Imaginative crime stories with quirky comic moments, deadly characters and a frisson of feminism

We all feel cynical sometimes, don't we? Today on Scarlet's Stiletto Bites, we meet a super cynic. She's seen everything, but her cynicism leads her to discover seriously sinister crimes. Thursday Night at the Opera by Christina Lee, the Scarlett's Stiletto winner in 1998, and warning: there are a few dark themes in this story.About the Author, Christina LeeChristina Lee won the Scarlet Stiletto twice, much to her surprise, in 1992 and 1994, with an Honourable Mention or Third Place or something in between. Under the Sisters in Crime policy, she was not able to enter the competition after that, and was invited to be a judge. Christina has been on the judging panel every year since then, a wonderful experience, she says. She now coordinates the final judging session.Christina has been writing a long time. Decades ago, she co-authored two crime novels, set in a Melbourne tertiary institution (Unable by Reason of Death, 1989; Not In Single Spies, 1992; Penguin Australia). Both sold and reviewed well. The first was an ABC book reading (1990) and optioned for screen. After that, an all-encompassing thirty-year academic career seriously got in the way of writing for about thirty years, but Christina is an Emeritus Professor now and is back, looking for a publisher for her new crime novel.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer, and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Announcer: Leigh Redhead

ProductionManager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia

Do we really wonder WHY women kill? We watched the TV series of that name… well a lot of us did. Long before Coercive Control was even a thing, women were responding to it, with dreams of their own domestic revenge.In today's Scarlet Stiletto Bite - the character Cyndi, an ordinary suburban woman does a bit more than dream…

Back in 2005, a friend suggested to Julie Waight that she enter the Sisters in Crime Short Story Competition. She plucked out one of her many short stories, (Dust Devils) edited, did a rewrite to comply with the competition criteria and entered. She says she was astonished when she won.

Julie: "I wish I could say that was the beginning of my published writing career. It wasn’t. I’m old-school, I like the smell of a new book and to feel the paper as I turn a page. I’m not on face book, twitter, or Instagram (whatever that is) and not a computer savvy person. There was a close call when a publishing company in the UK wanted to publish my novel Kindred, but the company folded before that happened (something to do with Brexit?)– this opportunity only arose when an interested work student did all the research and sent my novel online – something I can’t seem to do myself.

Obviously, I require an agent! (Anyone interested?) I’ve written four novels and over thirty short stories. Thank you to Sisters in Crime, who allowed me to see my work in published form!"

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Announcer: Leigh Redhead

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Music: sampled and inspired by Prokofiev

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia 2023

Sometimes it is hard to look past the “usual suspects” when a crime is investigated. Perhaps it even takes a smidge of “women’s intuition...

Ruth Wykes is an author and editor who lives and works on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Ruth has co-authored two true crime books: Women Who Kill with Lindy Cameron and Invisible Women with Kylie Fox (both Clan Destine Press).

Ruth is currently writing her debut crime novel and belongs to a small but passionate writers’ group who meet regularly to write and share experiences. She enjoys writing fiction and in 2016 won the coveted Scarlet Stiletto short story competition. She has extensive experience in editing and proofreading and has written book reviews for a number of publications.

In recent years Ruth has discovered a love of judging and is currently on the panel of judges for Sisters in Crime’s Davitt Awards for best crime books by women. In her free time Ruth enjoys gardening, her friends, AFL football, and attempting the occasional home renovation project.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Announcer: Leigh Redhead

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Music: sampled & inspired by Prokofiev

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia

Murders happen in the strangest places and for the strangest reasons… as today’s story illustrates.

When Aoife Clifford won the Scarlet Stiletto in 2007, she was at home with two small children, suffering terrible morning sickness with what was soon to be her third. Now her eldest has left home and her third crime novel is about to come out in hardback in the UK and she is writing her fourth. The Scarlet Stiletto opened publishing doors but just as importantly introduced her to a community of crime writing friends to enjoy the crazy ride with.

Aoife Clifford was born in London of Irish parents and now lives in Melbourne. She is the author of best-selling literary crime novels, Second Sight (Highly Commended at the Davitt Awards), and All These Perfect Strangers, (long listed for both the ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year and the Voss Literary Prize). Aoife is a S.D. Harvey award winner, has been shortlisted for the UK Crime Association’s Debut Dagger among other prizes. Her award-winning short stories have been published in Australia, UK and US. Her latest novel is When We Fall (Ultimo Press)

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Announcer: Leigh Redhead

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Music: sampled & inspired by Prokofiev

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia 2023

Crime can come close to us in more ways than one. Would you rather have a loved one who is a victim? Or a perpetrator?

The Mother in today’s story, has both.

Eleven years elapsed between Josephine Pennicott’s first Scarlet Stiletto shoe for “Birthing the Demons” in 2001 and her second shoe for “Shadows” in 2012. This taught her a lot about tenacity and belief in self. Winning the Scarlet Stiletto helped Josephine gain attention from a major publishing company, which led to her securing a literary agent. Since then, she has had five books published both in Australia and internationally. Her mystery novel Poet’s Cottage was a Spiegel bestseller in Germany.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Announcer: Leigh Redhead

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Music: sampled & inspired by Prokofiev

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia 2023

Sometimes is gets very hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys. And often the good guys can get burnout, like Lizzie in today’s story.

In 2003, Jacqui Horwood was an emerging writer working at Victoria Police and scratching away at short stories. In 2016 she was an emerging writer who had two draft manuscripts and a number of published short stories under her belt. The shoes have boosted her confidence and remind her that she can do it. She is still an emerging writer. She was a judge for Sisters in Crime’s Davitt Awards for best crime books for 10 years.

CreditsConcept designer, co-producer and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Announcer: Leigh Redhead

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Music: sampled & inspired by Prokofiev

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia 2023

The outback of Australia can hold many mysteries and secrets. And its vastness can cover a criminal’s tracks and a family’s hidden past...

Hayley Young lives in Canberra with her family and enjoys writing across multiple genres. In 2021, she was at work (sneaking a snack) when she returned a missed call to learn she had won the 28th Sisters in Crime Scarlet Stiletto Award and Scriptworks Award for a Great Film Idea. Winning inspired further dedication to her love of writing, and in 2022 her success was followed by second place as well as Best Thriller in the 29th Scarlet Stiletto Awards. She was also the winner of the inaugural ACWA Louie Award 2022, and Audio Arcadia and MNC Writers’ Centre short story competitions in 2021. She has been published in multiple Australian and international works, including four anthologies by Stringybark Publishing, and two shortlisted entries in the Hammond House International Literary Competition (UK). She is currently working on three novels.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Announcer: Leigh Redhead

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Music: sampled & inspired by Prokofiev

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia 2023