The Bookman discovers an impressive new crime fiction author based in Perth, W.A.

Several weeks ago the enterprising Media & Promotions Manager at Freemantle Press, who knows of my passion for excellent crime fiction from being a visitor to my blog, sent me an advance copy of GETTING WARMER by Alan Carter, his second published title. I was so impressed with this novel, couldn’t put it down, that I immediately asked her for a review copy of his first, PRIME CUT. I have read this here in idyllic Port Douglas on the first two days of a week-long holiday.

Now I am not allowed to say anything about GETTING WARMER at this stage as it is not published until October but I can talk about the first title as it was published in 2011 and is still in print having been reprinted several times. Unsurprisingly this first title was shortlisted for the 2010 UK Crime Writer’s Association Debut Dagger award and then went on in Australia to win the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction in 2011.

Both novels are set in Western Australia and both feature the piano-playing Chinese Australian Detective Cato Wong. He is a hugely appealing and hopefully these two titles are the first in a long series.

Author Alan Carter has strong New Zealand connections owning a house in the Marlborough Sounds near Havelock which he and his family visit as often as they can and where he plans eventually to live fulltime. And excitingly he has hopes and plans for a new detective series based in the Nelson/Tasman/Marlborough districts featuring a former undercover cop now living in New Zealand under a witness protection programme. Meantime he tells me he has at least three more Cato novels planned. Bravo I say.