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Blood Sisters
The tiny outback town of Dead Tree Creek is a rough place - and the locals are even rougher - but they've never seen anything like this . . .When a man is found gruesomely murdered in the local pub, all fingers point to the backpackers working behind the bar that night - two American girls who skipped town before the body was discovered.Despite all the evidence against them, rookie cop Tara Harrison knows there must be more to this case than a pair of sorority sisters who couldn't take a joke. She's determined to uncover the truth, and is soon on the trail of a devastating secret that could tear her hometown apart.But sorority sisters Lauren and Beth have their own dark secrets and they've made an oath to take them to the grave - which they will, all too soon, unless Tara can stop it . . .
452 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2021
28 people are currently reading
1697 people want to read
About the author
Cate Quinn
5 books757 followersCate Quinn is a travel and lifestyle journalist for The Times, the Guardian and the Mirror, alongside many magazines. Prior to this, Quinn's background in historic research won prestigious postgraduate funding from the British Art Council. Quinn pooled these resources, combining historical research with first-hand experiences in far-flung places to create critically acclaimed and bestselling historical fiction.
Books by Cate Quinn - Black Widows and Blood Sisters
Books by Cate Quinn - Black Widows and Blood Sisters
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 9, 2022
4+
A pub in the Australian outback in the tough gold mining town of Dead Tree Creek is where American backpackers Lauren Davis and (Darla) Beth Jackson are sent by an agency to work in the bar. Are they lambs to slaughter or are they up to the challenge? A few weeks later miner Paul Hunter is brutally murdered, everyone assumes it’s Lauren and Beth since they’ve skipped town - but are they guilty? Sgt Anderson is in charge of the investigation, assisted by Officer Craig Dooligan and newly arrived probationary officer Tara Harrison who grew up in the area and has things in her past that haunt her. Despite the evidence against them Tara is not entirely convinced these Alpha Sigma Psi sorority sisters are guilty and is on a mission to uncover the truth. It seems these blood sisters have secrets they will take to their graves and perhaps they’re not the only ones. The story is told via multiple perspectives which I’d normally find too much but in this case it works extremely well.
I thoroughly enjoyed the last novel by Cate Quinn and eagerly anticipate this and I’m definitely not disappointed. The plot is really well thought out having a lot of elements to it which keeps you interested throughout. It’s fast paced and builds in intensity then thankfully the author gives you a bit of a breather with a change of point of view. There are several good twists and the odd jaw dropper adding suspense and tension. The sorority element is a good angle too though a bit baffling to a Brit! I love the focus on the Indigenous people in this case the Moodjana people which is a fascinating dimension especially the cultural aspect and the ensuing and understandable tensions with the mining company.
The atmosphere is fantastic, it has it by the truck load or as we’re in the Aussie outback, it has it by the road train load. You feel as if you are there with the sun beating down, with the dry and the dust, you sense the remoteness and definitely the many tensions.
The characterisation is really good, I like Tara and Sgt Anderson who seems gruff but he’s a darned good bloke. One character has me completely fooled - well played Cate Quinn!
Overall, I think this is a really immersive read. The writing flows, it goes much deeper than it initially seems with the situation worsening exponentially and leading to a good ending.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
A pub in the Australian outback in the tough gold mining town of Dead Tree Creek is where American backpackers Lauren Davis and (Darla) Beth Jackson are sent by an agency to work in the bar. Are they lambs to slaughter or are they up to the challenge? A few weeks later miner Paul Hunter is brutally murdered, everyone assumes it’s Lauren and Beth since they’ve skipped town - but are they guilty? Sgt Anderson is in charge of the investigation, assisted by Officer Craig Dooligan and newly arrived probationary officer Tara Harrison who grew up in the area and has things in her past that haunt her. Despite the evidence against them Tara is not entirely convinced these Alpha Sigma Psi sorority sisters are guilty and is on a mission to uncover the truth. It seems these blood sisters have secrets they will take to their graves and perhaps they’re not the only ones. The story is told via multiple perspectives which I’d normally find too much but in this case it works extremely well.
I thoroughly enjoyed the last novel by Cate Quinn and eagerly anticipate this and I’m definitely not disappointed. The plot is really well thought out having a lot of elements to it which keeps you interested throughout. It’s fast paced and builds in intensity then thankfully the author gives you a bit of a breather with a change of point of view. There are several good twists and the odd jaw dropper adding suspense and tension. The sorority element is a good angle too though a bit baffling to a Brit! I love the focus on the Indigenous people in this case the Moodjana people which is a fascinating dimension especially the cultural aspect and the ensuing and understandable tensions with the mining company.
The atmosphere is fantastic, it has it by the truck load or as we’re in the Aussie outback, it has it by the road train load. You feel as if you are there with the sun beating down, with the dry and the dust, you sense the remoteness and definitely the many tensions.
The characterisation is really good, I like Tara and Sgt Anderson who seems gruff but he’s a darned good bloke. One character has me completely fooled - well played Cate Quinn!
Overall, I think this is a really immersive read. The writing flows, it goes much deeper than it initially seems with the situation worsening exponentially and leading to a good ending.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
May 30, 2023
Way way to slow the characters weren’t appealing was thinking of the next book I want to read.2.5 stars am an outlier on this one so be it,
August 5, 2022
After reading Black Widows last years and really enjoying it, I was keen to read more from author, Cate Quinn. Blood Sisters is a slow burn and heavy on character development that I struggled to put down. The setting of a small country, mining town in rural WA was really well written and set the scene for this multi layered murder mystery.
American backpackers and sorority sisters, Beth and Lauren, are sent to Dead Tree Creek by their agency to work in the local pub. It is a mining town, and the arrival of 2, young new girls is a big deal for the men. A few weeks later, the girls have skipped town and a miner is found dead in the pub, brutally murdered. The fingers are immediately pointed at the girls, but rookie cop Tara Harrison thinks there is more to this crime than meets the eye.
