Jeff Popple
murdermayhem.bsky.social
Jeff Popple
@murdermayhem.bsky.social
Long time book collector and crime fiction reviewer: Canberra Times, Canberra Weekly, Deadly Pleasures etc and judge for Ned Kelly, Ngaio Marsh and Barry Awards. Dachshund owner Blog: murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
I have had some help in picking out some books to read over the Christmas and New Year period. A mixture of old, #AndrewGarve, new and a couple of forthcoming books. Fiona Hardy Alex Finlay @aceatkins.bsky.social M.K. Oliver #Books2026 #Crime #ClassicCrime murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/books-and-da...
BOOKS AND DACHSHUNDS: HOLIDAY READING DECEMBER 2025
With Christmas and New Year on the very near horizon, 2025 is virtually wrapped up, and my reading over the holiday period will be largely focused on the new releases for 2026 that I have received,…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
December 21, 2025 at 1:11 AM
2025 is almost done & the books are piling up for 2026! Here are 6 of the best Aussie/Kiwi crime novels that I have received so far. @timayliffe.bsky.social @jppomare.bsky.social Sam Elliott @fearofemeralds.bsky.social Geoff Parkes Lisa Walker murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/book-haul-ne...
BOOK HAUL – NEW 2026 AUSTRALIAN/NEW ZEALAND CRIME NOVELS
2025 is rapidly coming to a close and the books are beginning to pile up for 2026! I will be doing a post on my most anticipated titles for 2026 in the New Year, but here are six of the 2026 Austra…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
December 18, 2025 at 3:54 AM
The pseudonymous Andrew Garve wrote over 40 thrillers and crime novels from 1950 to 1978. Frame-Up (1964) is one of his police detective stories and is well worth tracking down. A good, angst-free weekend read. #paperback #coverart #classicrime #1960s murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/forgotten-cr...
FORGOTTEN CRIME: FRAME-UP by ANDREW GARVE (1964)
Frame-Up by Andrew Garve (Pan, 1972) Paul Winterton wrote over forty thrillers and crime novels, mainly under the pseudonym of Andrew Garve, from the early 1950s through to the late 1970s. I can va…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
December 12, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Here are 7 very good crime novels and thrillers that deserved more publicity and greater attention in 2025. @tommeadauthor.bsky.social RobertBryndza MarkEllis #darcycoates KevinWignall @kerrywilkinson.bsky.social Simon Mason murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/under-the-ra...
UNDER THE RADAR: SEVEN GOOD BOOKS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN 2025
Every year there are piles of books released with a fanfare of manufactured publicity by publishers, and certain reviewers, while other equally good books quietly find their way onto bookseller she…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
December 1, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Fans of the Preston & Child thrillers are in for a treat in 2026! Coming on 27/1/2026 is an origin story for their series about FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast, while in April we have the sequel to Douglas Preston's Extinction. #thrillers #2026reads murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/looking-forw...
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2026: PENDERGAST by DOUGLAS PRESTON & LINCOLN CHILD and PARADOX by DOUGLAS PRESTON & ALETHEIA PRESTON
Fans of the thrillers by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are in for a real treat in 2026! Coming in January is an origin story for their popular series about the extraordinary FBI agent Aloysius …
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Victor Canning has largely slipped from view but in his prime was a very popular British thriller writer of some terrific books in the 1950s to 80s. The Scorpio Letters is not his best, but is still a damn good read #coverart #thriller #1960s #thrillerclub murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/forgotten-th...
FORGOTTEN THRILLERS: THE SCORPIO LETTERS By VICTOR CANNING
The Scorpio Letters by Victor Canning (Thriller Club Edition, 1965) Victor Canning (1911-86) has largely slipped from modern view, but in his prime was a very popular British thriller writer who pr…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Fans of Tartan Noir can look forward to two good new books by
Marion Todd and Eva Macrae (aka @lynnemcewanwriter.bsky.social) in 2026. Short review of Eva's A Death In Glasgow attached, plus preview of Marion's Watch Them Fall murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/tartan-noir-...
