Rainier was once a thriving small town. Tourists traveling between Melbourne and Sydney would stop to picnic or visit the local tea shop but after the bypass was completed, the town began to decline. Rainier’s only notoriety now comes from the three murders committed by the “Rainier Ripper” and resident Lachlan Lewis is planning a tour of Rainier, meeting the victims’ families, visiting the sites of the murder and speaking to the one survivor of the killer, now in jail for life. A new murder will alter these plans.

Murder Town is Gemma Guillory’s story. A Rainier native, she witnessed the death of a victim and was probably watched by the Ripper. Now married to the policeman who investigated that death and running her grandmother’s tearoom, Gemma yearns to escape Rainier. Instead, she protects her teenage daughter and her friends, supports her troubled husband and rents a room for extra income. Now with the police investigating a new murder, there are doubts about the Ripper’s identity. Could he still be in Rainier? Who will be the next victim?

Murder Town is a suspenseful, fast-paced mystery. Gemma is a strong character and I loved her relationship with her daughter Violet. Other characters are well described, the small town location is atmospheric and the conclusion is a surprise. I look forward to what Shelley Burr writes next! 5 stars!

Thank you yo NetGalley, William Morrow and Shelley Burr for this ARC.

Interesting and suspenseful read. It's set in Australia, and revolves around the residents of a small town that was put on the map due to a notorious murder there years ago. It's a fun read with a good number of twists and turns, and enough suspects that it's hard to pick out which will end up being the bad guy. Or at least the one worse than the other suspects.

Murder Town is a chilling thriller set in Rainer, a quaint small Australian town that has fallen on economic hard times. The town has been haunted by three unsolved murders committed 17 years ago by an unknown assailant, known only as the Rainer Ripper. Life has since resumed a sense of normalcy, but when an out-of-town tour company proposes operating a tour of the various crime scenes, the town is again gripped by the terror and suspicions of 17 years ago. Gemma, owner of the small tea shop where the last victim died, finds herself experiencing the terror of those days again, and soon realizes that the terror of the past has resurfaced. Shelly Burr has written an intense and exciting thriller with a plot that twists through the past murders to present crimes, revealing sinister, devastating secrets that gripped me from beginning to end! Incorporating the addition of the character of the detective, Lane, from her last novel and his part in this investigation was an integral part of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

Australian Author Shelley Burr's sophomore novel, MURDER TOWN, is an intense, highly atmospheric thriller set in Rainer, Australia, a fictional small town whose only claim to fame is a series of horrific murders by the notorious serial killer, the Rainier Ripper, and his subsequent capture. Almost two decades later, desperate locals debate whether to allow a tourism company to promote the dark tragedy by spotlighting their dying town with the Ripper Trail Tour. Gemma Guillory, her police officer husband, and other locals are still traumatized by the events that occurred when the last victim of the killer died in Gemma's arms at her quaint tea shop. She fears publicity generated by the tour will open old wounds, spill secrets and rattle skeletons best left to rest. The choice is ripped from their hands when a tour representative is murdered in a manner closely resembling that of the Rainer Ripper, and the undercurrent of unrest rippling through their quiet town ignites in an inferno of fear and chaos. Gemma and her husband are pulled back into the nightmare along with a prisoner, former investigator and cold case expert Lane Holland. Once again, a killer is stalking their vulnerable town. With time running out, Gemma questions how well she knows her neighbors.

MURDER TOWN is the follow up to Burr's phenomenally successful first novel Wake, and while it stands alone, there is a crossover character featured in both books. Burr excels in setting highly immersive, atmospheric scenes that pull readers into the story utilizing sight, smell, touch, and sound while creating a keen sense of place. A steadily increasing pace is driven by an undertone of malice permeating the pages as readers and characters navigate a minefield of twists through a unique plot line that culminates in a final shocking reveal. Fans of classic murder mysteries, crime fiction, and thrillers will devour MURDER TOWN--the gripping story of a small-town community pushed to the edge.

