Shelley Burr – författare

The second novel from the award-winning author of international bestseller WAKE, picked as a Guardian Book of the Year in 2022.Gemma Guillory has lived in Rainier her entire life. She knows the tiny town's ins and outs like the back of her hand, the people like they are her family, their quirks as if they were her own.She knows her once charming town is now remembered for one reason, and one reason only. That three innocent people died. That the last stop on the Rainier Ripper's trail of deaths fifteen years ago was her innocuous little tea shop. She knows that the consequences of catching the Ripper still haunt her policeman husband and their marriage to this day and that some of her neighbours are desperate - desperate enough to welcome a dark tourism company keen to cash in on Rainier's reputation as the murder town.When the tour operator is killed by a Ripper copycat on Gemma's doorstep, the unease that has lurked quietly in the original killer's wake turns to foreboding, and she's drawn into the investigation. Unbeknownst to her, so is a prisoner named Lane Holland.Gemma knows her town. She knows her people. Doesn't she?PRAISE FOR WAKE:'Politically savvy, cleverly plotted . . . the kind of book that invites the ravenous language of binge reading: compulsive, propulsive, addictive' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'It is hard to believe WAKE is a first novel. Plot, pacing and characterisation are so finely judged that it feels more like the work of a past master' THE TIMES'So plausible and terrifying, it stays with you' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY'Outstanding . . . This is both a well-plotted, gripping mystery and a sensitive exploration of the aftermath of trauma' THE GUARDIAN

"e;Politically savvy, cleverly plotted...the kind of book that invites the ravenous language of binge reading: compulsive, propulsive, addictive."e;--New York Times Book ReviewFor fans of Jane Harpers The Dry or Gillian Flynns Sharp Objects, a searing debut crime novel set in the Australian outback, where the grief and guilt surrounding an unsolved disappearance still haunt a small farming communityand will ultimately lead to a reckoning.The tiny outback town of Nannine lies in the harsh red interior of Australia. Once a thriving center of stockyards and sheep stations, years of punishing drought have petrified the land and Nannine has been whittled down to no more than a stoplight, a couple bars, and a police station.And it has another, more sinister claim to fame: the still-unsolved disappearance of young Evelyn McCreery nineteen years ago.Mina McCreerys life has been defined by the intense public interest in her sisters casewhich is still a hot topic in true-crime chat rooms and on social media. Now an anxious and reclusive adult, Mina lives alone on her familys sunbaked destocked sheep farm.Enter Lane Holland, a young private investigator who dropped out of the police academy to earn a living cracking cold cases. Before she died, Minas mother funded a million-dollar reward for anyone who could explain how Evelyn vanished from her bed in the familys farmhouse. The lure of cash has only increased public obsession with Evelyn and Minabut yielded no answers.Lane wins Minas trust when some of his more unconventional methods show promise. But Lane also has darker motivations, and his obsession with the search will ultimately risk both their livesand yield shocking results.Compulsively readable, with an unforgettable setting and cast of characters,WAKEis a powerful, unsparing story of how trauma ripples outward when peoples private tragedies become public property, and how its never too late for the truth to come out.

'A sure-fire page-turner that keeps readers guessing' DAILY TELEGRAPH'Shelley Burr does not take prisoners. Crime fiction at its effortless best - beautifully drawn characters, rich relationships, fast and fascinating plot, and twists that make you go "ah"' LAINIE ANDERSON'VANISH delivers a surprising climax worthy of Shelley's reputation as one of Australia's most exciting new crime writers' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY'Everything you want from an Australian crime thriller' WEEKEND AUSTRALIANPeople go to the isolated Karpathy farm seeking a new life - but not everything is as it seems. Is it a commune? A cult? Or something far more insidious?Lane Holland's crime-solving career ended the day he went to prison. Yet one unsolved case continues to haunt him: the disappearance of Matilda Carver two decades ago.Against the odds, Lane finds a lead - a mysterious farm community where Matilda lived briefly, led by the enigmatic Samuel Karpathy. The farm attracts lost souls. People looking for answers. People hiding from their pasts. And people who have nowhere else to go.But some of those who go to the farm vanish without a trace . . .'A sizzling, boldly original page-turner - an intense and utterly gripping thriller' ROSE CARLYLE'A constant unnerving undercurrent bubbling away on every page' DARCY TINDALE'Wonderfully twisty. A compelling read that combines complex characters with a gripping mystery' CANBERRA WEEKLY'Addictive' WOMAN'S DAY

