I was eagerly awaiting this second anthology from Craig Sisterson since I really enjoyed the first offering. I have not been disappointed.

We are very lucky to have such a wealth of talent in Australia and New Zealand and I am excited to have discovered some more new authors. This anthology is jam packed with some tense, creepy and dark short stories. There is a lot of variety: some are dark, some hilarious, many are clever or topical, a few are quite chilling, several feature revenge or resentment, a few are thought-provoking, and most will entertain.

I was amazed how, even in these short stories, some authors manage remarkable characterisation. This is evident in ‘The Snare’ by Charity Norman. The tension in ‘Spike’ by Robert Gott is so thick and edge of your seat and is very impressive for a short story. ‘Shock waves’ by Ashley Kalagian Blunt is an ambitious story spanning generations and countries and shows what a bright new talent she is. ‘Poems from El Dorado’ by Dorothy Porter was a surprise and I thoroughly enjoyed crime via poetry.

Each author manages to pull us right into the story, setting the scene and delivering the power punches in perfect style and leaving a real satisfaction at the end of every tale.

A perfect collection for those brief moments in time – commutes, lunch breaks – where you just need a tempting distraction. When you crave a good read but don’t have time to settle in for a long reading session, this is just the ticket. Definitely recommended. Brilliant Down Under crime fiction.

Reviewed by Alison Logie

Read a book review of Dark Deeds Down Under Vol 1

ABOUT THE EDITOR

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

Read an interview with Craig Sisterson

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