New Zealand Authors Selected For New International Crime Fiction Anthology

Two New Zealand-based writers are among international authors featured in a new collaborative crime writing novel, launched this week. The capital Wellington and Christchurch are settings for a detective and his assistant on a global manhunt in ‘The Whole Wide World’ (Sweetycat Press; ISBN 979-8450568317).

Breaking new ground as the first crime writing anthology of its kind, the book has episodes from 80 authors, each finding red herrings and false suspects in trying to solve a thrilling mystery of international espionage.

The newly-released detective book was written and produced during a time when most of the world’s 7.9 billion population have been under Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, stay-at-home orders or cross-border travel restrictions. However, armchair travellers and avid sleuths can follow the twists and turns of a transnational manhunt crisscrossing the globe, available on Amazon in 390-page paperback and ebook versions.

Sweetycat Press publisher and editor Steve Carr wanted the experimental project to highlight not just the 80 authors selected for inclusion in the book, but also diverse settings throughout the planet. “The book is really a global initiative, with contributing authors from 18 countries around the world, including the United States, New Zealand, India, and Canada, as well as the Maldives, Nigeria, Israel, and Mexico. As a result, ‘The Whole Wide World’ takes readers on a journey to nearly two dozen nations, including downtown Wellington and Lyttelton in New Zealand, as well as under-water, back to the 1970s, and to the final frontier: outer space.’

Authors selected for the anthology include award-winning detective writers, lawyers, TV news correspondents, college English professors, and creative writing teachers. Among the contributors are a former military intelligence officer, a Vietnam War Top Secret counter-insurgency writer and press agency photographer, and a stand-up comedian from New York. From New Zealand, Christchurch-based Keith Lyons and American-born Melissa Miles were the two New Zealand-based writers included in the anthology.

The short action-packed episodes of ‘The Whole Wide World’ will appeal not only to crime fiction readers but also to aspiring authors, creative writing students, and those who find time only to read one or two books a year, says travel writer Christopher Winnan, author of ‘Around the World in Eighty Documentaries’.

"This new book about an international manhunt is a great idea, and in this post-pandemic world, it shows the value of co-operation and collaboration beyond borders, as well as the value of armchair travel in exploring the world in a more sustainable, zero-carbon way. ’The World Wide World’ joins the list of ‘must-reads’ for 2021 for any stay-at-home sleuth-hound, amateur private investigator or wannabe gumshoe.’

‘The Whole Wide World’ publisher Virginia-based Sweetycat Press (www.Sweetycatpress.com) was founded in 2020 to support and encourage new writers, and each year produces a Who’s Who of Emerging Writers. With some of the biggest names in crime fiction failing to make the cut and new debut authors among those shortlisted for the Scottish McIlvanny Prize this week, Mr Carr believes readers might discover some exciting new talent in the pages of ‘The Whole Wide World’, even if they don’t solve the case with Detective Curly Knucklewad.

“Readers are fascinated by the characters, the tension of their relationships, and the unresolved mystery, as well as the broader themes of intellectual property theft, the quest for answers, and ultimately, human nature. At this time in world history when there are massive issues around borders and mobility, ’The Whole Wide World’ reclaims the world for readers.”

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