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Lucy Hush series #1
Small Town Nightmare
A young drifter is in deep trouble, his sister is his only hope...
Lucy’s younger brother has gone missing. When she sets out to find him, the trail takes her to Night Town. It’s a rural backwater deep in the forests of south western Australia.
Lucy tries to enlist the help of the local police, but she is met with hostility. She befriends a man who might help her cause. Yet he is not quite who he says he is.
As the locals begin to resent her presence in the town, danger quickly mounts. The town has secrets and they seem to centre on the enigmatic Samuel Nightmesser, its wealthy benefactor.
What connects her missing brother to this grim boondock? And why do the townsfolk want rid of Lucy?
As the story unfolds we are immersed in a creepy, claustrophobic drama in which everything is at stake. If you like books with a strong female lead that keep you on the edge of your seat, you’ve found your next favourite read.
Lucy’s younger brother has gone missing. When she sets out to find him, the trail takes her to Night Town. It’s a rural backwater deep in the forests of south western Australia.
Lucy tries to enlist the help of the local police, but she is met with hostility. She befriends a man who might help her cause. Yet he is not quite who he says he is.
As the locals begin to resent her presence in the town, danger quickly mounts. The town has secrets and they seem to centre on the enigmatic Samuel Nightmesser, its wealthy benefactor.
What connects her missing brother to this grim boondock? And why do the townsfolk want rid of Lucy?
As the story unfolds we are immersed in a creepy, claustrophobic drama in which everything is at stake. If you like books with a strong female lead that keep you on the edge of your seat, you’ve found your next favourite read.
231 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2018
1097 people are currently reading
603 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
November 23, 2021
Lucy Hush is in Night Town, a small town near Busselton in Western Australia. She’s looking for her younger brother Tim. He’d become a bit of a loner, struggling since the death of their parents twelve years ago on Lucy’s twenty first birthday. But no matter where he was, he always made his way home for Lucy’s birthday so they could be together on that day. Except this year he didn’t show up, despite texting her from Night Town three days before that he was on his way.
In night town Lucy meets up with Damon, also searching for a missing young man. People in the run down town are not very friendly and Lucy can feel that something is very wrong with the town or the wealthy man who owns most of it. But she’s determined not to leave without finding out what happened to Tim and digs in with Damon to investigate.
This is a very chilling mystery with some sinister characters. The tension builds slowly as Lucy and Damon search out the evil festering at the heart of the little town. An excellent start to this series of thrillers featuring Lucy Hush.
In night town Lucy meets up with Damon, also searching for a missing young man. People in the run down town are not very friendly and Lucy can feel that something is very wrong with the town or the wealthy man who owns most of it. But she’s determined not to leave without finding out what happened to Tim and digs in with Damon to investigate.
This is a very chilling mystery with some sinister characters. The tension builds slowly as Lucy and Damon search out the evil festering at the heart of the little town. An excellent start to this series of thrillers featuring Lucy Hush.
May 28, 2019
Small Town Nightmare, first in the Lucy Hush series by Aussie author Anna Willett was exceptional! Gritty, intense, breathtaking – I’ve discovered a new Aussie author (which is a cause for celebration) in a genre I thoroughly enjoy. And she has more 😊
Lucy’s younger brother hadn’t returned home for her birthday and that in itself was cause for alarm. Tim had lost himself a little after the death of their parents, but he always returned from wherever he was for her birthday. She’d received a text from him three days before, so she knew he was would be there. But his absence caused Lucy’s heart to worry. Heading to Tim’s last known destination of Night Town in Western Australia was the start of a nightmare journey which tested all the strength and courage Lucy held inside.
The animosity that vibrated from the locals in the small town sent shudders down her spine. But Lucy wasn’t a quitter. Someone had to have seen Tim; the police weren’t interested either. What was going on in Night Town? The secrets were creepy, the silence ominous. What would happen? Would Lucy ever see Tim again?
Lucy’s strength of character was wonderful – I was cheering her on and gasping as things went wrong. Small Town Nightmare is an excellent start to a new series, and one I highly recommend.
Lucy’s younger brother hadn’t returned home for her birthday and that in itself was cause for alarm. Tim had lost himself a little after the death of their parents, but he always returned from wherever he was for her birthday. She’d received a text from him three days before, so she knew he was would be there. But his absence caused Lucy’s heart to worry. Heading to Tim’s last known destination of Night Town in Western Australia was the start of a nightmare journey which tested all the strength and courage Lucy held inside.
