Try free for 30 days
-
Dirt Town
- Narrated by: Sophie Loughran
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
My best friend wore her name, Esther, like a queen wearing her crown at a jaunty angle. We were twelve years old when she went missing.
On a sweltering Friday afternoon in Durton, best friends Ronnie and Esther leave school together. Esther never makes it home.
Ronnie's going to find her, she has a plan. Lewis will help. Their friend can't be gone, Ronnie won't believe it.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels can believe it. She has seen what people are capable of. She knows more than anyone how, in a moment of weakness, a person can be driven to do something they never thought possible.
Lewis can believe it too. But he can't reveal what he saw that afternoon at the creek without exposing his own secret.
Five days later, Esther's buried body is discovered.
What do we owe the girl who isn't there?
Character-rich and propulsive, with a breathtakingly original use of voice and revolving points of view, Dirt Town delves under the surface, where no one can hide. With emotional depth and sensitivity, this stunning debut shows us how much each person matters in a community that is at once falling apart and coming together.
Esther will always be a Dirt Town child, as we are its children, still.
WINNER OF THE ABIA GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
WINNER OF THE 2023 CWA ILP JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER AWARD
WINNER OF THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FOR LGBTQ+ MYSTERY 2023
WINNER OF THE DAVITT AWARDS DEBUT CRIME BOOK 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 MARGARET AND COLIN RODERICK LITERARY AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2023 FOR DEBUT FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA THE MATT RICHELL AWARD FOR NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DAVITT AWARDS ADULT CRIME NOVEL 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DANGER AWARD FOR FICTION 2023
FINALIST FOR THE 2023 ITW THRILLER AWARDS FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL
Critic Reviews
"A heart-wrenching mystery, Hayley Scrivenor's remarkable sense of place brings Dirt Town to life. A stellar debut." (Jane Harper)
"Dirt Town is a remarkable debut, Hayley Scrivenor masterful in her deft handling of the tensions underpinning a small regional town, and the complex characters that populate it. You will not be able to put it down." (Hannah Kent)
"I loved this. What wonderful writing. Scarily good!... Masterful. Australian crime has a new star. The characters of Dirt Town are rich, raw and beautifully realised. One of the crime books of the year. Intelligent, nuanced and compassionate." (Chris Hammer)
What listeners say about Dirt Town
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 24-08-2022
Great listen
Easy and captivating to listen to. I breezed through this, highly recommend for anyone who loves suspense and crime
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- R Earl
- 23-11-2023
A masterpiece of Australian writing!
I was so sad when the book ended. A moving, beautifully written & descriptive book that I’m sure I’ll revisit many times. The author built solid characters, all with their own nuances & the narration was superb!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 08-02-2023
Guessing till the end
I loved this story and all the people of dirt town I loved hearing from their different perspectives. It had me guessing until the end
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- HERMZ
- 05-11-2022
Dirt Town
A full and rounded poke around a small Australian town, it’s inhabitants and into their contained lives. A tale that weaves them all together around the hole that tightens as the case gets solved. I liked it.. thoroughly.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Hannah
- 21-07-2024
Keep Listening
I felt like both the writer and narrator took a few chapters to get warmed up, but then they both found their voice. An enjoyable listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 24-07-2024
Had me guessing
Brilliant story and extremely well performed. Intriguing and great characters. Hard to stop listening and really look forward to next one!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jodie Templeton
- 07-09-2022
Good read
Was good story, kept me engaged although the storyline went up and down on subjects that weren’t really required. Ending was a bit of a shock and didn’t really sun up parts of the story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 30-09-2022
Great story telling...loved the suspense
Great story telling. Took time to warm up to the narrator but then enjoyed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 13-12-2023
Authentic.
I really enjoyed the book. The characters felt real and authentic, and it's cleverly written, leading you in different directions. I didn't like the style of narration, but it didn't spoil the experience.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rachel
- 16-06-2023
Really good
Really well written, great story. I enjoyed it but it’s pretty grim- fragile people living out their lives in a depressing place. I found it all a bit sad.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!