Welcome to the website of crime author Katherine Howell.
Katherine worked as a paramedic for fifteen years and uses that experience in her books. Read more.
Her series of crime novels featuring Sydney homicide detective Ella Marconi has won awards and is published internationally in multiple formats and translations. Read more.
FRANTIC is the first novel in the Detective Ella Marconi series. It won the 2008 Sisters-In-Crime Davitt Award for Best Novel and was described by reviewers as "a fast-paced and involving read - a real page-turner that will certainly appeal to fans of medical-based crime thrillers" and "a ripper of a yarn, told with verve and feeling for the characters and place".
In one terrible moment, paramedic Sophie Phillips’ life is ripped apart – her police officer husband, Chris, is shot on their doorstep and their ten-month-old son, Lachlan, is abducted from his bed. Suspicion surrounds Chris as he is tainted with police corruption, but Sophie believes the attack is much more personal – and the perpetrator far more dangerous...
While Chris is in hospital and the police, led by Detective Ella Marconi, mobilise to find their colleague's child, Sophie's desperation compels her to search for Lachlan herself. She enlists her husband's partner, Angus Arendson, in the hunt for her son, but will the history they share prove harmful to Sophie's ability to complete her mission?
And could one dangerous decision cause Sophie to ultimately lose everything important in her life?
Read the first chapter.
In one terrible moment, paramedic Sophie Phillips’ life is ripped apart – her police officer husband, Chris, is shot on their doorstep and their ten-month-old son, Lachlan, is abducted from his bed. Suspicion surrounds Chris as he is tainted with police corruption, but Sophie believes the attack is much more personal – and the perpetrator far more dangerous...
While Chris is in hospital and the police, led by Detective Ella Marconi, mobilise to find their colleague's child, Sophie's desperation compels her to search for Lachlan herself. She enlists her husband's partner, Angus Arendson, in the hunt for her son, but will the history they share prove harmful to Sophie's ability to complete her mission?
And could one dangerous decision cause Sophie to ultimately lose everything important in her life?
Read the first chapter.
The Darkest Hour is the second book in the Detective Marconi series, and won the 2009 Sisters-In-Crime Readers Choice Davitt Award. Reviewers said that "As with Frantic, I galloped through this book with my heart racing. Howell may have left the ambulance service but she can still drive a narrative at full speed with the sirens blaring. Pass me the oxygen, someone" and "Author Katherine Howell is a former Sydney paramedic and is set to do for that profession what US author Patricia Cornwell did for forensic pathologists."
Paramedic Lauren Yates stumbles into a world of trouble the night she discovers a killer and his victim in an inner Sydney alley. When the killer threatens to make her life hell if she tells the police what she’s seen, she believes him – he’s Thomas Werner, her sister’s violent ex, father to Lauren’s niece, and not a man to cross.
But when another victim of a stabbing reveals to Lauren with his dying breath that Werner attacked him, too, she finds herself with blood on her hands and Detective Ella Marconi on her back. Ella is keen to cement her temporary placement in the homicide squad and views Lauren as the perfect witness for this latest murder because she can testify to the victim’s last words.
Ella soon realises Lauren is hiding something, however, and while her colleagues label her suspicion an obsession, she begins her own investigation. But the harder Ella pushes, the more Lauren resists, and the worse the threat from Werner becomes, putting them both in increasingly serious jeopardy.
Read the first chapter.
Paramedic Lauren Yates stumbles into a world of trouble the night she discovers a killer and his victim in an inner Sydney alley. When the killer threatens to make her life hell if she tells the police what she’s seen, she believes him – he’s Thomas Werner, her sister’s violent ex, father to Lauren’s niece, and not a man to cross.
But when another victim of a stabbing reveals to Lauren with his dying breath that Werner attacked him, too, she finds herself with blood on her hands and Detective Ella Marconi on her back. Ella is keen to cement her temporary placement in the homicide squad and views Lauren as the perfect witness for this latest murder because she can testify to the victim’s last words.
