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Dawn Grave #1
Grave Regret
Bringing secrets to light can be dangerous…. keeping them buried might be deadly.
Dawn Grave is a career detective who’s holding on to a dark past - one that destroys relationships and wreaks havoc on her personal life.
For more than twenty years, she’s tried to forget the horrors of her youth - while her sister has spent all that time digging for answers. Now a cryptic text message threatens to throw it all back into the light.
Dawn attempts to call her sister, but when Lisa can’t be reached, she knows something terrible has happened. But finding Lisa means returning to the remote tropical town in northern Australia where her nightmares all began.
Dawn is out of her jurisdiction, but nothing is going to stop her investigating her sister’s disappearance. When Lisa’s car is found abandoned and a body is retrieved from the water, she’s afraid her past has come back to haunt her.
When she’s called to ID the body, she realises, her search for the truth has only just begun.
Dawn Grave is a career detective who’s holding on to a dark past - one that destroys relationships and wreaks havoc on her personal life.
For more than twenty years, she’s tried to forget the horrors of her youth - while her sister has spent all that time digging for answers. Now a cryptic text message threatens to throw it all back into the light.
Dawn attempts to call her sister, but when Lisa can’t be reached, she knows something terrible has happened. But finding Lisa means returning to the remote tropical town in northern Australia where her nightmares all began.
Dawn is out of her jurisdiction, but nothing is going to stop her investigating her sister’s disappearance. When Lisa’s car is found abandoned and a body is retrieved from the water, she’s afraid her past has come back to haunt her.
When she’s called to ID the body, she realises, her search for the truth has only just begun.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2024
1055 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Tarr
47 books136 followersFiona's stories are captivating, bold, suspense reads featuring strong female leads, small, rural town settings and quirky Australian characters.
Her most recent Opal Fields Crime Fiction series has been described as “a fast paced action packed thrill ride through the outback”.
Writing runs in the family. Fiona’s Great Uncle was Australian Literary author George Johnston (My Brother Jack) and although her style is more contemporary, her Uncle’s social commentary tone is evident.
Recently compared to Jane Harper, Patricia Wolf and Melinda Leigh—Fiona’s crime and mystery suspense novels have been well received, reaching #1 Best Seller in the Amazon Australia store and beyond.
Fiona lives in Noosa Australia with her husband, and not far from her two adult children.
A self confessed people watcher, she loves to interpret body language and social cues. With a history of farming, working in male dominated industries and navigating the world of community services, Fiona is equipped with the experience and insight to develop truely memorable characters, authentic settings and action packed stories.
When not writing, you'll likely find Fiona travelling in the outback, enjoying watersports on the local pristine beaches, or spending time with family and friends.
Join Fiona's Reader's Club and discover what motivate her stories, the process she uses to research and to be the first to know about future releases.
You'll also get a free copy of her latest series prequel novella Grave Doubt
Just copy and paste this link. https://www.subscribepage.com/c8s0o4_...
Her most recent Opal Fields Crime Fiction series has been described as “a fast paced action packed thrill ride through the outback”.
Writing runs in the family. Fiona’s Great Uncle was Australian Literary author George Johnston (My Brother Jack) and although her style is more contemporary, her Uncle’s social commentary tone is evident.
Recently compared to Jane Harper, Patricia Wolf and Melinda Leigh—Fiona’s crime and mystery suspense novels have been well received, reaching #1 Best Seller in the Amazon Australia store and beyond.
Fiona lives in Noosa Australia with her husband, and not far from her two adult children.
A self confessed people watcher, she loves to interpret body language and social cues. With a history of farming, working in male dominated industries and navigating the world of community services, Fiona is equipped with the experience and insight to develop truely memorable characters, authentic settings and action packed stories.
When not writing, you'll likely find Fiona travelling in the outback, enjoying watersports on the local pristine beaches, or spending time with family and friends.
Join Fiona's Reader's Club and discover what motivate her stories, the process she uses to research and to be the first to know about future releases.
You'll also get a free copy of her latest series prequel novella Grave Doubt
Just copy and paste this link. https://www.subscribepage.com/c8s0o4_...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
December 7, 2025
Detective Dawn Grave had been ignoring her sister, Lisa's calls and tests, just finishing up a murder case in Coober Pedy, South Australia. When she eventually tried to call her, there was no answer - that's when Dawn knew there was something wrong. Taking leave and heading for Cooktown in Far North Queensland, Dawn was shocked and horrified to discover Lisa was missing, along with a niece, Abby, she knew nothing about. When a body was discovered on the beach where Lisa's abandoned car was discovered, Dawn, without any jurisdiction in the area, took on a consulting role with the local police. Detective Ryan arrived from Cairns and the investigation was under way.
Twenty years prior a young woman was murdered with Lisa & Dawn's brother, Fraser, being blamed for her death. Then he committed suicide. Dawn had never believed any of it; but was the death of the young woman, and Lisa's disappearance connected to the twenty year old case? What was happening in the small town Dawn had once called home? Would she find the answers before someone else died?
Grave Regret is the 1st in the Dawn Grave series by Aussie author Fiona Tarr and it was an excellent police procedural. Dawn is a determined, stubborn, opinionated young woman, who, with ten years under her belt as a detective, knows what she's doing, and although initially, the local force wouldn't accept her appearance, their respect grew. Set in the vast Australian outback, where heat and humidity was a constant, I'm looking forward to continuing with this series. I've read and thoroughly enjoyed most of the Opal Fields series, set in Coober Pedy, and would recommend that series, along with this first book in the new series, highly.
Twenty years prior a young woman was murdered with Lisa & Dawn's brother, Fraser, being blamed for her death. Then he committed suicide. Dawn had never believed any of it; but was the death of the young woman, and Lisa's disappearance connected to the twenty year old case? What was happening in the small town Dawn had once called home? Would she find the answers before someone else died?
Grave Regret is the 1st in the Dawn Grave series by Aussie author Fiona Tarr and it was an excellent police procedural. Dawn is a determined, stubborn, opinionated young woman, who, with ten years under her belt as a detective, knows what she's doing, and although initially, the local force wouldn't accept her appearance, their respect grew. Set in the vast Australian outback, where heat and humidity was a constant, I'm looking forward to continuing with this series. I've read and thoroughly enjoyed most of the Opal Fields series, set in Coober Pedy, and would recommend that series, along with this first book in the new series, highly.
April 6, 2025
I really love books set in my home state of Queensland. There’s something about experiencing a setting first hand that really connects me with the plot and the characters. This is a great read, and I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
January 18, 2025
As expected from this author, Grave Regret is a fast paced murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns, and great characters.
The story centres around events twenty years ago when a family was torn apart by a murder and secrets with long lasting effects on those who carried them. When events in the present cast doubt on the evidence and bring up unwanted memories other members of this close knit town are drawn into the investigation.
The key to Dawn Grave’s investigation is buried in years of records and the memories of those who were there at the time. Who to trust is an issue especially as you have already experienced betrayal. However, getting the local police on her side is equally frustrating.
At the heart of this story is family and how when danger threatens you do everything you can to protect them and also right the wrongs of the past.
The story maintains its pace throughout the book as connections and secrets are exposed and there is plenty of action to keep the readers attention, particularly during the climax to the satisfying conclusion. There are however some loose threads left which we are assured will be explored in the second book in the series which I look forward to. Highly recommended.
The story centres around events twenty years ago when a family was torn apart by a murder and secrets with long lasting effects on those who carried them. When events in the present cast doubt on the evidence and bring up unwanted memories other members of this close knit town are drawn into the investigation.
The key to Dawn Grave’s investigation is buried in years of records and the memories of those who were there at the time. Who to trust is an issue especially as you have already experienced betrayal. However, getting the local police on her side is equally frustrating.
At the heart of this story is family and how when danger threatens you do everything you can to protect them and also right the wrongs of the past.
The story maintains its pace throughout the book as connections and secrets are exposed and there is plenty of action to keep the readers attention, particularly during the climax to the satisfying conclusion. There are however some loose threads left which we are assured will be explored in the second book in the series which I look forward to. Highly recommended.
August 24, 2024
The past collides with the present time in mysterious ways.
Dawn Grave is a detective based in Adelaide and she left her remote hometown of Cooktown in northern Australia about 20 years ago, to escape the tumultuous past of her family tragedies. These events still play havoc with her social life and ruin chances of any relationships. However, she is dragged back to Cooktown by the disappearance of her sister and finds more than one surprise awaiting her in the small community. A body is found and suddenly Dawn is facing the demons from her past which seem to link to this recent death. She is determined to solve the puzzle and maybe find answers to the death of her brother all those years ago. The characters in this book are believable and down-to-earth, making the reader feel immersed in the story. This is yet another great series from Fiona Tarr and I look forward to further books as Dawn continues to search for more answers to past events.
Dawn Grave is a detective based in Adelaide and she left her remote hometown of Cooktown in northern Australia about 20 years ago, to escape the tumultuous past of her family tragedies. These events still play havoc with her social life and ruin chances of any relationships. However, she is dragged back to Cooktown by the disappearance of her sister and finds more than one surprise awaiting her in the small community. A body is found and suddenly Dawn is facing the demons from her past which seem to link to this recent death. She is determined to solve the puzzle and maybe find answers to the death of her brother all those years ago. The characters in this book are believable and down-to-earth, making the reader feel immersed in the story. This is yet another great series from Fiona Tarr and I look forward to further books as Dawn continues to search for more answers to past events.
August 27, 2024
Brilliant book and can’t wait for the next book in the series. The opal fields series is excellent as well. Keep writing Fiona!!
September 28, 2024
Loved this book, a new series with a new detective. Great story. I had read the previous books in the opal fields series and enjoyed them so very happy to discover thus new book, first in the series, looking forward to the rest
October 19, 2025
A spin off from the Opal Fields series with similar plot lines. A bit clunky in part but I enjoyed the Australian setting and background.
August 29, 2024
Oh Fiona, you've done it again. Had me hooked from page 1. Another strong character that I'm loving. Looking forward to reading more of this series.
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September 13, 2024
This book was exceptionally good. The plot was so well put together and the writing was so on point that I literally couldn't put it down. The past colliding head on with the present, and only Detective Dawn grave can crack it. I can't wait to see what happens next .
I received an advance review copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 24, 2024
1 first met (read about) Dawn Grave in the latest Opal Field mystery "Her Covered Bones" where she along with Jenny solved ( or did she) the case of well it was Jennys case and its another great read.
Dawn is a great character and has many layers and a challenging past which you get to uncover as the story unpacks, as with Fionas books the action starts early and is truly addictive I read this well into the morning would say the night but ... . As an out of district detective back in her home town searching for her sister there are plenty of obstacles and surprises that help many this an awesome read. The are some great characters others too challenge you but all are well crafted and highly believable. I may not want them all in my life but others would be more than a welcome addition in their own ways. I love Fiona's style of writing the way she introduces characters quickly and not long windedly allowing the story to flow at pace.
The story is well writen and as I said addictive just how I like my books and had plenty of twists to keep me on my toes as the saying goes. I think you will love it I hope you do I definitely did, hence the 5 stars
Dawn is a great character and has many layers and a challenging past which you get to uncover as the story unpacks, as with Fionas books the action starts early and is truly addictive I read this well into the morning would say the night but ... . As an out of district detective back in her home town searching for her sister there are plenty of obstacles and surprises that help many this an awesome read. The are some great characters others too challenge you but all are well crafted and highly believable. I may not want them all in my life but others would be more than a welcome addition in their own ways. I love Fiona's style of writing the way she introduces characters quickly and not long windedly allowing the story to flow at pace.
The story is well writen and as I said addictive just how I like my books and had plenty of twists to keep me on my toes as the saying goes. I think you will love it I hope you do I definitely did, hence the 5 stars
September 21, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I am looking forward to the next one already.
Well written and with such a lot going on it was hard to keep up, and I feel there will be more to come in the next book.
Dawn Graves finally goes home after 20 years, her sister has been texting and phoning but Dawn ignored them all and now she can’t get hold of Lisa, so she sets off home to find out what’s going on.
Quite a lot as it happens, a body is found and Dawn fears it is Lisa, but it’s not, who is it and where is Lisa?
Great read, which I highly recommend.
Well written and with such a lot going on it was hard to keep up, and I feel there will be more to come in the next book.
Dawn Graves finally goes home after 20 years, her sister has been texting and phoning but Dawn ignored them all and now she can’t get hold of Lisa, so she sets off home to find out what’s going on.
Quite a lot as it happens, a body is found and Dawn fears it is Lisa, but it’s not, who is it and where is Lisa?
Great read, which I highly recommend.
September 4, 2024
Another great book, love the characters and the recognition of the issues Australia is still dealing with. The racism towards the aboriginal people, the past wrongs and attitudes of the old school Aussies no longer acceptable to the younger generations. The misogyny and violence of the past still staining the present brought front and centre. The lead characters who are feisty, independent women who want it all and why shouldn’t they! Cannot wait for the next instalment.
