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Crocodile Spirit Dreaming #3
Empty Place
'Brazen English Hussy - killed her Aussie Outback Lover. Fed his body to Crocodiles,' the newspapers scream.
She sits in jail,on trial for murder of a man who almost no one knows.
She will not tell what happened on that fateful day. She must hide the truth, keep the secret buried.
Information is hidden, can they find it? The search, gets closer. She must stop them.
English backpacker, Susan, is on trial for murder in Australia . The tabloids say she killed her lover, fed his body to crocodiles then hid the evidence.
She refuses to say what happened. She is trapped within a jail cell and inside her mind in a place of guilt,horror and emptiness. Her only companion is a dark creature, a spirit of an ancient crocodile, which inhabits her dreams.
Only one person knows and can help her. But he and his helicopter have vanished in the place that locals call The Empty Place. Only a few fragments of metal found washed out to sea indicate where he went. Everyone is convinced he has perished.
Is there any way out for Susan. She is determined to plead guilty to protect her child from the deeds of the father. She refuses to reveal what occurred. She awaits conviction and sentencing, expecting to spend her life in jail.
But the detective who discovered Susan's identity continues to seek the truth. He knows there must be another story to explain why. He must discover the past of this man she murdered to unlock the secret. The rest of officialdom just wants to lock this girl up and throw away the key.
As time ticks away towards the trial, Susan's sanity is falling apart - guilt for what she has done, lonely depression at the prospect of years in prison without her child. She lost hope when the helicopter vanishes and lives inside herself in her own empty place. Yet she must still keep alive the fathers good legacy for the sake of the child.
In her mind she sees an escape, she will return to her lover and his crocodile spirit - end it all and be free of this misery.
Her friends and the detective suspect her suicide plans. They are desperate to help but powerless to protect her from herself. They must keep seeking truth. It is a race against time. Can the truth be uncovered before the trial ends.
Susan is increasingly desperate too. She wants her escape, she must keep the truth hidden, the investigation is closing in. She must divert them. She has a plan, her own death will be the diversion and will bury the secret forever.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2014
13 people are currently reading
1490 people want to read
About the author
Graham Wilson
62 books340 followersGraham Wilson lives in Sydney, Australia.
He has completed and published twelve novels and a memoir.
His most recent novel is 'Mysteries', set in early Sydney about an old house and a mother and child missing for 30 years. His other standalone novel is, 'The Glitter''.
Other novels comprise two series,
1. Old Balmain House Series - 3 books of historic fiction set in early Sydney
2. Crocodile Dreaming Series - 7 books. 5 books (The Visitor, The Victim, The Void, The Vanished and The Invisible) are in the main series which follows English backpacker, Susan, as she travels across remote Australia with a charming outback man. It tells how this idyllic trip becomes a nightmare as she discovers terrifying secrets about this man. It also includes a 2-book Prequel, The Vertigo and The Vortex, which give insights into her travelling companion, Mark.
Graham's family memoir, 'Arnhem's Kaleidoscope Children' tells of his family's life in an aboriginal community the Northern Territory's remote Arnhem Land. It chronicles an idyllic childhood, 50 years of change with aboriginal land rights and discovery or uranium. It also tells of his surviving an attack by a large crocodile and of his work over two decades in the outback of the NT.
Graham's career was first as a veterinarian in a mixed practice treating farm animals and people's pets, before following his love for wildlife through working at a range of Australian Zoos. He also spent two decades working on large cattle and buffalo properties in the Northern Territory before moving to Sydney where he now lives in one of Sydney's oldest houses in the Rocks. He has continued to follow his joint passions working with animals, wildlife conservation and writing stories.
Books are published as ebooks by major ebook publishers. Some books are also available in print online and through selected local bookshops.
He has completed and published twelve novels and a memoir.
His most recent novel is 'Mysteries', set in early Sydney about an old house and a mother and child missing for 30 years. His other standalone novel is, 'The Glitter''.
