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Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti #3
Broken Bay
Old loyalties and decades-long feuds rise to the surface in this stunning crime novel, set in a spectacular Australian landscape known for its jagged cliffs and hidden caves.
Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti has taken a few days’ holiday in Broken Bay at precisely the wrong time. The small fishing town on South Australia’s Limestone Coast is now the scene of a terrible tragedy.
Renowned cave diver Mya Rennik has drowned while exploring a sinkhole on the land of wealthy farmer Frank Doyle. As the press descends, Mark’s boss orders him to stay put and assist the police operation.
But when they retrieve Mya's body, a whole new mystery is opened up, around the disappearance of a young local woman twenty years before . . .
Suddenly Mark is diving deep into the town’s history - and in particular the simmering rivalry between its two most prominent families, the Doyles and Sinclairs.
Then a murder takes place at the Sinclairs’ old home – and Mark is left wondering which is more Broken Bay’s hidden subterranean world or the secretive town above it . . .
'A tour de force.' A ustralian Women's Weekly on Cutters End
'Astonishingly assured crime novel. A pitch perfect outback noir.' Weekend Australian on Cutters End
'Hickey nicely layers the intrigue as we follow the always likeable Ariti, who once again discovers just how secretive and bizarre life in the rural hinterland can be.' Sydney Morning Herald on Stone Town
Cutters End was the winner of the BAD Danger Prize 2022 and was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction 2022.
Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti has taken a few days’ holiday in Broken Bay at precisely the wrong time. The small fishing town on South Australia’s Limestone Coast is now the scene of a terrible tragedy.
Renowned cave diver Mya Rennik has drowned while exploring a sinkhole on the land of wealthy farmer Frank Doyle. As the press descends, Mark’s boss orders him to stay put and assist the police operation.
But when they retrieve Mya's body, a whole new mystery is opened up, around the disappearance of a young local woman twenty years before . . .
Suddenly Mark is diving deep into the town’s history - and in particular the simmering rivalry between its two most prominent families, the Doyles and Sinclairs.
Then a murder takes place at the Sinclairs’ old home – and Mark is left wondering which is more Broken Bay’s hidden subterranean world or the secretive town above it . . .
'A tour de force.' A ustralian Women's Weekly on Cutters End
'Astonishingly assured crime novel. A pitch perfect outback noir.' Weekend Australian on Cutters End
'Hickey nicely layers the intrigue as we follow the always likeable Ariti, who once again discovers just how secretive and bizarre life in the rural hinterland can be.' Sydney Morning Herald on Stone Town
Cutters End was the winner of the BAD Danger Prize 2022 and was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction 2022.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2023
95 people are currently reading
1205 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Hickey
14 books315 followersMargaret Hickey is an award-winning author and playwright from North East Victoria. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and is deeply interested in rural lives and communities. She is the author of Cutters End and Stone Town.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
September 30, 2024
DS Mark Ariti is taking a brief break at Broken Bay on South Australia’s Limestone Coast when he hears news of a nearby diving accident. An experienced cave diver exploring a sink hole has become trapped and drowned in the cave system underground. When a recovery team pulls up a long deceased body, Mark finds himself offering to assist the local police in investigating who it is and how they came to be there.
Mark soon finds himself immersed in small town secrets and intertwined relationships, particularly between two of the towns established families, the Doyles and the Sinclairs. Mark must unravel the events that occurred 20 years ago to discover what lead to the body of the unknown diver remaining hidden for all that time.
The case has a slow build up as Mark puts together the many small pieces of information he collects through his observations and talking to people in town. It’s complicated by the fact that the characters all grew up together and know each other well so Mark must tease out their backstories to get to the truth. I like the way the author drops in small, seemingly unimportant observations throughout the plot that will all add up later to form the bigger picture.
The descriptions of the sinkholes peppering the landscape and the beauty of the caves themselves all added to the atmosphere and the uniqueness of the plot (but did not make me ever want to go cave diving). When the Adelaide police arrive, Mark also has the chance to reconnect with some old friends from earlier books in the series. He also finds himself at a crossroads, contemplating whether he should follow his partner Rose when she takes up a new job overseas or instead break up with her so he can stay near his two boys. Overall this is engrossing and satisfying read with a good cold case mystery to solve.
Mark soon finds himself immersed in small town secrets and intertwined relationships, particularly between two of the towns established families, the Doyles and the Sinclairs. Mark must unravel the events that occurred 20 years ago to discover what lead to the body of the unknown diver remaining hidden for all that time.
The case has a slow build up as Mark puts together the many small pieces of information he collects through his observations and talking to people in town. It’s complicated by the fact that the characters all grew up together and know each other well so Mark must tease out their backstories to get to the truth. I like the way the author drops in small, seemingly unimportant observations throughout the plot that will all add up later to form the bigger picture.
The descriptions of the sinkholes peppering the landscape and the beauty of the caves themselves all added to the atmosphere and the uniqueness of the plot (but did not make me ever want to go cave diving). When the Adelaide police arrive, Mark also has the chance to reconnect with some old friends from earlier books in the series. He also finds himself at a crossroads, contemplating whether he should follow his partner Rose when she takes up a new job overseas or instead break up with her so he can stay near his two boys. Overall this is engrossing and satisfying read with a good cold case mystery to solve.
June 16, 2023
I could not get enough of Broken Bay. This Australian, rural crime book ticked all the boxes for me and more. It’s setting on the Limestone a coast in South Australia was so beautifully written and I felt like I was there. And how stunning is this cover 😊
DS Mark Arti is taking a few days off and away from all that is going wrong in his life. He is just about ready to go home when a famous caver diver drowns in a sinkhole in town. The rescue mission is intense, and opens up more questions than answers. He finds himself in the middle of a a 20 year old mystery that seems to involve the whole town. And then there is a murder…..
