According to the recent survey, ‘Reading the reader: a survey of Australian reading habits,’ crime/mystery/thrillers is the top number one genre to be read and almost 50% Australians like reading it. Indeed, it’s the number one on our library’s loans list.

Now we have 17th Davitt Awards longlist from Sisters in Crime’s, by all women writers.

Sisters in Crime Australia was set up 26 years ago and it applies to books published the previous calendar year. It also hosts a popular annual short-story competition, the Scarlet Stiletto Awards.

Aimed not only Australia, but an international market, women writers have overcome gender bias and stand gracely on the international stage. Authors like Melina Marchetta, Caroline Overington, Liane Moriarty, Jane Harper and many more, made significant contribution in this genre.

The longlist for this year:

Adult novels (63)

Death on Paradise Island by B M Allsopp, (Coconut Press) ebook Debut

The Secret Recipe for Second Chances by J D Barrett, (Hachette Australia) Debut

Legacy of Hunters Ridge by Sarah Barrie, (Harlequin) ebook

Shadows of Hunters Ridge by Sarah Barrie, (Harlequin) ebook

Family Skeleton by Carmel Bird, (UWA Publishing)

Dangerous to Know by Anne Buist, (Text Publishing)

A Foreign Affair by Pamela Burton, (Ginninderra Press)

Missing by Melanie Casey, (Pantera Press)

Dead in the Water by Tania Chandler, (Scribe Publications Australia)

All These Perfect Strangers by Aiofe Clifford, (Simon & Schuster Australia) Debut

Murder, Mayhem and Men on Pause by Sandy Curtis, (Ormiston Press)

The Silent Inheritance by Joy Dettman, (Pan Macmillan Australia)

To the Sea by Christine Dibley, (Pan Macmillan Australia) Debut

Ice Letters by Susan Errington, (Penguin Random House Australia) Debut

Dastardly Deeds: A Nell Forrest mystery (book #4) by Ilsa Evans, (Pan Macmillan Australia – Momentum) ebook

Ghost Girls by Cath Ferla, (Bonnier Publishing Australia) Debut

Darkest Place by Jaye Ford, (Random House)

All That is Lost Between Us by Sara Foster, (Simon & Schuster Australia)

Isolation by S J Gardiner, (Fahrenheit Press) Debut

The Prodigal Son by Sulari Gentill, (Pantera Press) novella, ebook

Finding Thyme by T J Hamilton, (Harlequin) Debut

The Dry by Jane Harper, (Pan Macmillan Australia) Debut

The Adventure of the Colonial Boy by Narrelle M Harris, (Improbable Press)

House of Bones by Annie Hauxwell, (Penguin Random House UK)

Deception  by Tory Hayward, (Escape Publishing) ebook

Ritual: Shrouded echoes by Amanda Howard, (Killing Time Books)

The Wrong Hand  by Jane Jago, (Penguin Random House UK) Debut

The Better Son by Katherine Johnson, (Ventura Press) Debut

Through a Camel’s Eye by Dorothy Johnston, (For Pity Sake Press)

Devour by L A Larkin, (Hachette Australia)

Grand Slam by Kathryn Ledson, (Penguin Random House Australia)

The Light on the Water by Olga Lorenzo, (Allen & Unwin)

An Isolated Incident by Emily Maguire, (Pan Macmillan Australia) Debut

Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta, (Penguin Random House Australia) Debut

Indigo Storm by Fleur McDonald, (Allen & Unwin)

Sapphire Falls by Fleur McDonald, (Allen & Unwin)

5 Ways to be Famous Now by Maurilia Meehan, (Transit Lounge Publishing)

Running Against the Tide by Amanda Ortlepp, (Simon & Schuster Australia) Debut

The One Who Got Away by Caroline Overington, (HarperCollins Australia)

Mayan Mendacity by L J M Owen, (Bonnier Publishing Australia)

Sunset Shadows by Bronwyn Parry, (Hachette Australia)

The Twisted Knot by J M Peace, (Pan Macmillan Australia)

Black Tortoise Winter by Jan Pearson, (Proverse Hong Kong)

You’ll Never Find Me by Melissa Pouliot, (MP Media)

Le Chateau by Sarah Ridout, (Bonnier Publishing Australia) Debut

Daintree by Annie Seaton, (Pan Macmillan Australia)