The story is told from the points of view of alot of characters, and we see what the locals think of Beth and Lauren. As always, with small towns, everyone know everyone's business, and the outsiders are not to be trusted.
There is so much more to this story but that is all you need to know to get sucked into the drama. Thanks to Hachette Australia for my copy of this book to read. Blood Sisters is out now in Australia.
American backpackers and sorority sisters, Beth and Lauren, are sent to Dead Tree Creek by their agency to work in the local pub. It is a mining town, and the arrival of 2, young new girls is a big deal for the men. A few weeks later, the girls have skipped town and a miner is found dead in the pub, brutally murdered. The fingers are immediately pointed at the girls, but rookie cop Tara Harrison thinks there is more to this crime than meets the eye.
The story is told from the points of view of alot of characters, and we see what the locals think of Beth and Lauren. As always, with small towns, everyone know everyone's business, and the outsiders are not to be trusted.
There is so much more to this story but that is all you need to know to get sucked into the drama. Thanks to Hachette Australia for my copy of this book to read. Blood Sisters is out now in Australia.
July 28, 2022
Thankyou to Hachette Australia for sending me a copy of this book to review.
This is a slow book that moves into a fast pace towards the end where you are thrown a curve ball. The twists chop and change between 2 crimes to keep you engaged. It was extremely well done.
The setting is in Outback Australia and it involves a lot of the aboriginal community which I loved.
This book is all about the characters and I can tell you there is so many involved in this storyline all with different personalities.
It has a past and present theme. A past crime and a new crime development at the time Tara is trying to solve the old crime.
It has many POV which keeps it interesting. It was an unpredictable book so that in its self was a winner for me.
Highly recommend.
This is a slow book that moves into a fast pace towards the end where you are thrown a curve ball. The twists chop and change between 2 crimes to keep you engaged. It was extremely well done.
The setting is in Outback Australia and it involves a lot of the aboriginal community which I loved.
This book is all about the characters and I can tell you there is so many involved in this storyline all with different personalities.
It has a past and present theme. A past crime and a new crime development at the time Tara is trying to solve the old crime.
It has many POV which keeps it interesting. It was an unpredictable book so that in its self was a winner for me.
Highly recommend.
June 11, 2022
Brilliant Australian noir with a strong focus on the challenges faced by indigenous people and a cleverly twisted mystery that keeps you guessing.
A good group dynamic of characters and the plotting was excellent, swapping between points of view until a full picture emerges, as shocking as it is compelling.
The author has a keen eye for character depth and engagement plus the setting is beautifully described and fully immersive.
Really great writing and a page turning tale that hooks you in from page one. High recommend.
A good group dynamic of characters and the plotting was excellent, swapping between points of view until a full picture emerges, as shocking as it is compelling.
The author has a keen eye for character depth and engagement plus the setting is beautifully described and fully immersive.
Really great writing and a page turning tale that hooks you in from page one. High recommend.
October 4, 2022
When the bloodied and bound naked body of Paul Hunter is found in the bar of The Gold Rush Hotel in the outback mining town of Dead Tree Creek, the locals are quick to accuse barmaids Lauren and Beth, American backpackers who skipped town in the early hours of the morning. Tara Harrison, newly returned to her hometown as a Probationary Constable, isn’t convinced of the sorority sisters are cold blooded killers, despite mounting evidence. She’s all too aware that Dead Tree Creek is a town of secrets.
Despite centering around crime, Blood Sisters is a character driven novel. The story primarily unfolds from the first person perspectives of Lauren, Beth and Tara, shifting between the present and recent past, with points of view from other characters occasionally punctuating the narrative. The structure works well, and I like how it both broadens the readers understanding of the characters and contributes to the development of the mystery.
Lauren and Beth are interesting characters with a complicated relationship. Lauren, beautiful and extroverted, is a study in contradictions, while Beth is more of an enigma. The women are the bests of friends who share a dark secret, but even they keep secrets from one another. The books title alludes not only to the relationship between Lauren and Beth, but also the relationship between Tara and her late Moodjana foster-sister, Yindi, whose death in police custody was the impetus for her joining the police service. Tara is a likeable character, she’s smart, determined and has good intentions, but finds herself a little out of her depth as she searches for the truth.
Quinn explores a number of themes in Blood Sisters including misogyny, racism, friendship, loyalty and betrayal. Issues between the First Nations peoples and the police and mining company are an important element of the novel which I think the author handles well.
With a strong sense of place, complex characters and an intriguing mystery, The Blood Sisters is an absorbing novel.
Despite centering around crime, Blood Sisters is a character driven novel. The story primarily unfolds from the first person perspectives of Lauren, Beth and Tara, shifting between the present and recent past, with points of view from other characters occasionally punctuating the narrative. The structure works well, and I like how it both broadens the readers understanding of the characters and contributes to the development of the mystery.
Lauren and Beth are interesting characters with a complicated relationship. Lauren, beautiful and extroverted, is a study in contradictions, while Beth is more of an enigma. The women are the bests of friends who share a dark secret, but even they keep secrets from one another. The books title alludes not only to the relationship between Lauren and Beth, but also the relationship between Tara and her late Moodjana foster-sister, Yindi, whose death in police custody was the impetus for her joining the police service. Tara is a likeable character, she’s smart, determined and has good intentions, but finds herself a little out of her depth as she searches for the truth.
Quinn explores a number of themes in Blood Sisters including misogyny, racism, friendship, loyalty and betrayal. Issues between the First Nations peoples and the police and mining company are an important element of the novel which I think the author handles well.
With a strong sense of place, complex characters and an intriguing mystery, The Blood Sisters is an absorbing novel.
October 7, 2022
Lauren and Beth two young American sorority sisters and survivors of abuse take a barkeepers job in Dead Tree Creek working in a run down outback pub in a small Australian mining town.
The customers are a rough bunch of randy gold miners and the abuse the girls have to put up with is horrendous.
Female Constable Tara Harrisons first day on the job is interrupted by a call to attend a suspected
murder at the Gold Rush pub, It doesn't take long to blame the murder on the barmaids as they have absconded on the bus out of town, leaving multiple clues to their guilt.
