Addy and Toby bought the general store in the tiny town of Boney Creek after a home invasion but now Addy is so uneasy about the odd deaths in town that she investigates. There's lots of secrets and lies so Addy's probing is not welcome. This starts well and then sags a bit but picks up in the last pages. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC>.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Thomas & Mercer an amazing book.

A great read from a new found mystery thriller author. A ghost town with the population of 217 living in the area.
There’s suspense, intrigued and mystery that keeps me turning the page.
I really enjoyed reading this one and I might have to read the other book.

It was an ok read. The last 100 is where it really picked up. The narration worked really good for this.

Three and a half stars rounded up. I’m not sure why, but for some reason, I was hesitant to read Paula Gleeson’s “Boney Creek.” Addie and Toby have moved there from four hours away after they suffered a personal tragedy. Boney Creek has a population of less than 225 and would be considered a dying town.

Addie and Toby have purchased the general store after its owner, Mary, died a couple weeks before after choking to death. Mary is the latest local who had died in the last year. Six others came before her. Shortly after arriving and learning that information, Addie becomes suspicious the deaths may not have been accidents.

She begins a podcast on the premise of covering each of the deaths, as well as learning more about who the victims were and their lives in Boney Creek. She also explores whether the recent deaths are connected to a series of deaths/disappearances that occurred a few decades in the past.

This book is filled with several delightful side characters. One of them was Clancy, a teenage girl, who worked for Mary and continues her employment at the general store under Addie and Toby. I really enjoyed the flow and storyline up until the end. Then things got a little disorganized for me, plot-wise, and some of the reveals were slightly unrealistic to me.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Fast-paced, layered, and seriously addictive! I devoured Boney Creek very quickly! Paula Gleeson delivers a cleverly crafted mystery that shifts between past and present timelines, creating a gripping dual narrative that had me piecing together clues until the very last page.

The writing is clean and compelling with no fluff, just a sharp, steady rhythm that keeps you turning pages. I loved how every detail mattered, with twists that felt earned and satisfying. It’s the kind of story that hooks you in with intrigue, not confusion.

Perfect for mystery lovers who want something engaging without being overwhelming, Boney Creek strikes a sweet balance: believable characters, smart structure, and a mystery that clicks into place beautifully. A brilliant read with a rewarding payoff. Five stars from me!

DNF at Chapter 17. I decided not to continue reading this one because it had this odd, sort of immature tone to it, and the timeline seemed a bit off (i.e. the anxiety of the main character escalated too quickly in relation to the length of time she'd actually been in the town, and what had happened up to that point). I don't normally rate unfinished books, but this one came from NetGalley and the publisher, so I feel obligated.

This story was definitely a wild and fast-paced read. I found it really easy to get through because the writing is straightforward and keeps moving, which is great when you want something that doesn’t drag on. What I found most interesting was how the mystery was told through two different timelines — the past and the present. That made it feel more layered, as you have to pay attention to details from both periods and try to see how they fit together.

The way the author connected everything in the end was satisfying. It wasn’t just random twists; each clue and event had a purpose, which made the story feel well thought out. I enjoyed watching the pieces from the past slowly reveal their impact on the present, and that back-and-forth kept me engaged enough to keep going.

The characters were believable and their motivations made sense, even if the story itself moved quickly. I appreciated that it wasn’t overly complicated or heavy, so it felt like a light but intriguing puzzle. It’s the kind of book you can read without feeling overwhelmed but still get a sense of accomplishment when the mystery finally comes together.

Overall, if you’re looking for a mystery that’s easy to read but still offers a cool connection between different timelines, this story fits the bill. It might not be the most mind-blowing book, but it’s a solid and enjoyable read for anyone who likes mysteries with a twist.

🌏Good small town mystery, location unknown😯

Narrator newcomer Addie's ad hoc investigation into an unlikely series of mysterious deaths in a remote town of just over 200 residents did draw me in, along with a mystery regarding the home invasion that precipitated her move out of "the city" to Boney Creek with her husband. The writing is straightforward, and a bit more cut and dry than I am used to but worked nonetheless. The author slowly brings new characters into the narrative and with just about a dozen locals paints a fair picture of the tragedy affecting the town.

