CRAIG SISTERSON is a ‘sports-loving book nerd’ who grew up in the Top of the South Island of New Zealand. A lapsed lawyer, he now lives in London and contributes to newspapers, magazines, and podcasts in several countries. He’s interviewed hundreds of authors and chaired many events onstage at arts and books festivals on three continents.
Craig is a judge for several international crime writing awards, founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards, and series editor of the Deeds Down Under, Volume one and two anthologies.
What are you reading now, and why? 
I’m partway through Clete by James Lee Burke, one of my all-time favourite authors, who this month receives the prestigious Diamond Dagger for outstanding lifetime contribution to crime writing (long overdue, in my view). I’m also listening to Birds of Prey, an Audible Original where top crime writers including C J Box, Tess Gerritsen, S A Cosby, and Kathy Reichs have written bird-inspired tales. I’ve recently finished 17 Years Later by J P Pomare, an outstanding thriller entwined with true crime podcasts, and Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox, a ripsnorter of a read set in a NYC firehouse.
What were your favourite books as a child?
Growing up, I was lucky my parents loved reading and both my school and my town had great libraries and librarians, so I had a huge range of books available. Early favourites included the ‘Hardy Boys’ mysteries and ‘Asterix’ comics. My dad introduced me to Alistair McLean; I read all his thrillers as an adolescent. We had these cool ‘Secrets and Stories of the War’ Readers Digest volumes at home; near-unbelievable true tales like ‘The Corpse that Hoaxed the Axis’. I also loved fantasy, starting with The Hobbit and ‘pick a path’ style Fighting Fantasy books of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, then onto the likes of R A Salvatore’s tales starring Drizzt Do’Urden, a heroic character who plays against stereotype. I learned more about prejudice and racism, friendship and courage from Drizzt tales than notable books schools prescribe to explore such issues.
You’ve immersed yourself in the world of crime and thriller fiction for many years. What attracted you to this genre over others?
As a kid I loved the puzzles and adventure; nowadays I think as a reader I appreciate the mix of exciting storylines, fascinating characters we can enjoy in a book or evolve through a long-running series, and the way important real-life issues can be explored in non-soapbox ways. Modern crime fiction takes us into diverse settings and can hold a mirror up to society as well or better than any other storytelling form and contains some of the very best writing around!
As for immersing myself in the genre, it’s helpful that as a general rule, I’ve found crime and thriller writers – perhaps because they get all the darkness out on the page – are some of the most friendly and fun creatives I’ve met. The global crime writing community is – with few exceptions – welcoming, supportive, and generous. Perhaps because crime fiction is so popular and many readers so voracious, there’s less of the scarcity mindset I’ve encountered elsewhere. As Lee Child once told me over a drink, ‘If someone reads Mike Connelly’s books, it doesn’t make them less likely to
read mine.’
What have been some books that have made you cry, or laugh out loud?
While a good chunk of my reading is crime and thriller novels (along with kids’ books with my daughter) and perhaps that’s not a genre prone to tearjerkers or belly laughs, there are books that have got me either way. Belinda Bauer’s Exit, about a pensioner who keeps company with dying people (only for something to go horribly wrong), did both. More recently, Charity Norman’s Ngaio Marsh Award-winning Remember Me had me in tears, and Mark Billingham’s The Last Dance had me in tears of laughter, as did The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey, a rural gothic tale narrated by a magpie.
What are some of your favourite crime fiction series?
Geez, that’s a tough question. I’m an omnivore, devouring everything from cosies to serial killer thrillers, and have so many authors and series I love.
Before I began reviewing, I’d say my favourites were Michael Connelly’s ‘Harry Bosch’ books, Mark Billingham’s ‘Tom Thorne’ series, and James Lee Burke’s ‘Dave Robicheaux’. Fifteen+ years on I’d still highly recommend them all. In terms of some exciting new series with unique perspectives that have caught my eye, check out William Hussey’s ‘Jericho’ books about a gay traveller detective, Marcie R Rendon’s Cash Blackbear’ series about a Native American sleuth in the 1970s, Māori storyteller Michael Bennett’s Ngaios-winning ‘Hana Westerman’ books, e.g. Better the Blood, and Femi Kayode’s two novels about Nigerian investigative psychologist Philip Taiwo. I’m also thrilled Vanda Symon has brought back Detective Sam Shephard (Expectant) after several years away completing her PhD, and I can’t wait for the 
sequel to David Heska Wanbli Weiden’s superb debut Winter Counts, which introduced tribal enforcer Virgil Wounded Horse.
You’re the series editor for Dark Deeds Down Under, a ground-breaking Australian and
New Zealand crime and thriller anthology that has received lots of praise around the world. What was your criteria and how did you decide final selections?
We wanted to showcase to readers around the world and at home the quality, breadth, and depth of modern Aussie and Kiwi crime writing, as well as our landscapes, culture, and characters. So, I wanted a mix of legendary figures, established award-winners and bestsellers, and fresh new crime novelists in each anthology. Seasoned with some writers from other genres and forms.
Also, a mix of short stories featuring sleuths people have or can read about in novels, e.g. Garry Disher’s Hirsch, Sulari Gentill’s Rowly Sinclair, or R W R McDonald’s The Nancys, etc, and standalone tales. My Twitter bio says sports-loving book nerd, and like a sports coach, I was trying to ‘pick a team’ based on top skills, fitness and availability, and having the right mix that covered various ‘positions’. Whether you’re the Matildas, Melbourne Storm, or Black Ferns, you don’t want a team full of wingers. Or forwards. No matter how good the likes of Sam Kerr and Ruby Tui are. •
If you were hosting a dinner party, who are six people (living or dead) you’d love to invite?
Another toughie. My answer would change each day.
For today, I’ll go with James Lee Burke, a superb author who’s led a fascinating life and I’ve interviewed multiple times from afar but never met in person.
Bruce Springsteen, a storyteller in song.
S A Cosby, maybe the heir to Burke as our greatest living crime writer, and a fellow Springsteen fan.
Michael Des Barres: singer, actor, and SiriusXM host who’s also led a fascinating life, including portraying my fave villain from my childhood (Murdoc in MacGyver).
Dame Ngaio Marsh and Val McDermid, two brilliant women who could more than hold their own with the boys.
And because I’m a rule-breaker, one more (eight is a better dinner party than seven): my father, Peter Sisterson, who passed away while we were putting together Dark Deeds Down Under 2. He loved books, was a teacher with many other skills and talents, and he’d have great fun at such a party (especially if it was a Down Under-style barbecue). He remains my greatest example of how to be a great father, and human being. I’d love for those cool people to meet my cool dad.
Bruce Springsteen
James Lee Burke
S A Cosby
Michael Des Barres
Dame Ngaio Marsh,
Val McDermid
Craig Sisterson and his father, Peter Sisterson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CRAIG SISTERSON is a lapsed Kiwi lawyer and feature writer. He’s discussed the crime and thriller genre on national radio, top podcasts and onstage at festivals.
He’s also the author of the HRF Keating Award (UK) and Macavity Prize (US) shortlisted Southern Cross Crime, a readers’ guide to Australian and New Zealand crime fiction, film, and television and the editor of Dark Deeds Down Under 1 and Dark Deeds Down Under 2
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