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Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti #2
Stone Town
With its gold rush history long in the past, Stone Town has definitely seen better days. And it's now in the headlines for all the wrong reasons . . .
When three teenagers stumble upon a body in dense bushland one rainy Friday night, Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti's hopes for a quiet posting in his old home town are shattered. The victim is Aidan Sleeth, a local property developer, whose controversial plans to buy up Blackwood land means few are surprised he ended up dead.
However his gruesome murder is overshadowed by the mystery consuming the entire the disappearance of Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted.
Natalie had been investigating the celebrity wife of crime boss Tony 'The Hook' Scopelliti when she vanished. What did she uncover? Has it cost her her life? And why are the two Homicide detectives, sent from the city to run the Sleeth case, so obsessed with Natalie's fate?
But following a late-night call from his former boss, Mark is sure of one he's now in the middle of a deadly game . . .
'Astonishingly assured crime debut. A pitch perfect outback noir, set against a vivid and atmospheric desert landscape . . . The book's explosive finale with linger with your for days.' Weekend Australian on Cutters End
'Past and the present collide to create a gripping tale of murder and intrigue.' Chris Hammer, author of Scrublands on Cutters End
'This smart, affecting tale owes more to Scandi noir fiction with its sinister twists and aching characters . . . a tour de force.' Australian Women's Weekly on Cutters End
When three teenagers stumble upon a body in dense bushland one rainy Friday night, Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti's hopes for a quiet posting in his old home town are shattered. The victim is Aidan Sleeth, a local property developer, whose controversial plans to buy up Blackwood land means few are surprised he ended up dead.
However his gruesome murder is overshadowed by the mystery consuming the entire the disappearance of Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted.
Natalie had been investigating the celebrity wife of crime boss Tony 'The Hook' Scopelliti when she vanished. What did she uncover? Has it cost her her life? And why are the two Homicide detectives, sent from the city to run the Sleeth case, so obsessed with Natalie's fate?
But following a late-night call from his former boss, Mark is sure of one he's now in the middle of a deadly game . . .
'Astonishingly assured crime debut. A pitch perfect outback noir, set against a vivid and atmospheric desert landscape . . . The book's explosive finale with linger with your for days.' Weekend Australian on Cutters End
'Past and the present collide to create a gripping tale of murder and intrigue.' Chris Hammer, author of Scrublands on Cutters End
'This smart, affecting tale owes more to Scandi noir fiction with its sinister twists and aching characters . . . a tour de force.' Australian Women's Weekly on Cutters End
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First published July 1, 2022
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About the author
Margaret Hickey
14 books312 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 247 reviews
April 16, 2023
Not writing a review due to mental health issues but I must say an interesting mystery with great characters & a rich history well done miss Hickey.
May 23, 2023
Set in rural South Australia, Stone Town is the 2nd book to feature Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti, the cop who handled the case chronicled in Cutter’s End so adeptly. He’s back and the slow paced quiet life he enjoys in the (fictional) town of Booralama is about to become uncomfortably busy.
A local real estate developer has been found in bushland just outside the tiny town of Stone Town. He was shot in the back of the head and a trio of local kids had stumbled across the body. This requires a call to Adelaide to get the homicide detectives to come out to run the murder investigation.
But the whole state is abuzz due to the disappearance of Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted who was in the process of investigating the wife of organised crime boss Tony Scopelliti. The fact that this case is constantly referred to, by Ariti, the homicide cops, the radio news reports, tends to suggest that it’s somehow going to play a part way out in the boondocks and Mark Ariti is going to be involved.
And the first connection is pretty soon upon us when Mark receives a call from the Deputy Commissioner to let him know that one of the homicide cops sent to Booralama is suspected of passing on information to Scopelliti. Mark is asked to keep his eyes and ears open and report back any pertinent details. The last thing Ariti wants to be is a snitch.
But snitching aside, it’s all eyes on Booralama with a suspicious character cruising around town, apparently watching what Ariti is doing, someone is being held captive in an old disused mine outside of town and the local show is gearing up which is keeping the local women busy, busy, busy.
This is a very familiar small town crime case where a string of wildly discordant facts are gathered together, seemingly unrelated to each other, only to become more significant as the case is worked. The power of proper police work is a strength of Ariti’s and he demonstrates that he’s a highly capable police officer, even when faced by outside threats from organised crime figures.
Although it first appears that we’re getting ourselves involved in a murder case, not a simple murder case, but a murder case just the same, it becomes increasingly apparent that there’s a lot more going on in and around the town of Stone Town. The missing police officer, the involvement of the Scopelliti family and a dirty cop passing on information all combine to make this a far more complicated case.
Like many Australian rural crime novels, the harsh and, at times, desolate landscape plays a critical role in setting the atmosphere. It heightens the sense of danger that Ariti feels whenever he heads into the bush and you can actually feel the hackles rise with the sense that someone is out there watching.
With a couple of unexpected twists thrown in at the back end, Stone Town marks a solid follow-up to Cutter’s End and provides confirmation that the DS Mark Ariti series is one that’s well worth following.
A local real estate developer has been found in bushland just outside the tiny town of Stone Town. He was shot in the back of the head and a trio of local kids had stumbled across the body. This requires a call to Adelaide to get the homicide detectives to come out to run the murder investigation.
