Q&A with Shelley Burr

Briefly tell us (spoiler free!) what readers can expect from your new novel VANISH

Lane Holland knows his crime solving career ended the day he went to prison. Even if his upcoming parole hearing goes his way, an ex-con can’t work as a private eye. But one unsolved case still haunts him — Matilda Carver, the missing daughter of his prison’s governor.

Never one to follow the rules, Lane finds a lead — a mysterious farm community, lead by the charismatic and controlling Samuel Karpathy. His farm attracts people who are lost and searching for something. People who want a more meaningful life. People who are hiding from something. People who have nowhere else to go.

People who go to the farm and are never seen again.

Is it a commune? Is it a cult? Is it something even more dangerous?

Lane thinks he already risked it all. But when he goes undercover at the Karpathy farm, he’s going to learn that there’s always something more to lose.

What inspired you to write crime novels? Why do you think the genre has such longevity, here and abroad?

I’ve always loved crime fiction – I love a puzzle. But I didn’t set out to be a crime fiction writer. The idea for WAKE grabbed me and wouldn’t let go, and in the course of writing it I decided that writing it as a crime fiction novel was the best way to tell the main character Mina’s story.

From there, the ideas for crime novels kept flowing, and I find writing in the genre really satisfying.

I think crime fiction novels are easy to pick up and start reading — they grab you right away with an intriguing mystery, you can follow along and try to solve the puzzle as the detective does, and you can trust that your questions will be answered by the end. It’s satisfying.

How has your protagonist, Lane Holland, changed since we first met him in your debut WAKE?

That’s a question Lane is asking himself!

The Lane Holland in WAKE was hyper focused on solving the Evelyn McCreery case, at all costs. He was going to solve it, he was going to get enough reward money to keep him and his family comfortable for the rest of their lives, and he was going to put the bad guy away forever. He was willing to destroy himself to get that solve.

The Lane in VANISH is years on from that decision. He destroyed himself, but he’s still here. He’s trying to figure out what comes next and who he wants to be.

What do you think makes your novels feel distinctly Australian?

I grew up in a split custody situation, spending school terms with my mother in Newcastle, NSW and school holidays with my father in Glenrowan, Victoria. Those towns are about eight hours apart by car, so I spent a lot of time stopped in small towns.

I love small towns, the ways they’re similar and what makes each one unique. Whenever we stop in one I’m always out snapping pictures of community halls and historic markers and what’s on display in the bakery case for later reference.

I also love the outdoors. We live on a farm, and I’m happiest when out climbing our hills and walking through the paddocks.

I think that level of affection makes it easy to take in and remember little details, and then reproduce the feeling of being in distinctly Australian towns and landscapes.

Who are some of your favourite Aussie crime writers and why?

Dinuka McKenzie. She’s a skilled writer and genuinely one of the best people I know. I love that her work is set in a regional centre, which can be a bit of a missing middle in Australian crime fiction — most books are set either in big cities or tiny towns.

Jack Heath. Jack is 100% committed to writing the most entertaining crime story he can. I always know I’m going to have a great time when I pick up one of his books.

Matthew Spencer, Kylie Orr and Sally Bothroyd. I’ve heard people complain that there isn’t enough urban crime fiction set in Australia, but these authors are doing great things in that space.

Chris Hammer. Obviously.

Jane Harper. Jane’s mysteries and wonderfully constructed, and she’s the undisputed queen of the genre. We all owe her a drink.