Other novels comprise two series,
1. Old Balmain House Series - 3 books of historic fiction set in early Sydney
2. Crocodile Dreaming Series - 7 books. 5 books (The Visitor, The Victim, The Void, The Vanished and The Invisible) are in the main series which follows English backpacker, Susan, as she travels across remote Australia with a charming outback man. It tells how this idyllic trip becomes a nightmare as she discovers terrifying secrets about this man. It also includes a 2-book Prequel, The Vertigo and The Vortex, which give insights into her travelling companion, Mark.
Graham's family memoir, 'Arnhem's Kaleidoscope Children' tells of his family's life in an aboriginal community the Northern Territory's remote Arnhem Land. It chronicles an idyllic childhood, 50 years of change with aboriginal land rights and discovery or uranium. It also tells of his surviving an attack by a large crocodile and of his work over two decades in the outback of the NT.
Graham's career was first as a veterinarian in a mixed practice treating farm animals and people's pets, before following his love for wildlife through working at a range of Australian Zoos. He also spent two decades working on large cattle and buffalo properties in the Northern Territory before moving to Sydney where he now lives in one of Sydney's oldest houses in the Rocks. He has continued to follow his joint passions working with animals, wildlife conservation and writing stories.
Books are published as ebooks by major ebook publishers. Some books are also available in print online and through selected local bookshops.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 8, 2020
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
I felt this was a transitional novel, almost a placeholder. There is some nice descriptions of isolation here, but not as strong as the other books.
I felt this was a transitional novel, almost a placeholder. There is some nice descriptions of isolation here, but not as strong as the other books.
August 16, 2018
This is my latest book in the Crocodile Spirit Dreaming Series. Like the character Vic in this book I have flown over the Fitzmaurice River, seen the massive running ten metre tides and marvelled at the incredible remoteness of this place. It is not somewhere I would choose to be lost and have to find my way out of.
The other main character of this book, Susan in an English backpacker, who travel to visit outback Australia in the first book of the Series "Just Visiting" The idea for her came from the two decades I spent working in this place and travelling widely, giving rides to backpackers, including single females on several occasions. Many of these people were lovely and very trusting and in my case I only enjoyed their companionship for short periods of up to a few days. However I gained a sense of their naivety and lack of understanding of this hostile environment.
During this time I read occasional horror stories of what happened to these trusting people - the Ivan Milat victims or someone like Joanna Lees, and while my story is not about or directly based on any of these people it gave me a sense of how this happy and carefree holiday existence could suddenly go terribly wrong. This idea has become these books, and I have used my own many years of living and working in the NT to give the books an authentic background.
Most people who have read these books on various sites give them a four or five star rating with an occasional three. Hence I have picked a conservative rating of four stars based on what others have told me. You be the judge and particularly tell me if I am too generous.
My personal favourite book of this series thus far is this one, followed by Just Visiting and then the Diary third, but many other readers tell me The Diary is there favourite. It does not matter which you like best. I just hope you get some enjoyment from them all. I am now working on the next two which conclude the series now and hope they will be even better, currently I am really enjoying writing some key chapters of the final book - Sunlit Shadow Dance.
The other main character of this book, Susan in an English backpacker, who travel to visit outback Australia in the first book of the Series "Just Visiting" The idea for her came from the two decades I spent working in this place and travelling widely, giving rides to backpackers, including single females on several occasions. Many of these people were lovely and very trusting and in my case I only enjoyed their companionship for short periods of up to a few days. However I gained a sense of their naivety and lack of understanding of this hostile environment.
During this time I read occasional horror stories of what happened to these trusting people - the Ivan Milat victims or someone like Joanna Lees, and while my story is not about or directly based on any of these people it gave me a sense of how this happy and carefree holiday existence could suddenly go terribly wrong. This idea has become these books, and I have used my own many years of living and working in the NT to give the books an authentic background.
Most people who have read these books on various sites give them a four or five star rating with an occasional three. Hence I have picked a conservative rating of four stars based on what others have told me. You be the judge and particularly tell me if I am too generous.
