There was something rather odd with this book. The only thing I can think is that it's a non Australian trying to evoke a sense of place they simply don't understand. Aussies are not Brits or Americand with funny accents. Sadly, this one fell short for me.

This was a fantastic thriller that kept me gripped start to finish, a well written plot with plenty of unpredictable twists and a lot of drama,

Blood Sisters is a phenomenal mystery thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating, unpredictable plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Blood Sisters asap.

An original and very well written thriller with some clever elements of comedy weaved in. I’ve come to the conclusion I’m a very poor judge of character but you will have to read the book to discover why.
Tara is wonderful and worthy of at least one more book. In fact lots of the characters could survive another story to star in.
I loved the short chapters with different pov’s and that doesn’t always work for me but the author had the style nailed.

A must read! Some women just can't take a joke.
At least, that's what locals tell the police when a man is found gruesomely murdered at the pub in a tiny outback town. All fingers point to the backpackers working behind the bar that night - sorority sisters Beth and Lauren, who skipped town before the body was discovered.

Despite all the evidence against them, rookie cop Tara Harrison knows there must be more to this case. But even as she tries to prove their innocence, Tara discovers that Beth and Lauren have dark secrets of their own - secrets they've sworn to take to the grave...

Atmospheric, Simmering Suspense…
When the body of a man is discovered, brutally murdered, all fingers in a small outback town point to two backpackers who skipped the area before the gruesome discovery. Or is there more to this case than meets the eye? Tara Harrison thinks that there is but then these particular backpackers have secrets of their own. An atmospheric, character driven, simmering suspense with twists aplenty, much misdirection and a dual timeline approach which works beautifully well.

Excellent thriller that is set in a remote mining town in Australia where men are men and women get used. Weaves in the indigenous people and their treatment into this murder in the outback that at first seems obvious who did it. Probationary cop Tara is a great character with a social conscience and a nose for seeking out information. Some good twists and unexpected outcomes and an original plot.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of Blood Sisters, a stand-alone psychological thriller set in the West Australian town of Dead Tree Creek.

American backpackers Lauren and Beth take bar jobs in the outback town of Dead Tree Creek. During their time there a man is murdered in the pub and they have left town by the time the body is discovered. Rookie PC Tara Harrison, who has ties to area, isn’t as sure as everyone else about their guilt and thinks there may be more to the case.

I like to try new to me authors so I was interested to read my first Cate Quinn, Blood Sisters. I enjoyed it, but that enjoyment is tempered by the very slow pace. I should qualify that by saying that I like a brisk narrative where B follows A and visible progress is made. This is not that kind of novel as it is more character driven.

To set the scene it starts with the discovery of a murdered body. The narrative then switches between the present time investigation as seen through Tara’s eyes and the events of the past 3 months seen through the eyes of all the main players. I really liked this approach as the various characters interpret events differently, allowing the reader a wider look and the fact that they are doing it with hindsight gives it more impact. Of course, it means that the motive and various other secrets are only hinted at for the majority of the novel which I found a bit frustrating, although the horrible behaviour that is revealed should be enough to keep the reader turning the pages - it’s like watching an inevitable car crash, so no wonder there were fatalities. The last quarter of the novel is where things speed up, secrets tumble out and Tara puts herself in danger.

The voices are strong in the novel giving it a feel of natural conversation and authenticity. It is warming and draws the reader in. This is coupled with the plight of Aboriginals and the way they have been treated by the Australian government over the centuries. As a result the novel has a strong sense of culture and place.

Blood Sisters is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I loved the setting of this book, a gold mining town in the outback. The story is great, clever and you won’t be able to stop thinking about it until a while after you finished it.

Great characterisation and a really solid thriller.

Blood Sisters by Cate Quinn is a slow up the burning thriller set in the Australian Outback in a small mining town called Dead Tree Creek. Californian backpackers Lauren and Beth are travelling and working around Australia when the Agency send them to work at a pub in the small town. Where the customers are mostly the miners. The boss expects them to entertain the men and there are regular lock-ins at the pub
At the same time, Tara a rookie cop has returned to her hometown and her first job is to investigate Paul hunter that has been found murdered and the two main suspects are the two girls. But Tara instincts tells her that this is not an open and shut case and thinks the girls are innocence. But if they are innocent. Who killed Paul Hunter and why?
Thank you, Orion Publishing, for a copy of Blood Sisters. This was an interesting mystery told in several POV’s and about the indigenous people of Australia and the problems they face in day-to-day life. I thought this started quite slow and took me a while to get the gist of the story. Maybe because of the number of characters in the story it got a bit overwhelming. But I am glad I kept on reading as the second half of the book picked up the pace and I really enjoyed it. 4 stars from me.

