Congratulations to the 2017 winners of the Ned Kelly Awards for the best in Australian crime writing!

Best Fiction

Police at the Station and They Don’t Look Friendly by Adrian McKinty

Police at the Station and They Don’t Look Friendly by Adrian McKinty is the newest installment in his popular detective series set in 1980s Belfast. In this novel, Detective Inspector Sean Duffy heads down his most dangerous road yet. Hunted by forces unknown, threatened by Internal Affairs and with his relationship on the rocks, he will need all his wits to get out of this investigation in one piece.

Best first fiction

The Dry by Jane Harper

Jane Harper’s debut novel follows federal police officer Aaron Falk as he returns to his rural hometown to investigate an apparent murder-suicide, that might be more than it seems. The Dry was one of our top 10 best crime books of last year, and you can read why our staff loved it here.

Best true crime

Getting Away With Murder by Duncan McNab and The Drowned Man by Brendan James Murray

2017 has seen two books named as co-winners in the true crime category.

Around 80 men died or disappeared in NSW from the late 70s to early 90s during an epidemic of gay-hate crimes. Getting Away With Murder is the story of this time in Australian history.

The Drowned Man by Brendan James Murray is a true story of life, death and murder on HMAS Australia, and search for answers.