugural award. I will have specific details regarding the date and venue etc for you in the coming days.

You can read a little more about the Ngaio Marsh Award and contemporary New Zealand crime fiction in a terrific article by Philip Matthews of Fairfax Magazines, here.

Once event details are confirmed, publicity about the Award and the New Zealand crime writers involved will step up a notch again - in some ways it feels like we all just took a big breath after the earthquake, and things have been put on hold for several weeks. But we are now back on track, and I will keep you all up to date with what is going on for what will, I suppose, perhaps be something of a landmark event in the history of New Zealand crime fiction. Just a little delayed. It should make for a good story in years to come, about the first year of what will hopefully become a longstanding and sought-after award (especially as no-one was too badly hurt, physically, in the earthquake).

So those of you who are reading the three finalists now have 3-4 weeks to formulate your own opinion, before the official announcement. And booksellers have more time to promote all three finalists prior to the winner being announced. If any of you need any help sourcing copies of the three finalists, or other New Zealand crime fiction you'd like to give a go, please feel free to get in touch with me (craigsisterson[at]hotmail[dot]com) and I'll do my best to help.


THE THREE finalists for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, which will be presented at a ceremony in Christchurch next month, were announced in August. The award is made for the best crime, mystery, or thriller novel written by a New Zealand citizen or resident, published in New Zealand during 2009.

A panel of seven local and international judges considered the best of locally written crime and thriller fiction published last year. The three finalists are:

• CUT & RUN by Alix Bosco (Penguin);
• BURIAL by Neil Cross (Simon & Schuster); and
• CONTAINMENT by Vanda Symon (Penguin)

The international judges said CUT & RUN was “complex and suspenseful” and had “scenes and incidents which are jaw-droppingly good”, that BURIAL “maintained the tension and the atmosphere from beginning to end, keeping the atmosphere creepy”, and that CONTAINMENT had “an attractive series heroine (feisty but vulnerable)” while starting with a “superb” opening scene that by itself would make the judge “want to read more Vanda Symon”.
The Awards namesake, Dame Ngaio Marsh, is renowned worldwide as one of the four “Queens of Crime” of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, having published 32 novels featuring Inspector Roderick Alleyn between 1934 and her death in 1982. With sales in the millions, and her books still in print to this day, Dame Ngaio is possibly New Zealand’s bestselling author, ever.
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After the nature-caused delay, are you still keen to find out who has won the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award? What do you think of the three finalists for the first-ever award? Have you read any of them? Do you agree with the judges? Which is your favourite? What Kiwi crime novels might be in the running for the 2011 award, based on this year's books? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Win a full set of the Ngaio Marsh Award finalists!

In celebration of the fact that they publish or distribute all three of the finalists for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, Penguin Group (NZ) are "giving you the chance to win a set of these three chilling titles . . ."
Unfortunately for Crime Watch's international readers, the Penguin competition is only open to New Zealand residents - but never fear, I will have a new giveaway for you to enter soon! In the meantime, New Zealand readers should get their names into the draw to win a full set of these cracking crime novels, and international readers should head along to Amazon etc to pick up their own copies.
TO ENTER THE PRIZE DRAW:

• Step 1: Sign-up to Penguin NZ's online newsletter, Penguin Post, so they can keep you up to date with their latest books, news and chances to win even more great prizes.
• Step 2: Email your name, address and phone number to web@penguin.co.nz with the subject line 'CRIME' and you're in the draw!

Entries close 5pm 31st August. Winner drawn 1st September. Terms & conditions.

As I noted earlier, the three finalists for the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel are:

• CUT & RUN by Alix Bosco (Penguin);
• BURIAL by Neil Cross (Simon & Schuster); and
• CONTAINMENT by Vanda Symon (Penguin)

The winner of the inaugural Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel will be announced at a ceremony at the conclusion of the “Setting the Stage for Murder” event at the Festival on the evening of Friday 10 September 2010.

The international judges said CUT & RUN was “complex and suspenseful” and had “scenes and incidents which are jaw-droppingly good”, that BURIAL “maintained the tension and the atmosphere from beginning to end, keeping the atmosphere creepy”, and that CONTAINMENT had “an attractive series heroine (feisty but vulnerable)” while starting with a “superb” opening scene that by itself would make the judge “want to read more Vanda Symon”.