The animosity that vibrated from the locals in the small town sent shudders down her spine. But Lucy wasn’t a quitter. Someone had to have seen Tim; the police weren’t interested either. What was going on in Night Town? The secrets were creepy, the silence ominous. What would happen? Would Lucy ever see Tim again?
Lucy’s strength of character was wonderful – I was cheering her on and gasping as things went wrong. Small Town Nightmare is an excellent start to a new series, and one I highly recommend.
January 24, 2025
Small Town Nightmare is the first book in the Lucy Hush series and what a fabulous start to the series. The intensity in this book had me fully invested in the story, and I couldn’t wait to find out how it would end. Aussie author Anna Willett is an author I’m familiar with as I’ve read a few of her books now, and I’ve enjoyed all of them including this one. If you are looking for a new series, then I highly recommend you add this one to your list as it’s well worth the read.
February 9, 2021
This was a mysterious and suspenseful story!
A small backstory:
Lucy hasn't heard from her brother (Tim) in a few days and she is worried that something has happened to him. The last time she talked to him, Tim had given her a location of where he was camped out.
So Lucy heads that way to find out what she can learn of his disappearance in the last town where he had been. Along on her journey she comes across a man (Damon) that is also looking for someone that has disappeared in that same area.
The town where Tim was last seen does not want to cooperate with her on if they had seen her brother or not plus the local sheriff's department isn't much help either. Everyone in town seems hostile and Lucy doesn't understand why she cannot seem to find out any information about her brother. Something is just not right about the town and Lucy with the help of Damon try to delve into the mystery of what the town is hiding.
Thoughts:
This was a fast paced suspenseful story that just kept me entranced from the first chapter as when the character Tim disappeared the story just takes off. I was kept in suspense mode till later in the book when things started coming together about what is transpiring in the town and why no one wants to help out Lucy.
Even then when some things are revealed there is still an air of mystery as the plot thickens which kept me turning the pages a little faster as I wanted to see what was going to happen next. Giving this book five "mysterious" stars.
A small backstory:
Lucy hasn't heard from her brother (Tim) in a few days and she is worried that something has happened to him. The last time she talked to him, Tim had given her a location of where he was camped out.
So Lucy heads that way to find out what she can learn of his disappearance in the last town where he had been. Along on her journey she comes across a man (Damon) that is also looking for someone that has disappeared in that same area.
The town where Tim was last seen does not want to cooperate with her on if they had seen her brother or not plus the local sheriff's department isn't much help either. Everyone in town seems hostile and Lucy doesn't understand why she cannot seem to find out any information about her brother. Something is just not right about the town and Lucy with the help of Damon try to delve into the mystery of what the town is hiding.
Thoughts:
This was a fast paced suspenseful story that just kept me entranced from the first chapter as when the character Tim disappeared the story just takes off. I was kept in suspense mode till later in the book when things started coming together about what is transpiring in the town and why no one wants to help out Lucy.
Even then when some things are revealed there is still an air of mystery as the plot thickens which kept me turning the pages a little faster as I wanted to see what was going to happen next. Giving this book five "mysterious" stars.
September 25, 2025
This is my first read of this author's books and, if this is anything to go by, I'm glad that I've got another couple downloaded and ready to read! A gripping tale as reporter Lucy Hush travels to a small Western Australian town in search of her missing brother - and stumbles on a town of secrets where no-one will tell her anything and she feels very much under threat. Fortunately she meets up with a private detective who is looking for another missing young man, who also disappeared having last been seen in the town. 8.5/10.
February 18, 2020
I didn’t know this was book one in the series, I don’t care for series as a format, but the author I kind of like. She frequently posts kindle freebies and I was able to grab and enjoy a bunch of them, usually short thrillers set in Australia. Some have been more fun than others, this one was sort of in the middle. Lucy, the intrepid protagonist, journalist by training, comes to small creepily named Night Town to look for her disappeared drifter brother Tim. The locals are cagey and unfriendly, but she almost immediately manages to team up with a handsome mystery man investigating a similar disappearance of his army friend and both of them start making waves and lifting the rugs to see what dirt has been swept up under there…or use your own metaphor of choice. It’s a fairly straight forward suspense thriller scenario, not too twisted, not too challenging. Few kind of sort of surprises here and there, nothing to blow your mind, but just enough to entertain it. The characters are likeable and the entire thing is just fun, somewhat on the mindless side of fun, but still. The author has a very easy reading quality to all of her books, but they are usually a nice diversion and quality wise above and beyond what you’d normally find among Kindle freebies. My favorite one of her books is Backwoods Ripper, but this might also be a good place to start for new readers. Australia settings help too, slightly exotic on occasion.