This is the 3rd book from Margaret Hickey and my favourite so far. The mystery, the scenery, the family dynamics all had me hooked and needing to know more. The detail in the cave diving side of things was excellent. I know very little about it and I was able to picture it all so clear in my mind. Didn’t make me want to go cave diving though.. how scary!!
A big thanks to Penguin Books Australia for my advanced copy of Broken Bay to read. Publishes on June 13th and is a must read.
DS Mark Arti is taking a few days off and away from all that is going wrong in his life. He is just about ready to go home when a famous caver diver drowns in a sinkhole in town. The rescue mission is intense, and opens up more questions than answers. He finds himself in the middle of a a 20 year old mystery that seems to involve the whole town. And then there is a murder…..
This is the 3rd book from Margaret Hickey and my favourite so far. The mystery, the scenery, the family dynamics all had me hooked and needing to know more. The detail in the cave diving side of things was excellent. I know very little about it and I was able to picture it all so clear in my mind. Didn’t make me want to go cave diving though.. how scary!!
A big thanks to Penguin Books Australia for my advanced copy of Broken Bay to read. Publishes on June 13th and is a must read.
August 28, 2023
Mark Ariti appears destined to solve old cold case mysteries. He unwound the difficult Cutter’s End case that took him back 30 years and now he’s faced with a case that again dredges up a mysterious disappearance from decades before. Broken Bay is the 3rd book in the series featuring the small town detective sergeant and once again presents a man who manages to overcome most of his minor flaws to lead a fascinating investigation.
Mark is on holiday in Broken Bay, South Australia. The main reason he’s in town is for a deep sea fishing trip, a gift from his sister who knows he has no sea legs. Back on dry land with his stomach just starting to calm down and he hears, along with the rest of the town, that a cave diver has become trapped, feared dead while exploring one of the underwater limestone caves in the local area. The problem lies in the logistics of bringing the body back to the surface.
The Limestone Coast, as it’s known, is a porous piece of the South Australian coast that has a habit of continuously crumbling and changing with sinkholes opening up at regular intervals. The result, apart from the obvious dangers, is that it has become a mecca for cave divers to visit and explore.
He’s in the area so Mark’s not particularly surprised when the call from headquarters comes asking him to stick around and oversee the body recovery task. More officers will be arriving to assist as well as professional divers to conduct the body recovery.
But when the body is brought back to the surface, it’s not the body of Mya that has been recovered. It’s another diver, and this one has been in the water far, far longer than a mere couple of days. This is a discovery that prompts quite a few questions and Mark is immediately thrust into the midst of a mystery that drives straight into the lives of 4 local families and what could turn out to be a dark history.
The cave diving aspect is a nice jumping off point to the story and provides an unusual area of interest to give the plot a point of difference. But there’s far more to get the teeth into with a convoluted family drama providing a more pressing focus of the attention.
I found Mark Ariti to be a little less likable this time around with quite a bit of bumbling around and proving to be less effective as an investigator. In fact, most of his progress came thanks to his more motivated colleagues, his girlfriend and, weirdly, an old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s.
This is yet another Australian police procedural set among some of the most picturesque pieces of landscape in the country. The surrounding area is admirably portrayed and creates a beautiful yet somewhat menacing backdrop to the drama being played out around it.
This is a mystery that’s slow to build, introducing a wide range of characters who are all somehow linked to one another. It requires some careful attention to be paid before the connections begin to be made and things start to make sense. By the end, my patience paid off and I was rewarded with a strongly constructed plot and a shocking ending.
Mark is on holiday in Broken Bay, South Australia. The main reason he’s in town is for a deep sea fishing trip, a gift from his sister who knows he has no sea legs. Back on dry land with his stomach just starting to calm down and he hears, along with the rest of the town, that a cave diver has become trapped, feared dead while exploring one of the underwater limestone caves in the local area. The problem lies in the logistics of bringing the body back to the surface.
The Limestone Coast, as it’s known, is a porous piece of the South Australian coast that has a habit of continuously crumbling and changing with sinkholes opening up at regular intervals. The result, apart from the obvious dangers, is that it has become a mecca for cave divers to visit and explore.
He’s in the area so Mark’s not particularly surprised when the call from headquarters comes asking him to stick around and oversee the body recovery task. More officers will be arriving to assist as well as professional divers to conduct the body recovery.
But when the body is brought back to the surface, it’s not the body of Mya that has been recovered. It’s another diver, and this one has been in the water far, far longer than a mere couple of days. This is a discovery that prompts quite a few questions and Mark is immediately thrust into the midst of a mystery that drives straight into the lives of 4 local families and what could turn out to be a dark history.
The cave diving aspect is a nice jumping off point to the story and provides an unusual area of interest to give the plot a point of difference. But there’s far more to get the teeth into with a convoluted family drama providing a more pressing focus of the attention.
I found Mark Ariti to be a little less likable this time around with quite a bit of bumbling around and proving to be less effective as an investigator. In fact, most of his progress came thanks to his more motivated colleagues, his girlfriend and, weirdly, an old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s.
This is yet another Australian police procedural set among some of the most picturesque pieces of landscape in the country. The surrounding area is admirably portrayed and creates a beautiful yet somewhat menacing backdrop to the drama being played out around it.
This is a mystery that’s slow to build, introducing a wide range of characters who are all somehow linked to one another. It requires some careful attention to be paid before the connections begin to be made and things start to make sense. By the end, my patience paid off and I was rewarded with a strongly constructed plot and a shocking ending.
August 6, 2023
An invisible thread, pulling you in, leading you below.
