Canelo Crime set to publish Australian crime series by Dinuka McKenzie

Commissioning editor Siân Heap has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Australia, New Zealand and Canada, to a crime series by Australian author Dinuka McKenzie. Rights were acquired from Bill Goodall at Bill Goodall Literary Agency on behalf of Alex Adsett at Alex Adsett Literary in a three-book deal.

The series, which has received praise from authors including Val McDermid, Dervla McTiernan and Hayley Scrivenor, opens with The Torrent where Detective Sergeant Kate Miles is counting down the days to her maternity leave. But a violent hold-up at a local fast-food restaurant with unsettling connections to her own past means that her final days will be anything but relaxing. When a second case is dumped in her lap – the closed case of a man drowned in recent summer floods – what begins as a simple, informal review quickly grows into something far more complex. Kate can either write the report that’s expected of her, or investigate the way she wants to. As secrets and betrayals pile up, and the needs of her own family intervene, how far is Kate prepared to push in order to discover the truth?

Dinuka McKenzie is an Australian writer. She is the winner of the 2020 Banjo Prize, and her writing has been longlisted for the Richell Prize and highly commended in the Australian Crime Writers Association Louie Award. Her short fiction has appeared in the Dark Deeds Down Under Crime and Thriller Anthology. Before turning to writing full time, Dinuka worked in the environmental sector. She now volunteers as part of the team behind the Writers Unleashed Festival and lives in Southern Sydney on Dharawal country with her husband, two kids and their pet chicken.

Siân Heap says: ‘The Torrent has one of the most compelling and vivid opening scenes I can remember reading. Dinuka’s writing is tense and measured – perfectly paced to keep the reader turning the pages, and she’s created such an authentic and resilient character in Detective Kate Miles. I’m thrilled to be bringing Dinuka’s work to UK readers.’

Dinuka McKenzie says: ‘I am so thrilled to be joining the team at Canelo. It is an absolute dream come true to have my books on UK bookshelves. A huge blubbery thank you to Bill Goodall and Alex Adsett for working their magic behind the scenes, and a massive thank you to Canelo for believing in and finding a home for the series. I cannot wait for UK readers to discover Detective Kate Miles!’

Bill Goodall says: ‘When I first read The Torrent I knew that Dinuka had created something special in Detective Kate Miles. I couldn’t be more pleased that Canelo are bringing this brilliant series to the UK.’

The Torrent will be published in September 2023, in ebook and paperback. The second book in the series, Taken, will follow in January 2024 and a third book in Autumn 2024. For more information, please contact kate@canelo.co