The 2nd installment in the Lane Holland series.

Clinging onto the fame the murders brought to the town 17 years ago, a tourism company is set to open up in order to make some money for the town. Things start to snowball when a copycat, murders the tour operator.

A bit of a slow one for me, however it did all come together in the end and I'm looking forward to the 3rd installment!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately due to personal circumstances I took far longer than usual to finish this book. Therefore I found myself a little confused by all the different characters and trying to work out who was married to who etc. However, I read the second half of the book relatively quickly and enjoyed the twists in this story of murder, both past and present that intertwined in an unexpected way. It linked to Shelley Burr’s previous book by including the private investigator Lane Holland, now serving time in prison. This was a clever link that added additional interest. The climax of the story was well written and answered all the outstanding questions, many in a complex manner.

Having now had over 300 books from NetGalley I am disappointed in myself that this is the first time I have not finished a book. At 11% I read “Jac had announced they were non-binary, identifying as neither a boy nor a girl, a year earlier.” Fine. Then at 25% I read “I’m sure this is going to be especially hard for Jac, is there anything you want me to do for them?” … followed by … “Jac wasn’t around the first time. It’s not going to affect them the way it does me or Vincent’s parents. It was before they were born, and they’ve got a great father.” Every time there is a ‘them’ or ‘they’ in these quotes we are talking about one person - Jac. I don’t know whether this non-binary business adds anything to the story because I didn’t read any further. It makes the reading very difficult to understand and follow and I was already confused by all the characters that had been introduced by this point.
I am sorry, but if authors want to introduce these non-binary pronouns into their writing they may well find an accepting audience but I suspect it might be small, and I won’t be in it. When TV programmes can carry content warnings of violence or gruesome scenes, maybe books should carry front cover content warnings of the use of non-binary pronouns? Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers. Sorry this one wasn’t for me.

I didn't enjoy this one verymuch. Not having read the first one I found this hard going and slow. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Rainier is a small town isolated off the highway between Sydney and Melbourne. Once a charming place to live, Rainier is now haunted by its reputation as the home of the Rainier Ripper, a serial killer. Now a company wants to run visitor tours to the murder town, this splits the residents. Their complex relationships and history are all linked to the original crimes. Meanwhile the convicted killer is on the brink of death, will he carry his secrets to the grave?
There is a really great idea here, that of the true crime obsession in society. However I felt there were too many good ideas in this story which tended to blur the narrative making it hard to follow.

I haven’t read the first book in which the setting and characters are introduced. On reflection, I think it may be better to have read Wake to fully understand the background and relationships. Going straight in to Murder Town is quite confusing as there are numerous characters, all introduced fairly quickly and I found it rather confusing. I’m not convinced about a non binary individual whose presence added very little.

The town of Rainier has a horrible legacy; it’s remembered for the murders carried out by the so called Rainier Ripper. It’s become a tourist attraction and mayhem recurs when there’s a copycat killing. This is a complex tale and overall I found it a little different. Shelley Burr captures the small town mentality which must be typical of many Australian communities. There’s a palpable sense of fear and menace and overall, this is a a satisfying crime thriller. I’ll read Wake now and feel sure it will improve my understanding of the place and people in Murder Town.

I looked forward to reading the follow up novel after thoroughly enjoying Wake by this author.
It started well with Gemma frightened to open her teashop door to a stranger hammering to be let in. She calls the police and spends the next several years feeling guilty for the death of the man who was seeking help as he was dying. Nineteen years later there is an attempt to renew interest in the killer responsible, but another death occurs! There are so many characters in this novel who are related in so many different ways that makes it confusing. There is also a non-binary character who is constantly referred to as 'they' - it is not relevant to the story and somewhat confusing.
Lane, from Wake, makes an appearance during his prison term but his activity is limited.
Not as compelling as the first book, but readable nonetheless.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Shelley Burr/Hodder & Stoughton for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Having read and really enjoyed this authors debut novel Wake, I was hoping this one would be as good. I found the beginning a bit confusing, with so many characters being introduced all at once, especially as there were some complicated relationships amongst them. However, the story was good, as was the writing and I was invested in Gemma’s story. It makes you wonder about why anyone would think it a good idea to have a guided walk around a small town where 3 people have been murdered and where their families still live. Once I’d got the characters sorted out, it was a really nicely paced read, well plotted and the ending was well thought through. 3 1/2 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Gemma Guillory has spent her entire life in Rainier, intimately familiar with the town's nooks and crannies, its people becoming an extended family, and their idiosyncrasies as if they were her own. However, the once-charming town is now marred by a sombre reputation—remembered for the tragic deaths of three innocent individuals. The Rainier Ripper's trail of terror concluded fifteen years ago at Gemma's seemingly innocuous tea shop.

Gemma is acutely aware that the aftermath of catching the Ripper continues to cast a long shadow over her husband, a local policeman, and their marriage. Some of her neighbours, driven by desperation, welcome a dark tourism company seeking to capitalize on Rainier's notoriety as the "murder town."