But the whole state is abuzz due to the disappearance of Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted who was in the process of investigating the wife of organised crime boss Tony Scopelliti. The fact that this case is constantly referred to, by Ariti, the homicide cops, the radio news reports, tends to suggest that it’s somehow going to play a part way out in the boondocks and Mark Ariti is going to be involved.
And the first connection is pretty soon upon us when Mark receives a call from the Deputy Commissioner to let him know that one of the homicide cops sent to Booralama is suspected of passing on information to Scopelliti. Mark is asked to keep his eyes and ears open and report back any pertinent details. The last thing Ariti wants to be is a snitch.
But snitching aside, it’s all eyes on Booralama with a suspicious character cruising around town, apparently watching what Ariti is doing, someone is being held captive in an old disused mine outside of town and the local show is gearing up which is keeping the local women busy, busy, busy.
This is a very familiar small town crime case where a string of wildly discordant facts are gathered together, seemingly unrelated to each other, only to become more significant as the case is worked. The power of proper police work is a strength of Ariti’s and he demonstrates that he’s a highly capable police officer, even when faced by outside threats from organised crime figures.
Although it first appears that we’re getting ourselves involved in a murder case, not a simple murder case, but a murder case just the same, it becomes increasingly apparent that there’s a lot more going on in and around the town of Stone Town. The missing police officer, the involvement of the Scopelliti family and a dirty cop passing on information all combine to make this a far more complicated case.
Like many Australian rural crime novels, the harsh and, at times, desolate landscape plays a critical role in setting the atmosphere. It heightens the sense of danger that Ariti feels whenever he heads into the bush and you can actually feel the hackles rise with the sense that someone is out there watching.
With a couple of unexpected twists thrown in at the back end, Stone Town marks a solid follow-up to Cutter’s End and provides confirmation that the DS Mark Ariti series is one that’s well worth following.
July 30, 2022
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Channelling her deep interest in rural communities and outback lives, Margaret Hickey has produced another scintillating Aussie crime drama with Stone Town, her encore piece to last year’s success story Cutters End. A story of a quintessential ex gold mining town that sees a murder play out and a perplexing disappearance, Stone Town is a convulsive read. When Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti becomes involved, this law enforcement officer’s hopes of an easy country posting are dashed by this perplexing case and shocking disappearance. A captivating crime case unfolds within the pages of Margaret Hickey’s second novel. Hickey injects plenty of drama, secrets and uprising connections within Stone Town. The pressure is on seasoned Detective Sergeant Ariti to put it all together and solve the problems plaguing Stone Town. Detective Ariti is a solid character, providing plenty of interest and appeal to readers. It is easy to root for this abiding and hardworking Detective as he works to crack the secrets of Stone Town. Margaret Hickey’s follow up piece to Cutters End presents readers with a classic Aussie crime noir tale that is captivating, unpredictable and strategic. Stone Town is a typical and original Aussie crime noir piece, which slots very easily into this genre. Seasoned crime fiction fans will converge on this one!
*Thanks is extended to Better Reading/Penguin Books Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Channelling her deep interest in rural communities and outback lives, Margaret Hickey has produced another scintillating Aussie crime drama with Stone Town, her encore piece to last year’s success story Cutters End. A story of a quintessential ex gold mining town that sees a murder play out and a perplexing disappearance, Stone Town is a convulsive read. When Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti becomes involved, this law enforcement officer’s hopes of an easy country posting are dashed by this perplexing case and shocking disappearance. A captivating crime case unfolds within the pages of Margaret Hickey’s second novel. Hickey injects plenty of drama, secrets and uprising connections within Stone Town. The pressure is on seasoned Detective Sergeant Ariti to put it all together and solve the problems plaguing Stone Town. Detective Ariti is a solid character, providing plenty of interest and appeal to readers. It is easy to root for this abiding and hardworking Detective as he works to crack the secrets of Stone Town. Margaret Hickey’s follow up piece to Cutters End presents readers with a classic Aussie crime noir tale that is captivating, unpredictable and strategic. Stone Town is a typical and original Aussie crime noir piece, which slots very easily into this genre. Seasoned crime fiction fans will converge on this one!
*Thanks is extended to Better Reading/Penguin Books Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
October 2, 2025
Another unputdownable read from Margaret Hickey - every bit as good as the first in the series.
About a year has passed since the events of Cutters End and a lot has changed for Mark Ariti. As expected, his marriage has indeed ended, and with the passing of his mother, Mark has moved back to the small South Australian town where he grew up. He still has a few mates there, the pace of life is what he needs, and best of all he's surrounded by a community that loved and respected his mum.
When the story opens, some local teenagers have stumbled across a dead body, out in the bush in the middle of the night. Mark is on the scene to take care of preliminaries until his colleagues from the Homicide squad arrive from Adelaide. Because it clearly is a murder. There's no doubt about the identity of the victim either - this is a small, small town. But what was he doing out in the bush in the pouring rain? And what were the kids that found him doing out there, for that matter?
