Review: DARK DEEDS DOWN UNDER, Craig Sisterson (edit)

• 
  This edition is available on Kindle
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B6CQCCJD
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clan Destine Press (July 1, 2022)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 349 pages

Synopsis (Amazon)

A vibrant southern constellation of crime writers.

Dark Deeds Down Under features the very best of modern Australian and New Zealand crime and mystery writing.

Spend time with some of your favourite Aussie and Kiwi cops, sleuths and accidental heroes, and meet some edgy new investigators.

A crew of beloved series characters - Corinna Chapman, Hirsch, Sam Shephard, Rowly Sinclair, Nick Chester, Murray Whelan - will lead you down dark alleys to meet our newer heroes - the Nancys, Penny Yee and Matiu, Alex Clayton, Kate Miles - and the stars of some cracking standalone tales.

Travel the criminal trails of two countries. From the dusty Outback to South Island glaciers, from ocean-carved coastlines and craggy mountains to sultry rainforests or Middle Earth valleys, and via sleepy towns to the seething underbellies of our cosmopolitan cities.

The 19 dark deeds herein are perpetrated by:

Alan Carter - Nikki Crutchley - Aoife Clifford - Garry Disher - Helen Vivienne Fletcher - Lisa Fuller - Sulari Gentill - Kerry Greenwood - Narrelle M. Harris - Katherine Kovacic - Shane Maloney - R.W.R. McDonald - Dinuka McKenzie - Dan Rabarts & Lee Murray - Renee - Stephen Ross - Fiona Sussman - Vanda Symon - David Whish-Wilson

My Take

I love short stories but short story collections are always difficult to to review. I try not to say which I've enjoyed most. Ranking them is always too hard. But here is a collection you can pop on your Kindle for the occasional dabble. They are all good representatives of the genre, some of them grittier than others.

So I've decided to list below the authors that I have 'met' before and to list the books that I have read.

The collection has also pointed out to me some authors I should really look for, particularly those  "across the ditch". In reality I've only met the work of  9 of the 19 before, so Craig has done me a service.

But, I've got to say it... the one that will stick with me for a while is Mr Pig by NZ author Stephen Ross.

My rating: 4.6 

I have 'met' the following authors through their books recorded in this blog

Carter, Alan:

• 4.7, PRIME CUT - Cato Kwong #1
• 4.7, GETTING WARMER - Cato Kwong #2
• 4.6, MARLBOROUGH MAN
• 4.5, DOOM CREEK 
• 4.6, CROCODILE TEARS - Cato Kwong #5 

Disher, Garry:

• 4.7, WYATT
• 4.8, WHISPERING DEATH
• 4.7, BLOOD MOON
• 4.2, THE HEAT
• 4.5, SIGNAL LOSS
• 4.7, HER
• 4.9, UNDER THE COLD BRIGHT LIGHTS
• 4.7, KILL SHOT
• 5.0, BITTER WASH ROAD - Hirsch #1 - aka HELL TO PAY
• 5.0, PEACE- Hirsch #2
• 5.0, CONSOLATION - Hirsch #3
• 4.7, DAY'S END, Garry Disher- Hirsch #4
• 4.8, THE WAY IT IS NOW

Gentill, Sulari:

• 5.0, A FEW RIGHT THINKING MEN
• 4.8, A DECLINE IN PROPHETS
• 4.8, MILES OFF COURSE
• 4.7, PAVING THE NEW ROAD
• 4.5, THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY

Greenwood, Kerry:

• MURDER ON A MIDSUMMER NIGHT - #17
• TRICK OR TREAT
• FORBIDDEN FRUIT
• 4.3, DEAD MAN'S CHEST -#18
• 4.4, COOKING THE BOOKS
• 4.3, TAMAM SHUD
• 4.8, UNNATURAL HABITS - #19
• 4.3, MURDER AND MENDELSSOHN - #20
• 4.5, MURDER IN WILLIAMSTOWN - #22  
• 4.5, A QUESTION OF DEATH - anthology of short stories set in 1928

Kovacic, Katherine:

• 4.5, THE PORTRAIT OF MOLLY DEAN - #1
• 4.6, PAINTING IN THE SHADOWS - 2 
• 4.5, THE SHIFTING LANDSCAPE - #3   

Maloney, Shane: SUCKED IN

McDonald, R.W.R

• 4.2, THE NANCYS

Symon, Vanda:

• OVERKILL
• THE RINGMASTER
• CONTAINMENT
• 4.8, BOUND

and lastly, but by far not least
Sisterson, Craig: 5.0, SOUTHERN CROSS CRIME