October 17, 2018
Another super novel by Anna Willett. Anna is able to write characters who really do live on the page. Because of this you care about them, about how they feel and what they suffer. You really care about whether they are able to triumph in the face of disaster - and she certainly ratcheted up the danger and tension in the latter stages of this book. Do they triumph - Well that would be telling and there are bad bad people at work here and real life isn't all about rainbows and butterflies.
There are quite a number of topics touched on in this novel which makes the narrative multilayered and intriguing. The scene setting is very good and the ending is satisfying but realistic.
I enjoyed this and read it in two days.
There are quite a number of topics touched on in this novel which makes the narrative multilayered and intriguing. The scene setting is very good and the ending is satisfying but realistic.
I enjoyed this and read it in two days.
November 27, 2018
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
When your younger brother, the one you spent a few years raising yourself after your parents' death, goes missing -- you throw caution to the wind to go find him. Especially if you're a gutsy crime reporter like Lucy. She heads of into a part of the country she's not familiar with, into a town she'd never heard of, to find out what happened to her brother in the week since she'd heard from him last. Along the way, she comes across a helpful stranger -- a drifter of sorts, like her brother -- who is willing to lend a hand to the search. Lucy doesn't care (much) why he's willing to help, she's just glad someone is taking her seriously.
When she gets to Night Town (such a friendly, welcoming name, isn't it?), she's met with general apathy toward her plight -- and maybe a trace of antagonism. It's tough to say why people are so resistant to helping her -- maybe because she's a stranger, maybe they don't like drifters, Lucy could come up with a dozen reasons, but that wouldn't change things. None of the local residents seem inclined to help. It's a good thing she's found Damon. One of the men at the local police station seems indifferent (at best) to her problem, but the Senior Sergeant is eager to take a report and do what he can to find her brother.
Now, as is the norm for small fictional towns that outsiders find trouble in, there's one family that owns about half the town, and employs the other half. Samuel Nightmesser is the only living representative of that family at the moment, so Lucy and Damon look into him (lacking any other ideas, hoping they'll come to them), while Senior Sergent Day investigates in a more official capacity. We don't see much of the official investigation, but it's reassuring to know that not everyone in town is necessarily in Nightmesser's pocket.
It soon becomes evident that there's more afoot than a missing drifter, and that someone in town is prepared and willing to take steps to dissuade Lucy from turning over any more rocks to see what's underneath. The reader knows a bit more than Lucy, and learns pretty quickly that there's more to some of the people in her life than meets the eye. From there, it's just a matter of Lucy and her associates putting the pieces together, uncovering all that's afoot and trying to survive -- and maybe help her brother to survive, too.
It didn't take me long to write in my notes that "this is going to get creepy soon." It did. I also noted "this is going to have an ugly end." It did, and not necessarily in the way I expected. I also guessed right about a couple of identities. I think most readers will guess these things around the same point I did. Doing this doesn't make any of the reveals or the novel less effective. If anything, it helped build the tension, because you were waiting for particular shoes to fall. I should also add, that there were at least three reveals and twists that I didn't see coming, and one of them took me completely by surprise.
The morbid and creepifying elements of this book are really well done -- I'd have liked to seen a bit more of them, honestly (and I don't typically need a lot of that -- but it would've helped, I think). Willet has a gift for using that kind of thing to reveal character, not just to advance the plot. I should probably note there's at least one sentence toward the end of the novel that you should probably not be eating anything while you read. Just a friendly tip -- set aside your snacks during the last 20 percent of the book.
The action is fast, the book grabs your attention and keeps it throughout -- there's not a lull in the action and there's nothing dull within a mile of the text. It's a quick read (perhaps, too quick) and one that'll keep you entertained.
I want to stress that I enjoyed Small Town Nightmare, and my guess is that I'm not alone in this. However, it felt rushed. It felt undercooked. If things -- details, tension, mystery, relationships, etc. -- had been given a little more time to develop and grow; if threads hadn't been left dangling (or had been cut entirely); if motivations were clearer; I can easily see myself excited about recommending it. But, I can't do that -- I can recommend it, and I do think most of my readers will like it. I'm just not over the moon about it.
