What is the secret to good crime writing? No one better to ask than a group of Australia's leading crime writers. Their conclusions are fascinating, provocative, often surprising, and they are all drawn from the hard school of personal experience. What pieces of advice do the writers have in common? That there is no substitute for hard work! One tells us there is no such thing as writer's block - "just do it" is a common theme.

There is a fun part though: research. The writers could not vary more in their research and the way they approach it; from Shane Maloney's near-death experience in a freezer to Leigh Redhead's adventures as a stripper, Barry Maitland's endless walks through the streets of London to Gabrielle Lord's night out at a Gangster and Molls party, the search for ideas and atmosphere is never done and never dull. These writers also read voraciously, and they all give us their five 'must reads' - it's interesting how much they coincide.

As do their Rules for Writing. All in all a treasure trove for all fans of crime fiction, be they aspiring writers or simply want to get to know their favourite writers better. Contributors: Kerry Greenwood, Shane Maloney, Peter Corris, Barry Maitland, Garry Disher, Michael Robotham, Gabrielle Lord, Katherine Howell, Liz Porter, Leigh Redhead, Leah Giarratano, Lindy Cameron, Angela Savage, Malla Nunn, Geoffrey Mcgeachin, Lenny Bartulin, Lindsay Simpson, Marele Day, Peter Lawrance, Tara Moss And Adrian Hyland.