Dirt Town
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- Create Date：2022-06-02 04:52:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Hayley Scrivenor
- ISBN：1760987190
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Summary
My best friend wore her name， Esther， like a queen wearing her crown at a jaunty angle。 We were twelve years old when she went missing。
On a sweltering Friday afternoon in Durton， best friends Ronnie and Esther leave school together。 Esther never makes it home。
Ronnie's going to find her， she has a plan。 Lewis will help。 Their friend can't be gone， Ronnie won't believe it。
Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels can believe it， she has seen what people are capable of。 She knows more than anyone how， in a moment of weakness， a person can be driven to do something they never thought possible。
Lewis can believe it too。 But he can't reveal what he saw that afternoon at the creek without exposing his own secret。
Five days later， Esther's buried body is discovered。
What do we owe the girl who isn't there？
Character-rich and propulsive， with a breathtakingly original use of voice and revolving points of view， Hayley Scrivenor delves under the surface， where no one can hide。 With emotional depth and sensitivity， this stunning debut shows us how much each person matters in a community that is at once falling apart and coming together。
Esther will always be a Dirt Town child， as we are its children， still。
On a sweltering Friday afternoon in Durton， best friends Ronnie and Esther leave school together。 Esther never makes it home。
Ronnie's going to find her， she has a plan。 Lewis will help。 Their friend can't be gone， Ronnie won't believe it。
Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels can believe it， she has seen what people are capable of。 She knows more than anyone how， in a moment of weakness， a person can be driven to do something they never thought possible。
Lewis can believe it too。 But he can't reveal what he saw that afternoon at the creek without exposing his own secret。
Five days later， Esther's buried body is discovered。
What do we owe the girl who isn't there？
Character-rich and propulsive， with a breathtakingly original use of voice and revolving points of view， Hayley Scrivenor delves under the surface， where no one can hide。 With emotional depth and sensitivity， this stunning debut shows us how much each person matters in a community that is at once falling apart and coming together。
Esther will always be a Dirt Town child， as we are its children， still。
Reviews
Tien
，
What a STUNNING debut！ Undoubtedly one of my best reads of 2022 and I'm going to start this review， right off the bat， by Highly Recommending this book。 You'll not regret it。 Actually， you will regret it if you don't。I thought Dirt Town was a novel I was going to enjoy as I do enjoy my crime reads。 However， after a few pages， I knew I was not just going to enjoy this read。 This read was more。 I still can't quite point the finger at exactly what it is but it was just such a rich read; compelling What a STUNNING debut！ Undoubtedly one of my best reads of 2022 and I'm going to start this review， right off the bat， by Highly Recommending this book。 You'll not regret it。 Actually， you will regret it if you don't。I thought Dirt Town was a novel I was going to enjoy as I do enjoy my crime reads。 However， after a few pages， I knew I was not just going to enjoy this read。 This read was more。 I still can't quite point the finger at exactly what it is but it was just such a rich read; compelling prose， concrete characters， engaging mystery and I am just in awe。The description notes 'revolving points of view' and this phrase both interests me and made me a bit anxious but for once， I don't have any complaint on the multiple perspectives。 Each one was clear and definite， each voice unique。 Sometimes， I found it a bit strange as moving on to another perspective， we are going over the same time period or scene as the previous chapter/perspective BUT it's not actually going over old grounds as it were but different perspectives， in this novel， truly gave another viewpoint， another dimension to a certain scene。 It really flesh out the whole story and made it ever more solid。I could literally feel the snowball effect as I read; it started off slow but sure and after halfway， I could feel it gaining speed and the end was heartbreaking。 The ending wasn't as dark as some other crime/rural noir novels and in that way， I appreciated it a whole lot more。 An immensely satisfying read， do yourself a favour and read this book。 Then do me a favour by letting me know your thoughts xMy thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for this copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts 。。。more
Tania Hart
，
WOW did not see that coming OMG Hayley Scrivenor has done an amazing job， keeping the suspense going until the very end of the book。 Would be amazing to read more about Detective Sergeant Sarah Micheals and more of her cases。
Craig / Phil