When the tour operator is killed by a Ripper copycat right on Gemma's doorstep, the lingering unease left in the original killer's wake transforms into a sense of foreboding. Reluctantly drawn into the investigation, Gemma discovers she shares this unexpected journey with a prisoner named Lane Holland, whose involvement remains unbeknownst to her. As the dark secrets of Rainier resurface, Gemma and Lane find themselves entangled in a web of intrigue and danger that goes beyond the town's infamous past.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Rainier was once a quaint, popular town situated between Sydney and Melbourne, until a spate of murders killed tourism and the town’s economy. Years later, a potential tour is being reviewed, following in the footsteps of the Rainier Ripper and his victims. When the tour operator is killed by a Ripper copycat, the town is dragged back to the events of 15 years before. Also drawn into the investigation is former private investigator Lane Holland; now in prison following the murder of his father.

I really enjoyed Wake by Shelley Burr, so I was excited to see that Murder Town is a sequel of sorts, following Lane in another investigation – albeit with limited involvement as he is now in prison. The story mainly follows Rainier local, Gemma, as she carries out her own murder investigation and uncovers many of the town’s long-buried secrets. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary to read Wake first in order to read this book, but it does help to contextualise Lane’s character and general involvement in the story. Plus it’s a good book, so why not read it first?

The best part of this book for me was definitely the mystery itself, which was detailed and very well thought out. The scenery was also excellent – I do love a remote Australian crime novel – and the characters were not bad. It was nice to read more from Lane, and I thoroughly enjoyed the novelty of a character carrying out an investigation from within prison. I didn’t particularly like Gemma, but she still felt like a plausible character.

Overall, this was an engrossing and twisty thriller, perfect for crime fans.

I really enjoyed WAKE by Shelley Burr and so was delighted to receive her second novel for me to read and review. Lane Holland, who appeared in WAKE, features again, in a story based around the small town of Rainier. A series of crimes, by a man known as the Rainier Ripper, brought notoriety to Rainer some years ago and now a walking tour of the murders has been suggested by a tour guide. The town is divided – those affected by the crimes would prefer that bad memories were not used for profit, but others, struggling with financial issues would unwillingly accept the tour in order to gain more visitors and a possible benefit to local businesses.

Gemma Guillory owns one of the local businesses, a teashop in which one of the victims of the Ripper arrived at her door when she a young woman, dying inside. As such, she sees both sides of the argument. Unable to sell her property or business, as it was touched by the crimes, she feels trapped by both her personal history and that of the town. However, the attempts to create a tour ends in tragedy and another murder and the crimes of the past are suddenly all too present.

Some of those in Rainier have been keeping secrets for many years and Gemma feels that she has to uncover the truth. Gemma has a daughter and her husband, Hugh, was a young Constable at the time of the original murders. Lane Holland is also tasked with investigating what happened to one of the victims, a Jane Doe, whose real identity is unknown. He has access to the man who is in prison for the original killings, but who has refused to talk about whether he knew who the young, pregnant woman, he is believed to have killed really was.

Although this was really well plotted and I enjoyed the setting, I struggled with the character of Gemma, who I found more irritating than sympathetic and that did slightly affect my overall rating. However, I was thrilled to see a possible third Lane Holland novel forthcoming at the end of the novel. Lane is a character I really like and so I look forward to reading on. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

This is a slow burner of a read at the beginning as the background to the town and characters is slowly introduced. Once the foundation of the story has been laid out the story starts getting really interesting as you start to realise that not all is as it first seems.

I was very excited to read the second book in the PI Lane Holland series. Wake was an incredible book with intriguing characters and similarly this had an eerie mystery which I was completly lost in.

A small note here that since this is the second book in the series, it's much better if you read "Wake" before you read this one. Initially, I found myself missing Mina McCreery as I thought Gemma was Guillory, was blander in comparison but she proved me wrong and turned out to just as fascinating.

I love the locked room mystery feel of the book and was dying to find out what happened. Overall, this was a thoroughly engaging follow-up to "Wake" that I'd highly recommend to all fans of suspense and mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance e-copy.

4/5

A small town murder mystery set in Australia where the residents are still haunted by three murders that occurred nearly two decades before. I liked the characters of Gemma, the tea shop owner, kind and intuitive and the ex PI now convict Lane although I felt there were too many characters which slowed the narrative. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This is an engrossing small town murder mystery. I loved the Australian setting, there is a tangible feel of life in a small town that has been passed over by progress. Gemma is an empathetic main character, and Lane is an equal counterpart. What initially seems a a straight forward story gradually unravels layer by layer of secrets from the past. I definitely recommend this book, and am looking forward to the next from Shelley Burr.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of Murder Town, the second novel to feature PI Lane Holland, albeit in a minor role, set in the small town of Rainier, exactly half way between Sydney and Melbourne.

Fifteen years ago the Rainier Ripper confessed to killing three people. Gemma Guillory, then nineteen watched the last victim, Dean Shadwell, die in her tea shop. Now Lochlan Lewis wants to set up a murder tour in Rainier, but is murdered after a preview of his proposed itinerary. Gemma has no choice but to investigate as does Lane Holland, now a fellow inmate to the Rainier Ripper.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder Town, which is a complex investigation spanning the three old and one new murders. I have not read the predecessor, Wake, so I have nothing to judge this on and took it as I found it.