Wealthy landowner Frank Doyle has discovered a sinkhole (cenotes system) on his dairying property on the Limestone Coast of South Australia, and arranges for renowned cave diver Mya Rennik to explore it, with view of opening up opportunities for the dive tourism sector. When Mya takes a narrow side tunnel through to a wide chamber she discovers she is not the first to dive – nor die there.
While the operation to recover Mya’s body is underway, DS Mark Ariti, on leave in Broken Bay, receives a call from Asst. Commissioner Angelo Conti asking him to remain in the area a few extra days until a police contingent can be put in place. To everyone’s amazement, the first body retrieved is not that of Mya, but the remains of a local young woman missing for over twenty years.
Hats off to Australian author Margaret Hickey, for transporting the elements of a “Greek tragedy” – feuding families, jealousy, lies, obsession, infidelity and murder – to contemporary South Australia. DS Mark Ariti, though astute, is hardly hero material: chronically seasick, subject to injury, torn by his own family loyalties, finds he is up against some pretty sinister characters with heart-stopping moments before all is revealed, Agatha Christie style. Aside from the plot, the landscape above and flooded limestone formations beneath the surface form a character in itself.
Ariti is ably assisted by police from Adelaide, the story perfectly-pitched, with slow passages, and just enough characters not to confuse. The author also goes for short descriptive passages, reminiscent (to this reader) of South Australian-born author Garry Disher.
The ocean to Mark’s left was a brilliant blue. The town was drab in comparison, a sullen grandfather, attractive years past it, fleeting remnants of arrogance in the bluestone and stained glass windows.
Third in the series featuring Ariti (and my first) this works as a standalone but I will be seeking out the earlier works. Well recommended.
Wealthy landowner Frank Doyle has discovered a sinkhole (cenotes system) on his dairying property on the Limestone Coast of South Australia, and arranges for renowned cave diver Mya Rennik to explore it, with view of opening up opportunities for the dive tourism sector. When Mya takes a narrow side tunnel through to a wide chamber she discovers she is not the first to dive – nor die there.
While the operation to recover Mya’s body is underway, DS Mark Ariti, on leave in Broken Bay, receives a call from Asst. Commissioner Angelo Conti asking him to remain in the area a few extra days until a police contingent can be put in place. To everyone’s amazement, the first body retrieved is not that of Mya, but the remains of a local young woman missing for over twenty years.
Hats off to Australian author Margaret Hickey, for transporting the elements of a “Greek tragedy” – feuding families, jealousy, lies, obsession, infidelity and murder – to contemporary South Australia. DS Mark Ariti, though astute, is hardly hero material: chronically seasick, subject to injury, torn by his own family loyalties, finds he is up against some pretty sinister characters with heart-stopping moments before all is revealed, Agatha Christie style. Aside from the plot, the landscape above and flooded limestone formations beneath the surface form a character in itself.
Ariti is ably assisted by police from Adelaide, the story perfectly-pitched, with slow passages, and just enough characters not to confuse. The author also goes for short descriptive passages, reminiscent (to this reader) of South Australian-born author Garry Disher.
The ocean to Mark’s left was a brilliant blue. The town was drab in comparison, a sullen grandfather, attractive years past it, fleeting remnants of arrogance in the bluestone and stained glass windows.
Third in the series featuring Ariti (and my first) this works as a standalone but I will be seeking out the earlier works. Well recommended.
October 24, 2023
Broken Bay is a compelling new instalment in Margaret Hickey's series featuring South Australian Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti.
DS Ariti is on leave in the (fictional) Limestone Coast town of Broken Bay (somewhere in the vicinity of real-life Port Macdonnell), reluctantly taking part in an off-shore fishing trip gifted to him by his sister Prue. It's an area Ariti visited once with his father many years before, although his memories of this childhood "bonding" trip are somewhat hazy.
While Ariti is in town, a world-renowned cave diver is killed during an exploratory dive in a newly-discovered sinkhole situated on a farming property inland from Broken Bay. When a recovery mission is launched to find Mya Rennik's remains, a body is brought to the surface, but it's not Mya's - it seems an earlier diver was trapped in the cave sometime previously, but who is it, and how did they gain access to a cave that was thought inaccessible until the past few weeks?
DS Ariti is asked by his friend Assistant Commissioner Angelo Conti to remain on the scene and manage the early stages of the investigation until a specialist investigation team arrives from Adelaide. His unwelcome protracted stay in Broken Bay is further reinforced when the windscreen of his vehicle is deliberately smashed and he must rely on sparse local services for repair.
The investigation into the unidentified body in the cave draws Mark Ariti back into working with Detective Senior Sergeant Jane Southern, a woman with whom he had an affair while married and working in Adelaide. He's also pleased to discover that his former colleague Sergeant Jagdeep Kaur is part of the investigative team sent to Broken Bay, coinciding with a brutal second death, this one incontrovertibly a result of murder.
Meanwhile, Ariti is preoccupied by his looming separation from partner Rose, who is set upon taking a medical job in Tanzania, for which she departs in coming days. While Rose had hoped that Mark would uproot his life to join her, his connection to his sons and job in South Australia have proven a bridge too far.
The detectives' investigations uncover a tangled web of past associations, enmities and secrets amongst the local population, centred around the landed Doyle family - on whose land the sinkhole lies - and the lobster-fishing Sinclairs. Is the body in the sinkhole cave that of long-missing Broken Bay teenager Eloise Sinclair? And what really happened to her mother, Juliette, whose body was discovered at sea, a presumed suicide, when Eloise was only a baby? The geological character of the area provides for a fascinating backdrop, with vast underground caverns existing beneath the fragile surface. A frightening episode takes a reluctant Ariti underground in a sea cave, an experience that is visceral for the reader.