Lauren and Beth are captured and jailed and the police and the national press are certain they have the killers, but rookie cop Tara is not persuaded by the male macho certainty and has her own plans to find the truth.
Involving murder mystery told in a similar style to “Daisy Jones and the six” and highlighting quite a few topical subjects, there's a lot of kinky sex references, rape, hazing and abuse, all to push the unusual plot to its conclusion.
The customers are a rough bunch of randy gold miners and the abuse the girls have to put up with is horrendous.
Female Constable Tara Harrisons first day on the job is interrupted by a call to attend a suspected
murder at the Gold Rush pub, It doesn't take long to blame the murder on the barmaids as they have absconded on the bus out of town, leaving multiple clues to their guilt.
Lauren and Beth are captured and jailed and the police and the national press are certain they have the killers, but rookie cop Tara is not persuaded by the male macho certainty and has her own plans to find the truth.
Involving murder mystery told in a similar style to “Daisy Jones and the six” and highlighting quite a few topical subjects, there's a lot of kinky sex references, rape, hazing and abuse, all to push the unusual plot to its conclusion.
August 12, 2022
Cate Quinn certainly has delivered such an amazing and addictive thriller with Blood Sisters.
Set in the outback mining town of Dead Tree Creek, it begins with the discovery of a local man and soon after, the one of a young Aboriginal woman.
Two backpackers and soriety sister's Beth and Lauren are immediately charged with their murders. In the past few weeks, both girls had been working at the only pub in town, and had
gained a non respectful reputation with the men.
Probationary Constable Tara Harrison suspects there is more to this case, and is willing to risk her job to prove it. As a local girl, she is familiar with the Aboriginal community and culture, and she uses this knowledge to her advantage. Tara is a character I'd love to see return in the future.
I really appreciated the Indigenous aspects to this book, and learnt quite a bit about my own Aboriginal background.
Despite Beth and Lauren being central characters, I didn't care much about them at all. They're just a bit too much to handle! I found myself looking forward to Tara's account rather than theirs.
Don't be too scared about the length of this, as it soon starts to build dramatically. If you enjoyed Black Widows, you'll also enjoy this!
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨/5
Set in the outback mining town of Dead Tree Creek, it begins with the discovery of a local man and soon after, the one of a young Aboriginal woman.
Two backpackers and soriety sister's Beth and Lauren are immediately charged with their murders. In the past few weeks, both girls had been working at the only pub in town, and had
gained a non respectful reputation with the men.
Probationary Constable Tara Harrison suspects there is more to this case, and is willing to risk her job to prove it. As a local girl, she is familiar with the Aboriginal community and culture, and she uses this knowledge to her advantage. Tara is a character I'd love to see return in the future.
I really appreciated the Indigenous aspects to this book, and learnt quite a bit about my own Aboriginal background.
Despite Beth and Lauren being central characters, I didn't care much about them at all. They're just a bit too much to handle! I found myself looking forward to Tara's account rather than theirs.
Don't be too scared about the length of this, as it soon starts to build dramatically. If you enjoyed Black Widows, you'll also enjoy this!
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨/5
July 26, 2024
I borrowed this as a recommendation, and had never heard of it or the author before. I would definitely be up for reading more of her novels.
I liked the style of writing in this book but dropped a star as I don’t think the twist in the book was that shocking or unexpected.
I liked the style of writing in this book but dropped a star as I don’t think the twist in the book was that shocking or unexpected.
April 15, 2024
This was great! I loved the story structure and the twist at the end, though elements towards the end were a little cliched.
December 17, 2023
When Paul Hunter is killed in an Australian Outback community bar, the police response is fairly limited given the local station has two cops. One goes searching for the two suspects, American tourists Lauren and Beth who had been working as barmaids at the pub. The other cop waits for their new probationary Constable to arrive. PC Tara Harrison knows the town all too well, having grown up in foster care, and spending much of her teen years in the local Aboriginal mission.
BLOOD SISTERS is a deep dive into this outback town, it’s secrets and many of it’s horrors. What is evident from the first few pages is a strong sense of setting (think The Dry or The Lost Man by Jane Harper or Treasure and Dirt by Chris Hammer). Arid, dry and desolate is the overwhelming feeling you get. What is also evident is the underlying impact of the locals’ experiences, the pervasiveness of intergenerational trauma, and the ongoing effects of white settlement on our First Nations people.
Through multiple points of view the book succeeds in the story of now, and the story before. It’s gripping and suspenseful. The are parallel stories converge in an unexpected ending.
Harsh. Gripping. Unputdownable.
Cate Quinn refers to LinkUp in her book which is a service I have used during the course of my work. For further information go to www.Linkupnsw.org.au
It was founded in 1980 to assist all Aboriginal people who had been directly affected by past government policies; being separated from their families and culture through forced removal, being fostered, adopted or raised in institutions.
Link-Up (NSW) supports the healing journeys of those removed; delivering professional, culturally sensitive and confidential research, reunions and Social, Emotional and Wellbeing services to those over the age of eighteen.
BLOOD SISTERS is a deep dive into this outback town, it’s secrets and many of it’s horrors. What is evident from the first few pages is a strong sense of setting (think The Dry or The Lost Man by Jane Harper or Treasure and Dirt by Chris Hammer). Arid, dry and desolate is the overwhelming feeling you get. What is also evident is the underlying impact of the locals’ experiences, the pervasiveness of intergenerational trauma, and the ongoing effects of white settlement on our First Nations people.
Through multiple points of view the book succeeds in the story of now, and the story before. It’s gripping and suspenseful. The are parallel stories converge in an unexpected ending.
Harsh. Gripping. Unputdownable.
Cate Quinn refers to LinkUp in her book which is a service I have used during the course of my work. For further information go to www.Linkupnsw.org.au
It was founded in 1980 to assist all Aboriginal people who had been directly affected by past government policies; being separated from their families and culture through forced removal, being fostered, adopted or raised in institutions.