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Thank you Pan Macmillan for sending us a copy to read and review。It is always so exciting to read an author’s debut novel， even more exciting when accolades from renowned and top selling author’s adorn the cover。 This crime suspense story was fantastic and I enjoyed the journey to find the truth immensely。Twelve year old Esther did not make it home one Friday after school。 A community rallies and search relentlessly。 Her father is arrested。 Her best friend is determined to find her and is in den Thank you Pan Macmillan for sending us a copy to read and review。It is always so exciting to read an author’s debut novel， even more exciting when accolades from renowned and top selling author’s adorn the cover。 This crime suspense story was fantastic and I enjoyed the journey to find the truth immensely。Twelve year old Esther did not make it home one Friday after school。 A community rallies and search relentlessly。 Her father is arrested。 Her best friend is determined to find her and is in denial she is dead。 The disappearance creating cracks in relationships， creating bonds between unlikely people and exposing truths that are hidden behind happy facades。Detective Sergeant Sarah has seen it all in her career。 Knowing human capabilities in moments of weakness。 It not just the sweltering heat that is making her hot under the collar， a relationship break up still causing angst and dealing with crimes and the lies that are part of the territory take their toll。 Every clue so vital。This was an atmospheric， gritty and twisty story that not only contained the criminal element but one that succinctly identified social and family issues that are at the core of all communities。 The way the characters interacted， the diversity of characters and the way they responded and reacted to the situations was brilliant。 A well written book worthy of five stars。 。。。more
Jackie
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I love literary crime， and this ticked all the boxes for me。 Scrivenor's characters are well developed， the action is compelling， the police work is believable。 I especially liked the use of the 'we' voice to represent that sort of undercurrent of awareness amongst the kids of a rural town。 Full disclosure: I am friends with Scrivenor， but that is not why I like this book。 I am always on the lookout for genuinely well written and realised crime fiction。 This one is for people who like Kate Atkin I love literary crime， and this ticked all the boxes for me。 Scrivenor's characters are well developed， the action is compelling， the police work is believable。 I especially liked the use of the 'we' voice to represent that sort of undercurrent of awareness amongst the kids of a rural town。 Full disclosure: I am friends with Scrivenor， but that is not why I like this book。 I am always on the lookout for genuinely well written and realised crime fiction。 This one is for people who like Kate Atkinson， Garry Disher and other literary crime writers。 Thoroughly enjoyable。 。。。more
Mandy White （mandylovestoread）
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I have been hearing a lot of great things about this debut novel from Australian author Hayley Scrivenor。 And with blurbs from Chris Hammer and Jane Harper I knew it was definitely one to read。 Thanks to Macmillan Australia for my advanced copy that I devoured in a few sittings。 What is it about a small town murder mystery that always has me intrigued？ The town of Dutton， known is Dirt Town to the locals。 Everyone knows everyone’s business， or so they think。 They soon discover that there is so m I have been hearing a lot of great things about this debut novel from Australian author Hayley Scrivenor。 And with blurbs from Chris Hammer and Jane Harper I knew it was definitely one to read。 Thanks to Macmillan Australia for my advanced copy that I devoured in a few sittings。 What is it about a small town murder mystery that always has me intrigued？ The town of Dutton， known is Dirt Town to the locals。 Everyone knows everyone’s business， or so they think。 They soon discover that there is so much more below the surface for these families， when a young girl goes missing on her way home from school， never to be seen again。 We know from the beginning the fate of Esther。 The opening chapter tells of the finding of her small body， buried。 But who would do this and why？ Enter DS Sarah Michaels， an outsider who has been sent to find the girl。。 and then the killer。It is a slow burn that is certainly worth the read。 These characters and the town come to life and you feel you could be there。 Heartbreaking revelations are uncovered and the town and its residents will never be the same again。Published in Australia May 31st， get this on your TBR。 。。。more
Susan
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Another fantastic debut Australian rural crime！ I really wasn't sure where this one was heading-so many possibilities and interwoven connections in small towns。 Ultimately， a great read with characters that we still want/need to know more about。 Another fantastic debut Australian rural crime！ I really wasn't sure where this one was heading-so many possibilities and interwoven connections in small towns。 Ultimately， a great read with characters that we still want/need to know more about。 。。。more
what。jill。reads
