Tomorrow the first of my podcast series, The DownUnder Mystery Club, launches. You can find the trailer (and tomorrow the first episode) by going to the podcast tab on the menu at the top of this page. The podcast traces echoes of real Aussie mysteries into fiction. Hopefully you’ll learn about some intriguing Aussie mysteries…
Mystery
What makes a character feel real?
Have you ever read a book where you were rooting for the main character? Maybe you cried and laughed along with them? In other words, have you read a book where the characters felt real? Becoming invested in the characters is always something that guarantees I will love the book. In fact, I have a…
The butler did it
The butler did it is one of the most overused mystery cliches – to the point it is rarely ever used these days. After all, as soon as a reader (or viewer if it’s a tv show or movie) see a butler, they immediately joke “the butler did it”. Below are some of the mystery…
What is a red herring?
Nearly every crime book will make use of red herrings, particularly mystery books. But did you know that red herrings can be used in any genre? And when used well, they create the set-up for a delightful surprise twist at the end. By definition, a red herring is a deliberate misdirection designed to mislead the…
Why Australian settings make the best mysteries
Australia is basically a mystery novel waiting to happen. We’re a country where people casually say things like, “Watch out for drop bears,” and tourists can’t always tell if we’re joking. Half our wildlife looks like it was designed by a horror writer and entire towns can exist several hours from the nearest decent coffee…