Two detectives arrive from Adelaide and quickly take over Mark's workspace. They are heavily involved in the investigation of a missing police officer, but they can work on that from anywhere, and propose to cover both cases at the same time. Mark's mate the Assistant Commissioner quietly asks Mark to keep an eye on the pair because one is suspected of leaking information to an organised crime family. As the investigation deepens and is revealed to be more complex than ever imagined, Mark asks for help, and to his delight his old Cutters End colleague DS Jagdeep Kaur arrives to lend a hand.
I was 100% satisfied with this follow up to Cutters End, and once again listened at every opportunity. And once again, I decided to move straight on to instalment #3!
If 2024 was my year of Garry Disher, then 2025 has become my year of Margaret Hickey and I just can't get enough.
About a year has passed since the events of Cutters End and a lot has changed for Mark Ariti. As expected, his marriage has indeed ended, and with the passing of his mother, Mark has moved back to the small South Australian town where he grew up. He still has a few mates there, the pace of life is what he needs, and best of all he's surrounded by a community that loved and respected his mum.
When the story opens, some local teenagers have stumbled across a dead body, out in the bush in the middle of the night. Mark is on the scene to take care of preliminaries until his colleagues from the Homicide squad arrive from Adelaide. Because it clearly is a murder. There's no doubt about the identity of the victim either - this is a small, small town. But what was he doing out in the bush in the pouring rain? And what were the kids that found him doing out there, for that matter?
Two detectives arrive from Adelaide and quickly take over Mark's workspace. They are heavily involved in the investigation of a missing police officer, but they can work on that from anywhere, and propose to cover both cases at the same time. Mark's mate the Assistant Commissioner quietly asks Mark to keep an eye on the pair because one is suspected of leaking information to an organised crime family. As the investigation deepens and is revealed to be more complex than ever imagined, Mark asks for help, and to his delight his old Cutters End colleague DS Jagdeep Kaur arrives to lend a hand.
I was 100% satisfied with this follow up to Cutters End, and once again listened at every opportunity. And once again, I decided to move straight on to instalment #3!
If 2024 was my year of Garry Disher, then 2025 has become my year of Margaret Hickey and I just can't get enough.
July 17, 2022
Another clever and well constructed Australian crime novel from a new author to me. I didn’t realise when I started Stone Town that these characters were from Cutters End, but it really didn’t matter, there was enough background information to keep the story flowing.
I love a rural crime story. There have been so many wonderful books in this genre, and Stone Town really impressed me. This book had it all, the murder of a local businessman who wasn’t well liked, a missing police women who was investigating a crime bosses wife, disputes of land ownership, bird watching and lots and lot of secrets.
The author described the former gold rush town of Stone Town with such incredible detail that you felt as if you were walking down the streets with our main character Mark. As always with small towns, everyone thinks they know everyone’s business and there is a history there that can’t be ignored.
Thanks to Penguin Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. You can bet that I will be going back and learning more about these characters in Cutter’s End. Stone Town is out now in Australia.
I love a rural crime story. There have been so many wonderful books in this genre, and Stone Town really impressed me. This book had it all, the murder of a local businessman who wasn’t well liked, a missing police women who was investigating a crime bosses wife, disputes of land ownership, bird watching and lots and lot of secrets.
The author described the former gold rush town of Stone Town with such incredible detail that you felt as if you were walking down the streets with our main character Mark. As always with small towns, everyone thinks they know everyone’s business and there is a history there that can’t be ignored.
Thanks to Penguin Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. You can bet that I will be going back and learning more about these characters in Cutter’s End. Stone Town is out now in Australia.
August 20, 2022
‘He shouldn’t have brought them here.’
Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti has moved back to his old hometown following the collapse of his marriage and the death of his mother. Nearby Stone Town was once the centre of a gold rush, and now becomes the centre of a murder investigation.
One rainy Friday night, three teenagers stumble upon a body. The victim, Aidan Sleeth, is a local property developer who had plans to buy up Stone Town land. His plans were controversial, which means that no-one is surprised that he was killed. But who killed him? Two homicide detectives are sent to investigate, but they seem preoccupied with another case: the disappearance of Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted. At the time she disappeared, Natalie was investigating the wife of crime boss Tony ‘The Hook’ Scopelliti.
Then, Mark receives a late night ‘unofficial’ call from his former boss: one of the detectives is under suspicion of passing information to Tony Scopelliti. And when Natalie’s abandoned car is found near Aidan Sleeth’s house, Mark wonders whether the two cases are connected.
Ms Hickey takes us deep inside a small rural community, one in which Mark’s mother Helen was an important part and is fondly remembered. There are secrets here as well, some of which Mark will uncover as he investigates. Although a couple of the twists seemed a bit unlikely, I really enjoyed this story. I finished, hoping to learn what Mark Ariti will do next.
Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti appears in Ms Hickey’s first novel ‘Cutters End’. While ‘Stone Town’ can be read as a standalone novel, I recommend reading both. Ms Hickey writes intriguing rural crime.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti has moved back to his old hometown following the collapse of his marriage and the death of his mother. Nearby Stone Town was once the centre of a gold rush, and now becomes the centre of a murder investigation.
One rainy Friday night, three teenagers stumble upon a body. The victim, Aidan Sleeth, is a local property developer who had plans to buy up Stone Town land. His plans were controversial, which means that no-one is surprised that he was killed. But who killed him? Two homicide detectives are sent to investigate, but they seem preoccupied with another case: the disappearance of Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted. At the time she disappeared, Natalie was investigating the wife of crime boss Tony ‘The Hook’ Scopelliti.