Ella soon realises Lauren is hiding something, however, and while her colleagues label her suspicion an obsession, she begins her own investigation. But the harder Ella pushes, the more Lauren resists, and the worse the threat from Werner becomes, putting them both in increasingly serious jeopardy.
Read the first chapter.
Cold Justice is the third in the series. It won the Sisters-In-Crime Davitt Award for Best Novel in 2011, making Katherine the only author at that time to have won twice. Reviewers declared it "a powerful and high-adrenaline tale of murder and intrigue ... a captivating read for crime, action and mystery fans", while US bestselling author Tess Gerritsen said "COLD JUSTICE races like a speeding ambulance, delivering so many surprises and thrills that you'll scarcely have time to breathe. This was one of my favorite books of the year. Katherine Howell has written a real winner!"
A teenage girl stumbles across the body of her classmate, Tim Pieters, hidden amongst the bushes. His family is devastated, the killer is never found.
Eighteen years later, political pressure sees the murder investigation reopened. Detective Ella Marconi tracks down Georgie Riley, the student who found the body, and who is now a paramedic. Georgie seems to be telling the truth, so then why does Ella receive an anonymous phone call insisting that Georgie knows more? And is it mere coincidence that her ambulance partner, Freya, also went to the same high school?
Ella's confusion increases when Tim's mother, once so willing to get the police involved, suddenly turns her back on the investigation. Meanwhile, Tim's cousin, the MP whose influence reopened the case, can't seem to do enough to help.
The more Ella digs into the past, the more the buried secrets and lies are brought to light. Can she track down the killer before more people are hurt?
Read the first chapter.
A teenage girl stumbles across the body of her classmate, Tim Pieters, hidden amongst the bushes. His family is devastated, the killer is never found.
Eighteen years later, political pressure sees the murder investigation reopened. Detective Ella Marconi tracks down Georgie Riley, the student who found the body, and who is now a paramedic. Georgie seems to be telling the truth, so then why does Ella receive an anonymous phone call insisting that Georgie knows more? And is it mere coincidence that her ambulance partner, Freya, also went to the same high school?
Ella's confusion increases when Tim's mother, once so willing to get the police involved, suddenly turns her back on the investigation. Meanwhile, Tim's cousin, the MP whose influence reopened the case, can't seem to do enough to help.
The more Ella digs into the past, the more the buried secrets and lies are brought to light. Can she track down the killer before more people are hurt?
Read the first chapter.
Violent Exposure is the fourth in the series. Reviewers said "Fast-paced, gutsy and intriguing, Violent Exposure will appeal primarily to female fans of both detective and forensic investigation stories, and can be read alone or as part of this very readable series" and "Howell writes short, tight scenes with authentic-sounding dialogue and relentless pacing ... she deftly illustrates the way insights into the ways of life and death are a new religion to crime readers".
When Suzanne Crawford is found stabbed to death and her husband Connor is discovered to be missing, it looks like a tragic case of domestic violence to Detective Ella Marconi. But as the investigation progresses, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. Why is there no record of Connor Crawford beyond a few years ago? Why has a teenager who worked for the pair gone missing too? Is trainee paramedic Aidan Simpson telling the truth about his involvement?And above all, what was the secret Suzanne knew Connor was keeping at all costs – even from her?
As Ella begins to build a picture of the Crawfords' fractured lives, things around her are deteriorating. Her relationship with a fellow officer is hanging by a thread and her parents seem to be keeping secrets of their own. But Ella only has time for the job she loves, and she knows she has to see her way through the tangled web of deceit and lies to get at the truth – before it's too late.
Read the first chapter.
When Suzanne Crawford is found stabbed to death and her husband Connor is discovered to be missing, it looks like a tragic case of domestic violence to Detective Ella Marconi. But as the investigation progresses, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. Why is there no record of Connor Crawford beyond a few years ago? Why has a teenager who worked for the pair gone missing too? Is trainee paramedic Aidan Simpson telling the truth about his involvement?And above all, what was the secret Suzanne knew Connor was keeping at all costs – even from her?
