Australian author Shelley Burr, whose first novel WAKE was an international bestseller, returns with MURDER TOWN. Once again, the story is set amidst the less popular areas of Australia and is ideal for readers who have enjoyed the work of Jane Harper and Candice Fox.

The Prologue is set 17 years earlier in the small town of Rainier in the Australian Outback. Nineteen-year-old teashop owner Gemma Guillory has closed for the night when she sees a man knocking on the door begging for help. She knows enough not to let him in and calls the police. An officer named Hugh arrives and gets Gemma to let them inside as the stranger, Dean, is badly wounded; he dies on the floor of Earl Grey’s Yarn and Teashop. Shortly after, Jan Henning-Klosner is apprehended and convicted for a string of murders that has given him the moniker of the Rainier Ripper.

"...a top-notch mystery... Watching Gemma deal with the inner turmoil of digging into the background of people she thought she knew is simply chilling and fuels this terrific tale."

Now, in the present day, the operator of an Australian tour company is meeting with the Rainier town council to propose a Rainer Ripper tour that could bring extra income to the area. Lochlan Lewis claims to be operating similar tours based on infamous or criminal events around Australia to much success. The members of this close-knit town are split on the idea, with most of them not wanting to relive the events that regrettably put them on the map nearly two decades ago.

Before a decision can be made by those convening in Earl Grey’s Yarn and Teashop, the unthinkable happens. Lochlan is murdered and strung up in the fountain of the nearby park in a way that replicates one of the murders committed by the Ripper. That other victim is Vincent, a young man who had been Gemma’s first boyfriend. This nearly presents a locked room kind of situation in that most of the people who might have had ill intent toward Lochlan are all accounted for in Gemma’s teashop. This includes Dean’s brother, Marcus, who is renting a room above the shop from Gemma.

Hugh, who is now married to Gemma, is working the investigation, but there are no clues or murder weapon to be found. The fact that it’s a copycat killing makes them wonder if the Ripper may have had a partner. This brings us to the second narrative of MURDER TOWN, which is set in the high-security prison where Jan is living out the rest of his days. Inside is former private investigator Lane Holland, an inmate who is serving a six-year sentence, though he may be able to get out sooner. The warden has always thought that his long-lost adopted daughter may have been the Ripper’s “Jane Doe” victim. While the Ripper is recovering in the infirmary from an altercation, Lane goes in with a fake broken arm and the intention of using his investigatory skills to get answers from him.

For good measure, Burr throws in some transcripts from the initial interviews with Jan after he was captured. The two storylines, which are especially tense and well-written, cross over when Lane reaches out to Gemma for some information on the latest murder in Rainier, as well as her experiences with the Ripper’s final victim. The first full phone conversation between Gemma and Lane is the highlight of the novel and is so expertly handled by Burr.

MURDER TOWN is a top-notch mystery featuring dual investigations that converge on uncovering the truth behind the entire reign of the Rainier Ripper. Watching Gemma deal with the inner turmoil of digging into the background of people she thought she knew is simply chilling and fuels this terrific tale.