A review by captainolyareads
Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor

dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

 It's during the hottest spring in decades when 12-year-old Esther vanishes on her way home from school, her disappearance triggering a series of secrets to come floating to the surface. As Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels sifts through fact and fiction to determine what happened, her investigation is hindered by several members of the small community, even the most well-intentioned like Esther's best friend, Ronnie. When she learns that Lewis, a mutual friend of theirs, knows more than he's letting on about Esther's disappearance, she doesn't understand why he's not willing to go to the police. Even children have secrets of their own, and talking about his, will expose more than just his. Narrated by several POV's, this slow burn, small town mystery tackles what it means when a community is both banded and divided by the secrets it keeps.

I've enjoyed mysteries set in Australia because of the atmospheric tension the arid setting often evokes but Dirt Creek didn't do it for me. I found it difficult to stay invested, both from the sluggish pacing and the characters. There were simply too many to keep track of. One of the POV's was dedicated to Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels, and it felt like she spent more time reminiscing on a former break-up and fantasizing about every woman she met as a potential love interest rather than solving Esther's disappearance. A lot of it came down to unnecessary exposition as well. Lastly, there were several references to animal abuse and torture that I thought were irrelevant to the story. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings