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17th out of 62 books
—
145 voters
As Darkness Falls (Dungirri #1)
by
Bronwyn Parry (Goodreads Author)
As Darkness Falls is set in the isolation of a small town on the edge of the New South Wales outback. Haunted by her failures, country police officer Detective Isabelle O'Connell is recalled to duty by Detective Alec Goddard to investigate the abduction of yet another child from her old home town.
With the killer playing a game of cat and mouse and targeting Bella, they hav...more
With the killer playing a game of cat and mouse and targeting Bella, they hav...more
Trade paperback
Published
September 1st 2008
by Hachette Australia
(first published 2008)
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I read Australian author Bronwyn Parry's debut novel As Darkness Falls because it conveniently fit into two of my 2013 reading challenges - the Australian Women Writers Challenge and Book'd Out's Eclectic Reader Challenge which called for a 'romantic suspense' novel. I had heard about Parry's books through last year's AWW Challenge and was intrigued to see how a romance and a crime story would fit together in one novel.
Parry did well to write for two specific, and very different, genres and to c...more
Parry did well to write for two specific, and very different, genres and to c...more
When I got to the middle section of this book, I started feeling like I was reading a Nora Roberts novel. Therefore, it wasn't too surprising to discover that although my copy doesn't say it but I notice that a lot of the covers of this book say: "If you enjoy reading Nora Roberts, you will love ..."
"Love" may be going a little far - I'd probably just say that this book reads a little like a Nora Roberts novel set in Australia. It contains a very descriptive and non-clichéd look at the Australia...more
"Love" may be going a little far - I'd probably just say that this book reads a little like a Nora Roberts novel set in Australia. It contains a very descriptive and non-clichéd look at the Australia...more
The front cover of this book states that if you enjoy reading Nora Roberts you will love.... "As Darkness Falls" by Bronwyn Parry - however, since I have never read any Nora Roberts books, I wouldn't know! Following my love of Australian Outback Romances and Mysteries by authors such as Fiona Palmer, Fleur McDonald and Rachael Treasure, it seemed the natural progression to read Bronwyn Parry. As Darkness Falls follows the story of Detective Isabelle O'Connell who left the Central NSW fictional t...more
A very chilling, disturbing fast paced read.
This story takes place in a small community called Dungirri, on the edge of New South Wales outback.
Detective Sergeant Isabelle O'Connell is only weeks away from leaving the force, when Alec Goddard, Detective Chief Inspector from State Crime Command in Sydney needs her back on duty. Another child has been abducted from her home town. This is the 3rd child, 2 from the previous 2 years.
Its been a year since Bella worked the last abduction. She carries t...more
This story takes place in a small community called Dungirri, on the edge of New South Wales outback.
Detective Sergeant Isabelle O'Connell is only weeks away from leaving the force, when Alec Goddard, Detective Chief Inspector from State Crime Command in Sydney needs her back on duty. Another child has been abducted from her home town. This is the 3rd child, 2 from the previous 2 years.
Its been a year since Bella worked the last abduction. She carries t...more
Detective Isabelle O'Connell is on sick leave trying to put her life back together after failing to find a child who was abducted and killed in her home town of Dungirri a year earlier. When another small girl is taken she is recalled to the case by DCI Alec Goddard. Isabelle, although reluctant, realises that she must try to help save this child's life to help atone for the child she believes she failed. As time runs out for the missing child, Isabelle and Alec find themselves working together...more
Unashamedly set in an outback town of Australia, this thriller sees a woman police detective, who left the town as a young girl, never expecting to have to return and face her demons, ordered to return and use her local knowledge to try to solve an abuduction of a young girl. Her boss and partner has issues of his own and through this harrowing and exciting thriller the attraction between them grows.
Do not miss this book if you:a) like a good thriller
b) like a fascinating puzzle
c) like a stirr...more
Do not miss this book if you:a) like a good thriller
b) like a fascinating puzzle
c) like a stirr...more
The first of a loosely linked trilogy set in outback New South Wales. As far as romantic suspense goes, it doesn't get much better. The story is set in a fictional small town where the third young girl has gone missing. A task force is assembled, including a detective who has been on leave since the horror of the second abduction twelve months before. She must work closely with DCI Goddard, a dedicated but reserved man whom she comes to respect, and finally, love. The townsfolk are an interestin...more
Raw Australian drama: Witty, fast paced & insightful.
I picked Darkness Falls up in a little Victorian town on my way to an even further flung town on the coast up near the VIC/NSW border thinking it sounded like a good distraction (with a glass of wine) for my week long retreat with a couple of girlfriends. What I hadn't counted on was an astute psychological drama which drew me in from the first page and had me up all night racing to the finish!
Bella and Alec are both very natural, comple...more
I picked Darkness Falls up in a little Victorian town on my way to an even further flung town on the coast up near the VIC/NSW border thinking it sounded like a good distraction (with a glass of wine) for my week long retreat with a couple of girlfriends. What I hadn't counted on was an astute psychological drama which drew me in from the first page and had me up all night racing to the finish!
Bella and Alec are both very natural, comple...more
Jun 01, 2013
Yasaman
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Shelves:
first-reads,
favorites
The conclusion is also in english. :)
~~~Meine Meinung~~~
Noch während des Lesens war mir klar, dass es schwer werden würde eine Rezension zu schreiben, die diesem Buch gerecht wird.Auch jetzt bin ich mir sicher dass sie nicht perfekt ist...