Then, Mark receives a late night ‘unofficial’ call from his former boss: one of the detectives is under suspicion of passing information to Tony Scopelliti. And when Natalie’s abandoned car is found near Aidan Sleeth’s house, Mark wonders whether the two cases are connected.
Ms Hickey takes us deep inside a small rural community, one in which Mark’s mother Helen was an important part and is fondly remembered. There are secrets here as well, some of which Mark will uncover as he investigates. Although a couple of the twists seemed a bit unlikely, I really enjoyed this story. I finished, hoping to learn what Mark Ariti will do next.
Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti appears in Ms Hickey’s first novel ‘Cutters End’. While ‘Stone Town’ can be read as a standalone novel, I recommend reading both. Ms Hickey writes intriguing rural crime.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
December 19, 2022
STONE TOWN by Margaret Hickey follows the story of the central character introduced in her (very good) debut novel CUTTERS END. Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti's moved from the South Australian outback back to his home town of Booralama. Since the death of his mother, he's living on his own in his childhood home, with all the memories that brings with it, dealing with the people he grew up with, and those that are new to the town. While he's busy with the day to day issues of small town policing, the big story is about a missing cop - Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted has vanished - no clues to whether she's dead or alive.
When three teenagers stumble upon the body of local man Aidan Sleeth one rainy night in the dense bush of Stone Town, 25 or so kilometres from Booralama, a couple of "city cops" are sent to take over the investigation of the local murder, but they are totally obsessed with the fate of their missing colleague, and a late night call from his former boss puts Ariti in the middle of a very dangerous game.
Margaret Hickey is an immensely talented writer with a deep understanding of, and interest in, rural and outback communities in particular. She's able to portray the way that landscape and weather patterns influence lifestyle, attitude and behaviour, and the interactions that people have with each other, and the place in which they live, with considerable authority, never stepping over the line between storytelling and deep expertise. Her style doesn't idealise, it doesn't overdo or overstep any marks, and it most definitely doesn't get into put-down territory either.
The two investigations at the heart of STONE TOWN - the shooting death of the local real-estate agent and developer, and the missing DS Whitsted are quickly complicated by the implications of that call from his old colleague, while the local grapevine starts to turn up all sorts of little facts and observations, that slowly but surely, start to build some pictures that Ariti can begin to colour in, ending up working much more closely with the more senior team than any of them had expected.
It's well worth remembering the cover blurb as you're reading through this novel:
"Where land is the new gold and people will die for it."
It's also worth remembering that the story sits in a timeframe when rural communities are seeing increasing numbers of "incomers" dodging COVID lockdowns, and the more rigid (and sometimes expensive) patterns of life in the city, causing all sorts of stresses and strains with the longer-term locals and old farming families.
Non-readers of CUTTERS END will be just fine diving into STONE TOWN if desired - there's a bit of time between the two novels, and stuff has happened to Ariti personally that's not at all hard to work out. The two investigations are very different, as are the locations, although there are echoes between the two - that incredibly strong sense of place, landscape, community and connection. What struck this reader in particular was Ariti's strong personal connection to something or somewhere in the setting. It's the same in both novels and it works an absolute treat.
I've always been a huge admirer of Garry Disher's rural noir novels (in particular) and to my eye, Margaret Hickey's work has so many of the same elements as his. Innate understanding of the place, landscape and people, sympathy, clear-eyed affection and a realistic viewpoint - good and bad. Now I'm going to be eagerly scanning the "upcoming" lists for works by both authors.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
When three teenagers stumble upon the body of local man Aidan Sleeth one rainy night in the dense bush of Stone Town, 25 or so kilometres from Booralama, a couple of "city cops" are sent to take over the investigation of the local murder, but they are totally obsessed with the fate of their missing colleague, and a late night call from his former boss puts Ariti in the middle of a very dangerous game.
Margaret Hickey is an immensely talented writer with a deep understanding of, and interest in, rural and outback communities in particular. She's able to portray the way that landscape and weather patterns influence lifestyle, attitude and behaviour, and the interactions that people have with each other, and the place in which they live, with considerable authority, never stepping over the line between storytelling and deep expertise. Her style doesn't idealise, it doesn't overdo or overstep any marks, and it most definitely doesn't get into put-down territory either.
The two investigations at the heart of STONE TOWN - the shooting death of the local real-estate agent and developer, and the missing DS Whitsted are quickly complicated by the implications of that call from his old colleague, while the local grapevine starts to turn up all sorts of little facts and observations, that slowly but surely, start to build some pictures that Ariti can begin to colour in, ending up working much more closely with the more senior team than any of them had expected.
It's well worth remembering the cover blurb as you're reading through this novel:
"Where land is the new gold and people will die for it."
It's also worth remembering that the story sits in a timeframe when rural communities are seeing increasing numbers of "incomers" dodging COVID lockdowns, and the more rigid (and sometimes expensive) patterns of life in the city, causing all sorts of stresses and strains with the longer-term locals and old farming families.
