The Davitt Awards are held annually by Sisters in Crime to recognise the best in crime writing by Australian women. This year is the awards' 10th anniversary and there are forty books competing for the prizes in the categories of Adult Fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction and True Crime. Here are the shortlists.
Adult Fiction
- Sharp Shooter by Marianne Delacourt
- Forbidden Fruit by Kerry Greenwood
- Red Dust by Fleur McDonald
- Steel River by Antoinette Eklund
- Dark Country by Bronwyn Parry
- The Labyrinth of Drowning by Alex Palmer
- Too Many Murders by Colleen McCulloch
- A Beautiful Death by Fiona McIntosh
- Siren by Tara Moss
- Gene Thieves by Maria Quinn
- Gladiatrix by Rhonda Roberts
- Move to Strike by Sydney Bauer
- Pearl in A Cage by Joy Dettman
- Bloodborn by Kathryn Fox
- The Killing Hands by PD Martin
- The Devil’s Staircase by Helen Fitzgerald
- Riding High by Emma Boling
- Red Queen by H.M. Brown
- Ghost Child: The Past Is Always Close Behind by Caroline Overington
- Black Ice by Leah Giarrantano
- Pestle & Mortar by Carol Gibson
Children's and Young Adult Fiction
- The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks
- Genius Wars by Catherine Jinks
- Liar by Justine Larbalestier
- Hedgeburners: An A~Z Mystery by Goldie Alexander
- Pop Princess by Isabelle Merlin
- Cupid’s Arrow by Isabelle Merlin
- Conspiracy 365 - January by Gabrielle Lord
- The Walk Right in Detective Agency – Bad News for Milk Bay by Moya Simons
- The Walk Right in Detective Agency – On the Case The Walk by Moya Simons
- The Walk Right in Detective Agency – Mischief Afoot by Moya Simons
True Crime
- Lady Killer: How Conman Bruce Burrell Kidnapped and Killed Rich Women for Their Money by Candace Sutton and Ellen Connolly
- A Greater Guilt: Constance Emilie Kent and the Road Murder by Noelene Kyle
- Crime Time: Australians Behaving Badly by Sue Bursztynski
- Salvation – The True Story of Rod Braybon’s Fight for Justice by Vikki Petraitis
- Hotel Kerobokan: The Shocking Inside Story of Bali's Most Notorious Jail by Kathryn Bonella
- Lambs to the Slaughter by Debi Marshall
- Blood Brother: Justice at Last by Robin Bowles
- Outside the Law 3 by Lindy Cameron (ed)
- Forensic Investigator: True Stories from the Life of a Country Crime Scene Cop by Esther Mckay
The winners will be announced on August 28 at a special Melbourne Writers Festival dinner to be hosted by Scottish crime writer Val McDermid, who will be out here for the festival.
