Paula Gleeson’s second novel Boney Creek is firmly in the Australian outback noir tradition. Set in a tiny, drought affected town in which everybody knows everybody else’s business or have long running and deep animosities and secrets. This is also a town with a possible serial killer in its recent history and seven mysterious deaths in its present. Into this milieu she drops Addie and Toby, a couple seeking to escape from a traumatic experience but who have deep secrets of their own.
Boney Creek’s cold open involves the death of a man illegally collecting firewood, an event that will become relevant much later in the novel. It then moves to Addie and Toby who have come to take over the decrepit general store, post office and petrol station following the death of its owner Mary. Mary was the seventh death in a series of mysterious accidents that have plagued the town. Addie, a wannabe journalist, senses a story and a possible connection to an earlier series of killings, and starts a blog while working on the bigger story.
Gleeson does a good job of ramping up the creepiness of the town. Including Larry, the guy who wants to buy up all the land, and his sons, to Beatrix a nurse who also reads tarot cards and can somehow know things others don’t, to Walter the local priest. But she also plays a little on readers expectations with some of the characters.
Addie herself is a dogged if not particularly good investigator, and Gleeson plays up the amateur nature of her quest, occasionally just randomly accusing people of murder without any real proof, even as she gets closer to the truth. And it is unclear later in the book whether she is in danger or possibly actually unwell. But that truth, when it comes, of both what happened in the town’s history and what is happening in the present, is fairly underwhelming.
Gleeson manages to develop a creepy, threatening atmosphere in a town of odd characters and a history of dark deeds and deep, damaging secrets. And she puts at the centre a deeply flawed but likeable protagonist, a little out of her depth. All of which comes together to make Boney Creek a fairly effective piece of Australia rural noir.

This was a great book! I am not big on town mysteries and investigator stories but this had me intrigued and I'm glad I kept reading because this book was so enjoyable!

“Boney Creek” is a small town with a mysterious history, the town’s occupants are worried to uncover the truth behind the murders that are adding up.
The main characters Addie and Toby have become the new owners of the general store, they were not aware of the unexplained deaths within the town. Addie decides to investigate the history of the town, in the hope of uncovering some clues.
The suspense builds as the story unfolds, Clancy helps in the general store and adds a vibrancy to the storyline, as Addie gets frustrated by the blocks along the way.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes to solve a puzzle and gets caught up in the whodunnit drama amid a variety of suspects.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

EXCERPT: She distracts herself by focusing on their new purchase, taking it all in within seconds. A single-story shop with a two-story apartment attached to the back of it. Dirty windows leading into the store inside. Parking for customers on red dirt in front of a large, rusted shed. Two fuel pumps. Yikes! She knew there was a coffee machine, supplies and the post office. But fuel as well? This store is like a one-stop shop.
The tired sign saying GENERAL STORE just adds to her own exhaustion, and she hopes Toby knows how everything works. The whole place also needs a good paint.
Or to be knocked down.
Addie's stomach churns. This is a mistake.

ABOUT 'BONEY CREEK': Boney Creek is a dying town where not a lot happens. The perfect solution for married couple Addie and Toby who are escaping their own personal tragedy. But a quiet and simple life is not exactly possible with so many recent, strange deaths.

Seven locals, all gone too soon. That’s the nature of tragic accidents. And in a town this small, there’s no room for too many questions.

But Addie isn’t so sure. Although she never followed through on her dreams of becoming a journalist, she still has a reporter’s instincts. And her gut—not to mention all the small-town gossip—is telling her that whatever’s happening in Boney Creek is not as random as it seems.

There’s no such thing as coincidence, especially when it comes to seven bodies. And while burying her own secrets, Addie digs up far greater ones that will have her asking if she will be the town’s next so-called accident.

MY THOUGHTS: Boney Creek. Population 217 (or thereabouts). A last stop on the road to nowhere. Life is quiet here. Simple. Nothing ever happens here. Or at least that is how Toby has sold their move to this dot in the middle of nowhere to Addie, following their home invasion in the city.

