Clan Destine Press

THE PRICE OF FAME is firstly RC Daniells' first crime fiction book (she writes fantasy under her fullname Rowena Cory Daniells), albeit with a hefty paranormal subtext. It's also, by way of disclaimer, a book that Clan Destine Press publishes, although I had absolutely nothing to do with either the editorial or business decisions behind the book. Thirdly, it wasn't a book that I was particularly clamouring to read, what with being mildly allergic to anything paranormal.

To be fair though, THE PRICE OF FAME, doesn't start out really pushing the paranormal aspects. Sure there are increasingly odd goings on, and not just moving shaving kits, a cat that appears out of nowhere, water droplets that won't go away, strange feelings and odd dreams. There's also a lot of reality going on as well - Antonia is battling against the remaining band members and a lot of vested interests. She's also battling a creepy ex-husband, and a very present day attraction to old friend, and "Director of Photography", Monty. In all, Antonia is a very real person, with a very approachable voice.

There are a couple of clever aspects to the way that the plot unfolds. The current day story is told mostly from Antonia's point of view, whilst the historical story, from the time when the band was rising and Genevieve's death, is told via snippets of a book being written by a witness, and friend of the main suspect. It's a rather clever technique as not only does it break up the viewpoint, it also means that Antonia and Monty are finding out what went on, at the same time as the reader.

The way that St Kilda worked in the 80's, the trials of a band trying to find its way to popularity and fame, the very nature of punk rock, all come across as very realistic and very believable. The paranormal aspects, for a large part of the story are subdued and almost believable, although I will admit that whilst I got the pathos of the ending, I could have lived without the pyrotechnics. To my mind, fans of stock standard, straight crime fiction would be able to stay with this story, because the basic premise is strong and really well done. In fact I finished THE PRICE OF FAME hoping that Daniells would have a go at a straight crime fiction book. The story here certainly feels like she would do a very good job indeed.
 

Okay, so what I'm really saying is that I don't get vampire fiction, unless it's Swedish or funny, and it probably helps to be set in my home state. To be honest I doubt I would have even given WALKING SHADOWS another glance, only I was doing the formatting of the ebook, and phrases, passages and paragraphs kept catching my eye. (Sorry Lindy and Narrelle ... I suspect it took me a little longer to do that ebook than would normally be the case). So anyway, at the end of it, I just figured I had to sit down and read the thing properly.

Which meant I did laugh out loud. Frequently. WALKING SHADOWS is basically a story of the trials and tribulations of friendship. Only this time the friends are letting some slightly weirder personal traits go. I think it's fair to say that Lissa is letting some rather major elements of Gary's life roll. Mind you, I'm not all that up to date with what vampire's do or do not like, so it could very well be that it's a given that Gary's letting stuff roll at the same time.

There is a lot of action in this book, there's a bit of lust and longing, but really, what is at the core of the story is the unlikely friendship between two people. On that aspect you could quite easily ignore the reason for their difference (that whole human / vampire thing) and just as easily see a bit of beauty and the beast. That's what struck me the most about WALKING SHADOWS - at the core, ignoring much effortless climbing of buildings and a lot of other superhuman goings on, there's a story about strength in difference and ultimately acceptance.

Aside from whatever it is about all this vampire palaver that attracts readers, the thing that really delivers in WALKING SHADOWS is a quintessentially Australian voice and sense of humour. Laid back, understated, frequently laugh out loud, it's a book that cleverly balances some of the gory, weird stuff that goes on with vampires and their ongoing battles, with a very modern day, urban, Australian feel. Combine that voice and that very current day scenario, with the underlying message, and there's something very clever about WALKING SHADOWS. A modern-day Beauty and the Beast, a message tale wrapped up in a lot of good fun.

Not, I hasten to add, should my liking WALKING SHADOWS be taken as any indication that I'm changing my mind about vampires. The proviso is now unless they are Swedish or funny and come with a rather clever underlying message. However, something this good comes along again, and I completely reserve my right to change my mind.

(Disclaimer:  I wrangle the website for WALKING SHADOWS publisher Clan Destine Press. The wonderful Lindy knows I'm reading this book, but has no idea what I'm thinking / saying about it. Yet.)

Dougal is an ordinary cat, living an ordinary life as a household pet. His diary tells the story of his life, beginning as a newborn kitten and ending as a happy household cat. Along the way he has several visits to the pound and shares adventures with fellow adoptee Shadow. You discover what Dougal thinks of all the things that happen to him and exactly how he sees the people and other creatures he interacts with.

I think this is a very good book. I love how the cats don’t play when human are around, and then play for hours when they are gone. It’s interesting to read how cats describe man-made machines, but it can be confusing to begin, whilst you work out what they are talking about. However, I really enjoyed reading how a cat might see things and how they feel. I recommend this book to animal lovers and people who likes to read different viewpoints.

    — Madelyn, age 12

True Crime is probably best known for it's analysis or concentration on the investigation, the difficulties with identifying a perpetrator, the perpetrator's possible motives or psychology - basically the crimes themselves. In THE FRANKSTON SERIAL KILLER, Vikki Petraitis has covered those expected aspects, but she's also written a compelling story of the victims. The impact that their deaths have had on their families and friends, drawing out the poignancy of the deaths of three young women.

The nature of the loss of these women is probably even more stark given the sheer randomness of the way that their killer selected them. What's even more sobering is the way that their killer "uses" the notoriety of his crimes to continue to get his little bit of attention. By allowing the story of the lives of these women, as well as their disappearances evolve, Petraitis gives the reader a feeling for the desperation of the families and the police as they came to realise that there was a multiple killer lurking in Frankston. In particular, you get a really good feel for how it is often a series of random sightings, observations and recollections that ultimately lead to a suspect being identified.

Something Petraitis does particularly well is keep herself from the story. There is a comment in the book about her presence at one crime scene, and why, but this author carefully ensures that you aren't reading "her opinions" or "her involvement" which, frankly, is a huge relief. Petraitis presents the events, the facts, the victim's families feelings and the outcomes carefully - she tells the story of those victims, sometimes the investigators, the details of what happened objectively, there's no overt insertion of her presence, feelings and thoughts into the main part of the story. There are however, a few moments in the final chapters where Petraitis offers some analysis and opinion about the perpetrator of these crimes which are worth reading the book for on their own.

Whilst these crimes were solved, and there is somebody in jail for his actions, THE FRANKSTON SERIAL KILLER is a book that is about more than just that. It tells you how the girls were killed (taking care to not sensationalise), it shows you the impact that their disappearance and discovery had on their closest family, it tells you how the suspect was identified, and the case against him built, taking particular care to make sure that all the details were covered off. It gives you a real insight into the feeling in the community; it also gives you some insights into the police force that identified, built the case and ultimately charged the man found guilty. It tells a memorable and touching tale of 3 young women and the impact that their loss has and continues to have on their families and loved ones. It also gives a glimpse into the life of the family of a perpetrator and what they also endure when one of their own commits such inexplicable acts.

What you're sadly left with is the loss of 3 women and the idea that every society, no matter where or what, can find themselves having to come to grips with somebody who seems so mild and banal, who casts himself as a victim in his own right, but really truly is nothing of the kind.

(Disclaimer:  I am lucky enough to wrangle http://www.clandestinepress.com.au as well as http://www.vikkipetratis.com   I've not discussed this review with either Vikki or Lindy from CDP).

Another excellent selection of award winning short stories from the Sisters in Crime Australia's annual Scarlet Stiletto Awards.  For the past 18 years the Australian Sisters in Crime have been awarding a range of prizes for short stories (the categories have shifted around over the years), and THE SECOND CUT is the (not all that surprisingly!) the second time that many of the prize winners have been compiled into a single volume and published.

Again, you'll find an interesting combination of known and published authors, and new and upcoming (hopefully to be published) authors.  One of the things that's particularly interesting about this collection is the authors have stepped outside what they are normally known for writing, heading into different territory completely.  The other thing that's particularly interesting is that this time there are multiple entries in the Verse category.  This particularly category was setup and is still sponsored by the estate of the wonderful Dorothy Porter, much missed Sister in Crime, and as anyone who ever came near me when her book EL DORADO was published, would know a huge writing hero of mine.  Because of the effect of that book I was particularly keen to read these entries in this collection - and there were no disappointments.

There are some fantastic entries in this book, and it was personally heartening to come across some with a decidedly rural bent, and whilst I can't really single out any stories, let's just say I've been a bit leery of handmade candle stalls at the local markets since reading TALLOW, and I have to confess to absolutely crying with laughter over COLD COMFORT (okay, so I grew up on a farm with a little grey Fergie and a rather "unpredictable" grandfather myself...).

As with the first collection, THE SECOND CUT covers a huge range of subject matters, contexts and styles.  The Scarlet Stiletto Awards are such a fantastic initiative and these publications are not just a logical extension, but a perfect adjunct.  They encourage our female writers (including up and coming junior writers), and they consistently unearth some incredibly clever story telling.

THE SECOND CUT is available in paperback, ebook and Amazon format via Clan Destine Press - http://www.clandestinepress.com.au

Getting to generate the ebooks for Clan Destine Press has its advantages.  Not the least of which is the "checking" phase which basically is code for a good read.  And, despite this being my second reading of THE FIRST CUT, it was a very good read.

For the past 18 years the Australian Sisters in Crime have been awarding a range of prizes for short stories (the categories have shifted around over the years), and THE FIRST CUT was the first time that many of the prize winners were compiled into a single volume and published.  (The current Clan Destine version is new edition).

It's a worthwhile collection to read for the sake of the stories included, as well as to discover some "name" authors who have since gone on to get books published, or have felt that they got a real kickstart from the Scarlet Stiletto Awards.  You'll find stories here from some authors you may recognise (Tara Moss and Cate Kennedy for example), and some authors who have gone on to have books published (Liz Filleul and Josephine Pennicott come to mind immediately).  This is a great way to find upcoming authors who are writing at the same standard!

One of the interesting things about THE FIRST CUT is the diversity of subject matters, and the sorts of categories that the stories fall into.  Submission rules call for an active woman protagonist, a crime/mystery theme and that the story must be an original, unpublished work - from there there are a range of categories, including Verse, Malice Domestic, Possible Film Treatments and so on. 

Every year there are submissions from a range of authors, previous winners, previous participants and brand new writers who give the competition a go.  The judging is blind (I was lucky enough to be involved in this year's judging weekend), we have no idea who has written what, and can't find out until all stories have been read, and all deliberations completed and winners finalised.

THE FIRST CUT takes the reader through a wide gambit of styles, subject matters and contexts.  There's humorous, twisting, scarey, odd and quite surprising.  Given that these are all short stories, the variety is outstanding.  As is the writing.  Although sometimes it could make you wonder about who you're sharing dinner and a drink with before a Sisters in Crime Monthly event!

THE FIRST CUT is available in paperback, ebook and Amazon format via Clan Destine Press - http://www.clandestinepress.com.au