Broken Bay is an enthralling read, with a twisty and well-paced plot, related from the present-day perspective of DS Mark Ariti, but peppered with enlightening flashbacks from the point of view of other characters. Margaret Hickey sets a convincing small-town scene in fictional Broken Bay. Mark faces some challenges in dealing with the locals, a few of whom are welcoming and keen to help the investigation, while others are distinctly frosty or even combative. With several characters withholding information for reasons of their own, our suspicions shift over the course of the book. The conclusion comes as a shocking revelation, but a satisfying answer to the mystery.
Somewhat bizarrely, Broken Bay seems to be set in the same coastal town, and parts even in the same prominent two-storey home overlooking the town, as another book I read earlier this month, The Fancies by Kim Lock. I assume both authors have spent time on the Limestone Coast researching their novels, but I found it remarkable that several features are recognisable between one book and the other.
Broken Bay was a great read, which I'd highly recommend to any reader who enjoys rural and regional Australian crime fiction, with strong characterisations and intriguing settings. I look forward to future instalments in the series.
DS Ariti is on leave in the (fictional) Limestone Coast town of Broken Bay (somewhere in the vicinity of real-life Port Macdonnell), reluctantly taking part in an off-shore fishing trip gifted to him by his sister Prue. It's an area Ariti visited once with his father many years before, although his memories of this childhood "bonding" trip are somewhat hazy.
While Ariti is in town, a world-renowned cave diver is killed during an exploratory dive in a newly-discovered sinkhole situated on a farming property inland from Broken Bay. When a recovery mission is launched to find Mya Rennik's remains, a body is brought to the surface, but it's not Mya's - it seems an earlier diver was trapped in the cave sometime previously, but who is it, and how did they gain access to a cave that was thought inaccessible until the past few weeks?
DS Ariti is asked by his friend Assistant Commissioner Angelo Conti to remain on the scene and manage the early stages of the investigation until a specialist investigation team arrives from Adelaide. His unwelcome protracted stay in Broken Bay is further reinforced when the windscreen of his vehicle is deliberately smashed and he must rely on sparse local services for repair.
The investigation into the unidentified body in the cave draws Mark Ariti back into working with Detective Senior Sergeant Jane Southern, a woman with whom he had an affair while married and working in Adelaide. He's also pleased to discover that his former colleague Sergeant Jagdeep Kaur is part of the investigative team sent to Broken Bay, coinciding with a brutal second death, this one incontrovertibly a result of murder.
Meanwhile, Ariti is preoccupied by his looming separation from partner Rose, who is set upon taking a medical job in Tanzania, for which she departs in coming days. While Rose had hoped that Mark would uproot his life to join her, his connection to his sons and job in South Australia have proven a bridge too far.
The detectives' investigations uncover a tangled web of past associations, enmities and secrets amongst the local population, centred around the landed Doyle family - on whose land the sinkhole lies - and the lobster-fishing Sinclairs. Is the body in the sinkhole cave that of long-missing Broken Bay teenager Eloise Sinclair? And what really happened to her mother, Juliette, whose body was discovered at sea, a presumed suicide, when Eloise was only a baby? The geological character of the area provides for a fascinating backdrop, with vast underground caverns existing beneath the fragile surface. A frightening episode takes a reluctant Ariti underground in a sea cave, an experience that is visceral for the reader.
Broken Bay is an enthralling read, with a twisty and well-paced plot, related from the present-day perspective of DS Mark Ariti, but peppered with enlightening flashbacks from the point of view of other characters. Margaret Hickey sets a convincing small-town scene in fictional Broken Bay. Mark faces some challenges in dealing with the locals, a few of whom are welcoming and keen to help the investigation, while others are distinctly frosty or even combative. With several characters withholding information for reasons of their own, our suspicions shift over the course of the book. The conclusion comes as a shocking revelation, but a satisfying answer to the mystery.
Somewhat bizarrely, Broken Bay seems to be set in the same coastal town, and parts even in the same prominent two-storey home overlooking the town, as another book I read earlier this month, The Fancies by Kim Lock. I assume both authors have spent time on the Limestone Coast researching their novels, but I found it remarkable that several features are recognisable between one book and the other.
Broken Bay was a great read, which I'd highly recommend to any reader who enjoys rural and regional Australian crime fiction, with strong characterisations and intriguing settings. I look forward to future instalments in the series.
June 14, 2023
Thank you Penguin Australia for sending me a copy of this book for review.
This was a brilliantly written Australian crime book. I loved it. It was told by Detective Sergeant Mark's POV. He was the character I most connected with. With his eagles eyes , and attentive listening he was a great investigator. Because of the cover of this book you can picture the landscape. There is a cast of many in this book and its easy to keep track of. I loved being drip fed parts of the mystery right up until the very end. I loved the topic of genetics being discussed . There is a love triangle thrown in as well. So much information for Detective Mark to work his way through.
This was a brilliantly written Australian crime book. I loved it. It was told by Detective Sergeant Mark's POV. He was the character I most connected with. With his eagles eyes , and attentive listening he was a great investigator. Because of the cover of this book you can picture the landscape. There is a cast of many in this book and its easy to keep track of. I loved being drip fed parts of the mystery right up until the very end. I loved the topic of genetics being discussed . There is a love triangle thrown in as well. So much information for Detective Mark to work his way through.
June 20, 2023
Margaret Hickey takes her readers deep into the subterranean caves of South Australia in her latest Detective Mark Ariti novel.
I enjoyed this captivating story about the small town of Broken Bay and the Sinclair and Doyle families. The mystery of the disappearance of young Eloise Sinclair two decades earlier had me glued to the pages.