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Thank you @netgalley and @flatiron_books for this advance copy。。This debut novel recommended for fans of Jane Harper is part whodunnit， part police procedural and part examination of small town life in Australia。 I don’t want to give anything away， but there were parts of this book that just felt confusing as far as organization and placement。 I struggled to orient myself at first， but it wasn’t long before I could not put it down。 Even though it focused on a subject matter I prefer not to read Thank you @netgalley and @flatiron_books for this advance copy。。This debut novel recommended for fans of Jane Harper is part whodunnit， part police procedural and part examination of small town life in Australia。 I don’t want to give anything away， but there were parts of this book that just felt confusing as far as organization and placement。 I struggled to orient myself at first， but it wasn’t long before I could not put it down。 Even though it focused on a subject matter I prefer not to read about， the story was so compelling I had to know what happened。 Overall， an absorbing， page turning read。 I will definitely be on the lookout for whatever Scrivenor writes next。。Dirt Creek publishes August 2nd。 。。。more
Farrells Bookshop
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Hayley Scrivenor is a refreshing new voice in Australian rural crime。 The multiple narratives work in the telling of the story and help set up many unsuspecting twists。 This book is reminiscent of Jasper Jones meets The Dry and will certainly cement its place with other key Australian crime novels。 I hope that this book is the first of many featuring Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels。 She is an interesting main protagonist， and there is scope to develop her character in upcoming novels。 It certa Hayley Scrivenor is a refreshing new voice in Australian rural crime。 The multiple narratives work in the telling of the story and help set up many unsuspecting twists。 This book is reminiscent of Jasper Jones meets The Dry and will certainly cement its place with other key Australian crime novels。 I hope that this book is the first of many featuring Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels。 She is an interesting main protagonist， and there is scope to develop her character in upcoming novels。 It certainly reads as though there will be more of her to come。Read by Suzie 。。。more
Robert
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Free book giveaway。Nice mystery。
Paromjit
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Hayley Scrivenor's atmospheric Aussie crime debut revolves around 12 year old Esther Bianchi who disappears on her way home from school in the small town of Durton， aka Dirt Town， and the repercussions on the community， its families and children。 Specialist Missing Persons police officers， DS Sarah Michaels， still obsessing over the breakdown of her relationship with Amira， and DC Wayne Smith arrive， organising line searches with local volunteers， using divers to check the dam， and deploying the Hayley Scrivenor's atmospheric Aussie crime debut revolves around 12 year old Esther Bianchi who disappears on her way home from school in the small town of Durton， aka Dirt Town， and the repercussions on the community， its families and children。 Specialist Missing Persons police officers， DS Sarah Michaels， still obsessing over the breakdown of her relationship with Amira， and DC Wayne Smith arrive， organising line searches with local volunteers， using divers to check the dam， and deploying the dog team。 Esther's mother， Constance， married to the very good looking Steven， is plunged into the depths of despair and desperation。 The story is related through the perspectives of a number of people and children， it includes a type of Greek chorus from the children， relaying information and an awareness of the undercurrents of darkness and cruelties that run through the town。Veronica 'Ronnie' Thompson is Esther's best friend and biggest cheerleader， for her Esther was magical， she loves the way Estie could do voices， jumping around and squirming until she had Ronnie bursting into raucous crazy laughter。 Estie means everything to her， she had the ability to make Ronnie feel more than she was。 Being raised by her single mother， Evelyn， Ronnie idolises Steven as a father figure， certain he would never harm Estie。 Knowing Estie so well， Ronnie thinks she is the person to find her， unable to comprehend a world in which Estie does not return。 Young Lewis Kennard faces troubling family circumstances that revolve around his father， Clint， he is a boy with secrets， secrets that prevent him from revealing what he saw at the creek on the afternoon Estie disappeared。 As time goes by and the police work their way through potential suspects， it becomes increasingly unlikely that Estie will be found alive。Scrivenor weaves a riveting story of being in the wrong place at the wrong time， and of how anyone， even good people， can so easily make mistakes whilst facing a challenging set of circumstances。 Dirt Town is a place of secrets that begin to surface as Sarah investigates， Esther going missing portrays how a town and community simultaneously comes together and splinters apart。 For the children， it means explicitly acknowledging that bad things happen， a loss of childhood innocence and freedom， but they and Esther are unquestionably Dirt Town children。 The author provides information about what happens in the future with a number of characters， I was particularly happy to learn that life turns out to be more than okay for Lewis。 This is a great Aussie mystery that I recommend highly。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more
Neale
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4。5 Stars。My review is published in the June edition of goodREADING。
Meegz Reads