Non-readers of CUTTERS END will be just fine diving into STONE TOWN if desired - there's a bit of time between the two novels, and stuff has happened to Ariti personally that's not at all hard to work out. The two investigations are very different, as are the locations, although there are echoes between the two - that incredibly strong sense of place, landscape, community and connection. What struck this reader in particular was Ariti's strong personal connection to something or somewhere in the setting. It's the same in both novels and it works an absolute treat.
I've always been a huge admirer of Garry Disher's rural noir novels (in particular) and to my eye, Margaret Hickey's work has so many of the same elements as his. Innate understanding of the place, landscape and people, sympathy, clear-eyed affection and a realistic viewpoint - good and bad. Now I'm going to be eagerly scanning the "upcoming" lists for works by both authors.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
July 22, 2022
Following Cutter’s End, this second book features Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti now living in his hometown of Booralama, a fictional town set in South Australia that I took to be somewhere like Burra. Hickey has said that her writing is very landscape based which is interesting because I found it hard to picture the different settings and reconcile them with country towns I know. Certainly having scrubland riddled with abandoned mine shafts, random holes and tunnels makes for a handy plot device. Ultimately the niggles that I was prepared to accept in Cutter’s End I found a bit too annoying in this book. The heavy reliance on old photos and videos to solve mysteries felt a bit too tidy in Cutter’s End and likewise in Stone Town. I haven’t really thought about this before but to me it feels forced, overly convenient and just a bit lazy as the means of a plot breakthrough.
I didn’t like the us vs them city, country sentiments that had a touch of bitterness and played to stereotypes, ie: city people are rich snobs that have butler’s pantries and spend a lot of time at the hairdressers. One of the main themes of the book is the idea of old country women being not only the backbone of their community but being almost cult-like and above the law and that felt a bit awkward too. I guess this book kinda lost me.
I didn’t like the us vs them city, country sentiments that had a touch of bitterness and played to stereotypes, ie: city people are rich snobs that have butler’s pantries and spend a lot of time at the hairdressers. One of the main themes of the book is the idea of old country women being not only the backbone of their community but being almost cult-like and above the law and that felt a bit awkward too. I guess this book kinda lost me.
July 2, 2022
Thank you Penguin for sending us a copy to read and review.
A regional setting with a colourful gold mining history frames the scene for a gritty murder mystery and high profile disappearance.
Ensuring the relocation for esteemed Senior Detective Mark Ariti back to his hometown was going to keep him on his feet.
The body of local land developer Aidan Sleeth is discovered.
His intent and actions in developing a piece of natural bush land made him unpopular in the community.
The area was rich in birdlife and part of a conservation group initiative.
Simultaneously a high profile Detective Sergeant has gone missing.
The case she was working on linked to a high profile under world family.
Her disappearance overshadowing the murder case.
A crime drama unfolds in this well written book with a pace that keeps building momentum as it unfolds.
Will Mark connect the dots?
His familiarity with the town and its mindset combined with his detective skills put him in a steadfast position.
A captivating read that has all the elements of a good crime read and set in place where it is likely people can disappear and be killed.
The experience of being held captive was particularly well written, the dark, frightening and confined space came to life creating the fear and anticipation from the reader.
A rural Australian crime story hits the spot for me and with the talent we have in this country it’s being well served.
Sleuths add this to your pile.
A regional setting with a colourful gold mining history frames the scene for a gritty murder mystery and high profile disappearance.
Ensuring the relocation for esteemed Senior Detective Mark Ariti back to his hometown was going to keep him on his feet.
The body of local land developer Aidan Sleeth is discovered.
His intent and actions in developing a piece of natural bush land made him unpopular in the community.
The area was rich in birdlife and part of a conservation group initiative.
Simultaneously a high profile Detective Sergeant has gone missing.
The case she was working on linked to a high profile under world family.
Her disappearance overshadowing the murder case.
A crime drama unfolds in this well written book with a pace that keeps building momentum as it unfolds.
Will Mark connect the dots?
His familiarity with the town and its mindset combined with his detective skills put him in a steadfast position.
A captivating read that has all the elements of a good crime read and set in place where it is likely people can disappear and be killed.
The experience of being held captive was particularly well written, the dark, frightening and confined space came to life creating the fear and anticipation from the reader.
A rural Australian crime story hits the spot for me and with the talent we have in this country it’s being well served.
Sleuths add this to your pile.
October 24, 2023
I read Cutters End and then Broken Bay and now I have returned to Stone Town. I like the character of Mark Ariti, his Greek ancestory, his commitment to decency and fairness in his job and his love for his two boys who live with their mother, Ariti’s ex. He appears to be a dopplehanger for Paul Hirschhausen, a cop from Garry Disher’s novels.
Hickey takes the genre of rural crime and runs with it: country fairs, a bush telegraph faster than police radio, long-held secrets, CWA pickles and jams, young people leaving the town, football teams struggling for players, no Aboriginal people and brutal crime scenes.
I enjoyed this story up till about halfway when it got crowded and started to drag. Ariti is investigating the murder of local real estate agent, coupled with this, in the background a female police officer is missing. Detectives from Adelade arrive and Ariti assists with the investigation. It is then that the plot goes awry and there are more storylines and charcaters than in a nineteenth century Russian novel.