---
My thanks to damppebbles blog tours for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided, which did not influence my opinion, merely gave me something upon which to opine.
---
She wondered how much she should reveal. Her history was painful, and rehashing it for a stranger wouldn’t really help.
“It’s complicated, but I know he wouldn’t not show.”“Not unless something stopped him?” Damon asked, finishing her thought.
“Something or someone.” As she spoke, they rounded a bend and the road tapered downwards. In the distance she could see a cluster of buildings dotted with patches of open fields and circled by forests. Night Town. The sight of it sent a ripple of gooseflesh running up her arms.
“You think he’s down there somewhere?” Damon had turned in his seat and was studying her as if searching her reaction.
“It’s the last place he mentioned before disappearing.” She gripped the wheel tighter. “If he’s there, I intend to find him.”
When your younger brother, the one you spent a few years raising yourself after your parents' death, goes missing -- you throw caution to the wind to go find him. Especially if you're a gutsy crime reporter like Lucy. She heads of into a part of the country she's not familiar with, into a town she'd never heard of, to find out what happened to her brother in the week since she'd heard from him last. Along the way, she comes across a helpful stranger -- a drifter of sorts, like her brother -- who is willing to lend a hand to the search. Lucy doesn't care (much) why he's willing to help, she's just glad someone is taking her seriously.
When she gets to Night Town (such a friendly, welcoming name, isn't it?), she's met with general apathy toward her plight -- and maybe a trace of antagonism. It's tough to say why people are so resistant to helping her -- maybe because she's a stranger, maybe they don't like drifters, Lucy could come up with a dozen reasons, but that wouldn't change things. None of the local residents seem inclined to help. It's a good thing she's found Damon. One of the men at the local police station seems indifferent (at best) to her problem, but the Senior Sergeant is eager to take a report and do what he can to find her brother.
Now, as is the norm for small fictional towns that outsiders find trouble in, there's one family that owns about half the town, and employs the other half. Samuel Nightmesser is the only living representative of that family at the moment, so Lucy and Damon look into him (lacking any other ideas, hoping they'll come to them), while Senior Sergent Day investigates in a more official capacity. We don't see much of the official investigation, but it's reassuring to know that not everyone in town is necessarily in Nightmesser's pocket.
It soon becomes evident that there's more afoot than a missing drifter, and that someone in town is prepared and willing to take steps to dissuade Lucy from turning over any more rocks to see what's underneath. The reader knows a bit more than Lucy, and learns pretty quickly that there's more to some of the people in her life than meets the eye. From there, it's just a matter of Lucy and her associates putting the pieces together, uncovering all that's afoot and trying to survive -- and maybe help her brother to survive, too.
It didn't take me long to write in my notes that "this is going to get creepy soon." It did. I also noted "this is going to have an ugly end." It did, and not necessarily in the way I expected. I also guessed right about a couple of identities. I think most readers will guess these things around the same point I did. Doing this doesn't make any of the reveals or the novel less effective. If anything, it helped build the tension, because you were waiting for particular shoes to fall. I should also add, that there were at least three reveals and twists that I didn't see coming, and one of them took me completely by surprise.
The morbid and creepifying elements of this book are really well done -- I'd have liked to seen a bit more of them, honestly (and I don't typically need a lot of that -- but it would've helped, I think). Willet has a gift for using that kind of thing to reveal character, not just to advance the plot. I should probably note there's at least one sentence toward the end of the novel that you should probably not be eating anything while you read. Just a friendly tip -- set aside your snacks during the last 20 percent of the book.
The action is fast, the book grabs your attention and keeps it throughout -- there's not a lull in the action and there's nothing dull within a mile of the text. It's a quick read (perhaps, too quick) and one that'll keep you entertained.
I want to stress that I enjoyed Small Town Nightmare, and my guess is that I'm not alone in this. However, it felt rushed. It felt undercooked. If things -- details, tension, mystery, relationships, etc. -- had been given a little more time to develop and grow; if threads hadn't been left dangling (or had been cut entirely); if motivations were clearer; I can easily see myself excited about recommending it. But, I can't do that -- I can recommend it, and I do think most of my readers will like it. I'm just not over the moon about it.