The ethereal descriptions of the sinkholes and their pull for the divers had me fascinated enough to google some images.
Broken Bay is a compelling police procedural where close-knit communities are examined and dark secrets uncovered.
Broken Bay is the third Mark Ariti novel however it reads well as a stand alone.
I enjoyed this captivating story about the small town of Broken Bay and the Sinclair and Doyle families. The mystery of the disappearance of young Eloise Sinclair two decades earlier had me glued to the pages.
The ethereal descriptions of the sinkholes and their pull for the divers had me fascinated enough to google some images.
Broken Bay is a compelling police procedural where close-knit communities are examined and dark secrets uncovered.
Broken Bay is the third Mark Ariti novel however it reads well as a stand alone.
February 28, 2025
DS Mark Ariti, is on a break at Broken Bay as he considers his future with Rose, the woman he loves. A doctor, she is heading off now overseas, but Mark cannot stand to leave his two sons who live with his ex-wife and their mother. So, he ponders what the future holds for his love life going long distance. While in Broken Bay he is called upon to investigate a nearby diving incident, where a diver became trapped in a sink hole on a property, an accident or murder? And could there be more than one murder?
This is book 3 in a series about DS Mark Ariti. I had not read the earlier 2 books in the series. Whether this impacted on my reading of this one I’m not sure.
While I found this book interesting in some respects, it is far from a compelling read. It tended to drag by about halfway through and it bogged down by too much detail for my liking, not only with past histories and personalities of inhabitants of the area but with sink holes. At times I even considered not reading any further as it was not holding my attention. Added to that I was not a huge fan of any of the main characters.
So just three stars from me. However, I have seen others have loved it so maybe give it a go. It might suit some readers better than others. It is set on the Limestone Coast of South Australia, so the setting is interesting. I love the cover on this book.
This is book 3 in a series about DS Mark Ariti. I had not read the earlier 2 books in the series. Whether this impacted on my reading of this one I’m not sure.
While I found this book interesting in some respects, it is far from a compelling read. It tended to drag by about halfway through and it bogged down by too much detail for my liking, not only with past histories and personalities of inhabitants of the area but with sink holes. At times I even considered not reading any further as it was not holding my attention. Added to that I was not a huge fan of any of the main characters.
So just three stars from me. However, I have seen others have loved it so maybe give it a go. It might suit some readers better than others. It is set on the Limestone Coast of South Australia, so the setting is interesting. I love the cover on this book.
October 12, 2025
While on a short holiday on the Limestone Coast of South Australia, DS Mark Ariti gets caught up in yet another baffling cold case investigation. A champion cave diver has got into difficulties while exploring a newly formed sinkhole, but when the authorities go down to retrieve her body, they initially come back with the wrong person. This diver, while fully and appropriately kitted out, has clearly been down there for a very long time. Locals believe it to be the body of a young woman who disappeared about 20 years earlier.
This was another fabulous, perplexing mystery from Margaret Hickey. Familiar supporting characters reappear and Mark has some personal growth along the way. I really hope this series continues.
This was another fabulous, perplexing mystery from Margaret Hickey. Familiar supporting characters reappear and Mark has some personal growth along the way. I really hope this series continues.
June 25, 2023
When a cave dive goes wrong in a sinkhole in the limestone coast of South Australia, the recovery crew finds another body that has been there 20years. Detective Mark Ariti is in Broken Bay for a holiday but gets involved in the case. There’s lots of family rivalry, history and mystery. I really enjoyed reading this one. It’s a bit of a slow burn but the characters, interesting setting and storyline made it a satisfying read.
September 18, 2024
I loved the setting in this novel, on South Australia's Limestone Coast. We follow the journey of Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti while he takes a holiday at Broken Bay, which is cut short when a diver exploring a sinkhole drowns. As the story goes on, Ariti has his hands full with more than one investigation, all the while navigating his own troubles. The descriptions in this novel immerse you in the setting and I loved the detail involving the diving, despite not being a diver myself.
September 1, 2024
I was determined to read this book despite the review I read describing it as 'horrifyingly suffocating' and the claustrophobic clips on Margaret Hickey's Instagram page. I really enjoy her company as a writer and I also enjoy following the character development of her detective Mark Ariti. But I have to say, some of the scenes in this book describe my worst nightmares and yet I found it impossible to skip over them. I love you and I hate you Margaret Hickey.
August 19, 2023
This book started out strong with a unique and interesting setup involving limestone cave divers on the Australian Coast. Unfortunately, the plot become more and more complicated with a myriad of hard to differentiate and unlikable characters. I generally like Australian crime fiction, but this was my first book by this author and it will probably be my last.
February 17, 2025
Broken Bay by Margaret Hickey is the third story featuring Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti, in a suspenseful crime fiction story, with captivating police procedural elements.
Set in a small fishing town on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, the incredible landscape is known for hidden caves and jagged caves. When renowned cave diver Mya Rennik, drowns exploring a sinkhole on the land of wealthy farmer Frank Doyle, another mystery is reopened about the disappearance of a young woman twenty years ago.
Soon Mark Ariti is forced to dive deep into the town’s history, including old loyalties and decades-long feuds, particularly with the two most prominent families, the Doyles and Sinclairs.
I was immersed in the incredible setting and am captivated by Margaret Hickey’s skill at crafting incredible stories featuring intricate mysteries, complex family dynamics and unravelling of long-held secrets.
Set in a small fishing town on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, the incredible landscape is known for hidden caves and jagged caves. When renowned cave diver Mya Rennik, drowns exploring a sinkhole on the land of wealthy farmer Frank Doyle, another mystery is reopened about the disappearance of a young woman twenty years ago.