Murder in Mount Martha by Janice Simpson, (Hybrid Publishers) Debut

Vigil by Angela Slatter, (Hachette Australia) Debut

Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra, (Harlequin) Debut

Blue Steal by Marnie St Clair, (Escape Publishing) ebook

Empire by Lili St Germain, (HarperCollins Australia)

Kingpin by Lili St Germain, (HarperCollins Australia)

The Call by Leigh Straw, (Kennedy & Boyd)

Goodwood by Holly Throsby, (Allen & Unwin) Debut

Blame by Nicole Trope, (Allen & Unwin)

Hotel du Barry by Lesley Truffle, (HarperCollins Australia) Debut

Out of the Ice by Ann Turner, (Simon & Schuster Australia)

Dark Fires Shall Burn by Anna Westbrook, (Scribe Publications Australia) Debut

Backwoods Ripper by Anna Willett, (The Book Folks) Debut

Retribution Ridge by Anna Willett, (The Book Folks)

Dead Men Don’t Order Flake by Sue Williams, (Text Publishing)

The Love of a Bad Man by Laura Elizabeth Woollett (Scribe Publications Australia) Debut

A Donation of Murder by Felicity Young, (HarperCollins Australia – Impulse Australia) ebook

Young Adult novels (11)

The Special Ones by Em Bailey, (Hardie Grant Egmont)

Black by Fleur Ferris, (Penguin Random House Australia)

Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman, (HarperCollins Australia)

Yellow by Megan Jacobson, (Penguin Random House Australia) Debut

Theophilus Grey and the Traitor’s Mask by Catherine Jinks, (Allen & Unwin)

Lucky Me by Saba Kapur, (Amberjack Publishing) Debut

My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier, (Allen & Unwin)

Hexenhaus by Nikki McWatters, (University of Queensland Press) Debut

Frankie by Shivaun Plozza, (Penguin Random House Australia) Debut

Everything is Changed by Nova Weetman, (University of Queensland Press)

The Boundless Sublime by Lili Wilkinson, (Allen & Unwin)

Children’s novels (11)

Iris and the Tiger by Leanne Hall, (Text Publishing) Debut

Elizabeth and Zenoba by Jessica Miller, (Text Publishing) Debut

Wormwood Mire: A Stella Montgomery intrigue (book #2) by Judith Rossell, (HarperCollins Australia)

Friday Barnes 4: No rules by R A Spratt, (Penguin Random House Australia)

Truly Tan: Hoodwinked by Jen Storer, (HarperCollins Australia)

Squishy Taylor and a Question of Trust by Ailsa Wild, (Hardie Grant Egmont)

Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters by Ailsa Wild, (Hardie Grant Egmont) Debut

Squishy Taylor and the Mess Makers by Alisa Wild, (Hardie Grant Egmont)

Squishy Taylor and the Tunnel of Doom by Alisa Wild, (Hardie Grant Egmont)

Squishy Taylor and the Vase That Wasn’t by Ailsa Wild, (Hardie Grant Egmont)

Squishy Taylor in Zero Gravity by Alisa Wild, (Hardie Grant Egmont)

Non-fiction books (14)

Into the Darkness: The mysterious death of Phoebe Handsjuk by Robin Bowles, (Scribe Publications Australia)

Jail Birds by Robin Bowles, (Bonnier Publishing Australia)

The Good Cop by Justine Ford, (Pan Macmillan Australia)

Killer Australia: Death and destruction down under by Amanda Howard, (Killing Time Books)

Rope: The history of the hanged by Amanda Howard, (New Holland Press)

Who Bombed the Hilton? By Rachel Landers, (Newsouth Books) Debut

Jailbreak: Australia’s most unforgettable prison escapes by Wendy Lewis, (Bonnier Publishing Australia)

Look What You Made Me Do: Fathers who kill by Megan Norris, (Bonnier Publishing Australia)

Deadly Games: Kids who kill kids by Gabrielle O’Reilly and Liz Frame, (Bonnier Publishing Australia) Debut

To Hell and Back: A policewoman’s story by Carolyn Pethick, (Sid Harta Publishers) Debut

The Worst Woman in Sydney: The life and crimes of Kate Leigh by Leigh Straw, (Newsouth Books)

The Media and the Massacre: Port Arthur 1996–2016 by Sonya Voumard, (Transit Lounge Publishing) Debut

Suburban Nightmare by Emily Webb, (Bonnier Publishing Australia)

Invisible Women by Ruth Wykes and Kylie Fox, (Bonnier Publishing Australia)