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Dana Gibson #1
Crows Nest
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 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?
When Sandra 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?
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First published January 31, 2023
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November 2, 2023
Dana Gibson, child protection officer, is going through personal hell, so flees Sydney and takes up work in Toowoomba. Two people from her first house call soon wind up dead. Police deem it a murder-suicide, but Dana disagrees, and soon finds herself heavily involved in the case, putting her life and career in jeopardy.
“Toowoomba was going to be her refuge. All she had to do was settle in. And get to work.”
Toowoomba was vividly depicted, and I enjoyed the scattering of pop culture references to establish the 90s setting. I was immediately drawn into the story, and wanted to find out what happened next. But as things progressed and Dana became increasingly erratic, I found it harder to like her as main character.
“Tears rolled down her face, though there was no hope of them washing away her guilt.”
The house calls were harrowing. They felt authentic and placed the reader in the middle of tense situations. They filled me with dread and unease. It breaks my heart to know so many children are living in such conditions right now. Child protection workers have my utmost respect. Numerous characters made my skin crawl.
My favourite character was youngster, Angus, though I felt conflicted about his relationship with Dana. She blatantly endangers him due to her obsession with the case. Too often I had to remind myself she was not a cop. I lost track of how many offences Dana committed that should’ve ended with instant dismissal.
I found the middle section the weakest part, but Nikki demonstrated a remarkable ability to create tension as the story reached its climax. I was soon too paranoid to look out the window at night!
“She was looking out at the hedgerow along the laneway fence when, for a split second, as the lightning flashed, she saw the silhouette of a man at the window.”
Before final thoughts, I must ask: what’s with Australian authors relying on animal violence to portray emotion, and powerfully symbolic scenes? I see it everywhere these days, and here we have a dead kangaroo, dead dog, dead bird, and dead cat. This reliance on animals to establish darkness or grit within a story is starting to come across gimmicky.
While Crows Nest held my attention, I'm ultimately left feeling mixed about it.
Note:
I feel compelled to mention articles that ran in The Australian newspaper, June 2023. They write that Crows Nest was “loosely inspired” by the 1990s real-life double-murder of Julie-Anne Leahy and Vicki Arnold. There is no mention of this in the book. Of particular interest is the character of Chrystal, based on a survivor of child sexual abuse, who said “it was unethical for a novelist to use her as inspiration for a character in her debut novel without contacting her first.”
It’s important such survivors have a voice, and I feel my review would be a disservice to them if not mentioning this here.
“Toowoomba was going to be her refuge. All she had to do was settle in. And get to work.”
Toowoomba was vividly depicted, and I enjoyed the scattering of pop culture references to establish the 90s setting. I was immediately drawn into the story, and wanted to find out what happened next. But as things progressed and Dana became increasingly erratic, I found it harder to like her as main character.
“Tears rolled down her face, though there was no hope of them washing away her guilt.”
The house calls were harrowing. They felt authentic and placed the reader in the middle of tense situations. They filled me with dread and unease. It breaks my heart to know so many children are living in such conditions right now. Child protection workers have my utmost respect. Numerous characters made my skin crawl.
My favourite character was youngster, Angus, though I felt conflicted about his relationship with Dana. She blatantly endangers him due to her obsession with the case. Too often I had to remind myself she was not a cop. I lost track of how many offences Dana committed that should’ve ended with instant dismissal.
I found the middle section the weakest part, but Nikki demonstrated a remarkable ability to create tension as the story reached its climax. I was soon too paranoid to look out the window at night!
“She was looking out at the hedgerow along the laneway fence when, for a split second, as the lightning flashed, she saw the silhouette of a man at the window.”
Before final thoughts, I must ask: what’s with Australian authors relying on animal violence to portray emotion, and powerfully symbolic scenes? I see it everywhere these days, and here we have a dead kangaroo, dead dog, dead bird, and dead cat. This reliance on animals to establish darkness or grit within a story is starting to come across gimmicky.
While Crows Nest held my attention, I'm ultimately left feeling mixed about it.
Note:
I feel compelled to mention articles that ran in The Australian newspaper, June 2023. They write that Crows Nest was “loosely inspired” by the 1990s real-life double-murder of Julie-Anne Leahy and Vicki Arnold. There is no mention of this in the book. Of particular interest is the character of Chrystal, based on a survivor of child sexual abuse, who said “it was unethical for a novelist to use her as inspiration for a character in her debut novel without contacting her first.”
It’s important such survivors have a voice, and I feel my review would be a disservice to them if not mentioning this here.
March 20, 2023
A debut novel, sent in the 1990’s in Toowoomba, Queensland. Dana, a case worker, whose parents had better things planned for her, chose a social worker path at University over law or medicine. She was a character I formed no bond with, nor was her story one I had empathy for. Heading to the town of Crows Nest after a significant personal loss and a marriage that appeared to be crumbling, Dana started a case where women quickly were found dead.
The family involved did not seem sad, the father seemed ‘able’ to still care for the children and their was no shock. The police force seemed not to care, and Dana’s boss just wanted the case closed. There was nothing to 'give' from this strange community. I felt the story completely passed me by. What was I missing?
Dana often did the wrong thing, to help the case, but to me, the story just continued along as pieces of a puzzle. A lead to b leads to c. It wasn’t compelling, interesting, or exciting. The characters were not likable or complex to redeem my interest apart from a 11-year-old boy.
There was an unusual IT situation where a University was hacked into to provide internet access and the use of mobile phones seemed to be heavily relied upon, more than my memory serves for the time period.
I seem to be an outlier with this title, many others enjoyed this more. I had no empathy for the characters I should have, at the times that I should have. I was disappointed as I felt the 'lack', although the writing was fine. I also did not care for the narration by Caroline Lee, when she changed voices it was always in an argumentative manner, snobby or angry, and I had to do my own interpretation of each word. This never happens. It made me lose track. I found that I have not enjoyed this narrator in the past.
I listened to this through the BorrowBox platform through my local library, at 1.50 speed.
