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

I am in two minds about this one. It is a complex mystery story and unwinding the threads was an enjoyable pastime but I found Addie to be annoyingly naive and shallow, actually make that clueless. The setting is neutral - I kept wondering if it was oz but there was no definite geographical marker. Could have been America or anywhere else and I liked that neutrality of location. I received this as an advance copy and this review is entirely my own opinions.

Parts of this book I really loved - the description of the town, the premise, and the characters...in a way. The story has plenty of mystery but lacks a build up of suspense, in my opinion. I think that with more practice Gleeson will be an author who is quite successful. The story is a really cool premise, but felt a bit predictable. The ending was also more open ended than I like - if there is a second I will read it, but I am not sure if that is the plan or not.

Overall, the read was okay. Gleeson has a fair amount of potential, and I will be trying her again.

The novel lacked clarity. When you are finished with a thriller , it needs to clear up all the hints and clues and resolve the issues. This book fails to do that. The premise is weak… a man gives up his life to move to a tiny village to find a killer? Then, he proceeds to do just the opposite. Not the best reason to build a story around. I cannot recommend anyone to seek this book out to cozy up and read.

Tom and Addie lived a good like in the city. Good jobs, recently wed, considering children. They were victims of a break-in and assault. The physical and emotional effects were so severe that they up and left their city life for a backwater town far in the country. Boney Creek.

They purchase a little general store/post office and set up a new life. Boney Creek, like many small towns, are wary of outsiders. Tom tries to get the store, homestead, and the basics of a life reborn. Addie had an entry job at a big city newspaper and yearned to become an investigative reporter. Someone with her curiosity and general nosiness might not be well received.

She wasn’t. Stuck her nose into too many people’s business.

Even for a small town, seven unexplained deaths seem unusual. Not to mention that Boney Creek has a reputation based on a series of killings decades ago. Rumor was it was a serial killer. Or a drifter on a spree. But no one was ever caught, and the town suffered a slow demise as a result.

Addie is sure the town needs to know the truth so it can heal. The locals think just let bygones be bygones. She digs deeper, championing herself as some nose to the grindstone reporter who’s sniffed out a major story. All she does is offend most of the town.

Then she learns that Boney Creek wasn’t just picked at random. Tom had a reason for steering Addie to move when they decided to leave the city.

This was kind of interesting. Normally the hell-bent reporter has lots of street cred and contacts in law enforcement and sometimes the underworld. Not Addie. Her only experience was in writing fluff pieces and never got her shot anywhere close to the big time. Gleeson lets us peek over Addie’s shoulder while she trips up (repeatedly) in her obsession to score the ‘big story’.
Give this one shot. As a story about the press, it’s nowhere near the level of the likes of RG Belsky. But it’s still worth a shot.

Thanks to the good folks at NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

Available June 3, 2025