'A sure-fire page-turner that keeps readers guessing' DAILY TELEGRAPH'Shelley Burr does not take prisoners. Crime fiction at its effortless best - beautifully drawn characters, rich relationships, fast and fascinating plot, and twists that make you go "ah"' LAINIE ANDERSON'VANISH delivers a surprising climax worthy of Shelley's reputation as one of Australia's most exciting new crime writers' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY'Everything you want from an Australian crime thriller' WEEKEND AUSTRALIANPeople go to the isolated Karpathy farm seeking a new life - but not everything is as it seems. Is it a commune? A cult? Or something far more insidious?Lane Holland's crime-solving career ended the day he went to prison. Yet one unsolved case continues to haunt him: the disappearance of Matilda Carver two decades ago.Against the odds, Lane finds a lead - a mysterious farm community where Matilda lived briefly, led by the enigmatic Samuel Karpathy. The farm attracts lost souls. People looking for answers. People hiding from their pasts. And people who have nowhere else to go.But some of those who go to the farm vanish without a trace . . .'A sizzling, boldly original page-turner - an intense and utterly gripping thriller' ROSE CARLYLE'A constant unnerving undercurrent bubbling away on every page' DARCY TINDALE'Wonderfully twisty. A compelling read that combines complex characters with a gripping mystery' CANBERRA WEEKLY'Addictive' WOMAN'S DAY

*** Australian Nielsen Top Ten Bestseller in May 2022 ***'It is hard to believe Wake is a first novel. Plot, pacing and characterisation are so finely judged that it feels more like the work of a past master. The tension builds, and the revelations keep coming, right until the final page where a thrilling climax combines horror, relief and hope' THE TIMESEVERYBODY THINKS THEY KNOW MINA McCREERY.EVERYONE HAS A THEORY ON WHAT HAPPENED TO HER SISTER.NOW IT'S TIME TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH...Mina McCreery's sister Evelyn disappeared nineteen years ago. Her life has been defined by the intense public interest in the case. Now an anxious and reclusive adult, she lives alone on her family's destocked sheep farm.When Lane, a private investigator, approaches her with an offer to reinvestigate the case, she rejects him. The attention has had nothing but negative consequences for her and her family, and never brought them closer to an answer.Lane wins her trust when his unconventional methods show promise, but he has his own motivations for wanting to solve the case, and his obsession with the answer will ultimately risk both their lives.Superbly written, taut and compassionate, Wake looks at what can happen when people's private tragedies become public property, and the ripples of trauma that follow violent crimes. Wake won the CWA Debut Dagger in 2019.'Wake is a stunning, masterfully written debut novel, its remote, bleak locations adding tension to an atmospheric and compelling mystery that is hard to put down' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Perfect for fans of Jane Harper' ALLIE REYNOLDS'A triumphant debut' ROSE CARLYLE'Intriguing and compelling. Shelley Burr is a bright new talent' CHRIS HAMMER'We devoured this stunningly drawn, deeply compelling mystery in one day' CRIME MONTHLY'Evocative, brutal, and sometimes confronting . . . The plot is complex, tightly constructed and not only keeps you reading, but guessing, right up to the last page' GOOD READING'Compulsively readable, with an unforgettable setting and cast of characters, WAKE is a powerful, unsparing story of how trauma ripples outward when people's private tragedies become public property, and how it's never too late for the truth to set things right' BETTER READING

*** THE NUMBER ONE EBOOK BESTSELLER ***'An outstanding first novel' SUNDAY TIMES (BOOK OF THE MONTH)'My crime novel of the year so far; a moving depiction of the pain that a mysterious disappearance can wreak on those left behind' SARAH VINE, DAILY MAIL SUMMER BOOKS SPECIAL'It is hard to believe Wake is a first novel. Plot, pacing and characterisation are so finely judged that it feels more like the work of a past master. The tension builds, and the revelations keep coming, right until the final page where a thrilling climax combines horror, relief and hope' THE TIMES'Outstanding ... With a slow build and complex characters, this is both a well-plotted, gripping mystery and a sensitive exploration of the aftermath of trauma' GUARDIAN'Sinuous and spellbinding, this debut comes with a big reputation, which it richly deserves. Intense, evocative and with two characters to move the soul, it deserves to be a hit. It's sensational' DAILY MAILEVERYBODY THINKS THEY KNOW MINA McCREERY.EVERYONE HAS A THEORY ON WHAT HAPPENED TO HER SISTER.NOW IT'S TIME TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH...Mina McCreery's sister Evelyn disappeared nineteen years ago. Her life has been defined by the intense public interest in the case. Now an anxious and reclusive adult, she lives alone on her family's destocked sheep farm.When Lane, a private investigator, approaches her with an offer to reinvestigate the case, she rejects him. The attention has had nothing but negative consequences for her and her family, and never brought them closer to an answer.Lane wins her trust when his unconventional methods show promise, but he has his own motivations for wanting to solve the case, and his obsession with the answer will ultimately risk both their lives.Superbly written, taut and compassionate, Wake looks at what can happen when people's private tragedies become public property, and the ripples of trauma that follow violent crimes. Wake won the CWA Debut Dagger in 2019.'Wake is a stunning, masterfully written debut novel, its remote, bleak locations adding tension to an atmospheric and compelling mystery that is hard to put down' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Perfect for fans of Jane Harper' ALLIE REYNOLDS 'A triumphant debut' ROSE CARLYLE'Intriguing and compelling. Shelley Burr is a bright new talent' CHRIS HAMMER'We devoured this stunningly drawn, deeply compelling mystery in one day' CRIME MONTHLY'Evocative, brutal, and sometimes confronting . . . The plot is complex, tightly constructed and not only keeps you reading, but guessing, right up to the last page' GOOD READING'Compulsively readable, with an unforgettable setting and cast of characters, WAKE is a powerful, unsparing story of how trauma ripples outward when people's private tragedies become public property, and how it's never too late for the truth to set things right' BETTER READING'Wake has more twists and turns than the usual novel and it is very tempting to make your own suppositions as to the end of the book, but it has a brilliant denouement. In fact the book itself is an impressive achievement for a debut novel and I'll be searching out whatever Shelley Burr writes next' ON magazine