TARTAN NOIR 2026: NEW BOOKS BY MARION TODD and EVA MACRAE
Tartan Noir certainly gets off to a good start in 2026 with books by two of the quietly performing champions of the genre. A Death In Glasgow by Eva Macrae (Century, 8 January 2026) Eva Macrae is b…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:23 AM
I have finally caught up with some entertaining books from earlier in the year by @charliekm.bsky.social, Matthew Blake Christopher Reich and a good festive tale by @lisaunger.bsky.social. Short reviews attached. murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/november-202...
NOVEMBER 2025 CRIME ROUND-UP: NEW BOOKS BY MATTHEW BLAKE, CHRISTOPHER REICH, CHARLIE DONLEA and LISA UNGER
The end of the year is rapidly approaching and I have been trying to catch up on some books that I missed earlier in the year, plus a seasonal short story by the talented Lisa Unger. A Murder In Pa…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:11 AM
My recent finds in the wild have mainly been in the darker underbelly of 1960s men adventure books: Nazis, Japanese POW stories and sexual perversion! But good covers! #pulp #paperbackcovers #cover #coverart #1960s murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/trashy-tuesd...
TRASHY TUESDAY: 1960s EXPLOITATION PAPERBACKS – NAZIS, POWS, PERVERSION AND WHITE COOLIES
Paperback publishers, especially Horwitz in Australia, underpinned their usual output of crime, romance and westerns with less savoury books that sought to exploit serious issues with lurid covers …
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:15 PM
This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed three good, end of year crime novels by the Queen of Cold Case Crime @valmcdermid.bsky.social & Australian authors Alan Carter and Matthew Reilly. Good books and great potential Xmas presents murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/canberra-wee...
CANBERRA WEEKLY 6 NOVEMBER 2025: NEW CRIME BY VAL McDERMID, ALAN CARTER and MATTHEW REILLY
This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed three very different new thrillers about new and old crimes. Silent Bones by Val McDermid (Little, Brown, 23 October 2025) First up is Silent Bones, (Lit…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:32 AM
2025 is almost over but books keep on coming! Here are 3 great new Aussie/Kiwi crime books by Alan Carter Jack Heath, Chris Blake & forthcoming titles by Natalie Conyer & @timayliffe.bsky.social and news @sularigentill.bsky.social murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/downunder-cr...
DOWNUNDER CRIME UPDATE, NOVEMBER 2025: REVIEWS, NEWS AND PREVIEWS
It is getting down to the business end of the year with the final lot of 2025 books being released just in time for Christmas. It is also the time when reviewers around the world begin to reflect a…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Xmas is just around the corner and the big crime and thriller blockbusters are hitting the stores - here are short reviews of the 4 main ones. @harlancoben.bsky.social @reesewitherspoonbr.bsky.social Matthew Reilly @peterjamesauthor.bsky.social Lee Child murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/blockbusters...
BLOCKBUSTERS FOR CHRISTMAS: NEW BOOKS BY LEE & ANDREW CHILD, HARLAN COBEN & REESE WITHERSPOON, PETER JAMES and MATTHEW REILLY
Christmas is just around the corner and the big crime and thriller blockbusters are hitting the stores over the next week or two. I have done some short reviews of the four main ones. Gone Before G…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
October 22, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Michael Connelly's new 'Lincoln Lawyer' novel, The Proving Ground, is out tomorrow and it is a gripping courtroom journey through the dangers of the AI tidal wave. Highly recommended. @michaelconnelly.bsky.social
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/courtroom-th...
COURTROOM THRILLER 2025: THE PROVING GROUND by MICHAEL CONNELLY
The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly (Allen & Unwin, 21 October 2025) Michael Connelly’s latest ‘Lincoln Lawyer’ novel, The Proving Ground (Allen & Unwin, 21 October 202…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
October 20, 2025 at 12:58 AM
October brings 3 very good and very different crime novels, from cold case mystery to James Bond spin-off to gritty Aussie noir. All well worth reading. Short reviews @valmcdermid.bsky.social @vaseemkhanuk.bsky.social @davidwhish-wilson.bsky.social murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/october-2025...
