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Life In Outer Space by Melissa Keil
Sam is biding his time at a high school full of ‘knob-jocks’. An aspiring screenwriter with a fondness for horror flicks, his world (of warcraft) starts to change with the arrival of Camilla. She’s friendly, pretty and cool and, much…
My Little River by Jess Ribeiro and the Bone Collectors
Originally self-released in May 2012, this much-sought-after album received a ‘proper’ release in December. ABC Radio National deemed it to be their prestigious album of the year, and it is a cracking debut.
Jess Ribeiro and the Bone Collectors formed…
Buddy & Jim by Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale
Longtime mates Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale have finally got round to making an album. And what an enjoyable listen it is, with their rough harmonies working beautifully together.
Miller’s great guitar playing is all over this, with forays into…
Traveling Alone by Tift Merritt
Texas-born Tift Merrit listened to a lot of Joni Mitchell in her youth before moving to North Carolina and starting out as a singer-songwriter. Merritt is a gifted musician and if you like the mix of country rock and balladry…
Songs from the Shipyards: Diversions Vol. 3 by The Unthanks
British folk band The Unthanks are on to the third record in their Diversions series. I’ve been really enjoying what they’ve been producing so far with these collaborations – first with the songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony Hegarty of…
Bedsit Disco Queen by Tracey Thorn
Picture this. You’ve just had your breakout album and your career trajectory looks set for the stratosphere. Out of the blue, the management of U2 wants you to support them on a stadium tour of the USA. Would you take…
I Hear the Sirens in the Street by Adrian McKinty
Northern Ireland, 1983: the unfortunate home of the Troubles and the fortunate home of Catholic Detective Inspector Sean Duffy. Smart, funny, tough and sad, he’s not impartial to a bit of poetry, or in fact a bit of weed from…
The Woman Who Wouldn't Die by Colin Cotterill
It’s late-70s Laos and National Coroner Dr Siri Paiboun is on his ninth literary jaunt. This time he is taking his wife, Madame Daeng, for a lovely weekend away. Their chosen vacation spot just happens to be the place in…
The Healer by Antti Tuomainen
It wouldn’t be Dead Write without a Scandinavian entry, and February’s is The Healer, a Finnish crime book set, interestingly, in a post-apocalyptic future where flooding and riots are the norm and everyone is fleeing north. Left behind is…
Hanging Devils: Hong Jun Investigates by He Jiahong
Based on true events, Hanging Devils sees lawyer Hong Jun back in 1990s Beijing. He’s returned from the US to a new China, and his case sends him to the mountains in the north-east of the country where a young…
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