Soon Mark Ariti is forced to dive deep into the town’s history, including old loyalties and decades-long feuds, particularly with the two most prominent families, the Doyles and Sinclairs.
I was immersed in the incredible setting and am captivated by Margaret Hickey’s skill at crafting incredible stories featuring intricate mysteries, complex family dynamics and unravelling of long-held secrets.
August 22, 2023
This is the third in the Detective Mark Ariti series and I’ve read them all and I’ve had enough. One star for setting the story on the geologically interesting Limestone Coast and another star for not solving the crime by referring to the old photos on the pub wall. Ariti is a couldve-should’ve middle aged man who drinks too much, is tending towards fat and women can barely keep their hands off him. The love interest in this book was unnecessary and unlikely. Is his improbable love of literature supposed to cancel out all his other unredeeming features in making him our lovable main character? Anyway, my main beef with this story is the plot.
I’m very familiar with the limestone coast. I grew up there. I’m aware of the geology of the area, huge networks of caves that could be right beneath you in the middle of Mt Gambier or on a dairy farm in Kongorong. I’ve snorkelled in Ewen’s Ponds and Piccaninnie Ponds and swum in the Little Blue Lake. I’ve scuba dived at shallow depths in the sea. It’s very hard to believe that someone; a teenage girl who harboured a secret desire for adventure, or anyone at all would put on a tank, jump into a secret hole and go diving, having told no one and being completely alone. That they would then, out of a quest for freedom and the unknown, squeeze themselves through some sort of “restriction” without a clue as to where it led is akin to a death wish. And why was Eloise doing this? Because she’d just read a note and realised that her boyfriend had been shagging her best friend. The note, written by the best friend, was an invitation to the root-rat boyfriend to come dive in my newly discovered sinkhole (not a euphemism). This was supposed to act as an irresistible lure to get him in that hole so that the guide rope (tied to the ute!) could then be cut and funny haha, revenge would be sweet for all those he’d upset because he’d have a moment of panic but still be able to haul himself out to safety, scuba tank and all. How would this be revenge? No one was even going to be there to witness it, was this going to teach him a lesson about keeping it in his pants… no. It’s a ludicrous plan with myriad ways to go wrong when the likely thing to do would have been to just confront him and punch his lights out.
So instead of bad boyfriend Brett down the hole we’ve got poor beautiful Eloise, entombed for twenty years. At least five close family and friends know where she is but no one says anything, despite a huge search and the ensuing missing person pretence.
Hickey really has it in for beautiful women because they all die (or end up with a senior policeman). Cherie, the local glamour-past-her-prime actor/ playwright/ costumier and amateur historian who also cleans the pub and props up the bar on a Saturday night, is set to expose the convoluted reason why the fishing Sinclairs have not had farming success, through the medium of theatre. That’s right, she’s going to put on a play to expose Frank Doyle as a contaminator of farm land which he then offloaded cheaply to the unsuspecting and bereaved Sinclairs. No wonder their land has never been any good, Frank Doyle buried some dead animals there… fact check required. Watch out Cherie with your creepy mannequin and your ocean views, your days are numbered.
Other preposterous characters in this story included Barbara Doyle, confined with dementia to an Adelaide nursing home but in possession of a dna chart that plots the unlikelihood of a child having both red hair and blue eyes. This chart falls into Mark Ariti’s hands, along with that note meant for the bad boyfriend, and our dashing detective is able to piece together the whole sorry saga.
So Ariti had his windscreen smashed, in another unlikely but in this case successful act designed to keep him in town. He badly sprains his ankle in a confusing cave exploration mishap designed to show us the nasty practical joking side of the Sinclair brothers. Finally he gets punched in the face and speared through the hand in the paddock-based confrontation (anti)climax before limping off back to steady ground in Booralama. He’s done, I’m done, everyone is left sad and empty and with probable incarceration, the end.
I’m very familiar with the limestone coast. I grew up there. I’m aware of the geology of the area, huge networks of caves that could be right beneath you in the middle of Mt Gambier or on a dairy farm in Kongorong. I’ve snorkelled in Ewen’s Ponds and Piccaninnie Ponds and swum in the Little Blue Lake. I’ve scuba dived at shallow depths in the sea. It’s very hard to believe that someone; a teenage girl who harboured a secret desire for adventure, or anyone at all would put on a tank, jump into a secret hole and go diving, having told no one and being completely alone. That they would then, out of a quest for freedom and the unknown, squeeze themselves through some sort of “restriction” without a clue as to where it led is akin to a death wish. And why was Eloise doing this? Because she’d just read a note and realised that her boyfriend had been shagging her best friend. The note, written by the best friend, was an invitation to the root-rat boyfriend to come dive in my newly discovered sinkhole (not a euphemism). This was supposed to act as an irresistible lure to get him in that hole so that the guide rope (tied to the ute!) could then be cut and funny haha, revenge would be sweet for all those he’d upset because he’d have a moment of panic but still be able to haul himself out to safety, scuba tank and all. How would this be revenge? No one was even going to be there to witness it, was this going to teach him a lesson about keeping it in his pants… no. It’s a ludicrous plan with myriad ways to go wrong when the likely thing to do would have been to just confront him and punch his lights out.
So instead of bad boyfriend Brett down the hole we’ve got poor beautiful Eloise, entombed for twenty years. At least five close family and friends know where she is but no one says anything, despite a huge search and the ensuing missing person pretence.
Hickey really has it in for beautiful women because they all die (or end up with a senior policeman). Cherie, the local glamour-past-her-prime actor/ playwright/ costumier and amateur historian who also cleans the pub and props up the bar on a Saturday night, is set to expose the convoluted reason why the fishing Sinclairs have not had farming success, through the medium of theatre. That’s right, she’s going to put on a play to expose Frank Doyle as a contaminator of farm land which he then offloaded cheaply to the unsuspecting and bereaved Sinclairs. No wonder their land has never been any good, Frank Doyle buried some dead animals there… fact check required. Watch out Cherie with your creepy mannequin and your ocean views, your days are numbered.
