Voices in the Dark in Aussie Readers

Oct 26, 2023 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: aussie-authors, sent-by-publisher, 2023-release, suspense, mystery, read-on-kindle, reviewing-by-request, 3500-2023, net-galley, arc

Sassi Stapleton and her dog Jarrah were on their way to Barker in South Australia, Sassi's home town, as her uncle Abe had called to say her granny was not well. He told her to "come now", so Sassi had, driving from New South Wales during the night. The accident happened when she was only an hour or so away from Barker, and when she regained consciousness, she found she was trapped upside down in her vehicle, with Jarrah whimpering somewhere beside her. Rescued and taken to the hospital, Sassi w ...more

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Oct 29, 2023 Helen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: review-copy-from-netgalley

I love Dave Burrows so much, this was a once sitting read, there was no way I was putting this one down till I got to the end, this is such a great story and takes in an issue that sadly is growing and it is done so well and Dave handles everything so well, I loved seeing Mia again and Kim and being in the town of Barker, another awesome read.

Sassie Stapleton grew up in Barker on a farm, bought up by her grandparents, she now is managing a feedlot in NSW, her uncle is now living on the farm with ...more

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Nov 16, 2023 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-author, provided-by-publisher, arc-are

Voices in the Dark is the 22nd novel in which Detective Dave Burrows appears. He features in six, the most recent being Into the Night, and has a peripheral role in sixteen others, including this one, which follows the events of Broad River Station, but can be read as a stand alone.

Informed that her grandmother is gravely ill, Sassi Stapleton doesn鈥檛 hesitate to make the long drive from New South Wales to the South Australian town of Barker, hoping for the chance to say goodbye to the woman who Voices in the Dark is the 22nd novel in which Detective Dave Burrows appears. He features in six, the most recent being Into the Night, and has a peripheral role in sixteen others, including this one, which follows the events of Broad River Station, but can be read as a stand alone.

Informed that her grandmother is gravely ill, Sassi Stapleton doesn鈥檛 hesitate to make the long drive from New South Wales to the South Australian town of Barker, hoping for the chance to say goodbye to the woman who raised her. It鈥檚 just past dawn when a kangaroo causes Sassi to veer off the road, trapping her in her rolled car, and while she is rescued with only minor injuries, Sassi is devastated to learn that her beloved grandmother is already gone. Being back in Barker is not easy for Sassi, who is still disappointed that there was no opportunity for her to work on the family鈥檚 farm, and it becomes more difficult when her estranged mother, Amber, shows up, but Sassi has resolved to do whatever she can to support her Pa, who struggles with daily tasks after a crippling stroke.

As the main character, Sassi carries the story well, with the Stapleton family drama dominating the storyline of Voices in the Dark. McDonald explores the issues of family estrangement, farm succession, and racism, as well as some particular sensitive subjects such as rape, and elder abuse. Somewhat surprisingly there is very little suspense in the plot, though there are some tense incidents. There鈥檚 no romance either, but I enjoyed the blossoming of new friendships.

Though Dave doesn鈥檛 feature in Voices of the Dark, readers familiar with his character will enjoy the scenes in which he appears. While some simply involve him doing his job as a police officer, and mentoring his new constable, Mia Worth, others reveal glimpses of his personal life, including his relationship with his wife Kim, and his two, now adult, daughters from his first marriage.

An engaging novel, I spent an afternoon happy immersed in Voices of the Dark, and I look forward to the next book to feature Dave Burrows and the community of Barker.
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Nov 25, 2023 Rina rated it really liked it

When Sassi Stapleton received a middle-of-the-night phone call to tell her that her beloved grandmother was unwell, she put her job on hold, packed her ute and set off on the long drive home, knowing her grandfather would need her. On the other side of the world, Sassi's estranged mother, Amber, received a similar call and shocked the whole family when she flew home from South Africa. With everyone under the same roof, tensions escalated as family secrets were unveiled.

Well, this was my first Da ...more

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