Link-Up (NSW) supports the healing journeys of those removed; delivering professional, culturally sensitive and confidential research, reunions and Social, Emotional and Wellbeing services to those over the age of eighteen.
August 14, 2022
Wonderful
June 12, 2024
It’s deep for a rookie cop novel. The author brings together subjects you don’t usually find together. It shouldn’t work, but Quinn is a clever writer. She is a natural at creating all different kinds of characters and bringing them to life. You can tell she has researched Australian history thoroughly and the information is written into the plot in a very organic way. Quinn articulates interesting parallels between all kinds of women. It really makes you think. It's not a perfect book by any means. It gets unnecessarily crass and vulgar at times. I mean, how many characters needed to say "F#@% me dead?" In the second half improbable things started happening. But overall I enjoyed it and I'd 100% read another Cate Quinn book.
July 26, 2022
PUBLICATION DAY REVIEW - Blood Sisters | Kate Quinn
A standalone atmospheric Australian noir thriller this book brings the opressive heat of the outback to life in impressive detail. I could feel my skin crawling with the prickly heat of the sun as I delved whole heartedly into Dead Tree Creek. The book is two halves intertwinned - the first told by Tara a rookie cop who has returned to the remote gold rush town where she grew up determied to make a difference after the deth of her indeginoeus sister to police brutality and the second told by muliple POV of the town inhabitants and the two central characters Lauren & (Darla) Beth, American backpackers assigned to work at the the local miners pub.
It is a LONG book at 445 pages with the first two hundred deliberately and agonisingly slow as the scene is set and the mystery being to unravel but the character depth and immersive narrative keep you hooked and the second half picks up the pace and races towards a stunning conclusion that brings all the multiple story threads together for a very satisfying ending.
I love that the indigenious culture and interactionsa were respectful and seemed true to difficulties they face in outback communities and I am amazed at how the autor managed to keep so many threads of storylines moving forward at the same time as clearing up the anomolies.
Whilst I didn't love many of the characters they were reach and authentic and had their own voice, a really great read and one that I highly recocomend.
OFFICIAL BLURB:
Some women just can't take a joke.
At least, that's what locals tell the police when a man is found gruesomely murdered at the pub in a tiny outback town. All fingers point to the backpackers working behind the bar that night - sorority sisters Beth and Lauren, who skipped town before the body was discovered.
Despite all the evidence against them, rookie cop Tara Harrison knows there must be more to this case. But even as she tries to prove their innocence, Tara discovers that Beth and Lauren have dark secrets of their own - secrets they've sworn to take to the grave...
Thank you to Hachette for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review
#bookstagram #arc #bookblog # blogger #australiannoir #catequinn #bloodsisters #review #bookreview #bookreccommendation #crimethriller #crimebook #booklover #booknerd #books #read #reading
A standalone atmospheric Australian noir thriller this book brings the opressive heat of the outback to life in impressive detail. I could feel my skin crawling with the prickly heat of the sun as I delved whole heartedly into Dead Tree Creek. The book is two halves intertwinned - the first told by Tara a rookie cop who has returned to the remote gold rush town where she grew up determied to make a difference after the deth of her indeginoeus sister to police brutality and the second told by muliple POV of the town inhabitants and the two central characters Lauren & (Darla) Beth, American backpackers assigned to work at the the local miners pub.
It is a LONG book at 445 pages with the first two hundred deliberately and agonisingly slow as the scene is set and the mystery being to unravel but the character depth and immersive narrative keep you hooked and the second half picks up the pace and races towards a stunning conclusion that brings all the multiple story threads together for a very satisfying ending.
I love that the indigenious culture and interactionsa were respectful and seemed true to difficulties they face in outback communities and I am amazed at how the autor managed to keep so many threads of storylines moving forward at the same time as clearing up the anomolies.
Whilst I didn't love many of the characters they were reach and authentic and had their own voice, a really great read and one that I highly recocomend.
OFFICIAL BLURB:
Some women just can't take a joke.
At least, that's what locals tell the police when a man is found gruesomely murdered at the pub in a tiny outback town. All fingers point to the backpackers working behind the bar that night - sorority sisters Beth and Lauren, who skipped town before the body was discovered.
Despite all the evidence against them, rookie cop Tara Harrison knows there must be more to this case. But even as she tries to prove their innocence, Tara discovers that Beth and Lauren have dark secrets of their own - secrets they've sworn to take to the grave...
Thank you to Hachette for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review
#bookstagram #arc #bookblog # blogger #australiannoir #catequinn #bloodsisters #review #bookreview #bookreccommendation #crimethriller #crimebook #booklover #booknerd #books #read #reading
March 5, 2025
(3.5 stars)
"I spend my whole life apologising for who I am and you’re bitching because in one small part of the world, where you don’t even live, you can’t shake your titties in public." Blood Sisters borrows liberally from a documentary, Hotel Coolgardie, that ran in the Sydney Film Festival in 2016. The book substitutes American ex-sorority women, Lauren and Darla-Beth, for the two Finnish backpackers that film was based on. The young women looking for work are plonked into an outback bar in a mining town, where racism, sexism and misogyny are rife, and when copious amounts of alcohol are consumed. Cate Quinn tries to explore where things start to deteriorate. The author does so from a variety of perspectives, police, the young women, and the miners, that are presented almost like witness statements after two bodies are found. It tries to make you wonder, despite sustained sexual harassment of the young women, who is at fault: "And you’ve had to somehow field it all, without seeming like you’re a bad sport, but obviously not encouraging it either."
Blood Sisters also covers sexual violence, including by repeating rape myths about ways women ask for it, and making conclusions, which some readers may find distressing: "I’d driven out to the middle of nowhere with a bunch of guys. I had chosen to drink so much I could barely stand. Police don’t have much sympathy in that situation. It wasn’t like I could prove anything." One of the characters is pitched as a person with bipolar disorder (and as a killer): "I’d axed my meds, doubled my happy pills, and was sinking as low as I possibly could. All aboard the burning train for self-destruct city." There's also racism and lateral violence from a white sex worker against Asian sex workers, and commentary about Indigenous women doing sex for favours.