The mafia becomes involved. Surprisingly the head honcho is called Tony. Ariti saves the life of a mafia brutus and so endears himself to the Italian heavies. The CWA ladies are somewhat of a mystery and we do hear of their culinary capabilities. Watch out for the nasty nannas . Three kids, who all have problems are the ones who find the dead real estate agent. Naturally it was a dark stormy night with an owl putting on a blood curdling sound show.
There are big problems with one of the Adelaide police. I don’t want to give too much away but that was teetering on the illogical. The missing female detective has a Hannibal Lecter experience and Hickey does a bit of a Mary Shelley imitation.
As with too many other new Australian crime fiction writers Hickey relies on dialogue. Near the end, when the murder (and several other crimes) is solved it is all done by characters talking, explaining themselves. The prose is sedentary and there is little atmosphere in the book. There are too many unneeded characters who contribute little to the resolution. The trainee PE teacher, many of the older ladies, John the cranky commune farmer, the mother of the children, even the wife of the mafia boss.
A favourite character of mine, from Cutters End, Senior Constable Jagdeep Kaur makes an appearance. I reckon she would be an ideal character for a crime fiction novel.
So, I persevered with this over explained, convoluted, illogical, hohum story to the end.
There is a nebulous feeling of a good story there it just needs serious diminishment, a bit more speed, simpler plot and less characters. Sadly, I won’t be rushing to Ms Hickey’s publication.
Hickey takes the genre of rural crime and runs with it: country fairs, a bush telegraph faster than police radio, long-held secrets, CWA pickles and jams, young people leaving the town, football teams struggling for players, no Aboriginal people and brutal crime scenes.
I enjoyed this story up till about halfway when it got crowded and started to drag. Ariti is investigating the murder of local real estate agent, coupled with this, in the background a female police officer is missing. Detectives from Adelade arrive and Ariti assists with the investigation. It is then that the plot goes awry and there are more storylines and charcaters than in a nineteenth century Russian novel.
The mafia becomes involved. Surprisingly the head honcho is called Tony. Ariti saves the life of a mafia brutus and so endears himself to the Italian heavies. The CWA ladies are somewhat of a mystery and we do hear of their culinary capabilities. Watch out for the nasty nannas . Three kids, who all have problems are the ones who find the dead real estate agent. Naturally it was a dark stormy night with an owl putting on a blood curdling sound show.
There are big problems with one of the Adelaide police. I don’t want to give too much away but that was teetering on the illogical. The missing female detective has a Hannibal Lecter experience and Hickey does a bit of a Mary Shelley imitation.
As with too many other new Australian crime fiction writers Hickey relies on dialogue. Near the end, when the murder (and several other crimes) is solved it is all done by characters talking, explaining themselves. The prose is sedentary and there is little atmosphere in the book. There are too many unneeded characters who contribute little to the resolution. The trainee PE teacher, many of the older ladies, John the cranky commune farmer, the mother of the children, even the wife of the mafia boss.
A favourite character of mine, from Cutters End, Senior Constable Jagdeep Kaur makes an appearance. I reckon she would be an ideal character for a crime fiction novel.
So, I persevered with this over explained, convoluted, illogical, hohum story to the end.
There is a nebulous feeling of a good story there it just needs serious diminishment, a bit more speed, simpler plot and less characters. Sadly, I won’t be rushing to Ms Hickey’s publication.
March 29, 2022
I read an Advanced Reading Copy of Stone Town and it did not disappoint. I loved Cutters End and was interested to see where Hickey would go with this one. It's a different setting, a mining town in the bush, and yet again, Margaret Hickey writes the landscape with a real sense of understanding. Fans of Cutters End will be pleased that the likeable Mark Ariti is back again. Conflicts over the sale of land in country towns, grief, the role of older women in society and learning to navigate life after a divorce are just some of the things Hickey tackles. She does it in a way that's full of life and authenticity. Stone Town is a great read.
April 30, 2025
I can’t get enough of Sgt. Mark Ariti. So enjoy his perspective on country life in the outback areas.
Intriguing, fast and complicated read offset by the Aussie mind set.
Read through the night!
Intriguing, fast and complicated read offset by the Aussie mind set.
Read through the night!
September 4, 2022
Good Reads didn't alert me to the fact that Stone Town is Margaret Hickey's second novel about Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti. But it held up okay as a stand alone.
Three teenagers stumble across a body in dense bush in Stone Town, country South Australia, shot in the back of the head. Meanwhile, there's evidence that missing Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted, presumed kidnapped by the crime family that she is investigating, may also be in Stone Town.
This was an easy read but didn't stand out as particularly memorable. The pace, and the reveals about the characters, really picked up towards the end. Maybe a little too much. How many different groups can be involved in two related crimes??? If you love modern Australian mysteries, go for it.
3.5 rounded down
Three teenagers stumble across a body in dense bush in Stone Town, country South Australia, shot in the back of the head. Meanwhile, there's evidence that missing Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted, presumed kidnapped by the crime family that she is investigating, may also be in Stone Town.
This was an easy read but didn't stand out as particularly memorable. The pace, and the reveals about the characters, really picked up towards the end. Maybe a little too much. How many different groups can be involved in two related crimes??? If you love modern Australian mysteries, go for it.
3.5 rounded down
June 22, 2022
Cop, Mark Ariti, has returned to his home town after the death of his mother.
