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Crows Nest

Dana Gibson, Book 1

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Crows Nest

By: Nikki Mottram
Narrated by: Caroline Lee
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About this listen

Fleeing problems in her own marriage, child protection worker Dana Gibson leaves Sydney for a job in the Queensland town of Toowoomba. Her first house call is to nearby Crows Nest to assess the children of Sandra Kirby, which results in her getting both her new boss and a local detective offside. Dana soon learns that, in the country, city rules do not apply.

When Sandra Kirby and her best friend are found shot dead, Dana is drawn into an investigation that will force her to strip away the friendly veneer of small-town life, while grappling with ghosts of her own. As buried secrets, bitter tensions and corruption come to light, how far will locals go to stop her uncovering the truth of what happened?

©2022 Nikki Mottram (P)2023 Bolinda Publishing Crime Fiction Detective Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Crime

Critic Reviews

"A dark and gripping mystery that’s sure to keep you guessing." (Mark Brandi, author of Into the River)

"A propulsive, addictive small-town thriller that will have you desperate to know whodunit. Dana is such a character of our times – good, bad and everything in-between. Dark and suspenseful, with just the right amount of hope to keep the pages turning." (Sarah Bailey, author of The Dark Lake)
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I really enjoyed this book- especially all the local Toowoomba references so familiar to me!
A ripping yarn that flowed well . I thought the narrator was fine ! The only issue I had was the opinion that Toowoomba coffee shops weren’t any good in1996 - what about Mary Ryan? Bon Amici? Their coffee was spectacular!😊

Good story that really intrigued me.

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Worst attempt at a Sottish accent I have ever heard mixture of Scot, Welsh, Irish & I think Calcutta ?

Scottish accent deplorable

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I listened to Crows Nest on a rainy day and found I couldn’t stop listening until the end of the book as I felt I was there. The narrator made the characters very believable. I felt the descriptions and characterisations in the novel were accurately portrayed by the narrator. I rate the novel 5 out of 5 as it is mysterious and suspenseful and easy listening at its best.

Suspenseful listening

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Such a kick to have a story set in Toowoomba and Crows Nest. As a local, hearing all the local references, even from nearly 30 years ago, was so nostalgic. I cheered at Brashs, George’s and all the Queens Park references. Gee what you’d give to own even one house on Godsall Street today?!

The story was pretty good. It kept me interested and there were a few good twists. The narrator was a bit challenged by the Scottish accent…sometimes Irish, and country guys aren’t so twangy.

Looking forward to the next book.

Good local story

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Really loving the current abundance of Australian crime fiction writers and this author is no exception. Another great story.

A great read

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I love this genre, but the stereotypical characters and plot were disappointing. The relationships and dialogue lacked authenticity to the point of being cringeworthy. I could go on... Also, the narration was whiny, and the accents and inflections were quite off-putting as they seemed contrary to the nature of the characters.

Cliched

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Basic plot maybe could have worked with better editing. The poor, overly done figurative language was almost a comedy. But the worst by far was the absolutely terrible narration.

Sorry, pretty awful.

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Australian accents were overblown and irritating. The narrator already has a strong Aussie accent so there was no need to drawl it out. Small town people don't sound like that. The characters were caricatures of country folk so I was unable to invest in them. Plot was cliched right from the start. I want smart women who make smart choices not insecure whiners, Lose the 'romance' and the story line is interesting. Maybe I'll try the next one as long as the love relationship stuff is fleeting.

Cliched characters

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This was EXTREMELY hard to get through!
The narration was the worst I have ever heard. Over the top Aussie accents and horrific Scots one.

Very obvious, almost childish story and plot line. Don’t waste money buying this book. I will make sure I don’t get another from this author and narrator.

Dreadful!

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Narrator was on autopilot, reciting as if reading a story to preschoolers. Terrible accents and voices. Unimaginative approach to the characters. I couldn’t not listen to it and stopped after a few chapters. Waste of a credit.

Don’t bother

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