The family involved did not seem sad, the father seemed ‘able’ to still care for the children and their was no shock. The police force seemed not to care, and Dana’s boss just wanted the case closed. There was nothing to 'give' from this strange community. I felt the story completely passed me by. What was I missing?
Dana often did the wrong thing, to help the case, but to me, the story just continued along as pieces of a puzzle. A lead to b leads to c. It wasn’t compelling, interesting, or exciting. The characters were not likable or complex to redeem my interest apart from a 11-year-old boy.
There was an unusual IT situation where a University was hacked into to provide internet access and the use of mobile phones seemed to be heavily relied upon, more than my memory serves for the time period.
I seem to be an outlier with this title, many others enjoyed this more. I had no empathy for the characters I should have, at the times that I should have. I was disappointed as I felt the 'lack', although the writing was fine. I also did not care for the narration by Caroline Lee, when she changed voices it was always in an argumentative manner, snobby or angry, and I had to do my own interpretation of each word. This never happens. It made me lose track. I found that I have not enjoyed this narrator in the past.
I listened to this through the BorrowBox platform through my local library, at 1.50 speed.
February 10, 2023
Crows Nest is a compelling rural crime debut from Nikki Mottram placing her firmly on the list of notable Australian crime writers.
I was pulled into the story right from the start. Dana Gibson is a relatable, flawed character. She has had a few life altering dramas and instead of facing her demons she decides to flee from Sydney to Toowoomba.
Dana is a community services worker, well respected in Sydney, but she has to prove herself before she is trusted in this small country town.
I really connected with Dana. She acts on impulse, often regretting her actions later. She is quick to snap and slow to open-up which makes people wary of her.
Crows Nest is a police procedural with a different twist. Not happy with the way the police are handling the murder investigation Dana starts her own investigation, evidence board and all. I loved Dana’s little side-kick and mini sleuth Angus, her 11 year-old neighbour. He was a clever little thing and had a sad story of his own.
Crows Nest has themes of dysfunctional families, small town secrets and lack of resources for community workers
Nikki Mottram has written a clever mystery deeply rooted in its small town setting.
I am looking forward to the second book, Killarney.
I was pulled into the story right from the start. Dana Gibson is a relatable, flawed character. She has had a few life altering dramas and instead of facing her demons she decides to flee from Sydney to Toowoomba.
Dana is a community services worker, well respected in Sydney, but she has to prove herself before she is trusted in this small country town.
I really connected with Dana. She acts on impulse, often regretting her actions later. She is quick to snap and slow to open-up which makes people wary of her.
Crows Nest is a police procedural with a different twist. Not happy with the way the police are handling the murder investigation Dana starts her own investigation, evidence board and all. I loved Dana’s little side-kick and mini sleuth Angus, her 11 year-old neighbour. He was a clever little thing and had a sad story of his own.
Crows Nest has themes of dysfunctional families, small town secrets and lack of resources for community workers
Nikki Mottram has written a clever mystery deeply rooted in its small town setting.
I am looking forward to the second book, Killarney.
June 15, 2023
Crows Nest is the debut thriller by Australian author Nikki Mottram and shines a spotlight on the difficult area of child protection and family services. This is a murder mystery set in the rural town of Toowoomba in Queensland during the mid-1990s. It’s a briskly evolving story that depends largely on the dogged determination of the lead character, Dana Gibson.
Dana has moved from Sydney to Toowoomba after a marriage break-up and to recover from the loss of her baby son. She is a community services worker who is making the adjustment of working in a small town environment and is yet to win over her new colleagues. The case she is assigned, the one chosen for her to break her into the local area, is the Kirby family or, more specifically, Sandra Kirby and whether she is properly caring for her children.
Barely 24 hours after meeting Sandy and the rest of her family for the first time, the news hits that there’s been a double homicide and the two people found dead are Sandy and her best friend. They’d been shot to death in their car out on a remote bush track. It’s a traumatic scene and comes as a terrible shock to Dana, although her reaction is where things start to get a bit sketchy for me.
My expectations would have been that Dana’s involvement from here on out were to ensure the children of the murdered woman were properly cared for, safe and well. With a full list of other outstanding cases, her time and attention should then have been best spent ensuring her other families were similarly cared for and attended to.
Instead, Dana went rogue, turning herself into a quasi-detective, running an investigation with little or no authority and almost as much expertise. The results are kind of expected and while she managed to ruffle feathers and come up with a plausible scenario for what had actually happened, it came at the expense of putting herself and her friends and acquaintances in grave danger.
I found it very difficult to sympathise with her or find much empathy with the majority of characters in the book. The aspect of the story that was most difficult to accept or believe was the inclusion by Dana of her 11 year old neighbour in what is essentially a murder investigation. Surely no-one in their right mind, particularly an experienced family welfare officer, would allow such a thing to happen.
The negative comments aside, the premise behind the murders and the process of investigating, gathering and dealing with the clues and the mad scramble to bring the killer to justice ensured that the pace was solid from start to finish. There were quite a few questions left to be answered and, given that this is the first in a proposed series, I’m prepared to return to find out whether Dana has learnt from her mistakes.
Dana has moved from Sydney to Toowoomba after a marriage break-up and to recover from the loss of her baby son. She is a community services worker who is making the adjustment of working in a small town environment and is yet to win over her new colleagues. The case she is assigned, the one chosen for her to break her into the local area, is the Kirby family or, more specifically, Sandra Kirby and whether she is properly caring for her children.
Barely 24 hours after meeting Sandy and the rest of her family for the first time, the news hits that there’s been a double homicide and the two people found dead are Sandy and her best friend. They’d been shot to death in their car out on a remote bush track. It’s a traumatic scene and comes as a terrible shock to Dana, although her reaction is where things start to get a bit sketchy for me.
My expectations would have been that Dana’s involvement from here on out were to ensure the children of the murdered woman were properly cared for, safe and well. With a full list of other outstanding cases, her time and attention should then have been best spent ensuring her other families were similarly cared for and attended to.
Instead, Dana went rogue, turning herself into a quasi-detective, running an investigation with little or no authority and almost as much expertise. The results are kind of expected and while she managed to ruffle feathers and come up with a plausible scenario for what had actually happened, it came at the expense of putting herself and her friends and acquaintances in grave danger.
