A review by tessa_talks_books
Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Dirt Creek is a modern Greek tragedy-style thriller about the dying small towns in the outback of Australia and the case of a missing 12-year-old girl.
Bullet Point Review:
  • This is one of those stories that I more appreciate the incredible talent shown in the storytelling rather than love as a reader, but only because that is how I look at literary works unless they speak to me on a personal level. And I would consider this mystery/thriller literary quality.
  • I found the Greek tragedy angle, complete with the traditional Greek chorus marked by "We" in the chapter headings, to be an interesting take on storytelling in a thriller. It adds more to the emotional and atmospheric aspects but doesn't help the mystery/thriller component.
  • I enjoyed the poetic nature of the Greek chorus chapters. They were some of my favorite chapters except for the one I mentioned below in trigger warnings.
  • I found the mystery incredibly clever and the reveal completely surprising. I didn't even suspect it for one minute, but it is very much in keeping with the story, and I could instantly think back to the clues that were most definitely there.
  • I loved how many secrets the townies harbored too. This town needs a whole-town intervention by mental health workers to help them get everything out and start the healing process. There were that many dire secrets.
  • There are a lot of characters in this story, and they share the spotlight. But if I had to name the main character, I would say Ronnie – the missing girl's best friend. Ronnie is the only character that I liked in the story. She is a free spirit in the making, has a beautiful heart and soul, and is incredibly brave and independent for one so young.
  • The narration by the Greek chorus of the town's kids looking back to 2001, two of Esther's (the missing girl) friends – also 12 years old, the detective investigating the murder, and the friends' mothers provide a complete story for the reader. It's a little confusing, especially telling the difference between the mothers, but I thought the children's perspective was fascinating.
  • The pace is medium at best. The incredible atmosphere slowed it down for me, as I often experience, so it wasn't my favorite part of this story.
  • The story is set in a small agricultural town in the Australian outback. The atmosphere was oppressive and worked exceedingly well for this story.
  • Read if you're in the mood for:
    • A medium-paced atmospheric story
    • A mysterious, dark, emotional, and tense thriller
    • A modern Greek tragedy
  • Trigger Warnings: Child and Domestic Abuse and Child Death, plus there is a chapter with horrible animal cruelty concerning a kitten. The reader can easily skip it, though, since I'm warning you, and it's the only time a kitten is mentioned. (This is one of my triggers, and it caught me off-guard. It still haunts me.)

Ratings: 4 stars





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