AustLit

'In this article, the author, an established crime novelist, examines what distinguishes the crime novel form and some of the ways in which it has been regarded by both past and present authors and critics, and with reference to his own practice.' (Publisher's abstract)

'The creators and consumers of crime fiction have changed dramatically since the genre, established in ancient times to define legal and moral codes and indicate the consequences for breaking those codes, first started to gain widespread popularity as a form of entertainment in the eighteenth century. One of the most significant of these changes can be seen in the slow but steady rise of the female as consumer, creator and character. There are many ways to explore some of the gendered changes within the crime fiction genre, one of which is to examine novels written by women who have chosen female protagonists to tell their stories. Ostensibly quite different texts, Miles Franklin’s Bring the Monkey (1933), June Wright’s Murder in the Telephone Exchange (1948) and Elizabeth Antill’s Death on the Barrier Reef (1952) are three debut crime novels that share some striking similarities. In addition to all three novels featuring female first-person narrators, these stories also tell tales of very violent crimes and contribute to documenting some of the shifts in views on gender, female friendship, marriage and class within what has become the world’s most popular genre.' (Publication abstract)

'In the mid-1950s, Carter Brown Mystery books were selling in the millions in Australia; their robust humour and simple plots made them ideal fodder for radio adaptation. The Carter Brown Mystery Theatre did not make a great impact upon Australian radio per se, but it was popular enough to be onsold overseas. This article explores the Carter Brown Mystery Theatre as an exemplar of recuperating an unexplored area of the Australian radio industry: popular crime serials. Finally, it posits a ‘grammar’ of radio.' (Publication abstract)

'This article reveals the multilayered structure of Barry Maitland’s second Brock and Kolla mystery, The Malcontenta (1995). In particular, it will be shown how the concept of hospitality is reflexively staged, as is the concept of the novel’s paratextual skin and sub-dermal liminal zones, in order to set up any number of border crossings and transgressions. To this end, the work of the Yale School of deconstructionists is used to demonstrate how each border crossing suggests an alternative reading of the text. Multiple instances of mise en abyme will be exposed as, respectively, the authority of detective, author and reader is challenged. Certain red herrings will be elevated to the status of alternate solutions and, finally, a suggested alternate murderer will be installed from outside the more obvious candidates on offer.' (Publication abstract)