I found it very difficult to sympathise with her or find much empathy with the majority of characters in the book. The aspect of the story that was most difficult to accept or believe was the inclusion by Dana of her 11 year old neighbour in what is essentially a murder investigation. Surely no-one in their right mind, particularly an experienced family welfare officer, would allow such a thing to happen.
The negative comments aside, the premise behind the murders and the process of investigating, gathering and dealing with the clues and the mad scramble to bring the killer to justice ensured that the pace was solid from start to finish. There were quite a few questions left to be answered and, given that this is the first in a proposed series, I’m prepared to return to find out whether Dana has learnt from her mistakes.
November 22, 2023
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Crows Nest by Nikki Mottram. (2023).
1996. Fleeing problems in her own marriage, child protection worker Dana leaves Sydney for job in Queensland town 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; city rules don't apply in the country. When Sandra and her best friend are found shot dead, Dana is drawn into an investigation that forces her to look deep in the town and herself. As buried secrets, bitter tensions and corruption come to light, how far will locals go to stop her uncovering the truth of what happened?
I really liked the way this story shone a spotlight on child protection work and the difficulties workers face in terms of their own emotional trauma while juggling such high caseload numbers. However there were some components in the storyline I just couldn't get on board with; one example being (how to word this without it being a spoiler...) is a certain side character gets involved helping Dana with her investigation which is just totally inappropriate and I couldn't swallow as believable. I will note that parts of the storyline were very familiar to me as I had coincidentally recently listened to a podcast about the true crime case of Julie-Anne Leahy and Vicki Arnold; on Googling I found that the author stated she was loosely inspired by this case but there is no mention/acknowledgement of this in the book which I think is a shame considering the many similar elements.
Overall: a solid crime fiction debut, I think many readers would enjoy this novel.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
Crows Nest by Nikki Mottram. (2023).
1996. Fleeing problems in her own marriage, child protection worker Dana leaves Sydney for job in Queensland town 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; city rules don't apply in the country. When Sandra and her best friend are found shot dead, Dana is drawn into an investigation that forces her to look deep in the town and herself. As buried secrets, bitter tensions and corruption come to light, how far will locals go to stop her uncovering the truth of what happened?
I really liked the way this story shone a spotlight on child protection work and the difficulties workers face in terms of their own emotional trauma while juggling such high caseload numbers. However there were some components in the storyline I just couldn't get on board with; one example being (how to word this without it being a spoiler...) is a certain side character gets involved helping Dana with her investigation which is just totally inappropriate and I couldn't swallow as believable. I will note that parts of the storyline were very familiar to me as I had coincidentally recently listened to a podcast about the true crime case of Julie-Anne Leahy and Vicki Arnold; on Googling I found that the author stated she was loosely inspired by this case but there is no mention/acknowledgement of this in the book which I think is a shame considering the many similar elements.
Overall: a solid crime fiction debut, I think many readers would enjoy this novel.
February 26, 2023
- thanks to @dmcprmedia for my #gifted copy
I was interested in reading Mottram’s debut mostly because I worked at a foster care organisation in Sydney for almost two years. I heard, saw, and read things I will never forget in my life, so I was super keen on this novel because Mottram is a caseworker herself, just like her protagonist.
To say that I was disappointed by this book is an understatement. Sometimes we like books, sometimes we do not, yet my experience with Crows Nest went beyond close reading and forming a mere opinion. I felt genuinely hurt by the way casework is represented in this story.
Dana Gibson —the protagonist— has a terrible work ethic. Behind the excuse of ‘caring too much’ for the people in her cases she gets away with breaking every single rule that is —mostly— put in place for the safety of young people. Not only that, but she also puts a vulnerable eleven years-old kid in unsafe and inappropriate situations, willingly and knowingly. On another occasion, Dana tells a grieving teenager in desperate need of support: “Maybe next time try not to shack up with the local drug dealer’s friend?” (p. 161). How is that for a supportive and caring caseworker?
From beginning to end, I was in a continuous, never-ending state of vicarious embarrassment thanks to Dana. Apart from her terrible capacity to care for others, there is nothing more to her. There is a recurring storyline about Dana’s personal loss that I believe was intended to provoke sympathy, but that ultimately did not work. Brief mentions without deep exploration of pain and grief were not enough for empathy.
I also struggled greatly with sentence structure but most importantly with the dialogues, which were dry, flat and utterly unrealistic. I believe Mottram got stuck in using dialogue to move the plot forward, which ended up being the only way the characters ‘discovered’ something. For example, two full conversations with two different characters take place in the span of a single page. For real.
Overall, Crows Nest was not my cup of tea as I did not appreciate the portrayal of casework. I would not recommend this novel.
I was interested in reading Mottram’s debut mostly because I worked at a foster care organisation in Sydney for almost two years. I heard, saw, and read things I will never forget in my life, so I was super keen on this novel because Mottram is a caseworker herself, just like her protagonist.
To say that I was disappointed by this book is an understatement. Sometimes we like books, sometimes we do not, yet my experience with Crows Nest went beyond close reading and forming a mere opinion. I felt genuinely hurt by the way casework is represented in this story.
Dana Gibson —the protagonist— has a terrible work ethic. Behind the excuse of ‘caring too much’ for the people in her cases she gets away with breaking every single rule that is —mostly— put in place for the safety of young people. Not only that, but she also puts a vulnerable eleven years-old kid in unsafe and inappropriate situations, willingly and knowingly. On another occasion, Dana tells a grieving teenager in desperate need of support: “Maybe next time try not to shack up with the local drug dealer’s friend?” (p. 161). How is that for a supportive and caring caseworker?
From beginning to end, I was in a continuous, never-ending state of vicarious embarrassment thanks to Dana. Apart from her terrible capacity to care for others, there is nothing more to her. There is a recurring storyline about Dana’s personal loss that I believe was intended to provoke sympathy, but that ultimately did not work. Brief mentions without deep exploration of pain and grief were not enough for empathy.