However, his otherwise quiet & bucolic lifestyle is shattered by the murder of a local Stone Town resident.
When the murder investigation collides with the search for a missing police woman, Mark uses his local knowledge of people, places & long held secrets to close both cases.
"You want a job done...you ask a Nanna"
"If a government wanted something done, some message rolled out, some national program- don't call the CEO's of marketing companies with their private educations and unfair elevations. No. Call the CWA and put the kettle on."
However, his otherwise quiet & bucolic lifestyle is shattered by the murder of a local Stone Town resident.
When the murder investigation collides with the search for a missing police woman, Mark uses his local knowledge of people, places & long held secrets to close both cases.
"You want a job done...you ask a Nanna"
"If a government wanted something done, some message rolled out, some national program- don't call the CEO's of marketing companies with their private educations and unfair elevations. No. Call the CWA and put the kettle on."
March 29, 2023
3.5 stars. Better written than the first and wonderfully evocative of small-town Australia but was a bit repetitive towards the end when it came to the mystery.
September 21, 2023
A great book, a joy to read. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series as to every other book this author ever writes. I'm really digging this whole Australian outback noir genre. I hope it sticks around for a good long time.
July 3, 2022
So glad I have discovered this author - what a fabulous series! Cant wait to see it in the small screen.
June 30, 2022
Cutters Ends, Hickey’s debut, was published last year and I enjoyed it tremendously so it was with keen anticipation, I cracked open Stone Town wherein, once again, we meet Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti. Hmm… confused already? I was pretty sure he was a detective and lived in Adelaide! The first few pages threw me off a bit but a bit later on, I found out that at least a year has passed since Cutters Ends. Only once I accepted that quite some time has passed and a number of personal events occurred with Ariti, did I manage to proceed with the present issue/crime.
I enjoyed this setting quite a lot especially with Mark Ariti resettling himself as a local, living in what was his mother’s but now his home, and just being in the know of the local gossips and networks. Though apparently not as well as he thought. That last twist in the epilogue was just gold!
Once more, Hickey has delivered a remarkable rural crime novel. A rather laidback pacing comparable to a rural kind of life but such twists and turns that shocked and thrilled readers all at the same time. While Stone Town is a sequel, I don’t believe that you need to read Cutters End to enjoy this one. This one reads quite well as a stand alone despite some references to earlier case but you really didn’t need to know. Fair warning, though, you’d probably want to read Cutters End after this, if you haven’t already.
My thanks to Penguin Random House for this paperback copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts
I enjoyed this setting quite a lot especially with Mark Ariti resettling himself as a local, living in what was his mother’s but now his home, and just being in the know of the local gossips and networks. Though apparently not as well as he thought. That last twist in the epilogue was just gold!
Once more, Hickey has delivered a remarkable rural crime novel. A rather laidback pacing comparable to a rural kind of life but such twists and turns that shocked and thrilled readers all at the same time. While Stone Town is a sequel, I don’t believe that you need to read Cutters End to enjoy this one. This one reads quite well as a stand alone despite some references to earlier case but you really didn’t need to know. Fair warning, though, you’d probably want to read Cutters End after this, if you haven’t already.
My thanks to Penguin Random House for this paperback copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts
October 25, 2022
2.5 rounded up
This is Hickey's follow on the her first novel Cutters End (although it would easily stand alone despite the occasional references to an earlier case and people) and this time Detective Mark Ariti has returned home to the small community of Booralama and neighbouring Stone Town where a murder and a missing police woman are at the forefront of his investigation.
As always it is nice to read about the state in which you live and feel familiar with places, climate etc. Hickey does the Australian bush well and the setting plays a large part in her novels and plots. While I did not enjoy this as much as her first, I felt it dragged a little and the final resolutions were a little too over the top for me, it was still an easy and more enjoyable read than many I have read in recent times in the now somewhat over populated genre of outback noir/crime.
This is Hickey's follow on the her first novel Cutters End (although it would easily stand alone despite the occasional references to an earlier case and people) and this time Detective Mark Ariti has returned home to the small community of Booralama and neighbouring Stone Town where a murder and a missing police woman are at the forefront of his investigation.
As always it is nice to read about the state in which you live and feel familiar with places, climate etc. Hickey does the Australian bush well and the setting plays a large part in her novels and plots. While I did not enjoy this as much as her first, I felt it dragged a little and the final resolutions were a little too over the top for me, it was still an easy and more enjoyable read than many I have read in recent times in the now somewhat over populated genre of outback noir/crime.
September 27, 2022
Another extremely successful piece of crime fiction writing with an Australian country town setting. Constable Mark Ariti is a great character. This is a complex story, for all its simple appearance - a dead body, limited range of locals to consider suspects. Of course it’s far more complicated than that. A very entertaining read.
September 19, 2022
There are times in this story when tears came to my eyes, a moment of poignancy, an understanding of a person’s anguish, the depth of a person’s loneliness, the close bonds of friendship. This author strikes the right note every time.
March 2, 2023
There are so many great Australian crime authors bringing out books at the moment. I'm enjoying discovering my new favorites. This was an interesting story but I found the characters very stereotyped and the plot hard to believe.