OCTOBER 2025 READING: NEW BOOKS BY VAL McDERMID, VASEEM KHAN and DAVID WHISH-WILSON
Three very different crime novels for your late October reading: a good cold case mystery, an interesting James Bond spin-off and a tough, gritty noir thriller by one of Australia’s best crim…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
October 16, 2025 at 5:10 AM
This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed three very different, but equally good, outback Australian crime novels by Garry Disher, @mbrisso.bsky.social and Alex Dook. Some very good reading here. Short, spoiler-free reviews attached. murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/canberra-wee...
CANBERRA WEEKLY 2 OCTOBER 2025: NEW OUTBACK CRIME BY GARRY DISHER, ALEX DOOK and MICHAEL BRISSENDEN
This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed three very good outback Australia crime novels by Garry Disher, Michael Brissenden and Alex Dook. Mischance Creek by Garry Disher (Text, 30 September 202…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
October 3, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Fans of gritty outback Australian noir can rejoice with the release of new books by 2 doyens of the genre: Garry Disher & Jane Harper. Very different books, but both are good reads #JaneHarper #GarryDisher #booksky #outbacknoir @textpublishing.bsky.social murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/outback-noir...
OUTBACK NOIR 2025: MISCHANCE CREEK BY GARRY DISHER and LAST ONE OUT BY JANE HARPER
October brings new books by two of the doyens of Australian outback crime. Mischance Creek by Garry Disher (Text, 30 September 2025) Few, if any, do outback noir consistently as well as Garry Dishe…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
October 2, 2025 at 11:43 PM
This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed three very different crime novels that moved from rural Victoria to sunny Byron Bay to Renaissance Venice. By Margaret Hickey, @pathomas.bsky.social & @dvbishop.com murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/canberra-wee...
CANBERRA WEEKLY 24 JULY 2025: NEW CRIME FICTION BY D.V. BISHOP, MARGARET HICKEY and P. A. THOMAS
This week in the Canberra Weekly I reviewed three new crime novels by ‘Downunder’ authors P. A Thomas, D. V. Bishop and Margaret Hickey. Carnival Of Lies by D. V. Bishop (Macmillan, 1 J…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
July 25, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Early August delivers two good thrillers: including a new Eddie Flynn novel by @stevecavanagh.bsky.social and a clever psychological novel by @kerrywilkinson.bsky.social - The Tapes. Both books are very enjoyable. Short spoiler-free reviews here: murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/deadly-twist...
DEADLY TWISTS AND TURNS: NEW AUGUST 2025 CRIME FICTION BY STEVE CAVANAGH AND KERRY WILKINSON
August brings two really good suspense thrillers to keep you happily reading well into the night! Two Kinds Of Strangers by Steve Cavanagh (Headline, 29 July 2025) Steve Cavanagh’s books about New …
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
July 18, 2025 at 6:41 AM
After a good police detective novel in which the detective is not consumed by addiction or dark past secrets? Then try Broke Road by Matthew Spencer. Good plot, briskly paced and nice local Australian rural background. murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/new-australi...
NEW AUSTRALIAN RURAL CRIME: BROKE ROAD by MATTHEW SPENCER
Broke Road by Matthew Spencer (Allen & Unwin, 1 July 2025 Matthew Spencer’s Black River stood out as one of the best Australian debuts of 2022, and he has now followed it up with the …
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
July 8, 2025 at 2:10 AM
My recent reading has been very mixed and includes new novels by @tommeadauthor.bsky.social, Lisa Jewell, @alanparks.bsky.social & Riley Sager. Park's Gunner was my favourite, but there is almost something for everyone! Short, spoiler-free reviews attached
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/recent-readi...
RECENT READING: NEW BOOKS BY LISA JEWELL, TOM MEAD, RILEY SAGER and ALAN PARKS
My recent reading has been a real mix of styles and criminal approaches, with three of them exploring different historical periods and places. Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell (Century, 1 July…
murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
July 4, 2025 at 12:38 AM