Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor

Publisher's Synopsis

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

When twelve-year-old Esther Bianchi disappears on her way home from school in the small town of Durton in rural Australia, the local community is thrown into a state of grief and suspicion.

THE DETECTIVE

As Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels begins her investigation, she questions those who knew the girl, attempting to unpick the secrets which bind them together.

THE MOTHER

The girl’s mother, Constance, 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?

Reviews of Dirt Town

The Guardian

"In Hayley Scrivenor’s debut novel Dirt Town, the barren landscape of regional Australia becomes the battleground upon which narratives of motherhood, friendship and trauma play out." - Read Full Review

GoodReads.com

"This is a slow-paced mystery, and it is equally a character study. Dirt Creek is a desolate, isolated town that Scrivenor brings to life. The blurb compares this book to The Dry and Everything I Never Told You<, Dirt Creek is neither, but it is a solid read and an impressive debut." - Read all GR reviews

Books and Publishing

"Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor is a complex and multi-layered whodunnit, peppered with red-herrings and shocking revelations." - Read Full Review

BOLO Books

"Hayley Scrivenor’s debut novel Dirt Town – a work that both acknowledges and circumvents existing tropes, utilizes its unusual setting in fresh and authentic ways, and populates the narrative with an unforgettable cast of characters bursting with diversity, insight, and fallibility." - Read Full Review