---
My thanks to damppebbles blog tours for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided, which did not influence my opinion, merely gave me something upon which to opine.
May 16, 2023
Edge of my seat
I can't right too much cause it'll spoil it but.......I KNEW IT!!!! Loved the way this book was written. Just perfect
I can't right too much cause it'll spoil it but.......I KNEW IT!!!! Loved the way this book was written. Just perfect
November 27, 2018
As with any good book that fits into the ‘thriller’ category there is a good twist at the end! I won’t say more than that as I don’t want to ruin any surprises but it’s worth reading on for. I really enjoyed this book, it encompasses a well thought out, well written plot with likeable characters and a good ending.
December 31, 2018
This book was a wild ride for me. I felt it had lots of twists and turns and suspense. I had to put it down a few times, hehe. (I read romance typically for a reason.) I found the ending to be a bit surprising. Very easy and enjoyable.
June 16, 2023
It took a little bit for the story to gather momentum, so the second half was better than the first. Crime reporter Lucy is searching for her missing brother and she encounters Damon who is also looking for a missing friend. Their chance meeting was too coincidental, and it set up an awkward romantic subplot that would have been better left out. Who focuses on their attraction to someone when their brother is missing?
The crime part of the book was more interesting, a combination of weird and creepy. Everything is not quite resolved in the end, but this is a series, so maybe that happens in book two.
The crime part of the book was more interesting, a combination of weird and creepy. Everything is not quite resolved in the end, but this is a series, so maybe that happens in book two.
August 3, 2020
Very good
Plenty of suspense, let out in proper dribbles. Nicely twisted plot, about twisted people. The absence of typos and syntax errors was refreshing (only one misuse of a word near the end, "sight" should have been "site," referring to the place of the head injury). The slow development of the friendship between Lucy and Damon also was refreshing. Would enjoy more by this author.
Plenty of suspense, let out in proper dribbles. Nicely twisted plot, about twisted people. The absence of typos and syntax errors was refreshing (only one misuse of a word near the end, "sight" should have been "site," referring to the place of the head injury). The slow development of the friendship between Lucy and Damon also was refreshing. Would enjoy more by this author.
October 14, 2018
Excellent
December 15, 2019
Another good read, will read the others, not sure why she likes the word bitumen so much though!
February 19, 2020
Engaging thriller. Love that it's set in Aussie.
February 12, 2022
I really loved this book. It was exciting and well written and had really good, likeable, main characters. I also liked the way she wrote about small town Australia. I will read more by this author.
September 19, 2020
This was difficult to put down, but I can't find it in my heart to give it five stars. The action picked up from the first page, and very quickly grabbed my attention. The characters all seemed a little too two dimensional to me, I'm hoping that changes in a longer form. The plot twists were all unexpected, with the climax coming as a sharp shock. I would preferred a tiny bit more resolution, but I'll have to read more in this series.
September 14, 2020
Absolutely loved this book
August 19, 2020
This book has a lot of twists and turns that keep you interested. It's a good read.
August 20, 2020
Small town nightmare
A missing brother and a stranger and a creepy little town. Then it gets worse with a nasty police officer.
A missing brother and a stranger and a creepy little town. Then it gets worse with a nasty police officer.
September 10, 2020
Enjoyed this read, although found it somewhat predictable due to desire not to kill off main characters.
November 27, 2018
Well, this book does exactly what it says on the tin! The story of Lucy who is looking for her missing drifter brother in a tiny, remote rural town in Western Australia and finds a horror more awful than she could have anticipated. The book was gripping from the opening pages to the end and kept up the suspense all the way through and anyone picking up the book because of the title will not be disappointed. The author really brought the environment and setting to life and I particularly enjoyed this aspect of the book, as it is not a place I have read much about, but is a harsh and barren land very fitting to the story.
The author has set the book in a town where community are close-knit and suspicious of outsiders and, as the story is kept largely within its confines, we feel intimately the constrictions of the setting which gives an intense sense of claustrophobia to the story and heightens the tension to almost unbearable levels, particularly towards the end of the book. There were plenty of moments which had my nerves jangling and would be ‘peeping from behind a cushion’ scenes if this were a TV drama.
