Karen from AustCrime

Australia

Profile Information:

Hometown:: Pyrenees Ranges, Victoria, Australia
About Me:: A reader. A constant reader. Less than 200 books in Mt TBR will cause me to break out in an uncontrollable panic sweat. Failure to stand in the middle of a well-stocked book store once a fortnight causes further panic attacks. The arrival of a Postpak full of review books causes uncontrollable shivers of joy. Basically I'm a simple creature - feed me books, ignore the dust and crud in the house and tell me about your favourite author.
I Am A:: Reader
Website:: http://www.austcrimefiction.org
Books And Authors I Like:: Crime fiction in all its guises! I love Reginald Hill's books, I'm a huge fan of Scandinavian crime writers - Mankell, Wahloo and Sjowall, Nesbo, Fossum, Alvtegen, Larsson and their ilk. Indridason from Iceland is another favourite as well. Louise Welsh, Caro Ramsay, Denise Mina, Christopher Brookmyre and many Scottish authors as well.

In terms of local writers Adrian Hyland, Peter Temple, Shane Maloney, Malla Nunn, Lindy Cameron, Caroline Shaw, David Owen, Geoff McGeachin, Paul Thomas, Leigh Redhead, Katherine Howell, JR Carroll, Paul Cleave, Claire McNab and......

How long do I have?
Movies And TV Shows I Like:: TV: Unit One, Eagle - Crime Odyssey, Dalziel & Pascoe, Black Books, Spicks & Specks, Kingswood Country

Movies: Bollywood! oh and Gangster Number 1, Layer Cake, Lock Stock etc recently (don't watch many movies).

Comment Wall:

Load Previous Comments

Daryl Nilbett

Love the new look for the Aust Crime website Karen - going to have a look now. Living in London has made it difficult to keep on top of what's hot in Aussie crime - the website is definitely going to fill in the gaps. Who's super hot right now?

BTW - love the Aussie Terriers - used to have one called Benny - his hair would always catch burs and get knotty!! Loved him to bits.

Aug 17, 2007
Gemma Halliday

Okay, I am properly horrified.
Actually I’m shopping a new series at the moment where the heroine hates wearing heels. HATES with a passion. Shhh… don’t tell anyone. ;)

~Gemma

Aug 18, 2007
Patricia

Karen...just checking around to see what was new on the crimespace site and discover that adorable picture of the babies sleeping so peacefully...just had to tell you how cute it is!

Aug 18, 2007
Patricia

Yes..just checking email won't be home till Monday and thought I would see what was new around here...they are so cute Karen!

Aug 18, 2007
Daryl Nilbett

Thanks for the list of hot Aussie writers Karen!! I'll be taking it to Aus in Jan and will be buying a shed load of Aussie crime.

Out of them all I have only read Peter Temple so I will aim to rectify that. A Broken Shore was brilliant BTW!!

Aug 21, 2007
Rick Mofina

Welcome aboard Karen, hope you get a chance to tell others about my books and sign up for my author newsletter off the homepage of my site. wwww.rickmofina.com I have a small, loyal and growing following in Australia. I'm hoping it'll grow more when my new stand alone thriller ISX SECONDS hits stands there early in 2009. All the best,

Aug 21, 2007
Timothy Hallinan

Hi, Karen --

In Australia, you're sort of around the corner, although it's a very wet corner, from Bangkok, where my Poke Rafferty books take place. If you go, though, I wouldn't recommend that you use Poke's book "Looking for Trouble in Thailand" as your guide.

By the way, Poke's got his own site, complete with Bangkok blog. It's www.pokerafferty.com.

Thanks for befriending me.

Tim

Aug 23, 2007
Timothy Hallinan

Karen -- Which Australian writers should I be reading?

Best,

Tim

Aug 23, 2007
Liz Filleul

Hi Karen - thanks for the welcome and for befriending me!

Sep 5, 2007
Naomi Hirahara

Karen:

I noticed your write-up on the Australian Sisters in Crime anthology. Sounds interesting; great cover. What stories did you enjoy the most?

Sep 6, 2007
Clea Simon

Hi Karen,
Always glad to meet another Cotterill fan - if you read the Scots, do you like Denise Mina? (I do.)

Hope your summer isn't stifling. Ours wasn't -- and I miss it already.

Sep 7, 2007
Clea Simon

At this rate, the Antarctic will be tropical soon. Sorry about the drought -- we seem to be entering one here, though of much shorter duration (I hope). All the beautiful autumn foliage is already turning brown and falling from the trees.

Thanks for the name Danuta Reah, by the way - will have to check those books out.

Sep 7, 2007
Clea Simon

Thanks! I've heard wonderful things about Louise Welsh.

Sep 10, 2007
Tony Berry

Hi Karen: Some interesting comments from you on the Melbourne Writers' Festival - although your blog cuts off the left hand side of your posts for the first sdeveral paragraphs. I note your slight reservation about the move from the Malthouse. What think you? Fed Square doesn't offer any of the smaller venues such as the Tower or the Bagging Room and it will take more than usually attend sessions to fill BMW Edge. But where else is there unless they divide Zinc into smaller meeting rooms - and there the seating is not sloped and we'll be craning around the heads of those in front to see the stage?

Sep 10, 2007
Delphine Cingal

I hope you'll enjoy Japrisot. We have several movies made after his novels here in France, including an excellent L'Ete meurtrier (A murderous summer?)
Let me know how you liked his novels once you have read one of them.

Sep 17, 2007
Linda L. Richards

Hello to you, too. What an amazing forum this is for connecting with people!

Oct 5, 2007
Jacki

Hi and Thanks for the Welcome glad to increase the Aussie Quota :)

Oct 8, 2007
Liz Filleul

Got back yesterday, Karen! The book launch was excellent, as was the entire trip. I'll write a piece in my blog as soon as I can get my thoughts coherently together.

Oct 11, 2007
Rose Mercer

LOL Karen - maybe because it's the home of the Ausie Sisters in Crime??? Are you a member? Did you go to the Davitts?

Nov 5, 2007
Rose Mercer

That's it! Scarlet Stilettos are on at the end of this month - come along. Just read your review and love it - cant' find the darned book anywhere so I hope they'll sell them on the night. I could meet you part way and drive you if you like. Are you in the Dandenongs?

Nov 5, 2007
Rose Mercer

PS: I'm in Warrandyte

Nov 5, 2007
Rose Mercer

Scarlet Stilettos as on Friday 30 November. We usually meet about 6.30 for dinner or get there by about 8 for the start of the awards. I'll try to send you an email with the details, if you wish. :)

Nov 5, 2007
Rose Mercer

Seriusly, if you wanna come down to the flats, I can pick you up from somewhere and drive you to St Kilda and back. NP. There's a Warrandyte contingent who goes (Sue T lives here too).

Nov 5, 2007
Rose Mercer

Great! I left details on your website. :)

Nov 5, 2007
Jackie Tritt

Hi Karen

Just to let you know I made it into the city with my husband last week for the Ian Rankin/Shane Maloney conversation - very enjoyable. And as it was a gorgeous day, we followed it up with lunch at South Bank. It was one of those days when I really appreciate retirement.

Jackie

Nov 19, 2007
Jackie Tritt

It would have been great to catch up with you there. Never mind. Next time. Your description of the Ian Rankin talk is great, so detailed. I'll send the reference to my writing group so they can share it, as the precis I sent them was very brief.

Thanks

Jackie

Nov 19, 2007
Janet Rudolph

Love Reginald Hill and the others you mentioned. Of course, Scandinavian Crime--the latest issue of MRJ had so many news ones--and Adrian Hyland is outstanding. You're right about that TBR pile-the more, the better.

Nov 20, 2007
Brian L Porter

Hi Karen,

Thanks for adding me. If you check out my website you'll see a few of my ebooks have been published by Australian publishers, i.e. Eternal Press, and RS Publishing, but the 'biggies' all come out next year. I'm a tiotal dog lover and Tilly, in the pic on my page never leaves my side, easpecially when I'm wrriing. She was badly abused before we got her, as were all our dogs, but she's an absolute delight.

Dec 4, 2007
Olav Guldbrandsen

Astrid sure wrote lots of suspense, at least. And it can't be crime everything that moves you.

Dec 5, 2007
Todd Robinson

Thanks for accepting it all the way down there. Ain't the internet great?

Dec 5, 2007
Peg Herring

A compulsive reader...just the sort of person I like!

Dec 18, 2007
Tanja

Hey Karen... Haven't read that one yet. Is it good? The last one I read was the Hogfather, it's great with Death as Santa Claus, well you know..
My boyfrined bought "The Last Hero" (illustrated! it looks amazing) as a Christmas gift for his... uhm I don't know english word for that (his father's sister's son) :) Anyways... it looks great and it has Cohen the Barbarian without his teeth, and he gave it away for Christmas! I wanted to kill him... ;)

Dec 30, 2007
Kim Smith

Karen- 200 books in your TBR???? I bow to you my lady. Thanks for being my friend!!

Jan 7, 2008
Brian L Porter

Hi Karen,

Love the dogs! I have 3 little rescue dogs, all terriers and all were previously abused before we got them. Yours look gorgeous!

Brian

Jan 7, 2008
Brian L Porter

They are realy lovely looking dogs Karen. We have a Bedlingotn terrier, a bedligton cross, and a carn/westie cross, but I'm sure you've seen them in my photos, and yes, they are all peure energy!

Brian

Jan 7, 2008
Darren Laws

Hi Karen, welcome to Crimewspace, hope you enjoy. Agree with Layer Cake - top movie.

Jan 8, 2008
batgirl

lovin' crimespace, only problem is my to be read list is growing so fast I don't know that I can fit in all my reading and go to work!

Jan 8, 2008
Lindy Cameron

H Karen
thanks for the welcome. I'm till trying to work out how to do things on this wonderful site.
And I know you liked Redback (thanks) because I read your review (thanks even more). It's also one of the reason I joined Crimespace... to say hi to you. Are you a member of Sisters in Crime Aus?
Lindy

Jan 21, 2008
Geoff McGeachin

Hi Karen,
Damien at afterdarkmysweet first sent me a link but I wound up here again via your site and decided to pitch a tent. Looking forward to seeing how the joint grows, and it may break my addiction to the San Diego Zoo Pandacam.

Jan 22, 2008
JackBludis

The world needs readers, Ah, yes, we need readers. Many, many, many readers.

Jan 24, 2008
Lyn Bailey

Hi - thanks for the welcome and I empathise with the piles of books waiting to be read - I wish there was more time to read!

Jan 29, 2008
Pippa Macallister

Yes

Jan 29, 2008
Karen Allingham

Hi Karen, thanks for the nice welcome! Still getting my bearings around this site, but loving it so far!

Jan 30, 2008
Bronwyn

Hi Karen, just really pleased to come across the site! Looking forward to being part of the crime scene.

Jan 31, 2008
Venessa Kappel

Hi Karen thanx for the comment :)..im sure im not looking to be cured tho lol :)

Feb 6, 2008
Brian L Porter

Hi Karen,

How are things in sunny Oz? I thought I'd drop by to let you know as promised that my new novel 'A Study in Red - The secret Journal of Jack the Ripper' is now available in paperback from Amazon at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Study-Red-Secret-Journal-Ripper/dp/1554045274/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202482660&sr=1-1

My best regards as always

Brian

Feb 9, 2008
Phillipa Martin (PD Martin)

Thanks, Karen. Still working it all out!

Feb 10, 2008
L.J. Sellers

Just saying Hi, because you're online.
I read an article recently that said that reading and book buying in Australia was in decline, but it sounds like you're making up for it.

Feb 16, 2008
L.J. Sellers

I keep thinking that hardback books will eventually become obsolete for fiction, except for small print runs for libraries only. And the new premium mass market paperbacks are blurring the line between mass market and trade paperbacks. We could eventually get to a one-size-fits-all trade paperback for fiction ... with limited sales ... because everyone has a Kindle-type reader.

Feb 17, 2008
Eunira

Thanks for your welcome. I see that you like Reginald Hill too. I'm still trying to find some of his books but I have several on my shelf.
Your bio has already given me several new(to me) writers to look out for.
Your dogs look really lovelly.

Feb 25, 2008