Everyone has secrets that gradually come out over a span of less than a month. The story provides a fair share of twists and surprises so that the exciting climax really did take me aback. It took me awhile to settle into the book, but the further along I went the better the plot.

I was disappointed that the author left locations so vague. I was drawn to the story by its Australian setting but the town of Boney Creek and the city Addie and Toby have abandoned are hung in a vague, unspecified backdrop.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book for review; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 5/22/25 on Goodreads and Bookbub, and with BAM and Barnes & Noble.

WHO IS THE HIGHWAY REAPER? I feel like I’m going to be unable to sleep because the book, while being a gripping mystery thriller, also gripped my brain and won’t let it go, even after finishing reading this book.
And the Boney Creek, the tiny, isolated town of with a weird vibe and even weirder inhabitants, where everyone seems to have at least one secret hidden somewhere. Everyone is dying, not only the town, and no one knows what REALLY is going on.

WARNING: it's another unpopular opinion!

I really enjoyed this Australian author's debut when I read it last year, so I was excited when I discovered Paula Gleeson had a new book coming out in 2025. The premise sounded great with the small town setting and the many mysterious deaths that took place there... Unfortunately, this ended up being another unpopular opinion read for me instead, and I confess that I struggled considerably to make it to the final page. I'll try to explain what did and didn't work for me in Boney Creek below.

Like I said, the story has without doubt an intriguing premise, and both the mysterious deaths in the present and certain events in the past I won't mention to avoid spoilers had SO much potential. The fact that you don't really know if the deaths in the present are accidents or in fact crimes adds to the mystery and this is probably the only reason I kept reading. The Australian small town setting I had mixed thoughts about; I liked the setting itself of course, but the descriptions of the surroundings felt a little basic as the main character clearly didn't want to be there and looked down on the town.

And that was part of my problem with this book: the characters. The main characters were considerably unlikeable and I don't think that their behavior was all that credible. Both Addie and her husband Toby were extremely self-absorbed, and I wasn't a fan of having to spend all that time inside Addie's head with her being the main POV. She is extremely disrespectful towards not only the people in town but also her own husband, chasing a story without stopping to think about the consequences of her words when she posts on her blog.

That said, I wasn't a fan of how both the locals and the setting were described in general. The locals were described in a way that made them sound like hillbillies (including all the negativity associated with this term). They are secretive, protect their own, hate outsiders and the main character Addie sees them as 'less'. This also comes over in her description of the town, and how she only seems to talk to people under false pretenses. She tries to come over as all holy, but she basically uses other people's pain and trauma to find a story that will give her a name as a journalist. And yes, this includes her own husband. Oh yes, she definitely needs a lesson or two on ethics.

It wasn't just issues with the characters and how they behaved though, because the pace itself was incredibly slow. I kept putting the story down to do other things instead, and it's always a bad sign when I prefer cleaning over reading one more chapter... I was also extremely annoyed by the constant hinting at a secret without revealing anything; to make things worse, when the truth was finally revealed it was highly anticlimatic. I was also disappointed that the whole reason Toby wanted to move to the town was only mentioned briefly in the beginning, only to be totally forgotten during most of the book and only partly resolved near the end in what feels like a small footnote.

All in all I can't exactly say that Boney Creek and me got along, and I struggled considerably to make it to the final page. And with that lackluster ending and unanswered questions, I kind of wish I had just made the decision to DNF instead... This clearly wasn't the book for me, and the slow pace and unlikeable characters didn't really help either. I seem to be in the minority so far though, so don't give up on my account if you like the sound of Boney Creek.

When Addie and Toby move to Boney Creek, they find it to be a very quiet place. But it is exactly what they need, especially after the ordeal they have both been through. When the number of local deaths start adding up, Addie, with her journalist mind, knows she needs to start researching what is going on.

Cleverly written with many twists, I totally devoured this one. It was an easy fast paced read that kept me guessing throughout. Definitely another winner for Paula Gleeson. I can't wait to read her next book.