I also struggled greatly with sentence structure but most importantly with the dialogues, which were dry, flat and utterly unrealistic. I believe Mottram got stuck in using dialogue to move the plot forward, which ended up being the only way the characters ‘discovered’ something. For example, two full conversations with two different characters take place in the span of a single page. For real.
Overall, Crows Nest was not my cup of tea as I did not appreciate the portrayal of casework. I would not recommend this novel.
March 5, 2023
I was hoping to like this book much more than I have.
I felt the story was very contrived, very implausible.
It was hard to like Dana at all - she was undisciplined, unreliable, did not take criticism at all and did things that I don't think any case worker for children would ever do. I did not understand the relationship between her and Angus - it was weird.
I felt the story was very contrived, very implausible.
It was hard to like Dana at all - she was undisciplined, unreliable, did not take criticism at all and did things that I don't think any case worker for children would ever do. I did not understand the relationship between her and Angus - it was weird.
June 3, 2023
Crow’s Nest by Aussie author Nikki Mottram is the first book in the Dana Gibson series. Not only is this a great start to the series, but it’s also a wonderful debut novel.
Suspense, crime, mystery and buried secrets all of which are set in rural Australia and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Suspense, crime, mystery and buried secrets all of which are set in rural Australia and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
February 11, 2023
Dana Gibson is a pathologically hypocritical, emotionally unstable, highly unethical child protection worker.
Having recently suffered a devastating trauma, and following some time off work, she returns to casework on a temporary contract that takes her from her home (and tenuous marriage) in Sydney to the rural city, Toowoomba.
Her interest on her first assigned case deepens after the mother of the children is murdered, along with her best friend, in suspicious circumstances the local police force seem both unwilling and unable to investigate. When the case is closed as a murder-suicide, Dana refuses to accept what she has determined is a miscarriage of justice and begins an investigation of her own.
The setting descriptions were *chef's kiss*. I felt transported to the Queensland rural city, and felt the season turn to winter and the temperature drop. I loved everything about the setting.
Unfortunately, Dana was also there.
Dana is a child welfare worker who looks down her nose at rural procedures as unacceptably inferior to her city office, while repeatedly crossing professional lines that no welfare worker should with the kids in her care. It may not have been so awful spending time with her (she does have a genuinely sympathetic recent trauma, and a highly traumatic job, after all) if the people she victimised were not leagues of vulnerability and worlds of traumatised beyond her. But they were.
Although able to point fault in a foster carer’s care (it’s not enough just to meet their physical needs, you need to support them emotionally), she does the same (and worse) with a young boy, Angus, who visits often. She’ll cook him pasta and set him in front of the TV, and keep him hanging around, but she has 0 emotional support while also involving a boy with buckets of family trauma (mother incapable of caring for him, long history of running from care homes to return to her abuse and neglect) in her goddammed murder investigation!
Not above gaslighting, either. When Angus responds appropriately to her chastising him, she hits him with a ‘no need to look like that’ (c’mon. Seriously? What about, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get angry. I was just embarrassed.” YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN THIS DANA DO BETTER.) I think she makes him pasta, though, so it’s all fine. When the novel wraps up with her declaring she is sticking around to be in Angus’ life, it felt like a tragedy ending. Absolutely nothing to celebrate.
She repeatedly lays hands (including aggressively) on a young girl who has literally just disclosed grooming and r*pe.
She takes two teenage girls to a gun range she believes an armed murderer to be.
I would not want her near any kids until she has some pretty thorough therapy and ethics training. Despite having a sympathetic story, I found her a pretty intolerable person to follow for a novel due to her behaviour, especially with vulnerable kids, and the absence of personal growth.
As far as the mystery aspect goes, I did guess the murderer quite early on, but one of the red herrings had caused me to question and doubt myself enough that I had to see the herring filleted before I ruled it out. I had somewhat anticlimactic response to a few points that were built up only to fizzle out, which was disappointing.
The dialogue left everything to be desired. Everybody speaks the same, despite the cast crossing many socioeconomic and education 'boundaries', and they all speak with complete and unreserved transparency. Not at all believable, and would have loved to see dialogue used to deepen character, raise questions/doubts, rather than communicate exposition.
1 Star | Really disappointed it passed through so many checkpoints to publication as-is
Having recently suffered a devastating trauma, and following some time off work, she returns to casework on a temporary contract that takes her from her home (and tenuous marriage) in Sydney to the rural city, Toowoomba.
Her interest on her first assigned case deepens after the mother of the children is murdered, along with her best friend, in suspicious circumstances the local police force seem both unwilling and unable to investigate. When the case is closed as a murder-suicide, Dana refuses to accept what she has determined is a miscarriage of justice and begins an investigation of her own.
The setting descriptions were *chef's kiss*. I felt transported to the Queensland rural city, and felt the season turn to winter and the temperature drop. I loved everything about the setting.
Unfortunately, Dana was also there.
Dana is a child welfare worker who looks down her nose at rural procedures as unacceptably inferior to her city office, while repeatedly crossing professional lines that no welfare worker should with the kids in her care. It may not have been so awful spending time with her (she does have a genuinely sympathetic recent trauma, and a highly traumatic job, after all) if the people she victimised were not leagues of vulnerability and worlds of traumatised beyond her. But they were.
Although able to point fault in a foster carer’s care (it’s not enough just to meet their physical needs, you need to support them emotionally), she does the same (and worse) with a young boy, Angus, who visits often. She’ll cook him pasta and set him in front of the TV, and keep him hanging around, but she has 0 emotional support while also involving a boy with buckets of family trauma (mother incapable of caring for him, long history of running from care homes to return to her abuse and neglect) in her goddammed murder investigation!
Not above gaslighting, either. When Angus responds appropriately to her chastising him, she hits him with a ‘no need to look like that’ (c’mon. Seriously? What about, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get angry. I was just embarrassed.” YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN THIS DANA DO BETTER.) I think she makes him pasta, though, so it’s all fine. When the novel wraps up with her declaring she is sticking around to be in Angus’ life, it felt like a tragedy ending. Absolutely nothing to celebrate.