My personal favourite book of this series thus far is this one, followed by Just Visiting and then the Diary third, but many other readers tell me The Diary is there favourite. It does not matter which you like best. I just hope you get some enjoyment from them all. I am now working on the next two which conclude the series now and hope they will be even better, currently I am really enjoying writing some key chapters of the final book - Sunlit Shadow Dance.
March 16, 2019
So far this is my least favorite of the series. I'm getting a bit frustrated about Susan's attitude and how she insist on keeping things about Marc a secret. What I really enjoyed was Vi's story. This is a very complex story, which makes it interesting.
November 4, 2015
Unfortunately this was my least favourite book of the series. After a high point in the first novel and a brief high point in book 2 with the relationship between Susuan and David this novel sort of drags and is largely anticlimatic.
The author has drawn the character of Susan as a very complex and mutlidimensional one. She is not the flighty girl we met in the first novel she is a deep thinker who has a remarkable ability to see inside people and manipulate them and I find her insistence on taking her secret about Mark to the grave for her children's benefit a little extreme.
I enjoyed the story of Vic in the novel and how he was able to fulfil his bargain with Mark. The record of his journey was fascinating - real Bear Grylls stuff.
Now that I have books 4 and 5 I am lookiing forward to seeing how the story really ends.
The author has drawn the character of Susan as a very complex and mutlidimensional one. She is not the flighty girl we met in the first novel she is a deep thinker who has a remarkable ability to see inside people and manipulate them and I find her insistence on taking her secret about Mark to the grave for her children's benefit a little extreme.
I enjoyed the story of Vic in the novel and how he was able to fulfil his bargain with Mark. The record of his journey was fascinating - real Bear Grylls stuff.
Now that I have books 4 and 5 I am lookiing forward to seeing how the story really ends.
July 13, 2017
The Empty Place is a short story following on from Parts 1 & 2 of a 5 part series. In this book, the main character Susan is in prison for the murder of her boyfriend Mark. Despite pleading guilty, Susan offers no defence for committing the murder although it is quite apparent that she is hiding a secret which could absolve her from the crime. One has to question the credibility of Susan's decision to take this secret to her grave especially as she is pregnant.
Alan, a police office and his wife Sandy are determined to obtain the evidence that will prove that Susan is innocent or at least acted in self defence. The one person who could help them is Mark's best friend Vic who is "missing" after parts of his helicopter are found. Miraculously, Vic has survived and spends 76 days walking with a broken leg until he finally reaches a cabin where he is able to make contact with Alan. By coincidence, it happens to be the day Susan's sentence is to be determined and as Vic holds evidence that could get Susan released from jail, Alan drives Vic to court with the evidence that will secure Susan's freedom. It's all a bit far fetched but leads on nicely to the fourth instalment of this series.
Alan, a police office and his wife Sandy are determined to obtain the evidence that will prove that Susan is innocent or at least acted in self defence. The one person who could help them is Mark's best friend Vic who is "missing" after parts of his helicopter are found. Miraculously, Vic has survived and spends 76 days walking with a broken leg until he finally reaches a cabin where he is able to make contact with Alan. By coincidence, it happens to be the day Susan's sentence is to be determined and as Vic holds evidence that could get Susan released from jail, Alan drives Vic to court with the evidence that will secure Susan's freedom. It's all a bit far fetched but leads on nicely to the fourth instalment of this series.
March 24, 2019
This is an emotionally and morally challenging novel where we find former tourist backpacker, Susan, not only pregnant, but extradited back to Australia to stand trial for the murder of Mark. The Prosecutor/Police cases have a few holes, yet Susan not only doesn’t seem to want to help her chances, it appears she may be trying to sabotage her case. But why?
“The Empty Place,” is a perfect title for Book 3 in Graham Wilson’s Australian Murder Mystery “Crocodile Spirit Dreaming Series. References to an “Empty Place” are mentioned by several characters throughout this story, whether it was an actual physical location or states of being/mind. Wilson used the “Empty Place” metaphor beautifully each time to convey the desolation, despair and void in the soul of each character.