After a traumatic break-in in the city, a couple, Toby and Addie, decided to move to the remote town of Boney Creek. They bought a general store, with a two-story apartment attached to the back, hoping to live a simple life.
Soon, they'll know that there seems to be a lot of deaths at Boney Creek within the past three months. Addie was a journalist and thinking this could be the story she's been looking for.
Not to mention, Boney Creek's past in the late seventies when there were a number of disappearances or deaths occurred and this gets Addie to dig more.
Is a town cursed, or has the serial killer of Highway Reaper back? How are the unfortunate recent deaths linked to the tragedy of the past?

This one has a complex storyline/plot that is doing my head in, yet it kept me turning the page non-stop. While there are multiple mysteries within the story, unfortunately, the way Gleeson weaved the connections among them wasn't the best one.
Will there be a sequel?? I feel like having a couple of unanswered mysteries.

The beginning of this book had me hooked. I loved the idea of the MC's starting over in a new town, taking on a shop as well as inheriting the ghastly history and small town rumors. The unexplained, frequent deaths had all of my attention.

A couple things didn't work for me. The ending was the main one. One trope that everyone collectively agrees is one of the worst gets thrown in as part of the "big twist" and I feel like the the insensitivity and flippancy surrounding it will upset some readers if not given a trigger warning. I think if more time was spent on the ending it may not have seemed so abrupt and a little pointless.
The characters didn't work for me either. I couldn't connect with any of them, and I felt like there were too many.

Overall, I really enjoyed the mystery.

🎧📖 I love small towns full of deep dark secrets, quirky characters and especially murder! Boney Creek had all of it. The narrator did a great job. Loved the Aussie accent too!

However, this was definitely a long slow burn and I found my interest waning often. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and the twists weren’t really that twisty. It just wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley & Brilliance Publishing for an ALC & ARC. I enjoy the options with both.

Overall this was a pretty good edge of your seat quick read.
Started off very mysterious and lots of questions but ended with not much getting answered. Not sure if it’s supposed to be left open for interpretation or if there are plans for a series.
But your left with unanswered questions and no real total conclusion.

Who is the highway reaper? What happened to Toby’s uncle? What happened to Addie at court? Were the currents deaths actual accidents or murders?

Still so many questions.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

Boney Creek is a quiet town but several locals have died under mysterious circumstances recently. Addie and Toby are moving to the town to escape their own personal tragedy but Addie is not sold on the town. She never really gave up on her dreams of being a journalist and now she has heard about the suspicious deaths, she wants to investigate, finding an unlikely ally to help.
This one was so interesting and the action started immediately. The small remote isolated town, far from a police station and services added to the feeling of danger and the characters all appeared to be hiding something. I love a novel that includes an amateur sleuth, particularly in the form of a journalist and it worked so well in this story. Such an enjoyable debut.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this gifted review copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of Boney Creek!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🏚️ if you love small, deserted towns
🕵🏻‍♀️ think you’d make a great detective
📰 have ever worked for a newspaper
👀 don’t trust anybody

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

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

This was an interesting mystery with a great premise. Everyone is dying and nobody knows if they are truly accidents or if something more sinister is happening in the town. When an ex journalist who was told she didn’t have the courage and grit to go after stories arrives in town, she decides to prove everyone wrong. I really enjoyed her relationship with Clancy, as it seemed really genuine. I kept wavering on whether or not I believed something sinister was happening, which always makes for a good mystery. Definitely recommend this one!

Small town drama, Boney Creek is entertaining with the dark secrets and suspense.

I enjoyed the short chapters, the characters, and the twisty plot. The mystery happening in this tiny town is captivating and makes you turn the pages fast.

This was my first book from this author, and I am sure I will be reading more of her work.

Thank you so much Thomas & Mercer, and Paula Gleeson for my eARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"Boney Creek" by Paula Gleeson was an addictive thriller with tons of twists & turns.
I liked how I couldn’t trust anyone & I loved the unpredictable ending.
I would definitely read another book by this author.

Boney Creek is a mystery that takes a bit of time to develop and to become clear. It is repetitive - taunting the reader with reference upon reference to “that night” in the main characters’ past. Perhaps I wasn’t the target for this book as it was a bit irritating and juvenile. Please read other reviews!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this ARC.