Dirt Town

Name: Dirt Town
Brand: Pan Macmillan Australia
SKU: 9781761263804
Price: 24.99 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

By Hayley Scrivenor

3.82

( 15,499 ratings, 1,663 reviews)

Summary

Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor is a gripping crime thriller set in a small, rural Australian town. The story unravels the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young girl, which shakes the tight-knit community. As secrets and suspicions surface, the novel weaves through multiple perspectives, painting a hauntingly vivid picture of loss, trust, and the unraveling of hidden truths.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy gripping crime and thriller stories set in small, seemingly quiet towns that harbour dark secrets. The author weaves a compelling narrative filled with suspense, complex characters, and intricate twists, keeping you on the edge of your seat as the mystery unfolds.

Dirt Town

Description

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.

Character-rich and propulsive, with a breathtakingly original use of voice and revolving points of view, Dirt Town 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.

WINNER OF THE ABIA GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
WINNER OF THE 2023 CWA ILP JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER AWARD
WINNER OF THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FOR LGBTQ+ MYSTERY 2023
WINNER OF THE DAVITT AWARDS DEBUT CRIME BOOK 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 MARGARET AND COLIN RODERICK LITERARY AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2023 FOR DEBUT FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA THE MATT RICHELL AWARD FOR NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DAVITT AWARDS ADULT CRIME NOVEL 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DANGER AWARD FOR FICTION 2023
FINALIST FOR THE 2023 ITW THRILLER AWARDS FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL

Praise for Dirt Town:

'Dirt Town is a remarkable debut, Hayley Scrivenor masterful in her deft handling of the tensions underpinning a small, regional town, and the complex characters that populate it. You will not be able to put it down.' - Hannah Kent

'I loved this. What wonderful writing. Scarily good! . . . Masterful. Australian crime has a new star. The characters of Dirt Town are rich, raw and beautifully realised. One of the crime books of the year. Intelligent, nuanced and compassionate.' - Chris Hammer

'A heart-wrenching mystery, Hayley Scrivenor's remarkable sense of place brings Dirt Town to life.' - Jane Harper

'Beautifully written, compassionate, with an entirely credible but heart-breaking ending. A stunning debut.' - Ann Cleeves

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor is highly praised for its atmospheric setting of a small town where secrets lurk beneath the surface. The narrative is lauded for its complexity and the depth of its characters, drawing readers into a gripping exploration of human emotions and relationships. The writing style is often commended for its evocative prose and engaging storytelling.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761263804

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 January 2023

Country: Australia

Imprint: Pan Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 27.0mm

Width: 209.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 282g

Pages: 368

Collections

Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction Hayley Scrivenor

About the Author

Hayley Scrivenor is a former Director of Wollongong Writers Festival. Originally from a small country town, Hayley now lives and writes on Dharawal country and has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wollongong on the south coast of New South Wales. Dirt Town is her first novel. An earlier version of the book was shortlisted for the Penguin Literary Prize and won the Kill Your Darlings Unpublished Manuscript Award.