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*4 Stars* Copy kindly received from Pan MacMillan Aus for an honest review。 This was a great debut novel from Hayley Scrivener。 I was very intrigued by the storyline and the varying characters。 I was wondering how everything would come together to lead us to the truth of what happened to Estie。 Lots of players in this one， and lots of small town mystery。 Enjoyed this and would recommend。Follow me on:FacebookTwitterInstagramTikTok *4 Stars* Copy kindly received from Pan MacMillan Aus for an honest review。 This was a great debut novel from Hayley Scrivener。 I was very intrigued by the storyline and the varying characters。 I was wondering how everything would come together to lead us to the truth of what happened to Estie。 Lots of players in this one， and lots of small town mystery。 Enjoyed this and would recommend。Follow me on:FacebookTwitterInstagramTikTok 。。。more
Meredith
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“The best liars were the people who could believe their own bullshit。”Dirt Creek is a slow-burn mystery about the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl in a small town in rural Australia。Durton， aka Dirt Creek， is a small town filled with secrets。 On the surface， it seems like an idyllic community to raise a family， but when 12-year-old Esther doesn’t return home after school， the town and its inhabitants fall under scrutiny。 What seems like an innocent town is filled with some dark and dirty secr “The best liars were the people who could believe their own bullshit。”Dirt Creek is a slow-burn mystery about the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl in a small town in rural Australia。Durton， aka Dirt Creek， is a small town filled with secrets。 On the surface， it seems like an idyllic community to raise a family， but when 12-year-old Esther doesn’t return home after school， the town and its inhabitants fall under scrutiny。 What seems like an innocent town is filled with some dark and dirty secrets。 As the police investigate， secrets are exposed， culminating in a shocking reveal about Esther’s disappearance。The narrative switches point of view with each chapter， and the timeline shifts based on perspective， so one has the opportunity to understand events from multiple POVs。 The primary narrators are Constance， mother of Esther; Lewie， a 12-year-old boy with a secret; Ronnie， Esther’s best friend; and Sarah， a police detective trying to solve the mystery behind Esther’s disappearance。 All characters were well-developed and offered a unique take on Esther’s disappearance。 Ronnie’s character was my favorite。 Sarah’s character’s obsession with her ex grew redundant and annoying。 She also looks at almost every woman as a potential love interest， which also annoyed me--her character was a little too overdone and could have benefited from a good dose of subtlety， but overall， she was likable。 Another perspective is offered in chapters titled “We。” These chapters didn’t quite work for me。 The story takes place in 2001 and slowly covers the days following Esther’s disappearance。 This is a slow-paced mystery， and it is equally a character study。 Dirt Creek is a desolate， isolated town that Scrivner brings to life。 The blurb compares this book to The Dry and Everything I Never Told You<， Dirt Creek is neither， but it is a solid read and an impressive debut。 I received an ARC of Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tory Marks
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Slow start， but once it got going: WOW。 I really enjoyed how the “We” chapters tied up the plot from different view points like a Greek chorus。 Having all the individual POVs be in third person except Ronnie was interesting。 We had many protagonists， but her view was the one we were most invested in。 There were some Australian specific things I had to look up as an American， but that didn’t take away from the story。 Thoroughly enjoyed。 Kept me guessing。 Would read more by this author
Margie Bunting
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Dirt Creek is a well-written debut mystery set in small-town Australia about the disappearance of 12-year-old Esther during her walk home from school。 Esther's plucky best friend Ronnie is determined to find her， occasionally aided by their more reluctant friend Lewis。 But each of the young characters is a member of a dysfunctional family， which results in quite a few suspects and a close look at family dynamics。 Chapters focus alternately on a number of characters， with some devoted to a "Greek Dirt Creek is a well-written debut mystery set in small-town Australia about the disappearance of 12-year-old Esther during her walk home from school。 Esther's plucky best friend Ronnie is determined to find her， occasionally aided by their more reluctant friend Lewis。 But each of the young characters is a member of a dysfunctional family， which results in quite a few suspects and a close look at family dynamics。 Chapters focus alternately on a number of characters， with some devoted to a "Greek chorus" of young townspeople who express their feelings about growing up in this town and ultimately describe what had actually happened and why。 There didn't seem to be much happiness in any of the characters， which made it a bleak read for me。 But the author succeeded in capturing the atmosphere of the setting and the growing tension among the major players。 My review is based on a complimentary pre-release copy of the book。 。。。more
Cazg