As Ella begins to build a picture of the Crawfords' fractured lives, things around her are deteriorating. Her relationship with a fellow officer is hanging by a thread and her parents seem to be keeping secrets of their own. But Ella only has time for the job she loves, and she knows she has to see her way through the tangled web of deceit and lies to get at the truth – before it's too late.
Read the first chapter.
Silent Fear is the fifth book, and was selected for the Get Reading programme. Reviewers said "One of the things that Howell does particularly well is to balance the personal and the professional, the paramedic and the cop lines ... the only real downside to SILENT FEAR is that you're going to have to be prepared before you start. It's flagged as "A Book You Can't Put Down", and they mean that. Emphatically."
On a searing summer's day paramedic Holly Garland rushes to an emergency to find a man collapsed with a bullet wound in the back of his head, CPR being performed by two bystanders, and her long-estranged brother Seth watching it all unfold.
Seth claims to be the dying man's best friend, but Holly knows better than to believe anything he says and fears that his re-appearance will reveal the bleak secrets of her past – secrets which both her fiance Norris and her colleagues have no idea exist, and which if exposed could cause her to lose everything.
Detective Ella Marconi suspects Seth too, but she's also sure the dead man's wife is lying, and the deceased's boss seems just too helpful. But then a shocking double homicide related to the case makes Ella realise that her investigations are getting closer to the killer, but also increasing the risk of an even higher body count.
Read the first chapter.
On a searing summer's day paramedic Holly Garland rushes to an emergency to find a man collapsed with a bullet wound in the back of his head, CPR being performed by two bystanders, and her long-estranged brother Seth watching it all unfold.
Seth claims to be the dying man's best friend, but Holly knows better than to believe anything he says and fears that his re-appearance will reveal the bleak secrets of her past – secrets which both her fiance Norris and her colleagues have no idea exist, and which if exposed could cause her to lose everything.
Detective Ella Marconi suspects Seth too, but she's also sure the dead man's wife is lying, and the deceased's boss seems just too helpful. But then a shocking double homicide related to the case makes Ella realise that her investigations are getting closer to the killer, but also increasing the risk of an even higher body count.
Read the first chapter.
Book 6 is Web Of Deceit.
"Howell blends fast-paced thriller with a sympathetic look at the private lives of single dad Alex, divorcee Jane, and Ella, who's madly in love with a man whose father she sent to jail. The personal and the criminal seem like two very different stories, but are they? Web of Deceit is indeed tangled, until it begins to unravel at high speed."
"Web of Deceit will keep you captivated until the very last line. It’s as if you’re riding in an ambulance, the siren wailing, and someone else is driving, their foot increasing the pressure on the accelerator as you’re taken on a ride, replete with running red lights, dodging cars and pedestrians; one you’ll never forget or regret ... It was gripping enough to keep me glued for a single sitting stretching long into the night and it maintains Howell’s consistently excellent record of producing almost frenetically paced stories that manage not to feel rushed or lacking depth. There is a kind of surprising interconnectedness about Howell’s plots that I find particularly compelling and I loved this latest instalment about a man who survives a car crash only to die under a train later the same day."
Now released in hardback in the US, Web Of Deceit received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly.
"Australian author Howell (Frantic) makes her U.S. debut with her excellent sixth mystery in her series starring Sydney police detectives Ella Marconi and her partner, Murray Shakespeare. Ella and Murray follow an unusual case that starts when paramedics Jane Koutoufides and Alex Churchill assist at an accident. Marko Meixner seems to have deliberately crashed his car into a pole and refuses to come out. The paramedics eventually get him to the hospital, from which he soon leaves. The paramedics’ next encounter with Marko is when his body is found mangled under a train. The detectives’ investigation in the Sydney area uncovers that Marko’s testimony as a witness in a murder case 17 years before may be involved. Meanwhile, Jane and Alex, as well as Ella and Murray, all have personal problems. For example, Alex’s 14-year-old daughter, Mia, has suddenly become difficult and secretive. How the main characters balance the pressures and stresses of their professional and private lives further elevates the brisk plot."
Read the first chapter.
"Howell blends fast-paced thriller with a sympathetic look at the private lives of single dad Alex, divorcee Jane, and Ella, who's madly in love with a man whose father she sent to jail. The personal and the criminal seem like two very different stories, but are they? Web of Deceit is indeed tangled, until it begins to unravel at high speed."
"Web of Deceit will keep you captivated until the very last line. It’s as if you’re riding in an ambulance, the siren wailing, and someone else is driving, their foot increasing the pressure on the accelerator as you’re taken on a ride, replete with running red lights, dodging cars and pedestrians; one you’ll never forget or regret ... It was gripping enough to keep me glued for a single sitting stretching long into the night and it maintains Howell’s consistently excellent record of producing almost frenetically paced stories that manage not to feel rushed or lacking depth. There is a kind of surprising interconnectedness about Howell’s plots that I find particularly compelling and I loved this latest instalment about a man who survives a car crash only to die under a train later the same day."
Now released in hardback in the US, Web Of Deceit received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly.
"Australian author Howell (Frantic) makes her U.S. debut with her excellent sixth mystery in her series starring Sydney police detectives Ella Marconi and her partner, Murray Shakespeare. Ella and Murray follow an unusual case that starts when paramedics Jane Koutoufides and Alex Churchill assist at an accident. Marko Meixner seems to have deliberately crashed his car into a pole and refuses to come out. The paramedics eventually get him to the hospital, from which he soon leaves. The paramedics’ next encounter with Marko is when his body is found mangled under a train. The detectives’ investigation in the Sydney area uncovers that Marko’s testimony as a witness in a murder case 17 years before may be involved. Meanwhile, Jane and Alex, as well as Ella and Murray, all have personal problems. For example, Alex’s 14-year-old daughter, Mia, has suddenly become difficult and secretive. How the main characters balance the pressures and stresses of their professional and private lives further elevates the brisk plot."
Read the first chapter.
Book 7 in the series is DESERVING DEATH.
"Deserving Death was a revealing and tense read, and the cause of a Very Late Night Staying Up Just To Finish One cough Twelve More Chapters. This is a book full of smart and powerful women, and the men who feel inadequate when confronted by them. Exactly the right kind of crime novel to throw us screaming into 2014."
Two paramedics murdered in a month. Coincidence, or the work of a serial killer? Detective Ella Marconi isn’t sure, but goes hard after her key suspects, including police officer John Morris. But each turn of the case throws up more questions and entanglements, and Ella and her partner, Detective Murray Shakespeare, fight to find the truth among the lies.
Ella also struggles to balance work and her relationship with Dr Callum McLennan – a relationship made more difficult by the anniversary of his cousin’s murder.
Meanwhile, Carly Martens – close friend of the second victim – conducts her own investigation into the murders. She’s certain that fellow paramedic Tessa Kimball is hiding something, and Carly’s refusal to let it go puts her, Tessa, and Ella into even more danger.
Detective Ella Marconi returns in this thrilling case, set against the dangerous background of drug deals, police corruption and deadly consequences.
"... a tale of assumptions, allegations, troubled love affairs and family issues ... a good Australian whodunit."
Launceston Examiner
"Relationships are depicted as complex and oft-times fragile things in this novel. Just when you think you know a person, or their motivation, something will emerge or enter a conversation and change everything . . . I could not put this book down. By the time I’d finished, I knew I’d been in the hands of a masterful storyteller from whose clever and careful hands I did not want to be released. If you enjoy great crime stories and one with real heart, I cannot recommend this book highly enough." Karen Brooks, author and blogger
"In unravelling the story behind the murder of two Sydney paramedics Deserving Death explores a myriad of social issues with a sensitivity that most authors could only dream of. Added to that it’s a ripper yarn. And the whole package is delivered in a delightfully concise 300 pages." Fair Dinkum Crime.
