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This page lists novels and non-fiction by John Dale. Books edited or co-edited by Dale are also included.

Cover images, when possible, are for an early Australian edition and a more recent paperback or digital edition.

By John Dale
- novels & story collections
- non-fiction

Edited by John Dale
- fiction & non-fiction

Dark Angel

John Dale

1995

"Jack Buturov is a bouncer in a Sydney casino. He's in hiding from life, his ex-wife and his chronically ill son. Damien was a rent boy hustler, who got in over his head in some bad political business. Despite himself, Jack loved Damian, and when someone guns the boy down, he has to investigate. Along the way he runs into the Vietnamese mafia, corrupt cops, psychotic bikers and, best and worst of all, Damian's sister Angie - a woman as burnt out as Jack Buturow."

The Dogs are Barking

John Dale

1998

"Who can you trust when even the investigators are under investigation? When a young Asian student is strangled, Nickie Taroney is determined to do everything to help the police. On the case is Detective Terry Dedovic, a man with a messy past looking for redemption. But there is something about Dedovic that Nickie doesn't trust. Why is he running errands for a group of ex-drug squad police? Where exactly do his loyalties lie? When Nickie becomes involved in a risky sexual relationship, her worst suspicions are confirmed."

Leaving Suzie Pye

John Dale

2010

"Joe has had a great life, untroubled by career or monogamy. He's convinced that, whatever he's doing, he'd still really rather be having sex - if only middle age hadn't made it so hard to find a woman who will share his enthusiasm. When he meets Suize Pye she seems just the ticket - she even says she only wants a sexual relationship. But nothing is ever that simple..."

Plenty

John Dale

2013

A novella.

"Seventeen-year-old Jed White lives with his mum and dad behind the Ampol service station in the small coastal town of Plenty. His girlfriend Chrissy works in the local fish cannery. When a foreign trawler crashes on the rocks one night, Jed and Chrissy figure from the rolls of stained bedding below deck that the boat must have been carrying a lot of people. They soon discover dozens of refugees are sheltering at a nearby property. At first the townsfolk accept the new arrivals, but gradually Plenty becomes divided as more and more boat people are relocated there. Jed is torn between his feelings for Chrissy and his fascination for Ashley Page who lives with her father on the property and is helping the new arrivals move in and adapt. As external pressures build, Jed is forced to make a choice about where he belongs and what he believes."

Detective Work

John Dale

2015

"When Dimitri Telegonus is promoted to the Serious Unsolved Crime Unit to investigate the disappearance of a beautiful blonde escort, he thinks he’s finally made the big time. He’d always wanted to do detective work; thought it was his destiny. But things quickly start to unravel. His assigned partner is an uninterested dinosaur and when progress in the investigation is slow, the bosses threaten to pull the plug. Desperate to crack his first cold case, Dimitri tracks the prime suspect down – only to find there are forces at play a naïve young detective will never fully understand."

Huckstepp: A Dangerous Life

John Dale

2000

"A powerful blend of biography and the detective novel, Huckstepp investigates the murder of a charismatic woman who has fascinated many Australians since she first appeared on national television to accuse New South Wales detectives of shooting her boyfriend, Warren Lanfranchi, in cold blood. Throughout her short life, Sallie-Anne Huckstepp lived a dangerous existence. This is a true story, brilliantly told, of a courageous woman who spoke out against corruption and murder."

Wild Life: A Story of Family, Infidelity and a Fatal Shooting

John Dale

2004

"At 7a.m. on 16 May 1942 forty-year-old Harvey Malcolm was found in the front seat of his Chevrolet parked outside a young woman's house in Launceston with a bullet wound in his left temple and a .22 calibre rifle lying across his knees. Was it murder or suicide? Sixty-two years later his grandson returns to Tasmania to investigate the unsolved death. What he discovers is a remarkable story. Set in Hobart, New Orleans and New York during the late 1930s, Wild Life is a rich and satisfying blend of mystery, travel and memoir."

Out West: Australian Dirt

Editor: John Dale

1996

"A collection of stories depicting life in the mid-1990s on the fringes of Australia's large cities and further out to the country towns. The book includes stories by Fiona McGregor, Archie Weller, Gillian Mears and Les Murray."

Car Lovers: Twelve Australian Writers on Four Wheels

Editor: John Dale

2008

"In Car Lovers, John Dale has invited 12 of Australia's leading writers to celebrate our fascination with metal, speed and power, to explore the links between cars and sex, cars and identity and cars and memory, and show how cars have shaped and influenced our lives. . . . Car Lovers is not just about the wheels - it's about love, loss, families and friends. It's about growing up in Australia. Frank, funny, moving and candid, this collection of stories is a must-read for anyone who loves cars - or has loved in cars."

Best on Ground: Great writers on the great game

Editor: Peter Corris and John Dale

2010

Sydney Noir

Editor: John Dale

2019