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Dirt Town

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Dirt Town

By: Hayley Scrivenor
Narrated by: Sophie Loughran
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About this listen

*Winner of the CWA New Blood Dagger 2023*

Twelve year-old Esther Bianchi disappears on her way home from school in the small town of Durton – and the truth will not come easily. Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor is an atmospheric crime novel set in rural Australia.

Dirt town. Dirt and hurt – that’s what others would remember about our town . . .

The Detective

As the community is thrown into a state of grief and suspicion, Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels begins her investigation into the disappearance of Esther Bianchi. She questions those who knew the girl, attempting to unpick the secrets which bind them together.

The Mother

The girl’s mother believes that her daughter going missing is the worst thing that can happen to her. But as the search for Esther develops, she learns that things can always get worse.

The Friends

Ronnie is Esther’s best friend and is determined to bring her home. So when her classmate Lewis tells her that he saw Esther with a strange man at the creek the afternoon she went missing, Ronnie feels she is one step closer to finding her. But why is Lewis refusing to speak to the police?

And who else is keeping quiet about what happened to Esther?

©2022 Hayley Scrivenor (P)2022 Macmillan Australia Audio Fiction Genre Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Psychological Small Town & Rural Thriller & Suspense Detective

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Critic reviews

"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." (Chris Hammer, author of Scrublands)

"A heart-wrenching mystery." (Jane Harper, bestselling author of The Dry)

"I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough." (Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of We Begin at the End)

All stars
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I’m so happy I gave this author and book a go! I tend to buy crime paperbacks so I was surprised I went for the audiobook version. Narration is brilliant - loved all the characters, the way the story was told and progressed through the kids and the adults. And happy to admit I did not see who the ‘who dunnit’ was until seconds before. Scrivenor is in the same league as Jane Harper (first foray into Aussie crime books), if not better, and with a style all of her own. Hoping she has another book out for me to read/listen to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

LOVED IT 😍

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Loved this book from the start. Brilliant story and such believable characters. Narration was first class.

Don’t miss this book

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I liked the way the story was written , and was so descriptive. However the narrator had the perfect voice for the twelve year olds in the story but not so for the adults , particularly the burly policemen!. I couldn't overcome the childlike narration so gave up by chapter 4. Do authors not listen to narration of their work.

A good story marred by the wrong narrator

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One of the worst read books I have listened to, so off putting I have ditched the book. What a shame, poor narration can totally ruin a story

Dirt town

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