The book brings together some very disparate themes—Indigenous life on country, white saviours, class differences, rural policing, bootleg booze production, sorority hazing and Australian sex work in mining towns. It's a lot, so there are a lot of long bows, and it doesn't always work, but the writing is good enough that it keeps you reading to see how the train wreck unfolds. Local Tara Harrison, an adopted white woman with a black history, is probably the most interesting character. She's newly fledged as a probationary policewoman, inspired by correcting the injustices that saw her adopted Indigenous sister die in police custody.
"I spend my whole life apologising for who I am and you’re bitching because in one small part of the world, where you don’t even live, you can’t shake your titties in public." Blood Sisters borrows liberally from a documentary, Hotel Coolgardie, that ran in the Sydney Film Festival in 2016. The book substitutes American ex-sorority women, Lauren and Darla-Beth, for the two Finnish backpackers that film was based on. The young women looking for work are plonked into an outback bar in a mining town, where racism, sexism and misogyny are rife, and when copious amounts of alcohol are consumed. Cate Quinn tries to explore where things start to deteriorate. The author does so from a variety of perspectives, police, the young women, and the miners, that are presented almost like witness statements after two bodies are found. It tries to make you wonder, despite sustained sexual harassment of the young women, who is at fault: "And you’ve had to somehow field it all, without seeming like you’re a bad sport, but obviously not encouraging it either."
Blood Sisters also covers sexual violence, including by repeating rape myths about ways women ask for it, and making conclusions, which some readers may find distressing: "I’d driven out to the middle of nowhere with a bunch of guys. I had chosen to drink so much I could barely stand. Police don’t have much sympathy in that situation. It wasn’t like I could prove anything." One of the characters is pitched as a person with bipolar disorder (and as a killer): "I’d axed my meds, doubled my happy pills, and was sinking as low as I possibly could. All aboard the burning train for self-destruct city." There's also racism and lateral violence from a white sex worker against Asian sex workers, and commentary about Indigenous women doing sex for favours.
The book brings together some very disparate themes—Indigenous life on country, white saviours, class differences, rural policing, bootleg booze production, sorority hazing and Australian sex work in mining towns. It's a lot, so there are a lot of long bows, and it doesn't always work, but the writing is good enough that it keeps you reading to see how the train wreck unfolds. Local Tara Harrison, an adopted white woman with a black history, is probably the most interesting character. She's newly fledged as a probationary policewoman, inspired by correcting the injustices that saw her adopted Indigenous sister die in police custody.
September 11, 2022
I did enjoy this one, even though in the first half my interest would wane a bit from time to time.
Yet, I would keep turning the pages and found myself reading the last hundred pages in one sitting, finishing the book one morning at 4:00 AM.
It had that slow build-up that one would sometimes see in Hitchcock films, and then things were happening fast and full of suspense.
(And as a diversion, some may wish to count how many times the narrators say "like" in their journals. "It was, like, a hot day." "He didn't answer for, like, the first five times.")
Two American girls, Beth and Lauren, are backpackers with a past. They are now in outback Western Australia, in a remote town working behind the bar at a pub that mostly caters for the local miners who work nearby. The miners are sometimes coarse, and from time to time act boorishly to the new barmaids. When one of the more obnoxious miners, Paul Hunter is brutally murdered, it is assumed the barmaids have something to do with it. After all, they both skipped town soon before the body was found.
But are they responsible? Is it as simple as that? Well this is a crime story, so we know it won't be so simple as that. A local indigenous girl acquainted with Paul and the bar girls is also found dead, and this is another mystery for the local police to solve.
We also meet Tara Harrison, a newbie PC Constable, who grew up in the area and has a rocky relationship with her sergeant during her probationary period. But she has some knowledge of the local indigenous communities and their culture, languages, and what is sacred to them.
This knowledge will be of good value as she investigates the local murders and also the disappearance of three indigenous girls from the nearby reserve. What happened to them?
Although the new constable makes mistakes on the job, she shows signs of being a good cop.
But are all the people she meets and relies upon trustworthy, and what they initially seem to be?
As well as a mystery, it's a portrait of an area and its people, where there is a divide between white and indigenous, be it through misunderstandings, cultural clashes, communication breakdowns, and straight-out prejudice. Where sacred land and commercial mining interests sit uneasily side by side.
Yet, I would keep turning the pages and found myself reading the last hundred pages in one sitting, finishing the book one morning at 4:00 AM.
It had that slow build-up that one would sometimes see in Hitchcock films, and then things were happening fast and full of suspense.
(And as a diversion, some may wish to count how many times the narrators say "like" in their journals. "It was, like, a hot day." "He didn't answer for, like, the first five times.")
Two American girls, Beth and Lauren, are backpackers with a past. They are now in outback Western Australia, in a remote town working behind the bar at a pub that mostly caters for the local miners who work nearby. The miners are sometimes coarse, and from time to time act boorishly to the new barmaids. When one of the more obnoxious miners, Paul Hunter is brutally murdered, it is assumed the barmaids have something to do with it. After all, they both skipped town soon before the body was found.
But are they responsible? Is it as simple as that? Well this is a crime story, so we know it won't be so simple as that. A local indigenous girl acquainted with Paul and the bar girls is also found dead, and this is another mystery for the local police to solve.
We also meet Tara Harrison, a newbie PC Constable, who grew up in the area and has a rocky relationship with her sergeant during her probationary period. But she has some knowledge of the local indigenous communities and their culture, languages, and what is sacred to them.
This knowledge will be of good value as she investigates the local murders and also the disappearance of three indigenous girls from the nearby reserve. What happened to them?
Although the new constable makes mistakes on the job, she shows signs of being a good cop.
But are all the people she meets and relies upon trustworthy, and what they initially seem to be?