The storyline is complex - there was a series of murders, attributed to the 'Highway Reaper' many years ago which was never solved, and Addie has the feeling that they may somehow be linked to the current string of strange and unusual deaths.

Addie has great aspirations of being an investigative journalist despite her previous employer telling her straight that she wasn't cut out for it. She's a little naive, to say the least, and her questioning is about as subtle as a herd of elephants trampling through your living room. She doesn't seem to realise that she may be putting her own life in danger by pursuing her enquiries. Added to this, husband Toby has an ulterior motive for bringing Addie to Boney Creek . . .

As clever as the plotting is, the cream on the cake is the characters. The town has its share of hermits, recluses and busy bodies. Initially Addie doesn't even know there is someone living in an old shack at the rear of their property! Teenager Clancy is a breath of fresh air, although she is battling ghosts of her own. I didn't quite know what to make of Clancy's mother Beatrix at first - she's a bit woo-woo - but ended up being a very strong character. Mildred, the elderly lady who lives next door to the store with her little dog Betsy, probably knows more of the history of the town and its inhabitants than anyone, but doesn't seem particularly keen on sharing her knowledge. Then there's the pastor who makes a point of befriending Addie, but gives off some very strange vibes . . . Is he genuinely trying to help her, or does he just want to know what she knows?

Paula Gleeson has captured the atmosphere of an isolated small town and the quirky behavior of its inhabitants perfectly. I enjoyed Boney Creek, but it did get a tad messy and frantic towards the end. Addie's secret seemed a step too far and wasn't at all necessary to the plot. Otherwise, this was a fun and twisty small-town mystery. I'll be looking for the author's first book to read.

⭐⭐⭐.9

#BoneyCreek #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Paula Gleeson writes mysteries and thrillers for all ages, usually with multiple twists and complicated females at the helm. She is an award-winning filmmaker and nominated non-fiction writer. She lives just outside of Melbourne, Australia and is often found in her pj’s, drinking tea (wine), and watching horror movies snuggled between her doggo and a big cheese pizza.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Boney Creek by Paula Gleeson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Boney Creek is a slow burning suspense novel, following the past and present of small town, Boney Creek, population 217-ish. Addie and Toby, self-described city folk, move to Boney Creek for a fresh start, perhaps with layered ulterior motives. The locals of the town are all a bit mysterious, with an air of mischief hanging around each of them. When residents begin dying at an alarming rate, journalist Addy, cannot help by investigate. Fighting demons of her own past, she will do anything to think about someone else's problems before shining a light on her own. Addy is not the most likeable main character- she is flawed like the rest of us; but it is her self-absorbed, one track mind that makes her hard to relate to. Gleeson does a great job keeping the story moving along at a healthy pace while tangling, weaving, and unravelling a town's story of secrets. Thank you to #NetGalley and #ThomasandMercer for the ARC.

I am grateful to have received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was a well developed, entertaining, intriguing mystery. I very much appreciated the time the author took to provide information to the reader and diligently develop the characters and story. I did feel the end was a little rushed in the way that some of the answers to pending mysteries were provided to the readers, however, overall I very much enjoyed the experience of reading this book.

This book followed Addie who was a journalist in the city until something drastic happened and her husband and her left to move to a small town in search of something better. However, the town they settle down in has some mysterious deaths.
I enjoyed the mystery of this book and as a reader, trying to play detective alongside the main character. I do feel like it was a bit long winded at times and seemed to drag but it did pick up. I felt like the ending was rushed however and I also don't feel like I got all of my questions answered. I would have liked to see them answered with more content like the rest of the book. I did not completely nor accurately predict the ending which I enjoy in a book.