When the body of a man is found in the pub of a remote Australian mining town, with injuries suggesting he met a violent death, the American backpackers-turned-barmaids are immediately the main suspects. However rookie cop Tara, returned to the town in which she grew up to complete her constable training, isn’t so sure about their guilt.

It took me a while to warm up to Blood Sisters, and especially the characters of Beth and Lauren, but the narrative structure switching between their POVs and that of Tara was effective in slowly revealing more about just what happened in the pub… and to Beth and Lauren years before during a sorority hazing. The weaving through of elements of indigenous Aboriginal culture and traditions is also nicely done.

3.5 stars rounded to 4. A good read for fans of Chris Hammer and Jane Harper.

A dark and compelling read that was well written with a gripping storyline and well developed characters. It was well paced and tense and I really enjoyed it.

This is a very good thriller, set in the Australian Outback. It is very well written, filled with descriptive writing and good characterisation. The plot revolves around two female backpackers who are charged with murder. It's well thought out and the writing jumped between several points of view, which worked really well. I really liked the main character of Tara and the grumpy Sergeant Anderson, as well as the insight into the challenges of indigenous people in Australia. I would recommend this book to thriller lovers. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Blood Sisters is a hugely immersive and original read that will stay with me for a long time. American sorority sisters Beth and Lauren are working at a bar in a mining town in the Australian Outback when a miner is found murdered. Rookie cop Tara Harrison, newly arrived in town, is part of the investigating team and has to contend with sexism and the local discriminatory attitudes to indigenous people.
I absolutely loved this and it's so atmospheric that I felt that I was there in the American outback. It's a well paced novel and the multiple points of view worked really well. Great twists and a hugely satisfying read. I hope Tara returns ! Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Brilliant Australian noir with a strong focus on the challenges faced by indigenous people and a cleverly twisted mystery that keeps you guessing.

A good group dynamic of characters and the plotting was excellent, swapping between points of view until a full picture emerges, as shocking as it is compelling.

The author has a keen eye for character depth and engagement plus the setting is beautifully described and fully immersive.

Really great writing and a page turning tale that hooks you in from page one. High recommend.

4+
A pub in the Australian outback in the tough gold mining town of Dead Tree Creek is where American backpackers Lauren Davis and (Darla) Beth Jackson are sent by an agency to work in the bar. Are they lambs to slaughter or are they up to the challenge? A few weeks later miner Paul Hunter is brutally murdered, everyone assumes it’s Lauren and Beth since they’ve skipped town - but are they guilty? Sgt Anderson is in charge of the investigation, assisted by Officer Craig Dooligan and newly arrived probationary officer Tara Harrison who grew up in the area and has things in her past that haunt her. Despite the evidence against them Tara is not entirely convinced these Alpha Sigma Psi sorority sisters are guilty and is on a mission to uncover the truth. It seems these blood sisters have secrets they will take to their graves and perhaps they’re not the only ones. The story is told via multiple perspectives which I’d normally find too much but in this case it works extremely well.

I thoroughly enjoyed the last novel by Cate Quinn and eagerly anticipate this and I’m definitely not disappointed. The plot is really well thought out having a lot of elements to it which keeps you interested throughout. It’s fast paced and builds in intensity then thankfully the author gives you a bit of a breather with a change of point of view. There are several good twists and the odd jaw dropper adding suspense and tension. The sorority element is a good angle too though a bit baffling to a Brit! I love the focus on the Indigenous people in this case the Moodjana people which is a fascinating dimension especially the cultural aspect and the ensuing and understandable tensions with the mining company.

The atmosphere is fantastic, it has it by the truck load or as we’re in the Aussie outback, it has it by the road train load. You feel as if you are there with the sun beating down, with the dry and the dust, you sense the remoteness and definitely the many tensions.

The characterisation is really good, I like Tara and Sgt Anderson who seems gruff but he’s a darned good bloke. One character has me completely fooled - well played Cate Quinn!

Overall, I think this is a really immersive read. The writing flows, it goes much deeper than it initially seems with the situation worsening exponentially and leading to a good ending.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.