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In what is rapidly becoming a crowded field of Aussie “landscape crime” writers Hayley Scrivenor has managed to grasp and hold our attention right till the last twisty page of Dirt Town and bring something fresh & exciting to the genre。 Like all excellent landscape crime the story unfolds as if you are one of the characters too， inhaling their air， entering their houses， hearing what they hear and fearing what they fear but rest assured Dirt Town will surprise you， alarm you and keep you guessin In what is rapidly becoming a crowded field of Aussie “landscape crime” writers Hayley Scrivenor has managed to grasp and hold our attention right till the last twisty page of Dirt Town and bring something fresh & exciting to the genre。 Like all excellent landscape crime the story unfolds as if you are one of the characters too， inhaling their air， entering their houses， hearing what they hear and fearing what they fear but rest assured Dirt Town will surprise you， alarm you and keep you guessing right to the bitter end。 。。。more
bikerbuddy
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‘Dirt Town’ is a child’s variation of the town name Durton， a familiar place if you have travelled through regional Australia， even though Durton， as the author tells us， is fictional。 That is the first thing to say about this rather interesting crime novel: Dirt Town conveys a strong sense of its place and people。 It is a smart literary crime novel which is emotionally engaging。 It draws us in immediately， not only to a crime and how it will be solved， but it immerses us in the lives of the peo ‘Dirt Town’ is a child’s variation of the town name Durton， a familiar place if you have travelled through regional Australia， even though Durton， as the author tells us， is fictional。 That is the first thing to say about this rather interesting crime novel: Dirt Town conveys a strong sense of its place and people。 It is a smart literary crime novel which is emotionally engaging。 It draws us in immediately， not only to a crime and how it will be solved， but it immerses us in the lives of the people of Durton， whose personal circumstances are cause for reflection。 These are real people and their lives cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to our own。 We are forced to confront the terrible possibility that who we believe we are is not as definitive as we believe， nor are the circumstances that will draw out our future self。Scrivenor’s biographical note tells us that she is “originally from a small country town”: that， and her acknowledgment of Aboriginal custodianship of the land in her acknowledgements pages suggest she writes from a strong sense of place and its links with identity。 That is not to say that Aboriginal issues are strongly foregrounded within the novel， however。 There is only one moment， when Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels recalls something her former girlfriend said to her， that our focus momentarily shifts from the investigation， the search for a missing child， Esther Bianchi， to contextualise modern criminal violence within a colonial past: “Baby， something bad is happening everywhere。 This is Australia。 Think about whose land you’re standing on。 The catastrophe is ongoing。”Scrivenor sets her narrative in a modern Australian country town that even the local children sense is dying。 The date is specific – 30 November 2001 – when Esther Bianchi fails to return home from school。 Her mother， Constance， is not a ‘native’ of Durton – she did not grow up in the town – but rather， moved to Durton several years before at the urging of her incredibly good looking husband， Steven Bianchi。 Steven grew up in Durton and he believes， ironically as it turns out， that Durton will be a safe wholesome place to raise a family。 Constance has not exactly been accepted by the town’s community， however。 She is perceived as a little too remote。 But she has made friends with Shelley Thompson whom she speaks to regularly， even if Shelley and her husband Peter never visit their house to socialise。 This makes Shelley and Constance’s relationship， as strong as it might appear， seem somewhat provisional。 And this sense is borne out by a terrible revelation Shelley is about to make to Constance。Many of the relationships in the town seem fractured or fraught。 Clint Kennard may be beating his wife， Sophie: Evelyn Thompson thinks it best her daughter Veronica （otherwise known as Ronnie） not know the identity of her father; and while Peter and Shelley Thompson’s marriage might appear solid enough， financial pressures are about to have a big impact on their lives。Part of the appeal of this novel lies in these troubled relationships。 It is not merely that they may provide motive and means when the lid is slowly peeled back by Sarah Michaels’s investigation of Esther’s disappearance。 The characters and their relationships are integral to a philosophical approach this novel takes to crime， which sets it apart from many crime novels。 Depending upon the genre， many crime novels， especially older crime novels from the Golden Age， are about the restoration of order。 A crime – and murder is the most pernicious of crimes – undermines the sense of social order and our humanity。 Only by identifying the perpetrator can order and humanity be restored。 Small town settings， as Scrivenor uses here， would traditionally be stock in trade for this kind of scenario: isolated with a limited set of suspects， given that the facts of the case point to a perpetrator with local knowledge。 