About oz_mystery_readers

[Kerrie]

http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/oz_mystery_readers/ is a group I created just over 4 years ago, to fill what I perceived as a gap in the online discussion world. We share opinions and information about crime/mystery fiction available in Australia in paperback (at least that is the theory). We welcome members from all over the globe and we hold at least one book discussion each month.

Some of the features are ones that I have seen working successfully on other groups that I belong to and of course we are also limited to what Yahoo is able to offer us.

The group has grown slowly and is still relatively small, but one of the great advantages is that it requires relatively low bandwidth to run online and to deliver postings by email. By contrast Crimespace constantly challenges my poor computers' capabilities (this is my second attempt to post my blog - I am composing it offline first and aim to cut and paste into the blog tool)

oz_mystery_readers is a relatively active group with a strong core of participants and up to 20 postings a day. We share reviews, lists of current reads, news about upcoming events etc.

Currently we are discussing CROOK AS ROOKWOOD by Chris Nyst. April is Awards month and later this month we will look at THE HOUSE SITTER by Peter Lovesey. In May we have THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB by Fergus Hume and in June ABOVE SUSPICION by Lynda La Plante. Titles are suggested by members and a member volunteers to lead the discussion.

Recently we started a new feature called QUIZ an AUTHOR which it looks as if we will run every 3-4 months. At the end of March we got to know Brian Kavanagh, an Australian author who has turned his film script editing skills to writing cozys in the English village style. He has 2 books published : CAPABLE OF MURDER and THE EMBROIDERED CORPSE, with BLOODY HAM to be published later this year. So if you are an Australian mystery/crime author who would like to subject yourself to this sort of spotlight, let me know. WE have an author lined up for June and another for September, so you have plenty of time to 'gird your loins' so to speak.