Mein Lieblingssatz in diesem Australien-Thriller ist/war: ,,Isabelle starrte sie an, als habe sie behauptet, der Himmel sei grün[...]" (S.64)
Über den Inhalt werde ich nichts verraten. Es wäre dem Buch gegenüber nicht fair. Isabelle und Alec müsst ihr schon sel...more
~~~Meine Meinung~~~
Noch während des Lesens war mir klar, dass es schwer werden würde eine Rezension zu schreiben, die diesem Buch gerecht wird.
Mein Lieblingssatz in diesem Australien-Thriller ist/war: ,,Isabelle starrte sie an, als habe sie behauptet, der Himmel sei grün[...]" (S.64)
Über den Inhalt werde ich nichts verraten. Es wäre dem Buch gegenüber nicht fair. Isabelle und Alec müsst ihr schon sel...more
Dec 01, 2012
Brenda
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
aussie-authors,
own-read
When DCI Alec Goddard appeared on Detective Isabelle O’Connell’s quiet, secluded property, she was unaware his appearance would change her life. Isabelle had shut herself away after events 12 months ago, which left her shattered, and unable to continue in her role as a police Detective. On sick leave, and having just tendered her resignation to the police force, which was due to take effect in two weeks, she lived in solitude with her beautiful dog, Finn, as her only company.
But Alec Goddard was...more
But Alec Goddard was...more
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This review was first posted @ The Australian Bookshelf
Why has it taken me so long to pick up a title by this author? After recently getting into the Aussie suspense romance genre, I decided I would check out Parry’s work. I loved As Darkness Falls. There’s crime, suspense and romance all wrapped up within a tight plot and strong characters.
When Detective Alec Goddard turns up on Detective Isabelle (Bella) O’Connell’s doorstep to recruit her on a current missing person’s case, it interferes with...more
Why has it taken me so long to pick up a title by this author? After recently getting into the Aussie suspense romance genre, I decided I would check out Parry’s work. I loved As Darkness Falls. There’s crime, suspense and romance all wrapped up within a tight plot and strong characters.
When Detective Alec Goddard turns up on Detective Isabelle (Bella) O’Connell’s doorstep to recruit her on a current missing person’s case, it interferes with...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This book was an odd mix of a love story and a very bloody crime story. The problme for me was that I did not believe in the instant love between the two main characters and the two story lines never fitted well together in my opinion. Moreover, for teh crime part there were two many characters to follow and I was unable to follow the hints by the author in order to have the herueka feeling when the guilty one was exposed. I would have given it only one star but surprisingly the last 50 pages wh...more
Keep soldiering on solely on good reviews. So far there's nothing distinguishing this book from other generic romantic suspenses except the setting. The attraction feels forced and fast. The dialogues are a little wooden. Too much self talking, longing. Not so many actions. Hope something change real fast before I lose interest.
**Two pages later**
Okay. I give up. This goes to DNF.
**Two pages later**
Okay. I give up. This goes to DNF.
Come on, is anyone surprised I liked this?
Bonus: It is always great when an author can give you such a sense of place and here, it is the Australian bush country, which I imagine--and felt as I read--is beautiful and haunting, but fucking harsh.
Bonus: It is always great when an author can give you such a sense of place and here, it is the Australian bush country, which I imagine--and felt as I read--is beautiful and haunting, but fucking harsh.
Loved it! Enjoyed the police procedure aspect, thought the romance was believable and well integrated but I particularly liked the emphasis on how people are shaped by their communities.
I loved this book. I loved everything about it. It was just perfect with a lot mystery and a little romance. It changed the lives of both Alec Goddard and Isabelle O' Connell.
Crime, romance and rural Australia, it doesn't get much better than that! Keep writing Brownwyn, I love your work!
Mar 11, 2010
Manda Collins
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
romantic-suspense
Gritty and dark with a puzzling plot that even the most hard core mystery reader will love, As Darkness Falls is a rarity among romantic suspense--a police procedural with a happy ending. Light romantic suspense fans might find it a bit too melancholy, but anyone who enjoys both the British police procedurals of Peter Robinson and the romantic suspense of Karen Rose will want to add Bronwyn Parry to their autobuy list. Not published in the US, As Darkness Falls is available with free shipping fr...more
Entertaining, fast-paced romantic suspense. Bronwyn Parry is an author to watch. I look forward to her next book.
A nice story... romantic but very well written. There isn't much action or any moral in the book.
Not as good as Dead Heat but still a pleasant read with interesting twists.
Loved to find a mystery set in Australia! Couldn't put this down...very enjoyable and I didn't guess the killer..
This is a great book loved it from start to finish
Won this on Goodreads :) have to read it ASAP...
brilliant finished it in record time
Fabulous outback romantic suspense.
enjoyed it very much
gripping
This is the first book I have read of Aussie author Bronwyn Parry and I am a fan.
The story itself was great but I really enjoyed the dynamics between the two main characters and how they worked out their own personal journeys as well as the crime they are investigating.
Enjoyed the ending, think it worked well.
Look forward to reading Dark Country and Dead Heat when it comes out in March.
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I grew up surrounded by books, and have a love of reading and stories. Commercial fiction, literary fiction, children’s literature, history – my bookshelves are forever overflowing!
I write gritty romantic suspense, set in Australia's wild places. My first two books, As Darkness Falls and Dark Country are both available in Australia, NZ and the UK, and As Darkness Falls, published as Schwarze Dorn...more
More about Bronwyn Parry...
I write gritty romantic suspense, set in Australia's wild places. My first two books, As Darkness Falls and Dark Country are both available in Australia, NZ and the UK, and As Darkness Falls, published as Schwarze Dorn...more
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