Thrilling Evidence: A Crime Writing Blog

Guest post by Peter Mulraney , author of the Stella Bruno Investigates crime series. Stella Bruno Investigates is a series of quick reads - books designed to be read in one sitting. Each book in the series only takes around an hour and a half to two hours to read. So, there’s no waiting for days to find out who did it. The series is set in and around Adelaide, South Australia, and centres on criminal investigations led by Detective Sergeant Stella Bruno. I have the inside information on Adelaide - it’s my home town. Stella is assisted by Detective Constable Brian Rhodes, who’s approaching retirement, harassed by Detective Inspector Frank Williams, and distracted by Shaun Porter from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. In addition to all the crime, the stories also follow Stella’s developing relationship with Shaun and provide insights into her life as a single mother with a fourteen-year old son. You’ll also discover some of the benefits she enjoys

Will Kidnapping Overcome Serial Murder? It’s a well-known fact that serial killer novels murder the other sub-genres of crime fiction in popularity, but is there a different deviance abducting the minds of avid readers? Theft can be exciting, and smuggling is certainly a highly profitable and potentially glamorous crime. What else? Money laundering and white-collar offences lack the high levels of action, but what about kidnapping? A swathe of mammoth, recent titles have embraced this criminal endeavour, and there are a few clear reasons why. ONE- DISAPPEARANCE. Think of, “Gone Girl,” by Gillian Flynn. The peculiar notion that a person can disappear from our society is baffling, and when a writer manages to trap the reader into thinking, “WHERE THE HELL DID THAT CHARACTER GO?” while acknowledging that they’re still alive, we can be certain we’re in for a few exquisite surprises. TWO- MOVEMENT. It’s sick, but we’re crime fiction fans, so I’m just going to say it:

Mark Edwards Imports Evil With Follow You Home. Daniel and Laura are the quintessential upper-middle class tourists searching for a tiny taste of adventure until they’re served a whole smorgasbord of terror. The genius of this novel is that you’re led on a journey of fear and wild curiosity as Mark Edwards refuses to reveal the final details of the mystery. SOMETHING has already happened, and the characters in the book allude to its savagery without announcing the truth. You’re forced to stalk though dark forests and decipher cryptic foreign languages to uncover the overarching horror while side plots entangling lust and fame contribute to the ride. The way the darkness of the story is gradually revealed to the reader is a little like a monster-movie; you can’t wait to stare into the eyes of the foul beast even though you know it’s going to give you nightmares. Such lovely and heart stopping suspense. “Follow You Home,” is a perfectly crafted thri

Stillhouse Lake, The Story of a Perpetual Victim. On the surface of this deep and rippling novel, you’ll find a woman recovering from a crime that she was neither the perpetrator nor the casualty. As soon as you swim a little deeper, you’ll be submerged in a thrilling web of loathing, suspicion and revenge. This new novel (June 2017) will hook you right from the very beginning with its relatable, anxious protagonist who emerges from the wreckage of someone else’s sin with the sole purpose in life of protecting her children. Gina Royal and her kids are running, but who will be the first menacing hunter to track them down finally? Stillhouse Lake, by Rachel Caine, is a phenomenal novel and it’s one of those very rare books that feels truly unique. Caine has managed to add a level of psychology to the text that will encourage you to evaluate your own beliefs of killers and the people whom the damage. The setting is also GREAT; nice and creepy. This