What do you think?
Rate this book
Bloodsucking Bogans
Dingo Flats hasn't been the same since the Murphy family moved back to town. The boys are delinquents, the daughter's a disgrace, and old Granny Murphy is constantly causing trouble. Even the dogs are delinquents. The crime rate's doubled since they arrived.
And what's with all the dead rats that have started appearing on the doorsteps of local businesses? The tabloid thinks it's a plague, but Sam's dad is convinced it's warnings from the Mafia.
Meanwhile, Sam's friends are determined to make her over and marry her off, and she's staring down the barrel of having to give up her police dog pup. What's a cop to do?
And what's with all the dead rats that have started appearing on the doorsteps of local businesses? The tabloid thinks it's a plague, but Sam's dad is convinced it's warnings from the Mafia.
Meanwhile, Sam's friends are determined to make her over and marry her off, and she's staring down the barrel of having to give up her police dog pup. What's a cop to do?
354 pages, Paperback
3 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 29, 2020
A raucous ride through small-town Australia involving strange happenings, best friends with deranged makeover plans, handsome vets, petty criminals, beloved dogs and a wonderfully down to earth protagonist, Sam. I must admit it took me far too long to put it all together but that’s okay, Sam the local police officer is on the case. It’s the kind of read where you can relax and let the story take you on a journey, enjoying all the nuances and often hilarous Australianisms woven throughout the book. I especially loved Sam’s devotion to her dog and her relationship with her dad. Highly recommended.
May 27, 2020
If you have never read any novels by the prolific author Tabitha Ormiston-Smith then look no further and dive in now as you don’t know what you’ve been missing! Tabitha’s books are a delight to read and she never fails to surprise with the diversity of the topics in her stories. Bloodsucking Bogans is an amazing blend of genres and will be enjoyed by all those who love crime fiction, romance and humour. A great book that will keep you smiling from start to finish. Very ‘Aussie’ so also a fun introduction to Australian colloquialisms. Highly recommended.
May 15, 2020
A delightful tale of small town goings-on pitched in a gently beguiling unfolding narrative full of humour and affection for the characters who develop as their personalities and actions are revealed.
The story builds slowly as Policewoman Sam MacNeil quickly reacquaints herself with her home town after a couple of years' posting too far away to get home as regularly as she would like. Her widowered father (Sam's mother died suddenly about 9 years earlier) has retired from bus driving early for heart issues and Sam feels she needs to look after him as well as getting on with her job dealing with low level crims and service to her community. Sam's interaction with her Police colleagues gently informs us of her enthusiasm for the job, even though she is the junior member of the local force; her relationship with her two crazy best friends who try to glam her up to win the heart of the gorgeous new vet in town is not only misguidedly touching but hilarious. She even involves her Dad in helping investigations into the most intriguing mystery, which gets him into a tricky situation.
The local newspaper reports of small-town life at the start of each chapter are a hoot in themselves.
The minor criminal incidents are all typical of a small-town virtual crime-free Beat, and all the clues build slowly to the conclusion with only the surprising "how" as the denouement. The enjoyment of the read is not at all in the actual mystery itself, as the likely outcome is all too plainly signposted to the trader, but the perfectly paced unpeeling of all the circumstantial evidence to get to the plump reward within of the main character's realisation, is a joy to read. I certainly smiled all the way through.
Written in Ozzanglais, google reference to a "strine" dictionary might need resorting to for the odd word, but the colloquialisms add more than just local colour, the just comes over as natural and relaxed. Thoroughly recommended for a sweet, heartwarming and gently amusing read. 5*
The story builds slowly as Policewoman Sam MacNeil quickly reacquaints herself with her home town after a couple of years' posting too far away to get home as regularly as she would like. Her widowered father (Sam's mother died suddenly about 9 years earlier) has retired from bus driving early for heart issues and Sam feels she needs to look after him as well as getting on with her job dealing with low level crims and service to her community. Sam's interaction with her Police colleagues gently informs us of her enthusiasm for the job, even though she is the junior member of the local force; her relationship with her two crazy best friends who try to glam her up to win the heart of the gorgeous new vet in town is not only misguidedly touching but hilarious. She even involves her Dad in helping investigations into the most intriguing mystery, which gets him into a tricky situation.
The local newspaper reports of small-town life at the start of each chapter are a hoot in themselves.
The minor criminal incidents are all typical of a small-town virtual crime-free Beat, and all the clues build slowly to the conclusion with only the surprising "how" as the denouement. The enjoyment of the read is not at all in the actual mystery itself, as the likely outcome is all too plainly signposted to the trader, but the perfectly paced unpeeling of all the circumstantial evidence to get to the plump reward within of the main character's realisation, is a joy to read. I certainly smiled all the way through.
Written in Ozzanglais, google reference to a "strine" dictionary might need resorting to for the odd word, but the colloquialisms add more than just local colour, the just comes over as natural and relaxed. Thoroughly recommended for a sweet, heartwarming and gently amusing read. 5*
June 10, 2020
I received an advance review ebook from the author, and the timing couldn’t have been better. In fraught times of pandemic and protest, what could be better than goofy Australian paranormal chick lit with cute dogs and possible vampires?
