Gabrielle Lord Gabrielle Lord i(A4937 works by) (a.k.a. Gabrielle Craig Lord)
Born: Established: 1946 Sydney, New South Wales, ;
Gender: Female
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BiographyHistory

Gabrielle Lord was born in Sydney. She was educated at the Sacre Coeur Convent, Rose Bay, and the University of New England where she earned an honours degree in arts. Lord began writing fiction while working for the Commonwealth Employment Service.

In 1977 she won a grant from the Literature Board to finish her first novel, but a devastating reader's report caused her to abandon that novel and write another in just three weeks. That novel, Fortress, was published in 1980, initiating Lord's series of thriller-mystery novels. Most of Lord's novels are set in contemporary Australia and deal with the abuse of children and the harm inflicted by families. To achieve authenticity in these novels, Lord has conducted extensive research into crime investigation techniques, attracting a loyal group of readers to her tightly-plotted and fast-paced narratives.

Several of Lord's novels have been produced as films, and when the film rights to her novel Salt (1990) were sold, she was free to write full-time. She has since written for film and television and co-authored an account of her convent education.

Most Referenced Works

Notes

  • Lord has also written and co-written books on the spiritual life: Grace of Angels (1996) and Sanctuary : where heaven touches earth (with Trisha Watts, 2005). She was a co-author of Growing Up Catholic: An Infinitely Funny Guide for the Faithful, the Fallen and Everyone In-Between (1986).
  • Biographical cuttings on Gabrielle Lord are held in the Newspaper Room of the National Library, Canberra.

Personal Awards

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon Sisters Melbourne : Wilkinson Publishing , 2018 16935686 2018 single work novel crime 'She went to Crete to find her missing sister, what she found will tear her life apart.

'A few words on a postcard from Crete concerning her younger sister, and Greta Maitland's world starts spinning out of control: `Sorry to tell you this but Xanthe has been missing since May. Police informed but have found no trace...'

'In Crete, determined to continue the stalled investigation Greta runs up against a wall of deceptions. Who can she trust? The Cretan police offi cer deliberately mistranslates her questions; Xanthe's Cretan lover lies ... more and more disturbing facts emerge about her sister. And Greta's growing suspicions about her husband seem confirmed.

'With only Xanthe's damaged artist's journal and paintings as potential clues, and earthquakes threatening, Greta must discover the extraordinary events that have led to her sister's disappearance. But can her marriage survive such betrayal? And can Greta herself survive the earthquakes, both emotional and physical, that Crete demands of her?   (Publication summary)
 
2020 longlisted Davitt Award — Best Adult Crime Novel
y separately published work icon The Vanishing 48 Hours: The Vanishing Lindfield : Scholastic Australia , 2017 11531370 2017 single work novel young adult

'One kidnapping. One cold case. Two amateur investigators. Only 48 hours to solve the crime . . . Jazz's best friend Anika has been kidnapped! She can't call the cops, so Jazz forges a shaky truce with her brilliant nemesis, Phoenix, to help her investigate. Together, they uncover clues and crime scene evidence. Sneaking into a forensic lab, they test DNA, fingerprints and more, to piece the clues together. The results are shocking. Could it really lead to a twenty-year-old murder case? In a race against time, Jazz and Phoenix only have 48 HOURS to collect the evidence, profile the kidnapper and find their schoolmate's location, or Anika will die. The clock is ticking . . .' (Publication summary)
2018 longlisted Davitt Award — Best Children's Novel
y separately published work icon Dishonour Sydney : Hachette Australia , 2014 7471535 2014 single work novel crime thriller

'Detective-Inspector Debra Hawkins has domestic violence in her sights. But as head of a new police unit targeting violence against women within cultural enclaves, she has hit a wall of silence. How can she help Rana al-Sheikly, a young woman who yearns for the freedom to lead her own life while her brothers are planning to send her into a forced marriage in Iraq? And what is the connection between the al-Sheikly men and the crime gangs that are running rife in the suburbs?

'A series of anonymous emails has Deb following her personal secrets, too - back to her childhood and the murder of her police sergeant father. Someone is digging up the past - threatening Debra's hard-won career, and even her life.

'In the tradition of the bestsellers that made her name - FORTRESS and WHIPPING BOY - Gabrielle Lord brings us a gripping new crime novel that taps straight into the issues of our times.' (Publication summary)
2015 longlisted Davitt Award — Best Adult Crime Novel
VIEW ALL AWARDS
Last amended 16 Feb 2015 15:35:55
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