But Scrivenor turns the assumptions of small town life， the kind espoused by Steven Bianchi， around。 Even an outsider like Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels， for instance， comes with personal baggage， a fact not lost to her as she sets out to interrogate the town’s residents。 This is fairly typical of a lot of crime fiction， too。 Hard-boiled detectives of the 1940s firmly established the damaged lives of detectives who plied their trade。 But Scrivenor’s portrayal of Sarah Michaels is not attempting gritty realism。 Her backstory， which mainly focuses on her torrid break-up with her former girlfriend， Amira， has pushed Sarah to an emotional edge which could easily have resulted in her indictment for violence， and might still ruin her career if the details are ever made public。 As she remembers a lesson her father once imparted to her， Sarah’s story reveals to us a philosophical underpinning in this novel。 She remembers that as a child her father had once pointed to a thin lace table runner on their dinner table， and used it to represent the lottery of being born: those who are born to privilege and opportunity on one side believe their lives represent an essential quality about themselves: “Everyone […] thinks they’re there because they wouldn’t ever do the sort of thing that gets you into that kind of mess。” But the point of her father’s story is to disabuse Sarah of this belief: “Things happen， and anyone can end up there，” he tells her。 He adds: “Even your mother。”This is a quality that sets Scrivenor’s story apart from a lot of crime fiction。 Sarah Michaels is aware of the abyss into which hope and prospects might tumble; that ill-fated moment that tips someone’s life upside down。 Scrivenor’s narrative isn’t moralising but speculative in this regard。 It follows all the regular tropes of detective fiction – the crime， the cast of suspects， the procedure of the investigation， false leads and surprise revelations – but the novel speaks to the vagaries of existence: of the randomness of life and the trap of circumstance than leaves everyone vulnerable。To this end， narrative voice is an interesting feature of this novel。 The story is told from multiple perspectives， thereby abandoning a more traditional detective narrative that makes the investigation， itself， the central focus of the story。 By placing us in the mind of Constance as she faces the reality that her daughter may not be coming home， or Shelly whose past is tormenting her， or Sarah whose determination to conduct a professional investigation is punctuated with concerns about her personal life， we are most focussed on the circumstances that shape these characters。 But of greater interest， still， is the use of children’s perspectives， whose voices form a substantial part of the narrative。 Lewis， the son of Clint and Sophie Kennard， is isolated at school and struggling with guilt over his feelings for his friend， Campbell Rutherford。 He has seen something the day that Esther disappeared that might be important to the investigation， but his shame prevents him from doing the right thing。 And Veronica – Ronnie – whose friend， Esther， is missing， is a smart kid who is obsessed with llamas and wonders who she really is， because her mother won’t say who her father was。But of most interest is Scrivenor’s use of what she terms a “chorus of children who have access to things they shouldn’t， or couldn’t， know about what really happened to missing girl， Esther Bianchi。” Without identifying a specific individual perspective， this ‘chorus’ speaks in the collective voice of ‘We’， and like the Greek Chorus used by ancient tragedians， its presence heightens the import of individual misfortune and evokes a mythic quality 。。。。。。。Read my full review of Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor on the Reading Project 。。。more
Maureen
，
"The knowledge would make her feel the crushing weight of what it was to live in such a small town。 Everything and everyone touching everything else。"I love the creepy atmosphere a small Australian town has in contemporary fiction and Dirt Town has got it！ As if the title of the book doesn't instantly place you in the setting。 We know what has happened to Esther Bianchi before the detectives do， but that doesn't help us keep track of all the people in town and how they're interconnected and whic "The knowledge would make her feel the crushing weight of what it was to live in such a small town。 Everything and everyone touching everything else。"I love the creepy atmosphere a small Australian town has in contemporary fiction and Dirt Town has got it！ As if the title of the book doesn't instantly place you in the setting。 We know what has happened to Esther Bianchi before the detectives do， but that doesn't help us keep track of all the people in town and how they're interconnected and which of them would have a reason to harm a young girl。 The solution is brilliant， yet understated。 Dirt Town could be any town。 I thoroughly enjoyed this one。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more
Sally Yuen