The book was well-plotted and had a surprising narrative, one which some people might find disturbing as parts of it involve fairly graphic examples of torture and violence. There is a theme of sadism and disturbed mentality in the book that will not suit everyone but makes for a compelling story for the reader. Lucy is a strong protagonist, which is always a pleasure in a book, although I did find her very reckless and naive to a degree that didn’t quite ring true for an investigative journalist if you really stop to examine it closely, so it requires a suspension of disbelief. Quite why she trusted one particular person so quickly and readily, given the circumstances, was the main sticking point for me.
The one other issue I had with the book was that I felt there were couple of loose ends which were adequately explained for me which left the book slightly hanging. I one way, the ending was great and exactly right and the motives of the main antagonist were clear but there were some developments at the end which happened rapidly and weren’t fully fleshed out and left me guessing. This may have been deliberate but it left me feeling faintly dissatisfied with that particular thread. It is hard to say more without giving away the plot so I apologise if this doesn’t make too much sense. You’d better read the book yourselves and then come back and tell me if you know what I mean and whether or not you agree!
This book is quite a quick read, but packs a lot of punch into the pages and definitely is one I would recommend. It was tense, disturbing and gripping thriller set in an environment not much written about and the author really captured a sense of menace and insularity in the pages. A worthwhile read.
The author has set the book in a town where community are close-knit and suspicious of outsiders and, as the story is kept largely within its confines, we feel intimately the constrictions of the setting which gives an intense sense of claustrophobia to the story and heightens the tension to almost unbearable levels, particularly towards the end of the book. There were plenty of moments which had my nerves jangling and would be ‘peeping from behind a cushion’ scenes if this were a TV drama.
The book was well-plotted and had a surprising narrative, one which some people might find disturbing as parts of it involve fairly graphic examples of torture and violence. There is a theme of sadism and disturbed mentality in the book that will not suit everyone but makes for a compelling story for the reader. Lucy is a strong protagonist, which is always a pleasure in a book, although I did find her very reckless and naive to a degree that didn’t quite ring true for an investigative journalist if you really stop to examine it closely, so it requires a suspension of disbelief. Quite why she trusted one particular person so quickly and readily, given the circumstances, was the main sticking point for me.
The one other issue I had with the book was that I felt there were couple of loose ends which were adequately explained for me which left the book slightly hanging. I one way, the ending was great and exactly right and the motives of the main antagonist were clear but there were some developments at the end which happened rapidly and weren’t fully fleshed out and left me guessing. This may have been deliberate but it left me feeling faintly dissatisfied with that particular thread. It is hard to say more without giving away the plot so I apologise if this doesn’t make too much sense. You’d better read the book yourselves and then come back and tell me if you know what I mean and whether or not you agree!
This book is quite a quick read, but packs a lot of punch into the pages and definitely is one I would recommend. It was tense, disturbing and gripping thriller set in an environment not much written about and the author really captured a sense of menace and insularity in the pages. A worthwhile read.
August 14, 2020
Suspense thriller.
The book left so many clues, but the constant twists only confuses you. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a new twist pops up. I loved the book and recommend it to all mystery lovers.
The book left so many clues, but the constant twists only confuses you. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a new twist pops up. I loved the book and recommend it to all mystery lovers.
November 21, 2018
I read SMALL TOWN NIGHTMARE in one evening, not only because the novel is not that long, but especially because I was completely engrossed. The author’s clear and flowing writing style kept me glued to the pages and I loved the well-crafted plot and the engaging characters.
Lucy is a journalist and she is looking for her brother Tim. Tim is a drifter, moving from place to place, but he would have never missed Lucy’s birthday a few days earlier, so when the police is no help, Lucy jumps into her car and drives to the last place he was seen, Night Town, a rural community in South Western Australia. As the local people seem to be hiding something, Lucy turns to Damon for help in finding Tim. Damon claims to be a drifter as well, but he seems to know much more than he is letting on.
I liked the character of Lucy. She lost her parents when she was young so she’s always been overprotective of her brother. She is brave and strong and determined. As a journalist, she is not afraid to investigate and ask questions to find him, even when the situation turns dangerous.
The novel is fast-paced and the tension is always high through the pages because, like Lucy, you feel from the beginning that there is something strange going on in Night Town. The creepy small town atmosphere that never leaves the pages is perfect to give the novel a spooky horror-movie feeling that kept me on edge the entire novel. The novel is twisty, engrossing, and compelling and I was really drawn to the author’s captivating writing. With a claustrophobic setting, a strong female protagonist, and an unpredictable plot, SMALL TOWN NIGHTMARE is a thriller I highly recommend and I’d like to thank Emma Welton for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.