What I loved most about this book was the isolated small town drama. Seeming to be out in the middle of nowhere made it a little more interesting, with a side of nosy neighbors! I liked the hints of mystery within what really happened to the couple and why they truly moved away to this small town and also, that Addie just did not want to give up looking for the reasons why certain deaths were happening in such a small town.

Thank you @paulagleesonauthor @brilliancepublishing and #thomasandmercer for my complementary digital and audio copies. All opinions expressed are my own.

SUMMARY: When ADDIE and her husband arrive In the small town of Boney Creek, she learns about a string of mysterious deaths. Intrigued, she sets out to investigate, questioning whether these recent fatalities were actually murders and possibly tied to a decades old death. Even though the townspeople want to brush the recent deaths off as coincidence, Addie’s instincts as a former aspiring journalist tell her there's much more to the story.

Soon Addie starts uncovering dangerous secrets that threaten to expose the town’s hidden problems—and put her own life at risk. The deeper she goes, the more she realizes that SHE might be the next target in this unsettling pattern!

MY THOUGHTS: I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It’s 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 and 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱, with a 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 that kept me engaged from start to finish!The story features 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗸𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 (my favorite!) and is rich with 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀, 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮, and 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲. Addie stands out as a 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁, adding depth to the narrative. The audiobook experience was also enjoyable. As I read I was impressed with the author's writing style and the complexity of the mystery. I can’t wait to explore more of this author’s work, which has been all the talk with my friends @thrillerbookloversthepulse.

Boney Creek by Paula Gleason, Moving to Boney Creek and buying the general store was supposed to be a fresh start for Toby and Addie. Not only were they escaping a violent episode in their past but a loss most people can’t get through. buying the General store was a quick sale and Toby May have skipped over a few details about the town such as someone is on a killing spree unfortunately that isn’t the only secret Toby is hiding from Addie but Addie has secrets of her own. Mix that in with a small town that’s trying to keep their secrets local and journalist Addie who starts a blog add in a psychic and outspoken teenager and overly nice pastor and a few more surprises along the way and it makes Boney Creek. let me start by saying I didn’t like this book as much as I liked Miss Gleason’s first book I found to come off nosy and have cocked like a loose cannon telling all this town secrets to the world I also thought her encouraging Clancy that Kip was murdered was unresponsible of her and although the truth came out in the end I also thought the truth was quite obvious almost 20% into the book because I mean was anyone really surprised by the culprit? I do want to say I did like Toby and Beatrice the thing with the pastor really surprise me at the end because… Well it just did you’ll have to read the book. It was still entertaining with some really likable characters I just wish IDK the story was more concise it just seemed as it was all over the place like as I said a loose canon but I would still read future books by this author because I didn’t dislike this one I just found it OK.#NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #PaulaGleason, #BoneyCreek,

Boney Creek by Paula Gleeson this was a new author for me, and overall I found it to be a good read but not a great one. It had plenty of small town secrets and drama, a whodunnit times two. As we attempt to figure out the past murders, and then the present day deaths. I would recommend to others, because I know not everyone enjoys the same books.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Thomas& Mercer, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

This one gave me serious small-town-with-big-secrets vibes — and I was hooked. Bone Creek by Paula Gleeson is a slow-burn mystery with just the right amount of tension and character drama. Addie and her husband move to Bone Creek hoping for a reset, but of course, the town has other plans… especially once people start dying. 😬

I loved how atmospheric this book was — the setting felt like another character, and I could totally picture the creeping dread in every scene. Addie’s backstory hit me emotionally, and watching her lean back into her journalism instincts as things unraveled was so satisfying.

There were moments where the pacing dragged a little for me, but the payoffs were worth it. And the twists? Totally worked — grounded and believable but still got me.

If you’re into mysteries with layered characters, small-town tension, and an eerie, slow-building reveal, this one’s worth picking up.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

I flew through this one. The mystery pulled me in right away, and the small-town setting gave the story an eerie, atmospheric feel. It kept me curious from start to finish.