Thank you William Morrow Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of Murder Town in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for this month and it absolutely delivered!!! I am a big fan of this author — it’s now the 2nd book I’ve read by her and I hope there is more to come in this series.⁣
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I have really come to love Australian crime fiction and this book is just one of the reasons why. It was engaging and captivating right from the start and I had such a hard time putting it down once I began. I loved how the author explored the closeness of small-town life and the impact of violent crimes on such an environment. She also touches on our ever-growing interest in all things macabre–the obsession to visit places where death has occurred. ⁣
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This book really kept me on my toes. Everyone is a potential suspect, and despite the fact we are led to believe this is a tight-knit community, as the secrets are slowly revealed and backstories are filled in, the tension seems to creep up. ⁣
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I loved this book & hope there will be another installment coming our way soon!

I found the mystery enjoyable, although I didn't realize this was part of a continuing series, which made me feel like I was missing some context regarding the subplot. I believe that someone who has read the first book would probably appreciate this one more. It was somewhat challenging to keep track of all the characters as well. While the story is set in Australia, it felt like it could have taken place in any small town around the world; I didn’t get a strong sense of place. Additionally, none of the characters were particularly likable, although to be fair, that’s not a requirement for a good story.

Rainier, Australia was once a charming small town with tourists stopping by on their travels between Melbourne and Sydney. One day that all changed when 3 innocent people were murdered in the town by the "Rainier Ripper." 17 years later, the murders still haunt the town and the citizens are desperate enough to allow a dark tourism company to cash in on their history.

However, the tour operator is killed by a copycat almost as soon as he arrives in the town, leaving the businesses and neighbors frightened and worried who may be next. Gemma, the owner of a tea shop in town, is drawn to the investigation in order to help save her town. A prisoner nearby is also drawn to the case but for different reasons.

The characters of Murder Town are well written, with the trauma the Rainier Ripper left in his wake considered in each town citizen and their actions. However there were a LOT of characters with many connections that were hard to keep track of at times. The writing kept me engaged and I loved that it had two POVs. Read if you like true crime, complex small town neighbors, gritty crime novels.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my opinion.

I was excited to read Murder Town since Wake by Shelley Burr was one of my top favorite crime thriller books of 2022. Like Wake, Murder Town is set in a little town, Australia with a tight knit community. While it seems like a charming town, seventeen years ago three people were murdered by what the media dubbed The Rainier Ripper. The towns people are desperate for an economical boost and pin their hopes on a tourism company. When the operator is murdered in what appears to be a copycat murder the whole town is on edge. It has to be copycat, because the Rainer Ripper is currently incarcerated for the past murders.

The one was a bit of a slow journey for me. There were almost like three stories being told, the current murder mystery, the past murder case and then an intertwined story from prison. I'm glad for the return of Lane Holland, I loved his character from Wake. I do wish he was featured more. The plot of the novel was well developed, and I thought there were some good twists along the way. I think the characters in Murder Town weren't as relatable, or likable and that took away from my enjoyment. I also thought the pacing the novel was bit slow with no movement of the plot in a few places. Overall, a good slow burn of a mystery. I hope to see a third PI Lane Holland book, if the ending of Murder Town is any indication I think I may be in luck.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and honest review an advance digital copy.

Top Pick - 4.5 Stars

Gemma Guillory and the rest of the Australian town of Ranier will never be the same since a serial killer claimed three lives fifteen years ago. Now, a tourism company wants to cash in on the town’s infamy by leading tours at some of the landmarks associated with those crimes. The town is split, with some finding this appalling and others eager for the potential revenue it could bring to local businesses. Then a copycat killing occurs which has the whole town again living in fear.

Murder Town is the second book in the PI Lane Holland series, but it works perfectly as a standalone. Lane has a completely different role in this book, and the information you need about him is included in the story. He begins investigating the original deaths while tea shop owner Gemma is also investigating. Gemma knows the town and the people and uses that knowledge to look into the crimes. I liked Gemma a lot and was pulling for her to succeed in the investigation and in her personal life. Lane is an experienced PI, but his circumstances limit what he can do.

Everyone in the town is connected, and it was sometimes hard to keep all the relationships straight. Some of the characters really stood out, in both good and bad ways, but others blended together since so many local residents are a part of the story. I was intrigued by what happened in both the old and the new cases and the book kept my attention. Overall, I really enjoyed this tense, atmospheric story and all of its twists and turns. The very end of the book has an interesting development, and I really hope it sets up a third book in the series.

~ Christine

Completely full of twists and turns all the way through, this book grabbed my attention and didn't let go. The plot and the characters were all so complex, with a lot of layers that were peeled back more and more, the further along I got in the book. I will say though, that there were a ton of characters that were just so unlikeable, that I just found myself not really caring about them at all.

