This is a suspenseful.read. Mystery is thrilling for students. This is a five star book. I highly recommend it.

Welcome to Boney Creek, population 217. Addie and Toby are just moving to this tiny town in the middle of nowhere, escaping the big city after enduring a traumatic event and hoping to put down roots somewhere smaller and safer. But Boney Creek has an unusually high death rate for such a small town – seven in a very short time – and a dark history too. Addie’s journalistic instincts are telling her there’s something sinister going on, and she’s determined to discover what it is.

The vibes of this atmospheric mystery are spot on. The setting is perfectly described, you can practically feel the smothering heat of midsummer in Boney Creek, and its isolated remoteness makes the town feel creepily empty. The supporting cast of characters is very well-drawn, from sassy teenage employee Clancy to cantankerous old Mildred, plus a variety of suspicious locals trying to thwart Addie from digging up their dirt. It sounds like the author isn’t done with Boney Creek yet, so I can’t wait to see what happens in this dusty little town in the future! Fans of the reporter-turned-amateur-sleuth trope will enjoy this one.

“Wherever there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

Well wasn’t this just a jam packed mystery full of the unexpected? Every page held a piece of the puzzle, you just have to pay attention. Reading this is like peeling back layers of an onion. I kept thinking I knew what the big twist was…wow was I wrong! This “sophomore” novel by Paula did not disappoint!

This was a twisty, small town full of drama and all the secrets!! And just how I like my thrillers, it totally kept me guessing and never would have figured it all out!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!

Boney Creek is a great mystery that packs layers and layers of intrigue, local town history, and family secrets. Addie was a complex character and strong protagonist. She is trying so hard to fit into a new town, fuel her passion and ambition, and feel like she's succeeding. At times, I felt frustrated with her impatience -- things seemed to move pretty fast for unearthing a complex and multi-generational mystery! But overall, it was fun solving the mystery with her and gaining insight into the town's history and lore.

I really liked that I couldn't quite pinpoint if the deaths in Boney Creek were connected or purely accidental and coincidental. I had a hard time trusting anyone in the town and seemed to suspect everyone at one point or another.

Boney Creek evolved into a two-for-one mystery which I'm always here for. I liked that the past and present converged and that there was more to Boney Creek than met the eye.

This is a quick read and I had fun being an amateur sleuth alongside Addie. The Pulse has been thoroughly enjoying being armchair detectives and if that's your speed, I highly recommend!

Married couple Toby & Addie have moved from the city to a very small town of 217 people and purchased the town general store. Seven people have recently died and being an inquisitive journalist, stopping at nothing for a story, Addie starts a blog about the deaths. She uncovers that years before there were also a series of never-solved murders and makes it her mission to find out if the two are connected.

This book read as a true crime/murder mystery and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed. The opening prelude draws you in and the story kicks right off with snappy chapters. Although I found the main character, Addie, slightly unlikeable and the beginning a little static, once I got into the story I was hooked and wanted to solve the crimes.

I found myself reading this book in a day and thought the blog posts sprinkled throughout were a great touch. I also love that I didn’t totally guess what was going to happen. For my first arc, I’m really happy to have had a positive reading experience - there’s just something about a small town vibe that always sucks me in!

Paula Gleeson has done it again! Boney Creek was twisty and full of small town drama and secrets, a winning combination! I loved Addie and her determination to get to the bottom of all of the murders and mysterious deaths that were plaguing Boney Creek. Overall the book had an interesting cast of characters and I kept turning those pages in anticipation of what Addie might uncover next!

A big-city aspiring reporter moves to a tiny town with her husband in this fish out of water redemption thriller. Boney Creek feels dry and lifeless, with the tiny gas station/coffee shop/convenience store that Abbie and Toby buy to get away from the tragedy they faced in New York, and for Addie to escape the secrets she is keeping and help assuage her guilt. The previous owner had died, along with many other people in this tiny town. Many years ago there had been a serial killer who haunted the area, and people are starting to wonder, has the mysterious murderer returned? Addie can't help but start investigating, and once she finds out Toby has secrets of his own she just can't let things go. A quick read with a strong sense of place.

I tend to enjoy mysteries and thrillers, I will say. This one just didn’t click. Maybe I don’t enjoy amateur detective stories after all? The writing was good, though, even if the book ultimately ended up not being for me.

Addie and Toby are a couple with a past who move to a small town with a lot of mysterious deaths. After hearing of these suspicious deaths and with her interest spiked Addie sets to solve the murders. This book has a plenty of characters the reader won't soon forget. I enjoyed the town and everything else this one had to offer. Nice thriller


Thank you NetGalley for the e-book edition of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was a quick, easy read. I did enjoy it for the most part, but the way the stories all connected didn’t really work for me. It just didn’t feel like a big enough motive to kill everyone in town over. I also didn’t like that a whole half of the story goes unresolved. Maybe the story from Ken was supposed to be the truth, but it didn’t seem like Addie thought that story was true by the end so that leaves it open.