The novel is mostly told from Gemma’s point of view with Lane providing an insight into both the Ripper and the prison conditions. The novel is written for entertainment rather than realism as there is a number of unlikely events that don’t seem realistic, but which are intriguing enough to keep the reader turning the pages.

The opening is all about setting the scene with a host of characters who were affected by the original murders and, thus, have motive for killing Lochlan. It’s not particularly complicated, but, apart from the murder, it’s necessarily slow as the characters are introduced and their lives since the murders examined. Included in this is the slow death of Rainier itself, known only nowadays as a murder town. The novel speeds up in the second half as all sorts of secrets come tumbling out. Who knew that a small town could hold so many? I cannot emphasise enough the many twists this novel contains. It’s fairly mind blowing.

Gemma Guillory is the face of the town. She is stuck in Rainier for financial reasons and some poor choices she and her husband made just after the murders. She is a kind woman and well liked, but she has an enquiring mind and wants this murder solved for her own peace of mind. There’s more to it than that, but no spoilers.

Murder Town is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I wondered if I was simply turning into a lazy reader when the volume of new characters seemed to be beyond me but on reading other reviews I find similar complaints. So for me this caused a bigger problem than I could overcome and so when eventually I got to the action it just wasn’t enough to make up for my effort.

Rainier is a small town situated somewhere between Sydney and Melbourne, that has been adversely affected in economic terms by a new road that reinforces its sense of isolation. It would, in fact, have been cast into utter obscurity by this alternative route but for one thing. The town is already infamous, because the "Rainier Ripper" murdered three innocent people there over a decade and a half ago.

Now, desperate at the worsening economic conditions, a segment of the townspeople are in favour of the proposal by a dark tourism company that wants to play up its links with the notorious serial killer, who was ultimately captured.

The fact that we live in a time when this kind of disturbingly obsessive curiosity with true crime has swept much of the world is precisely what makes the idea of building on the town's reputation for murder a potentially profitable one. Because there are clearly morbidly minded "tourists" out there who would buy into this as a destination location...

Not that everyone in Rainier likes the idea, of course. There has been some opposition to the proposal as well. So, when a tour guide for the company that has set up the walking tour ends up dead on the doorstep of a local resident, Gemma Guillory, all hell breaks loose...

This is an entertaining and well-plotted story, but the pacing felt a little uneven to me. The first part is weighed down by the sheer number of characters that a reader has to get her head around, while the story doesn't really take off until the second half.

Having said that though, once it does, it is highly entertaining. Overall, the novel is worth checking out, and will most likely lead people to pick up her first novel Wake, which was almost universally well-regarded. This writer is one to watch, and the book gets 3.5 stars.

The small town of Rainier is notorious for being the scene where three innocent people died 15 years ago.

But what if history is repeating itself??

Excellent

My latest literary visit to the Antipodes proved to be a trickly one. In recent times, I’ve been used to tales set in Outback settings where an isolated group of people are pretty much cut off from what’s going on in the rest of the world. This creates a rather primitive environment where communications with anyone outside their enclave are sparse, to say the least. This time around, the setting is a small town mid-way between Melbourne and Sydney, albeit a town that feels almost as cut-off as the Outback. It turns out that this town used to be on the main drag between the two cities, but a new major road now bypasses the town leaving it a place that few people stop.

We learn that some years ago there had been a series of murders here, these attributed to a serial killer now most likely incarcerated for the rest of his life. A proposal is now to be debated to allow a ‘tour’ to be set up to attract the type of ghoul who might be interested in visiting a place where such dreadful deeds had once been perpetrated. Understandably, there were those who felt this might bring much needed money into the town and others who were repelled by such a plan. A town meeting had been set up to debate the proposal and vote on whether to agree to the venture.

The first snag here is that a large troupe of characters are immediately introduced, together with details of their respective links to each other – these being often complex and multi-stranded. Without a back story to go with each of them, I quickly found that I’d lost track of who was who. My solution was to create a manual ‘map’ of names, complete with arrows and annotations, to help me navigate my way through the book. I quickly added around twenty names to my crib sheet. I’ve resorted to type of exercise as a means of maintaining some kind of grip on a narrative before, but it’s something I really hate having to do.

The second issue is that the very little happens in the first half of the book. It drags along as additional figures are constantly introduced (each being added to my dramatis personae, which by now was starting to resemble a complex engineering schematic). I was struggling badly, but I’d put so much effort into trying to keep abreast of things that I felt I now needed to stick with this dull tale with a labyrinthine cast.

Thankfully, beyond the half way point things then started to liven up as events took an unlikely turn – a very unlikely turn. The pace now stepped up a notch and I had at least become interested in the fate of a few of the major characters. But this is when the third major issue raised its head: an endgame in which the author attempted to make use of various linkages between quite a number of the characters in order to arrive at a frankly ludicrous conclusion.

I’m afraid it’s a two star offering for me – and that much only because I managed to haul my way through the finish.