The main character was easy to root for, and I liked how the past and present came together. The twists were satisfying and made the ending hit even harder. A great pick if you enjoy emotional,

Addie and Toby are looking for a simpler life and peace and quiet that only a small town could provide. They also want to keep their secrets in the past and don't want to talk about them. However, Boney Creek is not a simple town, there are too many secrets and mysteries as people are dying, and each one of them also held stories untold. Addie will start her investigation into the death of those seven people which were ruled as accidents, the more she digs the more she puts an 'X' on her back and she might become the next one to die. Boney Creek has a great plot, is fast-paced, and engages the reader from the beginning.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Gleeson skilfully weaves a web of intrigue, introducing twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
The author's storytelling is fast-paced and immersive, painting vivid scenes and creating well-rounded characters that readers will become emotionally invested in.

This is my first book by this author and I'm hooked! This story was easy to get into; my interest was captured from the first chapter and that hasn't been happening a lot lately! I found the main characters likeable and the murders in the story made it all the more perplexing! Usually, I have everything all figured out about halfway through but that was not the case with Boney Creek and I found that, not just surprising but a huge added plus, earning this book five stars!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Thomas&Mercer for the book #BoneyCrek by #PaulaGleeson. This book is about secrets in a small town where bodies are piling up. Addie and Tony live in Boney Creek where seven people have died in accidents. Addie, not believing they were accidents, has started her own investigation. Not only does Addie have secrets, but as she digs into the towns secrets she finds herself in danger. Can she figure all this out before she is the next accident?

If you like a small town mystery with secrets and tragic deaths, this book will appeal to you. I liked the setting. It also gave eerie vibes. The characters were mysterious and each of them knew something. The truth was twisted. And the ending was so unpredictable.

Set in Boney Creek. Seven people have lost their lives because of tragic accidents. When Addie and Toby begins to live in Boney Creek, they learn about the unthinkable happenings and there is nothing in the town how it appears to be. People are also not that simple. Will the two of them survive in the town filled with secrets, unthinkable happenings, and tragic history? Toby has secrets and Addie is trying to get to the bottom of the town’s mystery. Her investigation brings her own life at stake and the book will keep you on the edge.

Thanks to the Publisher

I was unsure how much I was going to like this novel; it started out as a slow burn. However, once I got further into the book, a couple chapters, I was fully engrossed and was invested in the various characters as they were introduced. I wanted to know who was making the late-night phone calls, who the gentleman was at the beginning of the book who died and why all of the secrets in this town. Is the serial killer back? Or is it more sinister and someone in their small town of Boney Creek? This book is filled with twists and turns and keeps you guessing right up to the end. The characters are all people that you could meet in small town USA and as you learn about them you become attached to them.

Boney Creek by Paula Gleeson is a tension filled and suspenseful thriller full of secrets, small town drama and intrigue.

After Addie and her husband Toby experienced a traumatic break-in and a heartbreaking miscarriage, they decided to leave their life in the city for the tiny outback town of Boney Creek, population 217. They intend to take over the general store that used to be run by Mary. But Boney Creek has had a rash of accidental deaths, seven in just a couple of months, and Mary was one of them. Using her previous background in journalism, Addie decides to investigate the recent deaths. With Boney Creek's previous history of a serial killer stalking the town, Addie knows that there is something going on in her new town and she's going to be the one to figure it out.

Set in the Australian outback, Boney Creek was atmospheric and full of tension and quirky characters. If you like thrillers with multi-layered mystery, creepy and ominous vibes and a protagonist taking things into her own hands, you are going to want to read this! I really liked the mixed media aspect with the podcast where Addie covers each of the deaths. Shifting from past and present helps put together pieces of the puzzle as you read and the short chapters keep you interested and wanting to read just one more chapter! Overall a great thriller that I would recommend for fans of suspenseful secret-filled reads!

Thank you to NetGalley, Paula Gleeson, and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC! Publication date is June 3rd 2025.