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thank you Dymocks and Pan Macmillan Australia for the advance copy！Shall be vague in this review until its offical release on the 31st May。Was a very interesting take on painting a crime scene and the ripple effects it has on a town， especially with the interdispered "We" chapters。 I think unlike most crime novels though， it dwelled a lot on each individual character and backstory of each of their lives rather than slowly unfolds rhe story to keep the reader guessing at who could have been the k Thank you Dymocks and Pan Macmillan Australia for the advance copy！Shall be vague in this review until its offical release on the 31st May。Was a very interesting take on painting a crime scene and the ripple effects it has on a town， especially with the interdispered "We" chapters。 I think unlike most crime novels though， it dwelled a lot on each individual character and backstory of each of their lives rather than slowly unfolds rhe story to keep the reader guessing at who could have been the killer; if only there were more red herrings left around， it would have made for a more interesting read。As an aside， I note that there is a lot of references to iconic Australian centric things， such as the names of stores， products and experiences in school and life back in that time that only children growing up in Australia would know and resonate with。 Although it makes me nostalgic for my own experiences， I do think this book would be a bit hard to market overseas。 Unless the aim and target audience were simply the Australian experience， then the goal has been met。 。。。more
Sarah
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There will be the inevitable comparisons with Jane Harper - it is a book about a detective in Australia - and Hayley Scrivenor deserves comparing to such a brilliant author。 This book is a gripping read; the characters are intriguing， the plot extremely well crafted， the small town descriptions thoroughly immersing， I loved this book - it is a page turner， one that I was keen to wake up early this morning in order to finish before work - and that doesn't happen very often！I look forward to readi There will be the inevitable comparisons with Jane Harper - it is a book about a detective in Australia - and Hayley Scrivenor deserves comparing to such a brilliant author。 This book is a gripping read; the characters are intriguing， the plot extremely well crafted， the small town descriptions thoroughly immersing， I loved this book - it is a page turner， one that I was keen to wake up early this morning in order to finish before work - and that doesn't happen very often！I look forward to reading more from Hayley Scrivenor！ 。。。more
Bohdi
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A cracking debut author to keep an eye on， I was gripped from the very start to the very end。 The writing is so viscerally believable。
Chelsea Bashore
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Thank you NetGalley for an early read。 This story revolves around what truths and secrets come out after a child goes missing。 When Esther doesn’t come home from school， Dirt Town’s layers begin to unravel。 I loved some of the notes of Australia in this， that was a fun experience。 The LGBTQ+ representation in two age groups I thought was well done。 The story itself sometimes dragged for me， but I loved Ronnie’s storytelling best。 She had me rooting for her the entire time。
Samantha Palus
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish。 I normally don’t really like books that have chapters that alternate between characters， but this one did it so well。 I liked how you get to see the same situation through different perspectives。 It really brought dimension to the story and characters。 The book starts off strong and keeps you guessing the whole way through。 It has very well placed surprises， and makes you want to keep reading。 I also found myself getting a little emotional at I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish。 I normally don’t really like books that have chapters that alternate between characters， but this one did it so well。 I liked how you get to see the same situation through different perspectives。 It really brought dimension to the story and characters。 The book starts off strong and keeps you guessing the whole way through。 It has very well placed surprises， and makes you want to keep reading。 I also found myself getting a little emotional at parts because the characters and their situations are so well written。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Amanda
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Gritty， atmospheric Australian thriller。 A great debut novel。
Neil Challis
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This is an uncorrected proof so may change on publication。A young girl is missing from a small village in the Australian outback，from the opening chapter we already know the outcome and the rest of the book focuses on the relationship between those affected by the case and the police who are involved to solve it。Goes into a lot of background of the characters and in my opinion is not necessary。Takes something away from the story not adding value in the most part。Ms Scrivenor is a debut author fr This is an uncorrected proof so may change on publication。A young girl is missing from a small village in the Australian outback，from the opening chapter we already know the outcome and the rest of the book focuses on the relationship between those affected by the case and the police who are involved to solve it。Goes into a lot of background of the characters and in my opinion is not necessary。Takes something away from the story not adding value in the most part。Ms Scrivenor is a debut author from Australia。Will not go futher into the story as may change when published。 。。。more