Lucy is a journalist and she is looking for her brother Tim. Tim is a drifter, moving from place to place, but he would have never missed Lucy’s birthday a few days earlier, so when the police is no help, Lucy jumps into her car and drives to the last place he was seen, Night Town, a rural community in South Western Australia. As the local people seem to be hiding something, Lucy turns to Damon for help in finding Tim. Damon claims to be a drifter as well, but he seems to know much more than he is letting on.
I liked the character of Lucy. She lost her parents when she was young so she’s always been overprotective of her brother. She is brave and strong and determined. As a journalist, she is not afraid to investigate and ask questions to find him, even when the situation turns dangerous.
The novel is fast-paced and the tension is always high through the pages because, like Lucy, you feel from the beginning that there is something strange going on in Night Town. The creepy small town atmosphere that never leaves the pages is perfect to give the novel a spooky horror-movie feeling that kept me on edge the entire novel. The novel is twisty, engrossing, and compelling and I was really drawn to the author’s captivating writing. With a claustrophobic setting, a strong female protagonist, and an unpredictable plot, SMALL TOWN NIGHTMARE is a thriller I highly recommend and I’d like to thank Emma Welton for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.
November 21, 2018
The small town of the title is what drew me to Small Town Nightmare. It all kicks off when Lucy Hush, a journalist, arrives at Night Town, in Western Australia. She's looking for her brother, Tim. He's what you might call a drifter but Lucy knows that Tim would never miss her birthday and that's exactly what's happened, so she goes to try and find out what has happened to him. Along the way she has a chance meeting with Damon, who turns out to be an unexpected ally in her search.
Anna Willett captures the small town mentality very well. The claustrophobia, the feeling of being watched, the whole strangeness of it. The more digging Lucy does, the more the town seems to close ranks and the more suspicious she becomes.
There is a sinister feel to this book. Not just what I've already mentioned, but what has happened to Tim. Then there's Samson Nightmesser, a man who seems to almost own the town, but who is rather odd to say the least.
I enjoyed Lucy and Damon's investigations in this story very much. I wasn't quite so enamoured by the other side of the story, which I can't mention for fear of spoilers, but which involves Tim. Maybe it's because I liked Lucy and Damon as characters so much. She is very strong, very determined, and he seems to be one of the really good guys.
I thought the ending was great, really satisfying and fitting. I found it quite tense and exciting. All in all, this is a well-written suspense novel with many different aspects to it and will appeal to those who enjoy a mystery set in a claustrophobic setting.
Anna Willett captures the small town mentality very well. The claustrophobia, the feeling of being watched, the whole strangeness of it. The more digging Lucy does, the more the town seems to close ranks and the more suspicious she becomes.
There is a sinister feel to this book. Not just what I've already mentioned, but what has happened to Tim. Then there's Samson Nightmesser, a man who seems to almost own the town, but who is rather odd to say the least.
I enjoyed Lucy and Damon's investigations in this story very much. I wasn't quite so enamoured by the other side of the story, which I can't mention for fear of spoilers, but which involves Tim. Maybe it's because I liked Lucy and Damon as characters so much. She is very strong, very determined, and he seems to be one of the really good guys.
I thought the ending was great, really satisfying and fitting. I found it quite tense and exciting. All in all, this is a well-written suspense novel with many different aspects to it and will appeal to those who enjoy a mystery set in a claustrophobic setting.
November 26, 2020
Enjoyable, well-thought-out story. Fast-paced with plenty of suspense.
Recommend to mystery/suspense readers.
Recommend to mystery/suspense readers.
June 19, 2020
A story a substance
Well written. Tough story w some tough characters who find a way to have courage and strength to survive. Enjoyed It was set in Australia, a place I loved when I visited.
Well written. Tough story w some tough characters who find a way to have courage and strength to survive. Enjoyed It was set in Australia, a place I loved when I visited.
February 23, 2020
I enjoyed Anna Willett's writing style very much. The story took a strange turn, which was certainly unexpected. But I feel like there were some unanswered questions at the end - maybe it was just a red herring, but everything in the plot didn't tie up quite as nicely as it could have. Nonetheless, an enjoyable read.
August 29, 2018
Sensational writing from Anna Willett in her latest thriller. Dramatic, sometimes traumatic, and full of heart. Relatable characters, troubled villains, and a plot that keeps you compulsively turning pages.
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