The Australian Crime Writers Association has announced the 2019 longlist for the Ned Kelly Awards. Named after the most infamous criminal in Australian history, the awards honour the best crime fiction and true crime writing in the country. Now in its 24th year the Awards are Australia’s oldest and most prestigious crime writing awards.

Here are the books longlisted for each category:

Best first fiction

• Half Moon Lake by Kirsten Alexander
• Practice Baby by Kathleen Burns
• The Portrait of Molly Dean by Katherine Kovacic
• The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan
• The Yellow House by Emily O'Grady
• Call Me Evie by J. P. Pomare
• Greenlight by Ben Stevenson
• Lonely Girl by Lynne Vincent McCarthy
• The Nowhere Child by Christian White

Best crime

• The Rip by Mark Brandi
• Kill Shot: A Wyatt Thriller by Garry Disher
• Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox
• The Spotted Dog by Kerry Greenwood
• Scrublands by Chris Hammer
• The Lost Man by Jane Harper
• The Other Wife by Michael Robotham
• Preservation by Jock Serong
• Under Your Wings by Tiffany Tsao
• Live and Let Fry by Sue Williams

Best true crime

• Trace: Who killed Maria James? by Rachael Brown
• The Arsonist by Chloe Hooper
• Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee
• Southern Justice by Colin McLaren
• Siege: Inside the Lindt Cafe by Deborah Snow
• The Prisoner: How One Woman’s Jail Term was the Making of Her by Kerry Tucker with Craig Henderson
• The Court Reporter by Janelle Wells
• Waiting for Elijah by Kate Wild

ACWA’s Deputy Chair, Robert Goodman said, ‘This year’s Long Lists for the Ned Kelly Awards is indicative of the diversity and breadth of the Australian crime-writing scene.’ The awards will be held in Sydney on Friday September 6 as part of the BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival. Congratulations to all shortlisted authors.

For more information on the Awards, visit the website.