Other preposterous characters in this story included Barbara Doyle, confined with dementia to an Adelaide nursing home but in possession of a dna chart that plots the unlikelihood of a child having both red hair and blue eyes. This chart falls into Mark Ariti’s hands, along with that note meant for the bad boyfriend, and our dashing detective is able to piece together the whole sorry saga.
So Ariti had his windscreen smashed, in another unlikely but in this case successful act designed to keep him in town. He badly sprains his ankle in a confusing cave exploration mishap designed to show us the nasty practical joking side of the Sinclair brothers. Finally he gets punched in the face and speared through the hand in the paddock-based confrontation (anti)climax before limping off back to steady ground in Booralama. He’s done, I’m done, everyone is left sad and empty and with probable incarceration, the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2023
I selected this book not realising it was the 3rd in a series. It made little difference to the enjoyment of this novel as the author gave plenty of information regarding the back story.
This is a wonderful Australian crime novel set in limestone of of South Australia. Hickey's detailed descriptions of the coast and in particular sink holes had me itching to get out doors. When a twenty year old mystery disappearance is solved under tragic circumstances Mark Ariti is charged with investigating the circumstances.
There is plenty of family and friends drama here along with a decent mystery or two to be solved. This book works well as a stand alone, but I loved the character of Mark so much I intend on picking up the first two novels in this series.
Thanks to #betterreadingpreview for an advanced copy of this wonderful book.
This is a wonderful Australian crime novel set in limestone of of South Australia. Hickey's detailed descriptions of the coast and in particular sink holes had me itching to get out doors. When a twenty year old mystery disappearance is solved under tragic circumstances Mark Ariti is charged with investigating the circumstances.
There is plenty of family and friends drama here along with a decent mystery or two to be solved. This book works well as a stand alone, but I loved the character of Mark so much I intend on picking up the first two novels in this series.
Thanks to #betterreadingpreview for an advanced copy of this wonderful book.
June 27, 2023
I picked this one up as it is set on the Limestone Coast in South Australia where I live. It is unusual to have a book set where I live so I was curious to read it. I really liked the first half but then found that it began to drag and I lost interest a little but this was perhaps due to listening to the audiobook whilst doing other things rather than reading the physical book.
Edit- a few weeks later I am still thinking about this book and how well the author managed to capture the small town/rural communities. Bumping up to 3.5 stars.
Edit- a few weeks later I am still thinking about this book and how well the author managed to capture the small town/rural communities. Bumping up to 3.5 stars.
August 15, 2024
This was a good book and a good read. I thought it dragged on for a bit longer than it should have but it was a solid 4 stars.
February 4, 2024
Whilst I really enjoyed the rural town setting, as well as the unique portrayal of the Limestone Coast and the local sinkholes, I found the main character Mark Ariti very grating. His descriptions of women, and continued focus on their aesthetic appeal, was fine at first but started to get annoying after it happened every time a woman existed in the scene. As for the mystery elements, I felt that the solutions were reasonably anti-climactic and somewhat predictable. Overall not a bad read but definitely flawed.
February 20, 2025
Thank you Margaret Hickey. This has been my favourite of the Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti books. I hope there's another one 😀
July 25, 2023
The third in the DS Mark Ariti series and I just could not go further...after 100pp I decided as I did not enjoy the first two in the series I was not going to invest more time with this book.
It is odd as over the past few years I have read innumerable number of 'Australian rural noir' books and for the most part have enjoyed them but for me this series just falls FLAT.
It is odd as over the past few years I have read innumerable number of 'Australian rural noir' books and for the most part have enjoyed them but for me this series just falls FLAT.
June 21, 2025
A great read, kept me thinking. Love this Australian writer.
Read
August 22, 2023I think I've fallen a little in love with Mark Arriti and his dry humour, not to mention his human vulnerabilities and capabilities as a cop. Another cracker from Margaret Hickey. Really enjoyed the excursion to the limestone Coast and the opening prologue is truly creepy.
March 5, 2024
I enjoyed Broken Bay, set on the Limestone Coast it feels like a familiar town that we can all picture in our heads. The story line read well and I was forever guessing what had actually happened!
March 24, 2024
We start on a fishing boat where poor Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti is seasick. He has taken a few days’ holiday in Broken Bay and his sister bought him a fishing gift voucher...
This is not the best time to be visiting the small fishing town on South Australia’s Limestone Coast: The farming family of Doyle recently discovered a sinkhole, a 'cenote' on their property and invited a world class diver to explore it. The Limestone coast is full of caves due to it's fascinating geological history and those that are full of clear water make for amazing diving.
Frank Doyle, the landowner has a eye for the dollar and cave diving is big business. We see this one through the eyes of "Renowned cave diver" Mya Rennik who goes down into this unexplored cave ENTIRELY ON HER OWN WITH NO BACKUP to explore it. I have been SCUBA diving for decades and I don't know where Hickey did her research but this outright appalled me. So, Mya is entangled and drowns - no big surprise, if you are diving solo which goes against everything I have ever read on cave diving exploration. (If you are actually interested in cave diving, I thoroughly recommend Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver by Jill Heinerth A real world internationally renowned cave diver who does not appear to have ever gone into a cave on her own.)
So Broken Bay is now the scene of a terrible tragedy, the press descends, Mark’s boss orders him to stay put and assist the police operation. As a friend of Mark's from the force helps retrieve Mya's body, a whole new mystery is opened up, when the first body that comes to the surface is a missing person from twenty years back; Eloise Sinclair, the sister of Phil whose boat Mark was out on at the start of the book.