'Incredible! A vividly told mystery, perfect for fans of Jane Harper' ALLIE REYNOLDS, AUTHOR OF SHIVER'A triumphant debut' ROSE CARLYLE'Intriguing and compelling. Shelley Burr is a bright new talent' CHRIS HAMMEREVERYBODY THINKS THEY KNOW MINA McCREERY.EVERYONE HAS A THEORY ON WHAT HAPPENED TO HER SISTER.NOW IT'S TIME TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH...Mina McCreery's sister Evelyn disappeared nineteen years ago. Her life has been defined by the intense public interest in the case. Now an anxious and reclusive adult, she lives alone on her family's destocked sheep farm.When Lane, a private investigator, approaches her with an offer to reinvestigate the case, she rejects him. The attention has had nothing but negative consequences for her and her family, and never brought them closer to an answer.Lane wins her trust when his unconventional methods show promise, but he has his own motivations for wanting to solve the case, and his obsession with the answer will ultimately risk both their lives.Superbly written, taut and compassionate, Wake looks at what can happen when people's private tragedies become public property, and the ripples of trauma that follow violent crimes. Wake won the CWA Debut Dagger in 2019.

The second novel from the award-winning author of international bestseller WAKE, picked as a Guardian Book of the Year in 2022.Gemma Guillory has lived in Rainier her entire life. She knows the tiny town's ins and outs like the back of her hand, the people like they are her family, their quirks as if they were her own.She knows her once charming town is now remembered for one reason, and one reason only. That three innocent people died. That the last stop on the Rainier Ripper's trail of deaths fifteen years ago was her innocuous little tea shop. She knows that the consequences of catching the Ripper still haunt her policeman husband and their marriage to this day and that some of her neighbours are desperate - desperate enough to welcome a dark tourism company keen to cash in on Rainier's reputation as the murder town.When the tour operator is killed by a Ripper copycat on Gemma's doorstep, the unease that has lurked quietly in the original killer's wake turns to foreboding, and she's drawn into the investigation. Unbeknownst to her, so is a prisoner named Lane Holland.Gemma knows her town. She knows her people. Doesn't she?PRAISE FOR WAKE:'Politically savvy, cleverly plotted . . . the kind of book that invites the ravenous language of binge reading: compulsive, propulsive, addictive' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'It is hard to believe WAKE is a first novel. Plot, pacing and characterisation are so finely judged that it feels more like the work of a past master' THE TIMES'So plausible and terrifying, it stays with you' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY'Outstanding . . . This is both a well-plotted, gripping mystery and a sensitive exploration of the aftermath of trauma' THE GUARDIAN

'Chilling and atmospheric thriller that plunges readers into the dark heart of a small Australian town with a haunting past' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Gemma Guillory has lived in Rainier her entire life. She knows the tiny town's ins and outs like the back of her hand, the people like they are her family, their quirks as if they were her own.She knows her once charming town is now remembered for one reason, and one reason only. That three innocent people died. That the last stop on the Rainier Ripper's trail of deaths fifteen years ago was her innocuous little tea shop.She knows that the consequences of catching the Ripper still haunt her policeman husband and their marriage to this day and that some of her neighbours are desperate - desperate enough to welcome a dark tourism company keen to cash in on Rainier's reputation as the murder town.When the tour operator is killed by a Ripper copycat on Gemma's doorstep, the unease that has lurked quietly in the original killer's wake turns to foreboding, and she's drawn into the investigation. Unbeknownst to her, so is a prisoner named Lane Holland.Gemma knows her town. She knows her people. Doesn't she?A totally addictive and suspenseful page-turner, perfect for fans of Jane Harper, Patricia Wolf and Chris Hammer.Readers love Murder Town:'Wow what a great gritty murder mystery fast paced and keeps you guessing and a surprising ending' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A great story with some amazing twists threaded into it which keep you guessing from start to finish' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Edge of your seat, thrilling ride' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Loved the setting and the plot was brilliant - lots of twists and turns' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I love the book so much! If you like a good mystery with gossiping neighbours and a who-done-it you won't be able to guess at, then you will definitely enjoy this book. I certainly did' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A riveting, fully engrossing, perfectly plotted murder mystery and I loved it' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'The twists and revelations are manifold and the pace never slows. Excellent!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