As well as a mystery, it's a portrait of an area and its people, where there is a divide between white and indigenous, be it through misunderstandings, cultural clashes, communication breakdowns, and straight-out prejudice. Where sacred land and commercial mining interests sit uneasily side by side.
July 15, 2022
I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of Blood Sisters, a stand-alone psychological thriller set in the West Australian town of Dead Tree Creek.
American backpackers Lauren and Beth take bar jobs in the outback town of Dead Tree Creek. During their time there a man is murdered in the pub and they have left town by the time the body is discovered. Rookie PC Tara Harrison, who has ties to area, isn’t as sure as everyone else about their guilt and thinks there may be more to the case.
I like to try new to me authors so I was interested to read my first Cate Quinn, Blood Sisters. I enjoyed it, but that enjoyment is tempered by the very slow pace. I should qualify that by saying that I like a brisk narrative where B follows A and visible progress is made. This is not that kind of novel as it is more character driven.
To set the scene it starts with the discovery of a murdered body. The narrative then switches between the present time investigation as seen through Tara’s eyes and the events of the past 3 months seen through the eyes of all the main players. I really liked this approach as the various characters interpret events differently, allowing the reader a wider look and the fact that they are doing it with hindsight gives it more impact. Of course, it means that the motive and various other secrets are only hinted at for the majority of the novel which I found a bit frustrating, although the horrible behaviour that is revealed should be enough to keep the reader turning the pages - it’s like watching an inevitable car crash, so no wonder there were fatalities. The last quarter of the novel is where things speed up, secrets tumble out and Tara puts herself in danger.
The voices are strong in the novel giving it a feel of natural conversation and authenticity. It is warming and draws the reader in. This is coupled with the plight of Aboriginals and the way they have been treated by the Australian government over the centuries. As a result the novel has a strong sense of culture and place.
Blood Sisters is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
American backpackers Lauren and Beth take bar jobs in the outback town of Dead Tree Creek. During their time there a man is murdered in the pub and they have left town by the time the body is discovered. Rookie PC Tara Harrison, who has ties to area, isn’t as sure as everyone else about their guilt and thinks there may be more to the case.
I like to try new to me authors so I was interested to read my first Cate Quinn, Blood Sisters. I enjoyed it, but that enjoyment is tempered by the very slow pace. I should qualify that by saying that I like a brisk narrative where B follows A and visible progress is made. This is not that kind of novel as it is more character driven.
To set the scene it starts with the discovery of a murdered body. The narrative then switches between the present time investigation as seen through Tara’s eyes and the events of the past 3 months seen through the eyes of all the main players. I really liked this approach as the various characters interpret events differently, allowing the reader a wider look and the fact that they are doing it with hindsight gives it more impact. Of course, it means that the motive and various other secrets are only hinted at for the majority of the novel which I found a bit frustrating, although the horrible behaviour that is revealed should be enough to keep the reader turning the pages - it’s like watching an inevitable car crash, so no wonder there were fatalities. The last quarter of the novel is where things speed up, secrets tumble out and Tara puts herself in danger.
The voices are strong in the novel giving it a feel of natural conversation and authenticity. It is warming and draws the reader in. This is coupled with the plight of Aboriginals and the way they have been treated by the Australian government over the centuries. As a result the novel has a strong sense of culture and place.
Blood Sisters is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
July 7, 2022
Blood Sisters by Cate Quinn is a slow up the burning thriller set in the Australian Outback in a small mining town called Dead Tree Creek. Californian backpackers Lauren and Beth are travelling and working around Australia when the Agency send them to work at a pub in the small town. Where the customers are mostly the miners. The boss expects them to entertain the men and there are regular lock-ins at the pub
At the same time, Tara a rookie cop has returned to her hometown and her first job is to investigate Paul hunter that has been found murdered and the two main suspects are the two girls. But Tara instincts tells her that this is not an open and shut case and thinks the girls are innocence. But if they are innocent. Who killed Paul Hunter and why?
Thank you, Orion Publishing, for a copy of Blood Sisters. This was an interesting mystery told in several POV’s and about the indigenous people of Australia and the problems they face in day-to-day life. I thought this started quite slow and took me a while to get the gist of the story. Maybe because of the number of characters in the story it got a bit overwhelming. But I am glad I kept on reading as the second half of the book picked up the pace and I really enjoyed it. 4 stars from me.
At the same time, Tara a rookie cop has returned to her hometown and her first job is to investigate Paul hunter that has been found murdered and the two main suspects are the two girls. But Tara instincts tells her that this is not an open and shut case and thinks the girls are innocence. But if they are innocent. Who killed Paul Hunter and why?
Thank you, Orion Publishing, for a copy of Blood Sisters. This was an interesting mystery told in several POV’s and about the indigenous people of Australia and the problems they face in day-to-day life. I thought this started quite slow and took me a while to get the gist of the story. Maybe because of the number of characters in the story it got a bit overwhelming. But I am glad I kept on reading as the second half of the book picked up the pace and I really enjoyed it. 4 stars from me.
July 1, 2022
Tara is a rookie cop who is assigned back to her old town, a place that holds lots of bad memories, including the death of her foster sister.
The day Tara arrives, a gruesome murder is discovered. The two suspects, sorority sisters from California, have taken off.
What seems like an open and shut case is not that. We switch between Tara’s present day and the sorority sisters’ points of view in the three months leading up to the murder.
My gosh, I loved this book. I found it really difficult to put down and devoured it in a day.
I often find myself skim reading books to get the answers to my questions more quickly, but there was no skim reading here. Every word, every sentence mattered and contributed to the mystery.
Reading the perspective of a female cop was so refreshing and insightful. I was rooting for Tara, and really appreciated her respect for the Indigenous community.
The ending caught me by surprise, and left me hoping this book turns into a series that follows Tara.
This was without a doubt a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me. Now I need to read Cate Quinn’s other novels!
Thank you so much to Hachette Australia for my gift copy.
The day Tara arrives, a gruesome murder is discovered. The two suspects, sorority sisters from California, have taken off.
