At 74, with several award-winning books and a Ned Kelly Lifetime Achievement behind him, you'd have every right to think Garry Disher was at the top of his game.
But he's the first to admit he thinks his best book is ahead of him.
"I'm getting better at the craft of writing," he says.
"I'm a planner, some of my colleagues say they don't plan, but I plan in minute detail, for several weeks, sometimes two to three months, in advance.
"But I'm always listening to the voice in the back of my head that warns me that it might not work, so I'm not a complete slave to the plan.
"And I think I'm getting better at plotting, at staying one step ahead of the reader, teasing the reader, and using some of the techniques of crime writing, leading them down the wrong rabbit hole."
He's certainly doing that in Sanctuary, his 60th book. At its core are two women: Grace, a thief who specialises in small, high-value items such as stamps and watches; and Erin, the owner of an antique store in rural South Australia. Grace is laying low after a run-in and walks into the store by chance and sees a chance for something different.
And that's where the rabbit hole begins. There are two men after the women for different reasons and their lives are all about to intersect. There are themes of coercive control, toxic misogyny, online fraud and its repercussions for the victim and so much more. It's told from differing perspectives, each character revealing their own secrets.
"I've always been interested in what drives people, what's motivating them," Disher says.
"And I have an eye for seeing what's happening in current affairs and thinking how those themes might play out in a novel.
"It's not always just about the crime."
He mentions Andrew Tate, the controversial social media influencer accused of anti-women views, who is facing extradition to the United Kingdom over rape and human trafficking claims. Tate had been detained in Romania since December 2022.
"One of the male characters in Sanctuary does admire a figure like that, his views on women and physical fitness ... so I do try to tap into what's happening in the world," Disher says.
"Another book, Day's End, touches on the rise of far-right movements in Australia, COVID denial, anti-vaxxer sympathisers. It gives the books more depth."
While he's best known for his trio of series: 10 novels centring on the anti-hero criminal Wyatt; the Peninsula series, set around Victoria's Mornington Peninsula where Disher has lived for 35 years; and the Hirsch series, featuring small-town Constable Paul Hirschhausen. Sanctuary is a standalone.
"I think my publishers would like a Hirsch novel every year but I like to test my boundaries, see what I'm capable of," he says.
"He would become quite stale to me if I was with him all the time so I intervene with a standalone like this one, it keeps me on my toes."
Grace did appear as a minor character in one of the Peninsula books, "and she kind of tapped me on the shoulder wanting her own story told", he says.
"Even though she was only in a couple of chapters, she was very interesting to me and I wanted to get to know her even more."
He says, in some ways, Grace is like Wyatt, from his earlier books.
"But he's much harder, more violent professional criminal, he robs banks and is quick to get his revenge," he says.
"Grace is much more interesting, because she has more personality. I needed to be able to see her when she's lonely and anxious and afraid."
Disher has been critical about the new wave of "rural noir", saying he thinks the "small town with a dark secret" format could become a cliche.
"I have mixed feelings, mostly I'm pleased. I remember about 15 years ago, publishers saying no-one was interested in Australian crime fiction and they were cutting their lists, but it's gone from strength to strength," he says.
"I do worry people are just jumping on the bandwagon, the outback, small town, with dastardly deeds and buried secrets, there have been a few too many of those and not all of them have been very good."
That said, he is an advocate for telling Australian stories.
"I think we're much more relaxed about writing about ourselves now, about setting stories in Australia," he says.
"Whether that be in books, television, film, depicting Australian characters doesn't feel so forced now, it didn't seem genuine for a while there.
"It's something we're getting better at doing."
He reads a lot of general fiction alongside crime novels, citing Irish author Claire Keegan and Michael Connelly as two of his favourites at the moment.
He also enjoys "crap television" alongside Scandinavian crime dramas and shows such as True Detective.
"I watch and read for pleasure mainly, but if it's bad I try and work out why it's bad, why it's not working ... I'm not a sponge, but an active reader in that sense, to learn more about the craft," Disher says.
There's no stopping him.
Karen Hardy
I've covered a few things here at The Canberra Times over the years, from sport to education. But now I get to write about the fun stuff - where to eat, what to do, places to go, people to see. Let me know about your favourite things. Email: karen.hardy@canberratimes.com.au
I've covered a few things here at The Canberra Times over the years, from sport to education. But now I get to write about the fun stuff - where to eat, what to do, places to go, people to see. Let me know about your favourite things. Email: karen.hardy@canberratimes.com.au