June 14, 2023
Stone Town is book two in Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti by Margaret Hickey. Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti woke up from sleep one rainy Friday night when three teenagers found a body in the local bushland. However, for Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti, trying to find the killer of Aidan Sleeth will be an uphill battle due to the victim's role in the community. On top of trying to find the killer of Aidan Sleeth, he was also looking into the disappearance of Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted. The readers of Stone Town will continue to follow Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti to discover what happens.
Stone Town is the first book I read by Margaret Hickey, and an enjoyable one. At first, I was not sure what to expect from this book. However, I engaged with the story and the characters from the first page. I love Margaret Hickey's portrayal of her characters and their interaction with each other throughout this book. Stone Town is well-written and researched by Margaret Hickey. I like Margaret Hickey's description of the settings of Stone Town, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of Stone Town will learn about the importance of country shows to rural communities. Also, the readers of Stone Town will learn about living in a rural community.
I recommend this book.
Stone Town is the first book I read by Margaret Hickey, and an enjoyable one. At first, I was not sure what to expect from this book. However, I engaged with the story and the characters from the first page. I love Margaret Hickey's portrayal of her characters and their interaction with each other throughout this book. Stone Town is well-written and researched by Margaret Hickey. I like Margaret Hickey's description of the settings of Stone Town, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of Stone Town will learn about the importance of country shows to rural communities. Also, the readers of Stone Town will learn about living in a rural community.
I recommend this book.
July 25, 2022
The second in the series featuring Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti.
I've not read the first, but enough details are slotted in along the way to make it read well as a stand-alone novel.
I was hooked from the beginning - Eerie screams are heard by three teenagers during a storm in the middle of the night in bushland bordering Stone Town, an ex mining community. They bolt for safety and in their panic to escape the screams they stumble over a dead body. D.S Ariti's hopes for a quiet life are about to be shattered - he'd returned from the city to live in his deceased mother's house in the nearby small town of Booralama, where he runs a one man police station.
The author creates a great sense of place and life in a small town - its characters, gossip, secrets, community and humour. I love how squirrel got his name.
Two city cops arrive to assist Mark investigate the murder, while they also continue to investigate the disappearance of a missing police officer who had been investigating a notorious crime boss.
Plenty of twists occur along the way.
I found it a page turner and will now seek out the first in the series, Cutter's End.
Thank you to Better Reading and Penguin for the ARC
I've not read the first, but enough details are slotted in along the way to make it read well as a stand-alone novel.
I was hooked from the beginning - Eerie screams are heard by three teenagers during a storm in the middle of the night in bushland bordering Stone Town, an ex mining community. They bolt for safety and in their panic to escape the screams they stumble over a dead body. D.S Ariti's hopes for a quiet life are about to be shattered - he'd returned from the city to live in his deceased mother's house in the nearby small town of Booralama, where he runs a one man police station.
The author creates a great sense of place and life in a small town - its characters, gossip, secrets, community and humour. I love how squirrel got his name.
Two city cops arrive to assist Mark investigate the murder, while they also continue to investigate the disappearance of a missing police officer who had been investigating a notorious crime boss.
Plenty of twists occur along the way.
I found it a page turner and will now seek out the first in the series, Cutter's End.
Thank you to Better Reading and Penguin for the ARC
July 28, 2022
Another captivating read from Margaret Hickey which will keep you hooked from the very first page. Hickey's protagonist, Detective Mark Ariti, has grown on me even more since Cutters End and I'm hoping he features in the next one. As for the story, Hickey writes atmospheric small town noir with perfection. There's an underlying foreboding that lingers on every page and I love how she explored the tight-knit older women in the town. You're unsure whether to trust them, but you also know they are the foundation of the community. The crime is a tangled web of complex characters that is drawn together for a satisfying conclusion. Another fantastic read from this Australian author.
June 8, 2024
Again set in South Australia this is Detective Sergeant Mark Ariti’s second story in the series. Mark has returned to his home town, Stone Town, to head the local police station. Then the dead body of a local developer, Aidan Sleeth, is discovered in bushland and Mark’s life changes. Two Adelaide city detectives are sent up to investigate Aidan’s murder but they are also heavily interested in the disappearance of Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsed who was investigating and shadowing the wife of a crime boss. Small country town activities, alliances, creepy behaviour, unconditional maternal love, corrupt police, detailed and intricate police procedures and a large cast of characters all add to an intriguing and engrossing read. A refreshing change is the lack of coarse language in this rural crime drama.
May 23, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! The only thing that I didn't love was some contempt coming through for city dwellers. It reminded me a bit of Russell Coight's riffs about city people coming out to the bush and having no idea. I grew up rural and moved to the city, so have lived both lives. Humans are just humans, wherever they live.
This series has helped me embrace audiobooks, which I've previously struggled to get into.
This series has helped me embrace audiobooks, which I've previously struggled to get into.
December 9, 2022
This second novel from Margaret Hickey again features Mark Ariti who has returned to his home town of Booralama and country policing. The two crimes featured in this rural policing story become intertwined as the investigation continues. Stone Town could be read as a standalone novel but I would recommend reading Cutter’s End first as quite a few characters pop up in both novels.
September 8, 2022
Another clever Aussie crime novel set in small town Australia. This was a riveting and highly enjoyable read.
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