Alan Carter Books In Order

Publication Order of Cato Kwong Books

Publication Order of Nick Chester Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Alan Carter is a UK-born Australian author who is famous for writing mystery, crime, thriller, and fiction novels. He is particularly well-known for writing the Cato Kwong book series.

He was born in 1959, in Sunderland, United Kingdom. In 1991, he moved to Australia, and currently divides his time between Australia and New Zealand. He and his wife, Kath, have a son named Liam.

Mr. Carter earned a graduate degree from Sunderland Polytechnic in communication studies. In addition to being a director and author, he is also well-known as a producer, screenwriter, and editor.

In the 1980’s and 1990’s, he worked as an editor of music videos. His biggest client at that time was Phil Collins. His television career as an editor began with a David Copperfield special in 1993.

The first book penned by Mr. Carter is Prime Cut. In 2010, it was shortlisted for a Dagger Award in the category of Best Debut by the Crime Writers’ Association in the UK. It went on to win the Ned Kelly prize in 2011 for Best Fiction.

The sequel to this book is Getting Warmer, which came out in 2013. Following the success of these two books, Carter penned a third book called Bad Seed. This novel was released in 2015 and completed the Cato Kwong series. All three books were published by Fremantle Press.

When not writing, Mr. Carter focuses on his other career as a documentary director. When not working, he enjoys swimming.

The Cato Kwong series is comprised of three books that were released between 2011 and 2015. All the books in this award-winning crime fiction series feature the lead character of Detective Senior Sergeant Cato Kwong. The plots of the books are set in the Western Australian town of Fremantle.

The debut novel of this successful series, Prime Cut, was released by Fremantle Press in 2011. At the start of this story, the entire world is going through an economic meltdown, but a mining town located in a corner of the world has started to boom. As the population of this town increases rapidly, the criminals are able to hide their crimes very easily, and others are able to keep their dirty pasts hidden.

Detective Sergeant Cato Kwong faces fallout due to a police frame-up, after which he gets banished to join the stock squad. Later, the torso of a dead body gets washed up near Great Southern Ocean’s wild shores. When local residents inform police about the body, Cato Kwong is sent to investigate.

Cato Kwong’s investigation ends up unraveling the secret exploitation of the miners who have migrated into the town to earn money. When Cato investigates further, his actions disturb the activities of a crime boss with a dark past. Soon after, Kwong is forced to fall back.

This tautly descriptive crime narrative draws upon relevant issues on a global scale, such as racism, economic crisis, immigration, and exploitation. The author has added elements of humor into the plot, which makes it an even more interesting read.

The next book of the series is Getting Warmer. Fremantle Press released this book in 2013. At the beginning of the story, Cato Kwong returns in the role of senior detective sergeant. He arrives in Boom Town and starts working on a case.

Kwong is asked to investigate the unsolved mystery of the disappearance of a 15-year-old girl. The corpse of a pig stuck with nails is found in a shallow grave, and a human body with a cut throat is discovered at a local nightclub.

While investigating the case, one of Cato Kwong’s colleagues makes several blunders. Because of this, the entire investigative squad is put under intense scrutiny. When Cato’s superior officers learn that he is sympathetic towards one of the suspects in the case, he faces the threat of derailment of his career as well as the case.

This novel is entertaining and witty. It takes the readers into the mining boom of Western Australia. The money that the millionaires make from mining not only helps the economy, but also allows criminals to thrive. Once again, Carter has depicted an excellent cast of richly-described characters.

While Kwong searches for the missing girl, he is reminded of his own missing son, and when he sees the miserable state of the girl’s mother, Kwong realizes how strongly he feels for his son.

The book is also infused with humorous elements. Critics have noted that readers who like Carter’s first novel will definitely appreciate this one. The book is especially recommended for readers who enjoy gritty and intriguing stories.