“The Empty Place,” is a perfect title for Book 3 in Graham Wilson’s Australian Murder Mystery “Crocodile Spirit Dreaming Series. References to an “Empty Place” are mentioned by several characters throughout this story, whether it was an actual physical location or states of being/mind. Wilson used the “Empty Place” metaphor beautifully each time to convey the desolation, despair and void in the soul of each character.
July 15, 2017
This is the 3rd book in the series and I have mix feelings on my rating. There are parts that are better than others. There are sections where the dialog seems to go on and makes it hard to stay focus on the story. One area is the recap of book 1 and 2. I understand the need for this as an author in case someone hasn't read the first 2 books. I felt like Susan's character did a 360 and she was no longer the sweet girl from book 1 & 2. Maybe this is to show what jail, killing someone, or being under the Crocodile Spirit can do to someone. I did enjoy knowing what happened to Vic. I enjoyed the connections of Alan and Sandy to determine Susan's secret.
November 2, 2018
A bit of everything
This book in the series has a bit of everything...detective story, jailhouse and court story and survival story. I believe you must read each book in the series to fully understand what's going on. The first book is the love story with a bad ending. The second book is about solving a crime and this third one is about "what comes next". I will have to read the next book to find out more.
Won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.
This book in the series has a bit of everything...detective story, jailhouse and court story and survival story. I believe you must read each book in the series to fully understand what's going on. The first book is the love story with a bad ending. The second book is about solving a crime and this third one is about "what comes next". I will have to read the next book to find out more.
Won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.
November 26, 2019
The storyline in Crocodile Dreaming keeps getting better and better. I really enjoy the way the author uses his descriptive writing style to help the reader visualize what they are reading. In this book, the author writes about some the aboriginal fork lore and how the characters feel it is helping them free Susan both mentally and physically. Just when I think I know what is going to happen, I’m wrong. I’m really looking forward to reading book four.
April 7, 2023
Love this book.
It was heartbreaking and full of compassion for a girl most had only met once.
This series is captivating and I will be so sorry when I have read all 7 books.
It was heartbreaking and full of compassion for a girl most had only met once.
This series is captivating and I will be so sorry when I have read all 7 books.
April 5, 2018
I voluntarily submitted this review after reading an advanced copy of this series.
Susan holds to her story, acknowledging that she was guilty of Mark's death, but adding nothing to this statement, if she could. The continued support of friends and family, helped her, although the prolonged time spent in isolation was not helping her sanity. Mark's death information was slow in getting out to his friends, a couple followed up by seeing Susan. Vic, the helicopter pilot was one, and it was to him Susan entrusts something that may have helped her. However, fate steps in, and that spark of hope is killed off.
I won’t give away any further information, but can only suggest you read this fantastic series for yourself.
Susan holds to her story, acknowledging that she was guilty of Mark's death, but adding nothing to this statement, if she could. The continued support of friends and family, helped her, although the prolonged time spent in isolation was not helping her sanity. Mark's death information was slow in getting out to his friends, a couple followed up by seeing Susan. Vic, the helicopter pilot was one, and it was to him Susan entrusts something that may have helped her. However, fate steps in, and that spark of hope is killed off.
I won’t give away any further information, but can only suggest you read this fantastic series for yourself.
July 16, 2019
Another great read in the series. I am totally hooked on this series and cant wait to work my way through all of the books. This is another gift from Graham Wilson and is just as gripping a read as the first two in the series.
May 11, 2022
The saga continues as the search for truth and justice are sought by many sources. These sources have to outsmart an unexpected opponent in their journey to discover who is the man behind the crocodile really was.
October 18, 2016
Book centers on the Australian outback. It is a mixture of love and crime and survival and folklore.
October 6, 2018
Excellent third installment. The pace is perfect and the twists and turns keep you invested in the story. Eager to get into the last two installments of Susan's journey.
Read
May 18, 2019These books are compelling. I've already started #4.
October 5, 2020
A well written continuation of the murder of a man by the woman carrying their baby.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews