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Member Reviews

Thank you @paulagleesonauthor @brilliancepublishing and #thomasandmercer for my complementary digital and audio copies. All opinions expressed are my own.

SUMMARY: When ADDIE and her husband arrive In the small town of Boney Creek, she learns about a string of mysterious deaths. Intrigued, she sets out to investigate, questioning whether these recent fatalities were actually murders and possibly tied to a decades old death. Even though the townspeople want to brush the recent deaths off as coincidence, Addie’s instincts as a former aspiring journalist tell her there's much more to the story.

Soon Addie starts uncovering dangerous secrets that threaten to expose the town’s hidden problems—and put her own life at risk. The deeper she goes, the more she realizes that SHE might be the next target in this unsettling pattern!

MY THOUGHTS: I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It’s 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 and 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱, with a 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 that kept me engaged from start to finish!The story features 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗸𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 (my favorite!) and is rich with 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀, 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮, and 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲. Addie stands out as a 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁, adding depth to the narrative. The audiobook experience was also enjoyable. As I read I was impressed with the author's writing style and the complexity of the mystery. I can’t wait to explore more of this author’s work, which has been all the talk with my friends @thrillerbookloversthepulse.

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Boney Creek by Paula Gleason, Moving to Boney Creek and buying the general store was supposed to be a fresh start for Toby and Addie. Not only were they escaping a violent episode in their past but a loss most people can’t get through. buying the General store was a quick sale and Toby May have skipped over a few details about the town such as someone is on a killing spree unfortunately that isn’t the only secret Toby is hiding from Addie but Addie has secrets of her own. Mix that in with a small town that’s trying to keep their secrets local and journalist Addie who starts a blog add in a psychic and outspoken teenager and overly nice pastor and a few more surprises along the way and it makes Boney Creek. let me start by saying I didn’t like this book as much as I liked Miss Gleason’s first book I found to come off nosy and have cocked like a loose cannon telling all this town secrets to the world I also thought her encouraging Clancy that Kip was murdered was unresponsible of her and although the truth came out in the end I also thought the truth was quite obvious almost 20% into the book because I mean was anyone really surprised by the culprit? I do want to say I did like Toby and Beatrice the thing with the pastor really surprise me at the end because… Well it just did you’ll have to read the book. It was still entertaining with some really likable characters I just wish IDK the story was more concise it just seemed as it was all over the place like as I said a loose canon but I would still read future books by this author because I didn’t dislike this one I just found it OK.#NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #PaulaGleason, #BoneyCreek,

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Boney Creek by Paula Gleeson this was a new author for me, and overall I found it to be a good read but not a great one. It had plenty of small town secrets and drama, a whodunnit times two. As we attempt to figure out the past murders, and then the present day deaths. I would recommend to others, because I know not everyone enjoys the same books.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Thomas& Mercer, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

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This one gave me serious small-town-with-big-secrets vibes — and I was hooked. Bone Creek by Paula Gleeson is a slow-burn mystery with just the right amount of tension and character drama. Addie and her husband move to Bone Creek hoping for a reset, but of course, the town has other plans… especially once people start dying. 😬

I loved how atmospheric this book was — the setting felt like another character, and I could totally picture the creeping dread in every scene. Addie’s backstory hit me emotionally, and watching her lean back into her journalism instincts as things unraveled was so satisfying.

There were moments where the pacing dragged a little for me, but the payoffs were worth it. And the twists? Totally worked — grounded and believable but still got me.

If you’re into mysteries with layered characters, small-town tension, and an eerie, slow-building reveal, this one’s worth picking up.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

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I flew through this one. The mystery pulled me in right away, and the small-town setting gave the story an eerie, atmospheric feel. It kept me curious from start to finish.

The main character was easy to root for, and I liked how the past and present came together. The twists were satisfying and made the ending hit even harder. A great pick if you enjoy emotional,

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Addie and Toby are looking for a simpler life and peace and quiet that only a small town could provide. They also want to keep their secrets in the past and don't want to talk about them. However, Boney Creek is not a simple town, there are too many secrets and mysteries as people are dying, and each one of them also held stories untold. Addie will start her investigation into the death of those seven people which were ruled as accidents, the more she digs the more she puts an 'X' on her back and she might become the next one to die. Boney Creek has a great plot, is fast-paced, and engages the reader from the beginning.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

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Gleeson skilfully weaves a web of intrigue, introducing twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
The author's storytelling is fast-paced and immersive, painting vivid scenes and creating well-rounded characters that readers will become emotionally invested in.

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This is my first book by this author and I'm hooked! This story was easy to get into; my interest was captured from the first chapter and that hasn't been happening a lot lately! I found the main characters likeable and the murders in the story made it all the more perplexing! Usually, I have everything all figured out about halfway through but that was not the case with Boney Creek and I found that, not just surprising but a huge added plus, earning this book five stars!

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Thanks to #NetGalley and #Thomas&Mercer for the book #BoneyCrek by #PaulaGleeson. This book is about secrets in a small town where bodies are piling up. Addie and Tony live in Boney Creek where seven people have died in accidents. Addie, not believing they were accidents, has started her own investigation. Not only does Addie have secrets, but as she digs into the towns secrets she finds herself in danger. Can she figure all this out before she is the next accident?

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If you like a small town mystery with secrets and tragic deaths, this book will appeal to you. I liked the setting. It also gave eerie vibes. The characters were mysterious and each of them knew something. The truth was twisted. And the ending was so unpredictable.

Set in Boney Creek. Seven people have lost their lives because of tragic accidents. When Addie and Toby begins to live in Boney Creek, they learn about the unthinkable happenings and there is nothing in the town how it appears to be. People are also not that simple. Will the two of them survive in the town filled with secrets, unthinkable happenings, and tragic history? Toby has secrets and Addie is trying to get to the bottom of the town’s mystery. Her investigation brings her own life at stake and the book will keep you on the edge.

Thanks to the Publisher

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I was unsure how much I was going to like this novel; it started out as a slow burn. However, once I got further into the book, a couple chapters, I was fully engrossed and was invested in the various characters as they were introduced. I wanted to know who was making the late-night phone calls, who the gentleman was at the beginning of the book who died and why all of the secrets in this town. Is the serial killer back? Or is it more sinister and someone in their small town of Boney Creek? This book is filled with twists and turns and keeps you guessing right up to the end. The characters are all people that you could meet in small town USA and as you learn about them you become attached to them.

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Boney Creek by Paula Gleeson is a tension filled and suspenseful thriller full of secrets, small town drama and intrigue.

After Addie and her husband Toby experienced a traumatic break-in and a heartbreaking miscarriage, they decided to leave their life in the city for the tiny outback town of Boney Creek, population 217. They intend to take over the general store that used to be run by Mary. But Boney Creek has had a rash of accidental deaths, seven in just a couple of months, and Mary was one of them. Using her previous background in journalism, Addie decides to investigate the recent deaths. With Boney Creek's previous history of a serial killer stalking the town, Addie knows that there is something going on in her new town and she's going to be the one to figure it out.

Set in the Australian outback, Boney Creek was atmospheric and full of tension and quirky characters. If you like thrillers with multi-layered mystery, creepy and ominous vibes and a protagonist taking things into her own hands, you are going to want to read this! I really liked the mixed media aspect with the podcast where Addie covers each of the deaths. Shifting from past and present helps put together pieces of the puzzle as you read and the short chapters keep you interested and wanting to read just one more chapter! Overall a great thriller that I would recommend for fans of suspenseful secret-filled reads!

Thank you to NetGalley, Paula Gleeson, and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC! Publication date is June 3rd 2025.

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This was super good! The pacing was great, the length of the book was perfect, and the story kept me hooked. I liked the mix of the story with blog posts, recordings, podcasts, etc. Very cool.

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Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the eARC!

Addie Clarkson and her husband Toby are moving to the small town of Boney Creek after experiencing the tragedy and trauma of a break-in and miscarriage. They want to start over and taking over the town's general store seems like a good (not great) opportunity with the town still reeling after seven *accidental* deaths occurring in strangely rapid succession. One of those being the previous owner of the general store, Mary.

Before they moved, Addie was an aspiring journalist, just waiting for her big break that would really jump-start her career. It never came, though. After settling in a bit, Addie decides to use her background in journalism to get the scoop and investigate the recent deaths. After realizing that there was a previous history of a serial killer in Boney Creek back when it was still a hub on a major highway, before the bigger interstate was installed, Addie just KNOWS there's a story here waiting to be uncovered. She's determined to be the one to break it.

This thriller had just the right amount of spooky vibes without veering over into the horror category, IMO. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more from Paula Gleeson soon!

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Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the eARC!
I enjoyed this, though I did find myself getting bored at some times. Some of the characters were kind of flat, and some of it was hard to keep track of with all the details and events.
I did like how the story unfolded and how you got information piece by piece to put together and attempt to figure it out for yourself. Did I figure it out? No. I was wrong on who I thought was behind it.
I also through the plot of the book was good, and so was the location.
Overall, I enjoyed reading it, and would recommend to a friend.

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The small, isolated outback town of Boney Creek was the new home to young couple Toby and Addie after the trauma that had almost broken them back in the city. Leaving their life behind, their new life beckoned, with the small shop they'd purchased set to free them from the past. But it seemed Boney Creek had a lot of secrets, both ancient history, and current, and when wannabe journalist Addie discovered the strange details of seven deaths in the past three months, all locals, she knew she had to investigate. And when Toby told her a secret he'd been hiding, she was shocked, but determined to help him.

As Addie interrogated the locals, some told her to stop, a few of them told her bits and pieces. But she couldn't find the connections. Meanwhile, the shop was struggling, needing more money spent on it than they had. With the post office, service station and general store all in one, it was a big job for two, with help from Clancy, a local school girl. Would Addie and Toby find the answers they needed? Or would Addie and her nosiness cause her to become number eight....

Boney Creek by Aussie author Paula Gleeson surprised me by how much I enjoyed it. Set in the middle of outback Australia, it was filled with tension and a fast pace - I wondered what Addie was going to do next. Didn't she realise she was possibly interrogating a murderer? Clancy was my favourite character, along with feisty old Mildred. This is my first read by this author, and I must check her other books. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for my digital ARC to read and review.

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Sometimes a fresh start turns out to be anything but fresh…

Addie and her husband Toby move to a small town hoping for a clean slate. But instead of peace and quiet, they land in the middle of a small community drowning in secrets. Addie, a journalist at heart, finds herself tangled in a string of “accidental” deaths that no one in town wants to talk about.
This is a slower burn and the tension really builds. Boney Creek offers a mystery into the heart of a town where nothing is as it seems.

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I enjoyed the author's debut thriller, Original Twin, and was keen to read her follow up. I was not disappointed.

Boney Creek is a suspenseful and compelling read. It hits the ground running with the action starting straight away!

Set in a small town that is full of secrets and lies, it takes some amateur sleuthing by the protagonist to uncover them and the crimes that have plagued this town recently.

Atmospheric and with short chapters, this made for an addictive thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC to read and review. Expected publication date for Boney Creek is 3/6/25

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Boney Creek. Pop 217 ?? Small town drama. Deadly secrets. So many deaths, so many questions. I was totally immersed in it - could not put it down. It’s a fast-paced, quirky charactered, mysterious and twisty psychological thriller with dark secrets that keeps you guessing whodunnit. Really enjoyed. Gleeson is a new to me author that I’ll be watching to see whats next! 4 stars — Pub. 6/3/25

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

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