**ARC review. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read it early.

In search of a fresh start after a traumatic event in the city, journalist Addie and her husband Toby purchase the only general store in the tiny town of Boney Creek. But no sooner have they arrived, Addie's journalist instincts flare when she learns that there have been seven "mysterious" deaths in the town over the past few months. And for a town of 217 people, Addie knows something's wrong.

My second read this year was BONEY CREEK and I had a great time with it! I knew very little about the book going in but I was quickly swept along and engaged. The writing is quick, snappy, and easy-to-read and engaging the whole way through. Addie's interiority is presented well, she's definitely a relatable main character, and I enjoyed how determined she was to find the truth.

The vibes of Boney Creek as a setting are also amazing, I loved the care that the author took in describing Boney Creek, almost to the point that Boney Creek felt like a character in and of itself. The dry, dusty, oppressively hot place in the middle of nowhere, with its equally oppressive locals was just great, I could have read pages and pages of it.

The wide supporting cast are an exciting and eccentric bunch. Standouts for me were Clancy, the whirlwind teenager with a traumatic past, her witchy mother Beatrix, and the crochety old Mildred who you couldn't help but love in the end.

In terms of the mystery, it was mutlifaceted and many-layered, with lots of different threads being picked up and set down all the way through, but still managing to be pulled together in the end. I really love a book that isn't afraid to go down the route of red herrings or having the characters be wrong in their suspicions as it creates that twisty, captivating narrative I really love. I was kept guessing on so many parts of the mysteries and even when I thought I'd figured it out, the author still managed to pull the rug out from under my feet with great twists that are quickly becoming this author's staple.

Overall, a solid read for me and it's definitely cemented Paula Gleeson as a must-read author from now on!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!

I liked this book. Makes me want to get back to doing a podcast. I am definitely interested in reading more from this author.

I just finished "Boney Creek" by Paula Gleeson and I must say it was a pleasant surprise. The story follows Addie and Toby, a couple running from their past who move to the small town of Boney Creek looking for a fresh start. But their personal secrets will have to reckon with the darker ones of the community, where seven "accidental" deaths in just a few months have left more questions than answers.
The author manages to create an immersive small-town atmosphere, where everyone knows each other but no one really wants to talk. The characters are well-developed, especially protagonist Addie with her journalistic instincts that she can't silence. I found myself rooting for her as she tried to uncover the truth, despite warnings and threats.
Don't expect a dark, violent noir - the tone remains lighter than I anticipated. But it's precisely this choice that makes the story more accessible and enjoyable, without losing its page-turning quality. The plot twists are well-paced and the ending, though it leaves some questions open, is satisfying.
Perfect for those who love small-town american mysteries without excess violence or anguish.

Addie and Toby pack up their city life and buy a store in a small country town - Population 217. But not all is as it seems. Addie, who previously worked for a newspaper and yearns to be an investigative journalist, can't resist getting involved in finding out why there have been seven deaths over the last few months, it all sounds very suspicious. The townsfolk need to have answers and she's going to find out the truth behind the deaths! What secrets will she uncover and how long before all truths are unveiled?

Sadly, this book didn't WOW me. It wasn't a page turner. I found Addie quite frankly irritating and irrational and the plot was really quite weak. It just didn't grab me. Sorry

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

When several small-town locals die under mysterious circumstances, an aspiring journalist is determined to prove the connection between them, only to discover the dangerous secrets they left behind.

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.

Loved it. Will recommend to others

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this book I had a hard time jumping into it. I would rate this a 3/5 I think it was good but something I wouldn’t pick up again.

Having once been the hunting ground for a highway serial killer, the residents of Boney Creek are used to death and brush off a recent spate of seven deaths as bad luck. Newcomers Addie and Toby find the deaths suspicious, however, and as Addie was once a journalist, she starts digging into the deaths, hoping to uncover a connection between them and the town’s serial killer past.

Instead, she discovers long-held secrets and small-town loyalties that could make her the next victim. This second book by author Paula Gleeson is just as twisty as her first, and I recommend it for fans of outback thrillers where everyone is a suspect.

When several small-town locals die under mysterious circumstances, an aspiring journalist is determined to prove the connection between them, only to discover the dangerous secrets they left behind.

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.
It is a very slow burn story.

Boney Creek by Paula Gleason ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Thomas & Mercer
Pub Date: 6-3-25

Thank you @netgalley, @amazonpublishing, and @paulagleesonauthor for this eARC.

“You have to understand something about a small town . . .”

Escaping their lives in the city, a recent traumatic event - and each keeping a secret from the other - Addie and Toby move to Boney Creek to own and operate the local general store / post office / gas station.

The small town of Boney Creek and its many characters are keeping secrets big and small amidst seven recent mysterious deaths. Are these deaths related to a series of murders and disappearances decades ago?

This is a mild mystery/thriller. No violence or gore on the page - surprising for a town with so much death! As in many small towns, there are secrets and connections among longtime townspeople which only begin to reveal themselves by the end of the story. More to tell in future books in a series? I hope so! I'm ready to learn more about these characters and their secrets.

#boneycreek #paulagleeson #amazonpublishing #netgalley