Read the first chapter.
"Deserving Death was a revealing and tense read, and the cause of a Very Late Night Staying Up Just To Finish One cough Twelve More Chapters. This is a book full of smart and powerful women, and the men who feel inadequate when confronted by them. Exactly the right kind of crime novel to throw us screaming into 2014."
Two paramedics murdered in a month. Coincidence, or the work of a serial killer? Detective Ella Marconi isn’t sure, but goes hard after her key suspects, including police officer John Morris. But each turn of the case throws up more questions and entanglements, and Ella and her partner, Detective Murray Shakespeare, fight to find the truth among the lies.
Ella also struggles to balance work and her relationship with Dr Callum McLennan – a relationship made more difficult by the anniversary of his cousin’s murder.
Meanwhile, Carly Martens – close friend of the second victim – conducts her own investigation into the murders. She’s certain that fellow paramedic Tessa Kimball is hiding something, and Carly’s refusal to let it go puts her, Tessa, and Ella into even more danger.
Detective Ella Marconi returns in this thrilling case, set against the dangerous background of drug deals, police corruption and deadly consequences.
"... a tale of assumptions, allegations, troubled love affairs and family issues ... a good Australian whodunit."
Launceston Examiner
"Relationships are depicted as complex and oft-times fragile things in this novel. Just when you think you know a person, or their motivation, something will emerge or enter a conversation and change everything . . . I could not put this book down. By the time I’d finished, I knew I’d been in the hands of a masterful storyteller from whose clever and careful hands I did not want to be released. If you enjoy great crime stories and one with real heart, I cannot recommend this book highly enough." Karen Brooks, author and blogger
"In unravelling the story behind the murder of two Sydney paramedics Deserving Death explores a myriad of social issues with a sensitivity that most authors could only dream of. Added to that it’s a ripper yarn. And the whole package is delivered in a delightfully concise 300 pages." Fair Dinkum Crime.
Read the first chapter.
TELL THE TRUTH is the eighth and final book in the Ella Marconi series.
"Howell writes vividly and viscerally about the extraordinary human dramas and routine awfulness with which paramedics deal on a regular basis ... There's an impending crisis in Ella's life too, and followers of the series will not be disappointed with the resolution ... Red herrings abound as Howell invites the reader to play sleuth and solve the puzzle alongside Ella. Tell the Truth is a fitting conclusion to this solid series." Sydney Morning Herald.
Paramedic Stacey Durham has an idyllic life; her dream job, a beautiful house, and a devoted husband. Until her car is found abandoned and covered in her blood.
Detective Ella Marconi knows information is key in the first twenty-four hours, questioning the frantic husband, Marie, the jealous sister, and Rowan, the colleague who keeps turning up in all the wrong places.
Just as Ella starts to piece together the clues, a shocking message arrives for James: You won't see her again if you don't tell the truth.
As she sifts through the lies, Ella's relationship with Dr Callum McLennan is under siege, and she doesn't know if it can survive the overenthusiasm of her family, or the blind hatred of his mother.
With the investigation hitting dead ends and new threats being made, Ella must uncover the truths buried beneath the perfect façade before the case goes from missing person to murder.
"Fans of the Marconi series are, in the main, going to be divided by this book: happy that Tell the Truth is the eighth book in what has been a fabulous, and different, Australian crime fiction series, and sad to see it come to an end. For now." Newtown Review of Books.
"(This) is definitely one of my absolute favourite series as there isn’t a dud in the bunch and TELL THE TRUTH offers a fitting finale." Fairdinkum Crime.
Read the first chapter here.
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by Joan London
Loved this. Couldn't wait to get back into the story, thought about it while I was doing other things, and felt so much for all these characters. London's descriptions of those odd feelings we have at odd moments are perfect.
Beautiful writing, clarity and depth in the poems. I love this book.
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