She repeatedly lays hands (including aggressively) on a young girl who has literally just disclosed grooming and r*pe.
She takes two teenage girls to a gun range she believes an armed murderer to be.
I would not want her near any kids until she has some pretty thorough therapy and ethics training. Despite having a sympathetic story, I found her a pretty intolerable person to follow for a novel due to her behaviour, especially with vulnerable kids, and the absence of personal growth.
As far as the mystery aspect goes, I did guess the murderer quite early on, but one of the red herrings had caused me to question and doubt myself enough that I had to see the herring filleted before I ruled it out. I had somewhat anticlimactic response to a few points that were built up only to fizzle out, which was disappointing.
The dialogue left everything to be desired. Everybody speaks the same, despite the cast crossing many socioeconomic and education 'boundaries', and they all speak with complete and unreserved transparency. Not at all believable, and would have loved to see dialogue used to deepen character, raise questions/doubts, rather than communicate exposition.
1 Star | Really disappointed it passed through so many checkpoints to publication as-is
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2023
Thank you UQP Books for sending us a copy to read and review.
Rural crime suspense is becoming quite a favourite for me.
Small towns with big secrets are just fabulous.
Child abuse is sadly everywhere and Crows Nest is no exception.
Dana is Child Protection Officer and moves to QLD from Sydney to escape issues within her personal life.
Traumas that will haunt her.
A case of possible child neglect will embroil Dana into a much bigger case where her instincts on abusers and her sleuthing skills coincide.
Two women she interviewed are found dead.
She ruffles feathers, interviews people with knowledge and finds journals that reveal details she can work with.
For the welfare of the children she must act.
This was a raw and gripping mystery, possibly a few a triggering moments.
I found it refreshing that a non police person was so invested in the case and proved to be good at detective work.
Her role giving her such insights into types of parents and her community duty at the forefront.
I must admit I didn’t guess the outcome so was pleased when Dana did.
Rural crime suspense is becoming quite a favourite for me.
Small towns with big secrets are just fabulous.
Child abuse is sadly everywhere and Crows Nest is no exception.
Dana is Child Protection Officer and moves to QLD from Sydney to escape issues within her personal life.
Traumas that will haunt her.
A case of possible child neglect will embroil Dana into a much bigger case where her instincts on abusers and her sleuthing skills coincide.
Two women she interviewed are found dead.
She ruffles feathers, interviews people with knowledge and finds journals that reveal details she can work with.
For the welfare of the children she must act.
This was a raw and gripping mystery, possibly a few a triggering moments.
I found it refreshing that a non police person was so invested in the case and proved to be good at detective work.
Her role giving her such insights into types of parents and her community duty at the forefront.
I must admit I didn’t guess the outcome so was pleased when Dana did.
February 3, 2023
A murder mystery in a small Australian town. I was quite hooked and engaged with the storyline from the first page. In saying that, I felt as if some of the writing style was a bit repetitive. I also didn’t feel as if the red herrings were strong enough to make me turn the other way, it was a bit predictable who the killer was and their motive. I would’ve loved to be taken on more of a goose chase with more depth as some sections weren’t fully explored.
March 9, 2023
Not quite what l I was hoping for!
Dana travels to Toowoomba to try her hand at on site case work again as she leaves behind a rocky relationship. Dana's first job is with the Kirby family and their long encounter with child services. Not long into the story Sandra Kirby and her best friend are found shot dead. Dana finds herself caught up in the investigation, trying to figure out what the police couldn't.
I found Dana the main character to be quite irritating. She was dull and full of attitude. Although she wanted closure on the murders and child protection aspect she was disrespectful of the town and those living there. Dana did what Dana wanted and very inappropriately got the young boy next door involved.
Saving the book was the actual murder mystery. I liked the idea behind the book, intrigued by a case worker main character. I highly doubt however that any case worker would behave in such a way as Dana did.
I found some aspects of the story to be left unfinished but was satisfied by who the murderer was.
Overall it fell short for me.
Dana travels to Toowoomba to try her hand at on site case work again as she leaves behind a rocky relationship. Dana's first job is with the Kirby family and their long encounter with child services. Not long into the story Sandra Kirby and her best friend are found shot dead. Dana finds herself caught up in the investigation, trying to figure out what the police couldn't.
I found Dana the main character to be quite irritating. She was dull and full of attitude. Although she wanted closure on the murders and child protection aspect she was disrespectful of the town and those living there. Dana did what Dana wanted and very inappropriately got the young boy next door involved.
Saving the book was the actual murder mystery. I liked the idea behind the book, intrigued by a case worker main character. I highly doubt however that any case worker would behave in such a way as Dana did.
I found some aspects of the story to be left unfinished but was satisfied by who the murderer was.
Overall it fell short for me.
March 2, 2023
Great debut novel. Well paced and fleshed out. The time setting had me confused with everyone using mobile phones in the late 1990's, but that is the only bug-bear I have.
Lots of things happening along the way and the author managed to keep it all flowing. I certainly wouldn't want to be living in Crows Nest!!
I would read another book and would love to know more about Dana, Connor and Lachlan.
Lots of things happening along the way and the author managed to keep it all flowing. I certainly wouldn't want to be living in Crows Nest!!
I would read another book and would love to know more about Dana, Connor and Lachlan.
August 12, 2024
Recently separated, child protection worker Dana Gibson takes a job in Queensland. Her first house call is in the small town of Crows Nest where she's been sent to assess Sandra Kirby and her children.
The next day Sandra and her best friend Debbie are found shot dead. Dana is drawn into the investigation through her work with Sandra's children. Not only does the case stir up painful memories for Dana but solving a murder proves tricky in a small town where all the locals stick together.
I liked this book but I didn't love it. While there wasn't anything particularly wrong with the storyline, it just didn't wow me. I think this book was also hindered by the fact that I didn't like the audiobook narrator's voice at all 🙈 I was however invested enough to listen until the end to find out what happened.
I am keen to read Nikki's next book Killarney, I'll make sure to read a copy rather than listen this time!
