Gunnawah cover art

Gunnawah

A captivating and compulsive crime thriller about guns, drugs and a young woman dead on the money

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Gunnawah

By: Ronni Salt
Narrated by: Jenny Seedsman
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About this listen

It's 1974 in the Riverina

The weather is hot

But the body in the Murray River is stone cold . . .

A captivating and compulsive crime thriller about guns, drugs and a young woman dead on the money

When nineteen-year-old farmgirl Adelaide Hoffman applies for a cadetship at the Gunnawah Gazette, she sees it as her ticket out of a life too small for her. The paper's owner, Valdene Bullark, seeing something of the girl she once was in young Adelaide, puts her straight to work.

What starts as a routine assignment covering an irrigation project soon puts Adelaide on the trail of a much bigger story. Water is money in farming communities, and when Adelaide starts asking questions, it's like she's poked a bull ant's nest. Someone will do whatever it takes to stop Adelaide and Val finding out how far the river of corruption and crime runs.

Shady deals. Vested interests. A labyrinth of lies. It seems everyone in Gunnawah has a secret to keep. And too many are already dead quiet.

Set deep in the heart of rural Australia during the era of Gough Whitlam, pub brawls and flared jeans, Gunnawah is a compulsive crime thriller of corruption, guns and drugs from Australian Noir's most arresting new voice.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Ronni Salt (P)2025 Hachette Australia Audio
Crime Crime Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature Exciting Money

Critic Reviews

'A classic Aussie crime novel arrives, like a full-throttle ute through a fence. I gobbled it up like a Pine Lime Splice on a hot day.' KAZ COOKE

'It's amazing to see what Ronni Salt can do when she's freed of a 280-character word limit.' SHAUN MICALLEF

All stars
Most relevant  
On my first listen over several weeks I just got really engrossed in the story. It's almost like a classic Australian yarn. On my second time listening though I picked up on all the gems. What sets this apart from most of the crime novels I've read is how beautifully written it is and how descriptive the writing is. I missed that the first time around. I'd never heard of the author before, but imho, her descriptions of rural Australia are some of the best I've ever read, (or heard, lol, I never know how to describe reading an audio book). Is this going to be a movie soon?

Second listen I picked up on the beautiful writing

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I liked the writers style - no over wordy or filled with adjectives. I got the deliberate references to items typical of the era to give the book a feel of authenticity for the times.

There are no real surprises to the plot - didn’t really have you hanging on the edge of your seat.

But for my 1 hr drive to work each day it did the job. Narrator did a great job.



It’s a good listen but…

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Ronni Salt is truly a National Treasure who now shows us she can write magnificent fiction as well as insightful journalism.

This is a wonderfully told story that paints a picture of a mid-70s country town and the colourful characters who live there.

The story is woven masterfully and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The performance is excellent as well.

Don’t miss it!!

A fantastic Aussie whodunnit that leaves you guessing

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I grew up in a town just like Gunnawah. The characters, the pub, the cafe... it is all so very familiar. Thank you Ronni for writing an extremely entertaining, quintessentially Australian story. A TV series in the making.....

A quintessential Australian story

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A lovely page-turner loaded with plenty to delight the mature reader. The kernels of hidden humour make it a delight. One slowly realises why towns & characters are named as they are and their relevance to most humanistic readers will linger.
Ms ‘Salt’ is a rock of the Australian twitter community and her input has been invaluable to us all. To read this cryptic effort is a scrumptious joy.
Hi Ronni.

@Forthleft2

The Easter eggs.

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The narration has the perfect tempo and tone of voice. The story is captivating—I really enjoyed it!

Australian suspense

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Really enjoyed this Aussie book. Terrific story and good pace. Excellent narration. Has you hooked and guessing through to the end.

Great storyline

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Great story and an easy listen. Fabulous characters and references we can remember of the seventies and its cars pubs and the smallness of country towns. Highly recommended

Quintessential Australian characters

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The setting, attention to history and well rounded characters woven into a gripping and compelling story.

A Wonderful Australian Yarn

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The whole package: performance, action and literary merit. A great listen, would even be a marvellous read. Original yet finely observed descriptions of the natural world draw you into historic details and too-credible thriller. Characters you think you’ve met, open up with their back stories and beautiful personalities, people the town of Gunnawah. Thank you, Ronnie Salt. And Jenny Steedman — brava! Sound effects, everything. What a solo performance! The whole theatre in a voice.

Brilliant narration, top story

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.