5⭐️ for me. This had really great twist and turns with also giving you some good flashbacks from years before in certain people's lives. It was a true who done it murder mystery with revenge. You never knew what person or family member had done something! I enjoyed it a lot.

At first I was enjoying the way the plot was developing and setting the scene for what was happening. However half way through things started seeming a little unrealistic more than anything. Then it just became downright confusing and I wasn’t following well.
True rating: 3.5⭐️

Thanks to William Morrow for an advanced copy of Murder Town by Shelley Burr. I loved the Australian setting and I was kept guessing until the end of this book. 

The town of Rainier is midway between Sydney and Melbourne and it's now most famous for the three murders by the Rainier Ripper seventeen years ago. Now the small town is in decline and a tourism company is interested in running a tour to focus on the murders and Rainier's reputation as a murder town. When the tour operator is killed in a copycat style, secrets and lies are revealed as they solve the murder. 

Murder Town was twisty, but did take me a while to get invested in the story, it starts slow and there are a lot of characters to keep track of (and lots of connections between each other in this small town). I didn't find anyone particularly likable but I did like seeing how this book ended. 

If you like dark atmospheric settings with your crime thrillers you'll enjoy this book. Murder Town comes out November 5th. It was published in Australia under the title Ripper. While it was book two in the PI Lane Holland series, I read it as a stand-alone book.

A rare flip to the end for me which was especially disappointing as I was a big fan of Wake, her first novel. This has too many characters and I had trouble keeping everyone straight (and I'm a veteran of complex novels). Gemma was shocked when Dean careened into the closed door of the tea shop and then died, the third person presumably murdered by the Rainer Ripper who has terrorized her small town. Now, 17 years later, there's another murder much like the original ones and Gemma and the town are living in fear again. Meanwhile the man convicted of the murder is in prison and Lane (from Wake) who is also there is persuaded to try to get more information about the woman who he confessed to killing. My problem with this started almost immediately- all the people who had been affected in some way by the original murders were introduced. I couldn't quite grasp some of the relationships and there were holes (notably about the state of Gemma and Hugh's marriage and his mental health) that are eventually filled in (I think because I did start flipping half way through). Just too many characters. There's a big twist (no spoilers) at the end but still. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Regardless of how I felt about this novel, I'd like to see more from Burr.

Murder Town by Cheryl Burr, A small town in Australia that used to be a Maine stop for travelers has become almost obsolete since building a new Thruway. Unfortunately now they’re only known for the rainier Ripper. 19 years ago Jima Guillory was one of the last people to have a brush with the serial killer because his last victim went to her tea shop looking for help. Now everyone is gathering at the tea shop to discuss the potential walking tour for the Rainier Ripper and although they are desperate for tourism not everyone is on board with the fancy folks from Sidny. Gemma has a lot on her plate and making a seating chart for the villagers is a little like wrangling cats because they’ve known each other all their lives some good some bad and some potentially violent but win Lachlan the tour guide is found dead in the fountain outside of the tea shop it’s just going to stir up lots of things Gemma could do without and I haven’t even mentioned one of the victims brothers is staying in Jim is B and B, she’s also having problems with her husband. Despite being married to Hugh Guillory one of the detectives Gemma takes it upon herself to politely question friends and neighbors When everything is said and done Gemma will look at her husband and neighbors and a whole new light and it isn’t just her old friends that are keeping secrets. This book was so good and went in directions I didn’t see coming. There were a couple of very minor things that struck me as odd like when discussing someone being a surrogate Jima says he is just looking at this woman as a vessel to carry his baby that was totally not what I got from that conversation. I get it surrogacy for money is illegal in Australia but that wasn’t the only odd thing Jima said but unfortunately I am totally forgetting what I wanted to say I really should start taking notes either way it wasn’t enough to ruin the book I really liked Gemma I like the part with Lane and as I said there were a few things I didn’t like but again they’re minor and really don’t make a difference in the story. Oh yes I know when she learned this one person lied about his name and could be a potential murderer there was a teenager in the house with this person and she goes in and tells the teenager when she gets to the back door to run now you might say that sounds sensible but the person who lied about who he is didn’t even know she knew it was just another day in his world. I found it a bit traumatic to tell this child to run when nothing was even happening. I really am ruining this review but that is par for the course when I am reviewing a book I love which I love the book so much! If you like a good mystery with gossiping neighbors and a who done it you won’t be able to guess at, then you will definitely enjoyed this book I certainly did. Whatever this author was writing I was loving it! #NetGalley, #CherylBurr, #MurderTown,