What seems like an open and shut case is not that. We switch between Tara’s present day and the sorority sisters’ points of view in the three months leading up to the murder.
My gosh, I loved this book. I found it really difficult to put down and devoured it in a day.
I often find myself skim reading books to get the answers to my questions more quickly, but there was no skim reading here. Every word, every sentence mattered and contributed to the mystery.
Reading the perspective of a female cop was so refreshing and insightful. I was rooting for Tara, and really appreciated her respect for the Indigenous community.
The ending caught me by surprise, and left me hoping this book turns into a series that follows Tara.
This was without a doubt a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me. Now I need to read Cate Quinn’s other novels!
Thank you so much to Hachette Australia for my gift copy.
December 1, 2024
Dve sestri, a ne krvni, le sestri po inicijaciji na univerzi, med popotovanjem po svetu, pristaneta v odročnem mestu v žgoči avstralski pokrajini. Tam se za tri mesece zaposlita kot natakarici. A mesto je rudarsko mesto, polno moških, željnih alkohola in žensk. In nato pride do umora.
Zgodba, kjer je glavna oseba policijska pripravnica, ostali pa svojo verzijo dogodkov zadnjih treh mesecev pripovedujejo izmenično. Tako obe dekleti, vpleteni v umor, kot nekaj lokalnih prebivalcev, ki povedo svojo verzijo dogajanja.
Zgodba, ki se načeloma začne v redu. Prikaže tudi življenje staroselcev in njihove težave, a kmalu postane veliko preveč bizarna in neverjetna in zapleti nadvse skrajni. Prav tako mi ni delovalo prepričljivo opisovanje obeh 'sester' Vse skupaj je bilo nadvse preveč natlačeno, skupaj s koncem, ki se drži tistega običajnega recepta o tem, kdo je pravi storilec. Poleg seveda obveznega, včasih zelo čudnega prevoda, skupaj z nekaterimi besedami in zvezami, ki kar precej štrlijo ven, ni knjiga prav nič kaj posebnega, vendar pa potencialno nekje do polovice v redu zastavljena. Senzacionalistično in skrajno opisovanje naprej pa me je pustilo bolj ali manj ravnodušno.
Zgodba, kjer je glavna oseba policijska pripravnica, ostali pa svojo verzijo dogodkov zadnjih treh mesecev pripovedujejo izmenično. Tako obe dekleti, vpleteni v umor, kot nekaj lokalnih prebivalcev, ki povedo svojo verzijo dogajanja.
Zgodba, ki se načeloma začne v redu. Prikaže tudi življenje staroselcev in njihove težave, a kmalu postane veliko preveč bizarna in neverjetna in zapleti nadvse skrajni. Prav tako mi ni delovalo prepričljivo opisovanje obeh 'sester' Vse skupaj je bilo nadvse preveč natlačeno, skupaj s koncem, ki se drži tistega običajnega recepta o tem, kdo je pravi storilec. Poleg seveda obveznega, včasih zelo čudnega prevoda, skupaj z nekaterimi besedami in zvezami, ki kar precej štrlijo ven, ni knjiga prav nič kaj posebnega, vendar pa potencialno nekje do polovice v redu zastavljena. Senzacionalistično in skrajno opisovanje naprej pa me je pustilo bolj ali manj ravnodušno.
July 27, 2022
Backpackers Lauren and Beth find themselves working as barmaids at a pub in the remote outback town of Dead Tree Creek.
Dead Tree Creek is a mining town where the land is hard and the locals even harder.
Tara Harrison is a rookie cop returning to her home town.
When a man is found murdered in the pub where Lauren and Beth worked, all eyes fall on them as being guilty - did they finally snap after the way they had been treated by the local miners who came into the pub to let of steam?
But Tara is sure there is more to the story, and as she digs deeper into the case she finds out more about the dark past of Lauren and Beth.
But no one wants to listen to the rookie, especially a woman.
This book covers so many themes - sorority hazing in American, sexism, toxic masculinity, First Nations land rights.... to name a few.
This is a thriller as harsh and demanding as the landscape it takes place in - be prepared.
Thanks to Hachette Australia for the review copy of this book.
Dead Tree Creek is a mining town where the land is hard and the locals even harder.
Tara Harrison is a rookie cop returning to her home town.
When a man is found murdered in the pub where Lauren and Beth worked, all eyes fall on them as being guilty - did they finally snap after the way they had been treated by the local miners who came into the pub to let of steam?
But Tara is sure there is more to the story, and as she digs deeper into the case she finds out more about the dark past of Lauren and Beth.
But no one wants to listen to the rookie, especially a woman.
This book covers so many themes - sorority hazing in American, sexism, toxic masculinity, First Nations land rights.... to name a few.
This is a thriller as harsh and demanding as the landscape it takes place in - be prepared.
Thanks to Hachette Australia for the review copy of this book.
Read
September 7, 2022Set in an isolated Australian mining town we follow two female backpackers - Lauren and Beth who have just been employed to work in the local pub. The employment conditions are horrible - treated terribly by the locals, appalling accommodation and harassed constantly.
When a dead body is found everyone in the town blames the two girls and Police Officer Tara Harrison is called in to investigate. Tara has her own links to the community, having grown up there she is drawn back into the town. She is also just starting out as a Police Officer and you get to follow along as she tries to figure everything out.
This is a really atmospheric novel- you can feel the isolation and humidity and the dust and the dirt. There's snippets of characters point of views as you read and you're privy to their thoughts and actions.
Some twists and turns as you're not quite sure who to trust.
Thank -you Hatchet Books for sending me this copy to read and review.
When a dead body is found everyone in the town blames the two girls and Police Officer Tara Harrison is called in to investigate. Tara has her own links to the community, having grown up there she is drawn back into the town. She is also just starting out as a Police Officer and you get to follow along as she tries to figure everything out.
This is a really atmospheric novel- you can feel the isolation and humidity and the dust and the dirt. There's snippets of characters point of views as you read and you're privy to their thoughts and actions.