The next day Sandra and her best friend Debbie are found shot dead. Dana is drawn into the investigation through her work with Sandra's children. Not only does the case stir up painful memories for Dana but solving a murder proves tricky in a small town where all the locals stick together.
I liked this book but I didn't love it. While there wasn't anything particularly wrong with the storyline, it just didn't wow me. I think this book was also hindered by the fact that I didn't like the audiobook narrator's voice at all 🙈 I was however invested enough to listen until the end to find out what happened.
I am keen to read Nikki's next book Killarney, I'll make sure to read a copy rather than listen this time!
July 25, 2023
Crows Nest by Nikki Mottram is the first story featuring unethical social worker, Dana Gibson. Dana has fled Sydney in search of herself. This search brings her to Toowoomba, and the little town of Crows Nest. Dana lacks empathy, charisma, and a moral compass. Her decisions are questionable, and the relationship she forms with a ten year old boy feels gross. Add to this the apparent ease of access the characters have to cell phone technology, in 1996, is inaccurate.
The book is riddled with errors that should have been seen by the author and editor(s). There is simply no excuse for the prolific number of mistakes. The writing style is naive and bland and the story, overall is quote boring.
Crows Nest is one of the least impressive books I've read in 2023, and I won't be picking up the next book from Mottram.
The book is riddled with errors that should have been seen by the author and editor(s). There is simply no excuse for the prolific number of mistakes. The writing style is naive and bland and the story, overall is quote boring.
Crows Nest is one of the least impressive books I've read in 2023, and I won't be picking up the next book from Mottram.
October 9, 2023
As a child protection worker myself I found the story very far fetched and to be a very negative representation of families and individuals involved with children’s services. Dana just seemed like she was trying to assert her dominance and intelligence throughout the book in a super negative way and it just really didn’t read well. I feel like the story came to such an abrupt end there was no reward for finishing the book
August 28, 2023
If you’re looking for a mystery with some solid Australian characters, grab a copy of ‘Crows Nest’ by Nikki Mottram. Dana Gibson flees Sydney for a job in Queensland town. Immediately upon arrival after a very sketchy start, she is thrust into her first assessment where she puts local police and her boss offside, which is quite comical. of Toowoomba. Her first house call turs into the scene for two murdered women in a small town called Cros Nest where lots of secrets remain unspoken, and the newcomer in Dana possibly getting in way over her head.
You get a feel of the life Nikki has lived in Toowoomba in Queensland throughout this book. It is that realness that creates such an interesting story, especially how awful it is when children slip through the cracks on an overburdened community services system. Foster care, the work of welfare agencies and the conflicting relationship between police and social workers is quite apparent in Crows Nest. This is quite a unique perspective, as many books with similar plot lines are more from the point of view of police officers than child protection and social welfare.
Dana seemed devoid of emotion, and I think the loss of her own son and marriage on the rocks may have contributed to the steel edged apathy she had, and the drive to find one outcome among the many others that slip buy in her line of work. Many conversations seemed tired, almost rehearsed or delivered from a template; a sign of the welfare system in chaos? I didn’t have a lot of empathy for Dana, and I think that was part of setting up the anguish around the type of work she was in, the characteristics of the small town and the push to not uncover the truth.
You get a feel of the life Nikki has lived in Toowoomba in Queensland throughout this book. It is that realness that creates such an interesting story, especially how awful it is when children slip through the cracks on an overburdened community services system. Foster care, the work of welfare agencies and the conflicting relationship between police and social workers is quite apparent in Crows Nest. This is quite a unique perspective, as many books with similar plot lines are more from the point of view of police officers than child protection and social welfare.
Dana seemed devoid of emotion, and I think the loss of her own son and marriage on the rocks may have contributed to the steel edged apathy she had, and the drive to find one outcome among the many others that slip buy in her line of work. Many conversations seemed tired, almost rehearsed or delivered from a template; a sign of the welfare system in chaos? I didn’t have a lot of empathy for Dana, and I think that was part of setting up the anguish around the type of work she was in, the characteristics of the small town and the push to not uncover the truth.
January 7, 2024
An easy enough read, but there's definitely better Australian crime fiction out there. I didn't feel much of a connection to the main characters as they mostly felt two dimensional. The main character Dana's decision to include children in her investigation was illogical given she is a social worker and should absolutely know better (A personal gripe of mine is when people do completely illogical things for no discernible reason other than to further a plot). I liked the descriptions of the town and could picture the scenes... unfortunately aspects of the character and plot development let it down. However, it was easily readable in a few hours and enjoyable enough to pass the time of you don't think too deeply about it! Probably closer to 2.5 stars.
February 27, 2023
An average Aussie crime drama. The writing felt disjointed and not overly fond of the protagonist. Do rate a dramatic ending though.
November 2, 2023
I enjoyed reading this book, which was in the NZMCA Taurangi library, during our stay in the small town.
While reading this book I didn't know it was based on an actual murder-suicide case.
There's nothing in this book to state this... Which I find rather unsettling that neither the author or publisher acknowledges this, considering these poor women haven't had justice and probably won't now due to most of the police and suspects being dead.
With this in mind I'm going to rate this at a 3 star as the plot isn't the authors idea as I'd first thought. If this hadn't been a book based on an actual murder-suicide then I'd have given more as I although I did think Sandra's (victim 1) husband Paul had to have something to do with it, there were a lot of other suspects that could easily have been involved.
My favourite character was Angus and I suspect that he must have been based on a person the author knew as he was the most fleshed out character.
Sandra and Debbie, even Dana or the other characters were identified and discussed in the book, but I'm not sure if it was just because he was a kid or not but he had more feeling written into him.
Dana has lost a child, and although it is identified and discussed in the book, I didn't feel the pain and turmoil you'd expect in a character.
I've lived in rural Australia (ie not a major city) and the assumption that the family protection service knew everyone is a bit of a stretch. There'll be those families that will have been there for generations, but there's a whole lot of movement in towns in Australia through jobs or lack thereof.
I did enjoy this book and have read it quickly, but I think if there's been a bit more research and development of the characters and situation, it would have been a 5 Star.
While reading this book I didn't know it was based on an actual murder-suicide case.