Liz Barnsley
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One of my books of the year so far， Dirt Town features spectacular writing， realistic characters and a tense， atmospheric plot that you simply cannot put down。The sense of place is superb， the scene setting and multi layered viewpoint pops， the whole novel has a beautifully melancholy feel with small town claustrophobia and a page turning story。Might well end up being my no 1 this year， we'll see but its definitely going to be up there。 Highly Recommended。 One of my books of the year so far， Dirt Town features spectacular writing， realistic characters and a tense， atmospheric plot that you simply cannot put down。The sense of place is superb， the scene setting and multi layered viewpoint pops， the whole novel has a beautifully melancholy feel with small town claustrophobia and a page turning story。Might well end up being my no 1 this year， we'll see but its definitely going to be up there。 Highly Recommended。 。。。more
Denise
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If you're in the mood for a slow burn， complex mystery that will also tug at your heartstrings， then this is a book worth checking out in August when it is released。 I believe this is a debut work for Hayley Scrivenor， and it is both powerful and memorable！ Best friends， Ronnie and Esther， who are both twelve years old， always walk home from school together and part ways at the exact same spot in their small， Australian town。 One afternoon though， Esther never makes it home， and Ronnie has no i If you're in the mood for a slow burn， complex mystery that will also tug at your heartstrings， then this is a book worth checking out in August when it is released。 I believe this is a debut work for Hayley Scrivenor， and it is both powerful and memorable！ Best friends， Ronnie and Esther， who are both twelve years old， always walk home from school together and part ways at the exact same spot in their small， Australian town。 One afternoon though， Esther never makes it home， and Ronnie has no idea that it is the last time she’ll see her best friend。 No one can imagine where Esther has gone， and out-of-town detectives are called in to solve the disappearance。 The girls' other best friend， Lewis， saw something the day Esther disappeared but won't talk to the police as he doesn't want his own secret to come to light。 When Esther’s father can’t prove his alibi and one of Esther's school shoes is found in his car， he is arrested。 Ronnie doesn't believe Esther's dad would ever hurt her， and is determined to find Esther herself。 Tensions rise between members of the town - most of whom have known each other since they were children themselves - as the detectives stumble upon a tangled web of deception， and it becomes clear that everyone is keeping dark secrets。 This is definitely a slow burn thriller - it took me time to immerse myself in the plot and the characters， but once I did， I was all in。 I love a good mystery brimming with suspects， and this book had them in spades。 At times， I was certain it was several different characters and somehow missed the clue dart （if there was one） about the actual "whodunnit"。 It was not who I suspected at all。 There are a lot of intriguing twists and turns that Scrivenor superbly works into the plot that kept my head spinning in a myriad of directions。 It would have been an all-the-stars read for me， if not for a couple of oddities with the first being the chapters entitled， "We"， which involved a Greek-type chorus of the town's children。 The chapters were meant to enlighten the reader regarding some of the the town’s secrets， and while it did its job， it felt off to me， and I found myself generally skimming those chapters。 The second thing was the character of Detective Sergeant Michaels。 While she has great instincts about solving missing children cases， she also has a strange compulsion to check out every woman character in the book and note how attractive they are and things she'd like to do with them - especially those she was investigating or trying to comfort。 I would be turned off by it if it were a male constantly sizing up women， and felt no differently with a woman doing the same。 Just unnecessary really。This book has a similar feel as a Jane Harper work， which also makes it a delight for me。 I will absolutely be keeping my eye out for Scrivenor's future books！ 4 debut stars。 。。。more
Stuart Ashenbrenner
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READ MY FULL REVIEW AT BEST THRILLER BOOKS READ MY FULL REVIEW AT BEST THRILLER BOOKS 。。。more
Aria Harlow
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I literally couldn't put this book down， it was a gripping read that was engaging all the way through after hooking me right from the start - there wasn't a single sentence that made me wnat to put the book down， twisty and unpredictable， I loved it。 I literally couldn't put this book down， it was a gripping read that was engaging all the way through after hooking me right from the start - there wasn't a single sentence that made me wnat to put the book down， twisty and unpredictable， I loved it。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Dirt Town
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Dirt Town&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Dirt Town&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0