This was a fun read.
A group of Australian crime writers write an explanation of who they are, how they write, why they write and throw in their "Rules" and "Five Must-Reads". They write with humour.
It's dangerous to read anthologies like this if you have a "To Be Read" pile as big as mine.
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Crime fiction is one of my favourite genres and I am not too choosy about the type – police procedurals, cozies, detective fiction, psychological thrillers – as long as there is a crime involved, I am willing to pick it up. My bookshelves were once dominated by authors such as Ed McBain, Jonathon Kellerman, Patricia Cornwall, Janet Evanovich and Sue Grafton but slowly they are being edged out by the homegrown talent it has taken me a shamefully long time to discover.

If I Tell You…I’ll Have To Kill You is a fabulous collection of essays from some of Australia’s best crime writers. I was pleased discover I was unfamiliar with only one of the contributors and thrilled to learn more about some of my favourite authors like Malla Nunn, Adrian Hyland, Katherine Howell, Kerry Greenwood and of course, editor Michael Robotham.

If I Tell You… is undoubtedly a valuable resource for aspiring crime authors, offering a plethora of advice about plotting, character and more, followed by the author’s own list of self imposed ‘Rules’. Shane Maloney’s rules are pretty simple and includes ‘Read some f**ing books’, Lenny Bartulin recommends you ‘Do not drink more than one bottle of red wine per day – Unless you Can’, Angela Savage, more sensibly suggests, ‘Carry something to write on at all times…’ and Gabrielle Lord bluntly advises ‘Make writing your first priority. It comes before everything else.’

Even if you are simply a fan of crime fiction, like me, you will find these author’s stories fascinating. I was surprised to discover Peter Corris has never accepted an advance for any of his 30+ Hardy novels because he dislikes the pressure of deadlines, and I was also amused by Leigh Redhead’s account of her first foray into the seedy world of peepshows and strip clubs.

Each author has also been asked to nominate five Must-Reads which will grow your wishlist exponentially. The book mentioned most often is Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep, though surprisingly The Lord of the Rings is also listed more than once.

If I Tell You…I’ll Have To Kill You is a great collection, both informative and entertaining and I think it is a must have for Australian crime fiction fans. In addition, the royalties from the sale of this book are going towards the Australian Crime Writers Association which runs the annual Ned Kelly Awards. Show your support for our talented Aussie crime writers and purchase a copy today. ( )

All royalties from this book go towards the Australian Crime Writers Association, which runs the annual Ned Kelly Awards and was established to promote crime writing and reading in Australia.
So while I read this copy from my local library, I also bought a copy for my Kindle.

Here's a unique opportunity to find out what makes some of your favourite Aussie authors tick. The book consists of 20 very readable essays. I've sat through a lot of author talks at the Adelaide Writer's Week and reading these essays reminded me of some of the more candid of those sessions. The five "must-reads" at the end of each essay give further insight and for me, reminded me that I have never read Raymond Chandler's THE BIG SLEEP.

The Table of Contents reads a bit like a Who's Who of successful Australian crime writers, so here is a chance of finding a new author or two, or just relaxing in the company of someone you already follow. The format was a winner for me - each essay is twelve to fifteen pages long and is followed by "My Rules" which of course vary from writer to writer, and then "Five Must Reads" with similarities from author to author.

The final essay is from Peter Lawrance and picks out some of the highlights in the history of the Ned Kelly Awards, founded in 1996. Peter is a long-time convenor and organiser of the NKs.

Well done to whoever had the idea of putting this anthology together. It should be must reading for all crime fiction courses, whether for readers or budding writers. ( )

The great thing about collections like IF I TELL YOU... I'LL HAVE TO KILL YOU is that it will appeal to readers and writers alike. Published by Allen & Unwin, edited by Michael Robotham, with a terrific Introduction by him into the bargain, this collection of writing from some of Australia's best crime writers reveals their writing secrets. It also asks them for their Five Must-Reads. So why not Five Why-This-Collection-Is-A-Must-Reads in return.

1. For budding, or dreaming writers, this collection has more than enough hints, tips, warnings and suggestions to make any of you sit up and pay attention.

2. For readers, this is the equivalent of attending the world's best possible Readers Festival Panel. Not only do you get to hear a bit of what goes on behind the scenes of some favourite books, you get to hear about it in each writer's own unique voice. You also get to read their Must-Read lists and jot down a suggested reading list to die for.

3. There are some writers in this collection that simply cannot help themselves. Revealing their secrets they might be, but along the way they are telling yarns. From getting stuck in freezers leading to an idea for a debut novel, through to the way to get yourself a start as a stripper. From indepth research and Google searching locations, to the way that life just can't help but line itself up for art's purposes. Then there's the hilarious reality check straight from the mouths of children. Not only is this an informative collection, it's clever and it's funny.

4. If for no other reason - the Five Must-Reads is a real eye-opener. Sure there are some that you'd be forgiven for expecting - Five Go to Smuggler's Way by Enid Blyton and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. But the unexpected were a real pleasure - Why I Am Not a Christian by Bertrand Russell and The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks as a couple of examples. Regardless of how you feel about the list - it's one hell of a Mt TBR and a lot of the suggestions were added back into my "Must Read Before I Drop Dead List". Which, after IF I TELL YOU, is now about 20 years longer than it was.

5. Best of all, in ensuring that we're getting a really good read, and that little bit of insight into the inner workings of our favourite authors, we're also doing our bit to support Australia's own Ned Kelly Awards. Since 1995 the Neds have supported and awarded some of the best crime writing in this country. Bit of a win-win really.

Declaration of Interest - I was recently very honoured to be asked to join the Committee of ACWA (Australian Crime Writers Association - the body responsible for the Ned Kelly Awards and http://www.austcrimewriters.com). A long time after the idea, the contributions and the compilation of this book came into fruition, and believe me, I'd have read it with eagerness regardless of that connection.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/if-i-tell-you-ill-have-kill-you-michael-r... ( )