4.5 stars
Gemma Guillory and the rest of the Australian town of Ranier will never be the same since a serial killer claimed three lives fifteen years ago. Now a tourism company wants to cash in on the town's infamy by leading tours at some of the landmarks associated with those crimes. The town is split with some finding this appalling and others eager for the potential revenue it could bring to local businesses. Then a copycat killing occurs which has the whole town again living in fear. 

Murder Town in the second book in the PI Lane Holland series, but works perfectly as a standalone. Lane has a completely different role in this book and the information you need about him is included in the story. He begins investigating the original deaths while tea shop owner, Gemma, is also investigating. Gemma knows the town and the people and uses that knowledge to look into the crimes. Lane is an experienced PI but his circumstances limit what he can do. I was intrigued by what happened in both the old and the new cases. Everyone in the town is connected, and it was sometimes hard to keep all the relationships straight. However, overall I really enjoyed this tense, atmospheric story and all of its twists and turns. The very end of the book has an interesting development, and I really hope it is setting up a third book in the series.

I was provided a review copy of this book from NetGalley and William Morrow, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Gemma loves the area where she lives. When a body is found. She hopes the killer will be found quickly. This book lagged in a few places.

4 ⭐️ I enjoyed this engrossing and twisty thriller set in New Zealand. Although this is the second in a series, it reads well as a stand alone! I will definitely seek out book one and the sequel.

Set in Rainier, a small town where everyone knows everyone and their business, the town has been the site of two killings that landed a serial killer in prison.
When a third brutal killing takes place, multiple people become suspects. Gemma and Hugh, tea shop operator and cop, Aubrey and Mick, friend and Hugh’s coworker, Marcus Shadwell, brother of the murder victim. PI Lane Holland serving time in prison is brought on to try to get information from Jan the serial killer, who is in the same prison.

This story has so many threads and stories all woven together to a great ending that sets up for book three in the Lane Holland series.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Burr's first novel, WAKE, was excellent and a promising start to a murder mystery series. This book, MURDER TOWN, is the second book in the series and is just as good.

Fifteen years ago, the small Australian Outback town of Rainier had a series of gruesome murders committed by a man dubbed the Rainier Ripper. The town has tried to move on, but when a promoter for a walking tour of the murder sites is killed in the same manner as one of the Ripper's victims, notoriety returns to Rainier, and long-buried secrets may be uncovered. With the original Ripper safely locked up in prison, the town is afraid a copycat killer is recreating the murders.

Gemma Guillory, the wife of one of the town's police officers, is significantly affected by the latest killing and is now haunted by her association with the killings fifteen years ago. Afraid for her family, Gemma opens up to a former private investigator, who is behind bars with the Ripper, in hopes of finding out who killed the tour operator. Little does she know that finding the copycat killer will put her life in jeopardy and possibly those closest to her.

This is an atmospheric, gripping read. Burr excellently captures small-town life and the people who inhabit them. The plot is complex but plausible; the twists and the big reveal are unexpected. My only misgiving is how Gemma outwits the police by solving the murder and uncovering the truth about the previous murders. 4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is November 5, 2024.

Shelley Burr's Murder Town is rich with intriguing plot twists that keep the reader guessing. The concept of a town grappling with its dark past and the impact on its residents is a compelling backdrop for the story. Gemma's deep connection to the town’s history and her intimate knowledge of its people add an interesting layer to the narrative, raising the question of how well we truly know those around us.

However, the novel's pacing felt uneven at times, and the intertwining storylines occasionally became convoluted. This confusion might be attributed to the fact that I hadn't read Wake, which I later realized was connected to Murder Town. As a standalone, some plot points felt underdeveloped or confusing.

Overall, while the execution of Murder Town didn't fully meet my expectations, the book's intriguing concept and the atmospheric setting kept me engaged. Fans of crime and mystery novels may find the exploration of dark tourism and the lingering effects of past tragedies particularly interesting.

(I will post this review to social media and retail sites the week of publication)