Samantha O’Neill is fulfilling her dream of serving on her hometown’s police force. She shares her home with her dad, Reg, and Jack, a German Shepherd puppy being prepared for police dog training. Once she gets her dad interested in solving the puzzle of dead rats mysteriously appearing in front of local businesses, her life is nearly complete. Her two best friends think she needs a man, but as far as Sam is concerned, the only thing she regrets is that she’ll have to give up Jack.
In her professional capacity, Sam ends up dealing with a succession of ever sillier non-violent crimes and other complaints, a surprising number of which involve one or more members of the Murphy family, a cheerfully trashy crowd with some unusual allergies, surprising strength, and no shame. When Sam eventually ties them to the dead rats, even her friends think she’s lost it. They just want to give her a style makeover so she can attract hunky veterinarian Gordon Sommerville. Sam thinks she’s not interested, but is he?
This is a very funny book, fast paced but not rushed. Each chapter opens with a gossipy newspaper article that touches on something Sam ends up dealing with. Side characters are only developed as much as they need to be to propel the story. Likewise the human relationships. This is not a romance. The real love story is between Sam and Jack. Will this cop get her dog? Read it to find out.
Samantha O’Neill is fulfilling her dream of serving on her hometown’s police force. She shares her home with her dad, Reg, and Jack, a German Shepherd puppy being prepared for police dog training. Once she gets her dad interested in solving the puzzle of dead rats mysteriously appearing in front of local businesses, her life is nearly complete. Her two best friends think she needs a man, but as far as Sam is concerned, the only thing she regrets is that she’ll have to give up Jack.
In her professional capacity, Sam ends up dealing with a succession of ever sillier non-violent crimes and other complaints, a surprising number of which involve one or more members of the Murphy family, a cheerfully trashy crowd with some unusual allergies, surprising strength, and no shame. When Sam eventually ties them to the dead rats, even her friends think she’s lost it. They just want to give her a style makeover so she can attract hunky veterinarian Gordon Sommerville. Sam thinks she’s not interested, but is he?
This is a very funny book, fast paced but not rushed. Each chapter opens with a gossipy newspaper article that touches on something Sam ends up dealing with. Side characters are only developed as much as they need to be to propel the story. Likewise the human relationships. This is not a romance. The real love story is between Sam and Jack. Will this cop get her dog? Read it to find out.
August 1, 2020
I love the way Tabitha Ormiston-Smith writes her characters. The stories are always a joy to read and this one is no different. A great read I found hard to put down
August 17, 2020
This book had me at the first chapter and kept me reading until the end! I loved it....mysterious, well develped characters, humour and rats!
Perfect thank you!!!!
Perfect thank you!!!!
May 26, 2020
Blood Sucking Bogans by Tabitha Ormiston-Smith was an excellent read. The story was fast paced and interesting. I didn’t want to put it down. I especially loved the characters Effie and Shannon who were the best friends of the main character Sam O’Neill. Effie and Shannon reminded me of girlfriends I might have in my life who are always trying to help, but their plans are always hair-brained and crazy. The main character Sam O’Neill is a dedicated police woman who finds herself in the middle of a city mystery as she tries to juggle a career and finding her own path to happiness. The story was humorous without being corny and the criminal investigations had a real ring to them that made the whole story come together flawlessly. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story with a little twist. It will definitely make you laugh out loud.
May 29, 2020
Tabatha's clever blend of sophistication and sarcasm is on full display with Bloodsucking Bogans. I loved Sam and I loved Jack from page one and I was really rooting for them. Tabitha is so casually clever with her use of Australian slang that truly brings her world to life. Other authors use Austrailia as a 'strange, foreign land' to give their stories an 'interesting' backdrop with no real understanding what it's truly like. Tabitha uses it as a true down to earth home. Even with vampires, her Australia feels like a true place.
July 29, 2020
Once again, Tabitha Ormiston-Smith delivers a clever, expertly written story about Sam O'Neill, a plain-Jane police officer in a small town in Australia. Dingo Flats is full of colorful characters, including the Murphys, a bottom of the barrel family of misfits and delinquents. I really enjoyed watching Sam solve several related mysteries while juggling life with her retired dad, her dog Jack, and her best friends, who egg her on in their quest to make Sam a bit more presentable. Each chapter starts off with the town's latest news bulletin that will have you rolling with laughter. You'll figure out what's the great mystery plaguing the town before Sam does, but it doesn't matter because you're invested in finding out exactly how the policewoman will handle the truth once it emerges. Invest the time time to read this great book.
November 17, 2024
Immerse yourself into the small town antics, baffling dead rat crimes, and array of characters in this smoothly written tale.
November 30, 2024
Really fun and feel-good story. I went in without expectations but it turn out much more was hiding under the hood than I was expecting!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews