Minds of Sand & Light, by Kylie Chan

AI has reached sentience and has taken over the world, but no-one knows it. Brilliant scientists (and journalists) Ruth Sharpe and Cassie Bailey suspect it and are on a mission to prove and expose the truth. To do so they will have to work from the inside to shed light on the Party of the Greater Far East government and protect humanity from the World Council. This exciting and fast-moving tale, set in the near future, paints a dystopian picture that is firmly based on current reality. The potential for AI to ’become human’ does stretch credulity, with some truly ludicrous romance elements, but it is an interesting take on where the world may be heading.

Aftersun (2023), directed by Charlotte Wells

Young dad Calum takes his 11-year-old daughter Sophie on holiday to Turkey. He seems caring and devoted, but there is an undercurrent of darkness to the seemingly idyllic trip. The story is interspersed with flash forwards to present-day Sophie reliving childhood memories and found footage of the holiday captured on a hand held movie camera. Callum is clearly troubled and a sense of foreboding haunts the film. You somehow sense he will die young – will it be on this trip? Is he ill? Will he suicide? But you actually never discover his fate. Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio are mesmerising as father and daughter in what should be a haunting tale, but too much is left unexplained, with too little context to make a complete story.

Treasure and Dirt, by Chris Hammer

When an opal miner is found crucified Sydney homicide cop Ivan Lucic heads outback to Finnegans Gap to investigate. He is joined by a new junior partner, Nell Buchanan, who has history in the town. Ratters, battling billionaires, a religious cult and corruption at many levels make this anything but cosy crime. The characters are well drawn, with breadth and depth, although rather too many elements tend to blur the picture at the conclusion. This is the first novel in a series featuring this unlikely pair of detectives, whose personal demons have minimal impact on their investigative skills.

The Tea Ladies, by Amanda Hampson

Set in Sydney’s garment district in the 1960s, this ‘cosy crime’ novel features four tea ladies solving a murder ahead of the corrupt local police, with a side of bigamy. Head tea lady Hazel is an interesting character with hidden depths, if a little too good to be true. Kidnapping, arson and Russian gangsters keep the action moving in a society on the cusp of great change, particulalry with regard to the role of women, but in the end it’s all a bit twee.

Hacks, season 3

Deborah and Ava seem to have rubbed off each other’s acerbic edges in this rather kinder and gentler third season of Hacks. Her bare-all special has put Deborah back on top of the comedy heap, while Ava has scored a writing gig at the kind of political comedy show that can change the world - apparently. The unlikely pair is reunited by a last gasp chance for Deborah at Late Night. Can she make herstory? It’s fun finding out and the knives are back out in a finale that opens the gate to another season.

The Death of Dora Black, by Lainie Anderson

Based on the real life of pioneering Adelaide woman police officer Kate Cocks, this murder mystery attempts to educate as well as entertain. The balance is not quite right at the start, as there is too much description and the author’s undoubtedly excellent research takes over the plot. This improves as the tale progresses, but it’s a slow road, with too many mentions of Miss Cocks's five-foot stick. It's fun to have Adelaide in WWI the centre of the action and Kate Cocks is a fascinating, larger than life character, with her fictional offsider providing a more progressive, if somewhat unrealistic counterpoint.