Mark is there, already involved in the people that make up the small community and already interested in the town’s history and characters. With that sympatico we have a very interesting, enjoyable little crime thriller as Mark peels back the layers of history and social entanglements of the town
The audio was really good; the narrator did a pretty good job, overall. He was muscling in a bit too heavily with the Ocker accent to begin with, and the accent and the written account of Mark were rather at variance to each other. That was ok, and he dialled it back a bit further into the story.
I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I nearly put it down after the first chapters: I was that appalled at a book claiming that cave divers going alone into a new site was OK. It is not!!! Do not take this on board. I don't know where she did her research, she also kept coming up with weird words and names that were presented as "...what scuba divers call" or "...what cave divers do" and I have never heard of any of them. She did site her source as The Cave Divers Association of Australia. I really hope and believe that the CDAA does not endorse the practices in this book. Honestly, I am going to write it off as a misunderstanding of research done by someone with no experience in the hobby.
No understanding... like with frogs, which Hickey seems to think are reptiles (they are amphibians), I managed to write that off as a research fail, I managed to do the same with the dive and just enjoy the good parts of the book, which are the mystery and it's unravelling.
Also on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDR3e...
This is not the best time to be visiting the small fishing town on South Australia’s Limestone Coast: The farming family of Doyle recently discovered a sinkhole, a 'cenote' on their property and invited a world class diver to explore it. The Limestone coast is full of caves due to it's fascinating geological history and those that are full of clear water make for amazing diving.
Frank Doyle, the landowner has a eye for the dollar and cave diving is big business. We see this one through the eyes of "Renowned cave diver" Mya Rennik who goes down into this unexplored cave ENTIRELY ON HER OWN WITH NO BACKUP to explore it. I have been SCUBA diving for decades and I don't know where Hickey did her research but this outright appalled me. So, Mya is entangled and drowns - no big surprise, if you are diving solo which goes against everything I have ever read on cave diving exploration. (If you are actually interested in cave diving, I thoroughly recommend Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver by Jill Heinerth A real world internationally renowned cave diver who does not appear to have ever gone into a cave on her own.)
So Broken Bay is now the scene of a terrible tragedy, the press descends, Mark’s boss orders him to stay put and assist the police operation. As a friend of Mark's from the force helps retrieve Mya's body, a whole new mystery is opened up, when the first body that comes to the surface is a missing person from twenty years back; Eloise Sinclair, the sister of Phil whose boat Mark was out on at the start of the book.
Mark is there, already involved in the people that make up the small community and already interested in the town’s history and characters. With that sympatico we have a very interesting, enjoyable little crime thriller as Mark peels back the layers of history and social entanglements of the town
The audio was really good; the narrator did a pretty good job, overall. He was muscling in a bit too heavily with the Ocker accent to begin with, and the accent and the written account of Mark were rather at variance to each other. That was ok, and he dialled it back a bit further into the story.
I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I nearly put it down after the first chapters: I was that appalled at a book claiming that cave divers going alone into a new site was OK. It is not!!! Do not take this on board. I don't know where she did her research, she also kept coming up with weird words and names that were presented as "...what scuba divers call" or "...what cave divers do" and I have never heard of any of them. She did site her source as The Cave Divers Association of Australia. I really hope and believe that the CDAA does not endorse the practices in this book. Honestly, I am going to write it off as a misunderstanding of research done by someone with no experience in the hobby.
No understanding... like with frogs, which Hickey seems to think are reptiles (they are amphibians), I managed to write that off as a research fail, I managed to do the same with the dive and just enjoy the good parts of the book, which are the mystery and it's unravelling.
Also on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDR3e...
Read
July 12, 2023Maybe 3.5/5. I didn’t quite enjoy this as much as her previous two Mark Ariti novels. There was plenty to savour, however. A cave-diving gone wrong on the Limestone Coast in South Australia leads to old mysteries (and bodies), plus a new murder. All well-solved by our hero Mark, and his able colleagues. I learned much about sinkholes and cave-diving, as well as some pertinent reflections on human life by our 53-year old Detective Sergeant Ariti. Some of the story dragged a little and the plot was somewhat internecine- a struggle to keep up with the various actors and their relationships. Still, a quick, pleasant read.
June 14, 2023
From the author of “Cutters end” and “Stone Town” comes this new Australian crime mystery.
Set on the limestone coast of South Australia, this book had it all from the first chapter.
From descriptions of scenery, quirky characters, I laughed, I cried, I shared the pain.
If you like Jane Harper this is for you.
This was my first book of Margaret Hickey’s and I look forward to reading her other books.
Thank you to #BRPreview and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Set on the limestone coast of South Australia, this book had it all from the first chapter.
From descriptions of scenery, quirky characters, I laughed, I cried, I shared the pain.
If you like Jane Harper this is for you.
This was my first book of Margaret Hickey’s and I look forward to reading her other books.
Thank you to #BRPreview and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
June 18, 2024
Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti is taking a short break, courtesy of his sister, Prue, in Broken Bay on the Limestone Coast in South Australia when he becomes involved in an historical suspicious cave diving death and then murder. His car is vandalised which means he needs to stay on for a bit longer. This intricately plotted and engrossing story revolves around these events and the interplay between various families who were once great friends. Filled with a large cast of characters this is compelling Australian rural crime.
August 29, 2024
A great book, interesting at all times. My only complaint is that the crimes weren't linked at all, other than my location, and it's so coincidental that they'd find out about a crime that happened years ago at the same time another, totally unrelated crime also happened. But this is very common in today's mystery novels so I can't hold it against this author too much. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
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