Some twists and turns as you're not quite sure who to trust.
Thank -you Hatchet Books for sending me this copy to read and review.
July 23, 2022
Moody Australian mystery in a classic Outback town full of secrets. I love these isolated, rural AU town mystery/thrillers. Blood Sisters is a great addition to the genre. It was particularly interesting to me as an American because the two "barmaids" are from the US. I could not imagine my reactions to the behaviour they witnessed would be the same but I was also not a sorority-type girl.
At the beginning, the misogyny and racism were killing me. But it's all handled so expertly and Tara is just the officer that town needs in the future. The back and forth between time periods and POV was a bit jarring in the first half but as things start to come together (and fall apart), the second half is like racing down a roller coaster. I couldn't stop turning the pages!
Thanks to Hachette AU for providing me with a review copy.
At the beginning, the misogyny and racism were killing me. But it's all handled so expertly and Tara is just the officer that town needs in the future. The back and forth between time periods and POV was a bit jarring in the first half but as things start to come together (and fall apart), the second half is like racing down a roller coaster. I couldn't stop turning the pages!
Thanks to Hachette AU for providing me with a review copy.
August 2, 2023
Hmm. I enjoyed Black Widows far more than this. This one had a disjointed feel throughout, like I just couldn't get my teeth into either the story or the characters. The repetitive nature of the girls escapades (get drunk, do stupid things, repeat) also started dragging the pace of the book down for me.
The climax was a complete non-event ().
Overall not bad I guess as it kept me reading to the end, but hardly riveting stuff. It was okay - 2 stars.
The climax was a complete non-event ().
Overall not bad I guess as it kept me reading to the end, but hardly riveting stuff. It was okay - 2 stars.
January 4, 2025
**3.5 stars**
It's been a while since I've read a book set in Australia, and this was a good read to kick start my 2025 reading. Set in the rural outback, when a man is found brutally murdered, two ex-sorority girls are accused of his murder. The book's told through two mediums: one is the current story of a probationary cop trying to solve the murder, and the other is excerpts from interviews with locals and the girls themselves. It makes for an interesting read that keeps you guessing and it is filled with twists and turns. There were a couple of twists that I felt didn't make masses of sense (the stuff with Bluey at the end??), and one I guessed moments before it was exposed, but I absolutely tore through this and it was a decent thriller.
It's been a while since I've read a book set in Australia, and this was a good read to kick start my 2025 reading. Set in the rural outback, when a man is found brutally murdered, two ex-sorority girls are accused of his murder. The book's told through two mediums: one is the current story of a probationary cop trying to solve the murder, and the other is excerpts from interviews with locals and the girls themselves. It makes for an interesting read that keeps you guessing and it is filled with twists and turns. There were a couple of twists that I felt didn't make masses of sense (the stuff with Bluey at the end??), and one I guessed moments before it was exposed, but I absolutely tore through this and it was a decent thriller.
August 6, 2022
4.5 stars.
Black Widows was one of my favourite books of last year, so I was extremely excited when I saw Cate had a new book coming out. And I can say I was not disappointed at all. She has now firmly cemented her place as an auto-buy author for me.
I must admit I was hesitant when I realised the direction the book was heading in regards to Aboriginal culture in Australia and the division with the mining industry, but it is readily apparent that Quinn has done her research and portrayed a delicate subject in a respectful and diligent manner.
After producing two completely different thriller novels, I cannot wait to see what Quinn comes up with next.
Black Widows was one of my favourite books of last year, so I was extremely excited when I saw Cate had a new book coming out. And I can say I was not disappointed at all. She has now firmly cemented her place as an auto-buy author for me.
I must admit I was hesitant when I realised the direction the book was heading in regards to Aboriginal culture in Australia and the division with the mining industry, but it is readily apparent that Quinn has done her research and portrayed a delicate subject in a respectful and diligent manner.
After producing two completely different thriller novels, I cannot wait to see what Quinn comes up with next.
June 30, 2022
This is a very good thriller, set in the Australian Outback. It is very well written, filled with descriptive writing and good characterisation. The plot revolves around two female backpackers who are charged with murder. It's well thought out and the writing jumped between several points of view, which worked really well. I really liked the main character of Tara and the grumpy Sergeant Anderson, as well as the insight into the challenges of indigenous people in Australia. I would recommend this book to thriller lovers. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
August 23, 2022
An original and very well written thriller with some clever elements of comedy weaved in. I’ve come to the conclusion I’m a very poor judge of character but you will have to read the book to discover why.
Tara is wonderful and worthy of at least one more book. In fact lots of the characters could survive another story to star in.
I loved the short chapters with different pov’s and that doesn’t always work for me but the author had the style nailed.
https://www.netgalley.co.uk/book/2547...
Tara is wonderful and worthy of at least one more book. In fact lots of the characters could survive another story to star in.
I loved the short chapters with different pov’s and that doesn’t always work for me but the author had the style nailed.
https://www.netgalley.co.uk/book/2547...
April 24, 2023
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed the unusual plot of this. Two young female backpackers alone in an outback mining town - I’m nervous already. They are treated about as well as you’d expect. 3 months can be a loooong time. Add to this the past trauma driving them and you have two interesting main characters. Then there’s Tara, probationary police Constable sent out there only to be faced with a murder on day one. Sounds a little cliche but it came off fresh. I liked that Tara wasn’t brilliant and The Only One Who Cared Enough To Solve It. She stuffed up, as any beginner would. She needed guidance, which I’m glad she received from gruff but good Sgt Anderson. Her personal ties to the town and the well woven in details of indigenous history and life in an area decimated by mining added a lot of depth to the story. It all rang true for me.
October 23, 2022
This is a very readable book. Set in the outback, it covers mining, gender issues, race issues, alcohol issues and above loyalty and family. An intriguing pair of murders, missing girls, and an interesting selection of cops. I really enjoyed reading about Tara, and hope she reappears in another novel. I especially appreciated the portrayal of indigenous people.
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