There's nothing in this book to state this... Which I find rather unsettling that neither the author or publisher acknowledges this, considering these poor women haven't had justice and probably won't now due to most of the police and suspects being dead.
With this in mind I'm going to rate this at a 3 star as the plot isn't the authors idea as I'd first thought. If this hadn't been a book based on an actual murder-suicide then I'd have given more as I although I did think Sandra's (victim 1) husband Paul had to have something to do with it, there were a lot of other suspects that could easily have been involved.
My favourite character was Angus and I suspect that he must have been based on a person the author knew as he was the most fleshed out character.
Sandra and Debbie, even Dana or the other characters were identified and discussed in the book, but I'm not sure if it was just because he was a kid or not but he had more feeling written into him.
Dana has lost a child, and although it is identified and discussed in the book, I didn't feel the pain and turmoil you'd expect in a character.
I've lived in rural Australia (ie not a major city) and the assumption that the family protection service knew everyone is a bit of a stretch. There'll be those families that will have been there for generations, but there's a whole lot of movement in towns in Australia through jobs or lack thereof.
I did enjoy this book and have read it quickly, but I think if there's been a bit more research and development of the characters and situation, it would have been a 5 Star.
February 11, 2023
If you love the murder mysteries of Jane Harper and Chris Hammer, then Nikki Mottram’s debut novel ‘Crows Nest’ is well worth reading.
Seeking to escape her own grief and failing marriage after the loss of their child, child protection officer Dana Gibson leaves her home in Sydney to take a contract in Toowoomba on the Darling Downs. She enters an understaffed workplace overburdened by an unsustainable workload and dynamics she has not previously encountered. Completely different to her professional life in the city, small town politics and people knowing everyone else’s business catch her unawares. She inadvertently steps on toes and gets personally involved with a workmate, none of which helps as she tries to close her first case in the small town of Crows Nest, 45 minutes’ drive from her office.
Crows Nest, the setting for this novel, almost becomes a character in itself, as setting does in many Australian ‘outback noir’ stories. Driving down the main street of Crows Nest (as I have), it looks like any other Queensland country town, old shops lined up along a central street facing out to angle parking. Its distinguishing feature is its central park with the statue of Jimmy Crow taking pride of place, the only town in Australia named after a local aborigine.
However, the ‘sameness’ is soon replaced by an unsettling foreboding that Dana experiences when she visits Crows Nest to assess the children of Sandra Kirby. Her unease is justified a couple of days later when Sandra and her best friend are found shot dead in their car on a lonely bush track. Dana’s experience in child protection and her keen knack of sniffing out the truth see her form unusual allies but also set her on a collision course with corrupt, inept police as she seeks to uncover the truth about Sandra’s murder.
The sense of intrigue and mystery is sustained throughout the novel. Most of the side characters are interesting, and that’s a strength in Mottram’s writing. The charming character of her work colleague Lachlan provides great balance to other less savoury male characters in the story. Beneath Lachlan’s laid-back seemingly carefree persona lies warmth and kindly attention.
Crows Nest was a gripping, atmospheric read, especially as it is a debut novel. I loved seeing a child protection officer so invested in her case. Though at times Dana’s professional judgment is flawed and at times cringe-worthy, it makes her even more real. There are times in the story when we must suspend disbelief, for example that 10-year-old Angus is allowed to take part in a murder investigation. I also felt that I missed a couple of cues for change of location, but this may have been due to my attention being focussed elsewhere.
The plot moved at an engaging pace, never waning in interest until the final page. If the ending seemed a little too predictable, perhaps it’s because the scenario is all too familiar in everyday life. If anything, the ending was not too neat, leaving some questions unanswered.
Thanks to UQP for a gifted copy of this novel. I look forward to reading ‘Killarney’, set in another SE Queensland town.
Seeking to escape her own grief and failing marriage after the loss of their child, child protection officer Dana Gibson leaves her home in Sydney to take a contract in Toowoomba on the Darling Downs. She enters an understaffed workplace overburdened by an unsustainable workload and dynamics she has not previously encountered. Completely different to her professional life in the city, small town politics and people knowing everyone else’s business catch her unawares. She inadvertently steps on toes and gets personally involved with a workmate, none of which helps as she tries to close her first case in the small town of Crows Nest, 45 minutes’ drive from her office.
Crows Nest, the setting for this novel, almost becomes a character in itself, as setting does in many Australian ‘outback noir’ stories. Driving down the main street of Crows Nest (as I have), it looks like any other Queensland country town, old shops lined up along a central street facing out to angle parking. Its distinguishing feature is its central park with the statue of Jimmy Crow taking pride of place, the only town in Australia named after a local aborigine.
However, the ‘sameness’ is soon replaced by an unsettling foreboding that Dana experiences when she visits Crows Nest to assess the children of Sandra Kirby. Her unease is justified a couple of days later when Sandra and her best friend are found shot dead in their car on a lonely bush track. Dana’s experience in child protection and her keen knack of sniffing out the truth see her form unusual allies but also set her on a collision course with corrupt, inept police as she seeks to uncover the truth about Sandra’s murder.
The sense of intrigue and mystery is sustained throughout the novel. Most of the side characters are interesting, and that’s a strength in Mottram’s writing. The charming character of her work colleague Lachlan provides great balance to other less savoury male characters in the story. Beneath Lachlan’s laid-back seemingly carefree persona lies warmth and kindly attention.
Crows Nest was a gripping, atmospheric read, especially as it is a debut novel. I loved seeing a child protection officer so invested in her case. Though at times Dana’s professional judgment is flawed and at times cringe-worthy, it makes her even more real. There are times in the story when we must suspend disbelief, for example that 10-year-old Angus is allowed to take part in a murder investigation. I also felt that I missed a couple of cues for change of location, but this may have been due to my attention being focussed elsewhere.
The plot moved at an engaging pace, never waning in interest until the final page. If the ending seemed a little too predictable, perhaps it’s because the scenario is all too familiar in everyday life. If anything, the ending was not too neat, leaving some questions unanswered.
Thanks to UQP for a gifted copy of this novel. I look forward to reading ‘Killarney’, set in another SE Queensland town.
February 8, 2023
It's been a little while since I've read a crime fiction and this book has left me wanting to add more to my tbr!
This is a debut book by Nikki Mottram and I was absorbed into the story straight away, not a boring moment anywhere.
This initially called to me as the author has a background in child protection and the main character in the story is a child protection worker.
The story follows Dana (who has her own personal traumas) who has left Sydney on a placement to Toowoomba. Here she is placed on a case that gets very complicated very quickly. She becomes almost obsessed with the case and it leaves you wondering whether it is her own trauma that is not allowing her to let go, or her gut instincts that there is more to this small town case.
I enjoyed this Aussie crime fiction immensely - and would definitely recommend it to any of my crime fiction readers out there.
This is a debut book by Nikki Mottram and I was absorbed into the story straight away, not a boring moment anywhere.
This initially called to me as the author has a background in child protection and the main character in the story is a child protection worker.
The story follows Dana (who has her own personal traumas) who has left Sydney on a placement to Toowoomba. Here she is placed on a case that gets very complicated very quickly. She becomes almost obsessed with the case and it leaves you wondering whether it is her own trauma that is not allowing her to let go, or her gut instincts that there is more to this small town case.
I enjoyed this Aussie crime fiction immensely - and would definitely recommend it to any of my crime fiction readers out there.
February 15, 2023
I’d prefer to give this one 4.5 stars if I could.
As the name suggests, this book is set in Crows Nest, a regional town just north of Toowoomba in Queenslands Darling Downs - however I didn’t expect it to be set in Crows Nest in 1996. I was living in Crows Nest at the time, though I was only 3. The details of the towns were spot on, even providing some insights which I haven’t thought of in my time in the area.
As the case it loosely based on a real crimes, albeit an unsolved one, I’d made an early assumption of the killer which was proved correct. Though there was a moment at the end where I thought one of my other suspects might have been the killer.
Overall a very enjoyable read which provided me another perspective into the area which I’ve spent most of my life in.
I’m looking forward to book two already.
As the name suggests, this book is set in Crows Nest, a regional town just north of Toowoomba in Queenslands Darling Downs - however I didn’t expect it to be set in Crows Nest in 1996. I was living in Crows Nest at the time, though I was only 3. The details of the towns were spot on, even providing some insights which I haven’t thought of in my time in the area.
As the case it loosely based on a real crimes, albeit an unsolved one, I’d made an early assumption of the killer which was proved correct. Though there was a moment at the end where I thought one of my other suspects might have been the killer.
Overall a very enjoyable read which provided me another perspective into the area which I’ve spent most of my life in.
I’m looking forward to book two already.
May 19, 2026
Recommendation from mum, not for me lol, speed read this one just to get through it, probably should have just DNFed.
Set in Toowoomba and it’s a bit too familiar, I like reading fantasy because it’s a different world, don’t know if I want to ‘escape’ and read about Toowoomba lol. The main character lives in a house one street over from where I used to live, and works in the mall where I had my first design project
Writing was incredibly mid, author hasn’t heard of ‘show don’t tell’ before, information was spoon fed to the reader. Also a bit far fetched for an 11 year old to be helping to solve a double murder case, and why is a social worker doing police investigative work??
Set in Toowoomba and it’s a bit too familiar, I like reading fantasy because it’s a different world, don’t know if I want to ‘escape’ and read about Toowoomba lol. The main character lives in a house one street over from where I used to live, and works in the mall where I had my first design project
Writing was incredibly mid, author hasn’t heard of ‘show don’t tell’ before, information was spoon fed to the reader. Also a bit far fetched for an 11 year old to be helping to solve a double murder case, and why is a social worker doing police investigative work??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2024
Great to read a book based in a small town in Queensland. This story starts with a traffic accident and a bumpy start to a new job for Dana in the city of Toowoomba. She has suffered the tragedy of losing her baby son and has decided to offer her vast social work expertise to the struggling department of family affairs in rural Darling Downs.
This is an exciting who done it novel well worth the read.
Carinya
This is an exciting who done it novel well worth the read.
Carinya
March 22, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
The story is set in Toowoomba, Queensland and is centred around Dana, who works as a child protection worker.
My eyes were opened to the sad situations many families are in.
In this story, 2 women are found shot dead and the police close it off saying it was a murder/suicide.
Dana is not convinced.
The story deals with her own investigation and is quite spellbinding.
The story is set in Toowoomba, Queensland and is centred around Dana, who works as a child protection worker.
My eyes were opened to the sad situations many families are in.
In this story, 2 women are found shot dead and the police close it off saying it was a murder/suicide.
Dana is not convinced.
The story deals with her own investigation and is quite spellbinding.
July 22, 2023
Being an ex CSO myself, I find that usually child protection workers are portrayed as soulless witches in fiction and it irks me to no end. Because the author has worked in child protection herself, the technical accuracy, terminology and realistic depiction of the job were all a breath of fresh air and very much welcomed by me.
That said, some aspects were a little fanciful at times - such as Dana enlisting the help of her 11 year old neighbour to help her solve a crime.
Apart from that, the description and feel for the Toowoomba and Crows Nest areas were fantastic, and I enjoyed the pace of the storytelling very much.
That said, some aspects were a little fanciful at times - such as Dana enlisting the help of her 11 year old neighbour to help her solve a crime.
Apart from that, the description and feel for the Toowoomba and Crows Nest areas were fantastic, and I enjoyed the pace of the storytelling very much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2023
The setting for this debut novel is 1996 Crows Nest, a small town in rural Queensland. Family protection officer, Dana Gibson, has just moved to nearby Toowoomba when two women are discovered shot dead in a car. The police investigation is inadequate to say the least and it is left to Dana to unravel the detail of this crime.
April 21, 2024
Wow what an easy read. Hard to put down. I was excited to read from another Australian author and not disappointed at all!
This was page turning from start to finish. I loved the tenacity of the main character and the strong plot.
Awesome read
This was page turning from start to finish. I loved the tenacity of the main character and the strong plot.
Awesome read
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