September 6, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are well-rounded, the story moves along at a good pace, and the narrative well-crafted. I found it difficult to put down, and I would recommend it to anyone who is bored with the standard formulaic police book. This is different, and very readable.
November 24, 2024
Well done Fiona, another great read, loved every minute of it. 📖📖👏👏
April 30, 2025
I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to think “who is that?!” when it’s revealed who the killer is..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2024
Bringing secrets to light can be dangerous…. keeping them buried might be deadly.
Dawn Grave is a career detective who’s holding on to a dark past - one that destroys relationships and wreaks havoc on her personal life.
For more than twenty years, she’s tried to forget the horrors of her youth - while her sister has spent all that time digging for answers. Now a cryptic text message threatens to throw it all back into the light.
Dawn attempts to call her sister, but when Lisa can’t be reached, she knows something terrible has happened. But finding Lisa means returning to the remote tropical town in northern Australia where her nightmares all began.
Dawn is out of her jurisdiction, but nothing is going to stop her investigating her sister’s disappearance. When Lisa’s car is found abandoned and a body is retrieved from the water, she’s afraid her past has come back to haunt her.
When she’s called to ID the body, she realises, her search for the truth has only just begun.
The past has come back to haunt her .
Will Dawn ever be the same ,can she work this out and if she does will it put it back to rest in the past ,,,,,,,time will tell.
Dawn Grave is a career detective who’s holding on to a dark past - one that destroys relationships and wreaks havoc on her personal life.
For more than twenty years, she’s tried to forget the horrors of her youth - while her sister has spent all that time digging for answers. Now a cryptic text message threatens to throw it all back into the light.
Dawn attempts to call her sister, but when Lisa can’t be reached, she knows something terrible has happened. But finding Lisa means returning to the remote tropical town in northern Australia where her nightmares all began.
Dawn is out of her jurisdiction, but nothing is going to stop her investigating her sister’s disappearance. When Lisa’s car is found abandoned and a body is retrieved from the water, she’s afraid her past has come back to haunt her.
When she’s called to ID the body, she realises, her search for the truth has only just begun.
The past has come back to haunt her .
Will Dawn ever be the same ,can she work this out and if she does will it put it back to rest in the past ,,,,,,,time will tell.
June 19, 2025
This is a great murder mystery with a female detective and Australia as the setting. There were aboriginal supporting characters (and acknowledgement that racism isn't just a thing of the past). over). The detective is dealing with the hot, rainy season alongside the past and present mystery and imminent criminal danger.
There was a nice amount of local Australian "spice" - Australian words which are pretty much understandable in context but I looked them up. For example, "larrikin" (a boisterous, badly behaved young man) and "corroboree" (an aboriginal gathering, but loosely used, it means a party).
There was a good sense of tension in the book, so I experienced a jump scare at one point, and a sense of relief at a close call.
If it weren't for my Amazon boycott, I'd buy and start reading the next book in the series.
There was a nice amount of local Australian "spice" - Australian words which are pretty much understandable in context but I looked them up. For example, "larrikin" (a boisterous, badly behaved young man) and "corroboree" (an aboriginal gathering, but loosely used, it means a party).
There was a good sense of tension in the book, so I experienced a jump scare at one point, and a sense of relief at a close call.
If it weren't for my Amazon boycott, I'd buy and start reading the next book in the series.
August 31, 2024
Dawn Grave is a detective who returns home to Cooktown in Northern Australia after having been away for over 20 years. Her sister, Lisa, is missing and Dawn is asked to come to the morgue to see if she can ID the body found near Lisa’s abandoned car. Thus starts a murder investigation. Dawn has no jurisdiction in Cooktown and detective Ryan arrives to handle the case. All kinds of secrets are exposed in this small town as Dawn hunts for her sister and Ryan works on solving a murder with Dawn assisting in a consulting role along with ranger Michael. Many twists that leads to a very satisfying ending. Looking forward to the next book in this series. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
September 28, 2024
I love all things Fiona Tarr and this does not disappoint, this is the first book in The Dawn Grave series. Dawn is a career Detective, based in Adelaide Australia. For twenty years she has tried to forget the horrors of her youth. Her sister Lisa has spent all of that time digging for answers. She left Dawn a cryptic message and now Lisa is not answering her phone. Dawn travels to Cooktown to see Lisa, but she is not home, and still not answering her phone. She goes to the police, to see if they know anything. They do find Lisa's car abandoned. Is Lisa safe? Does this have anything to do with what happened twenty years ago? Love the plot, great setting, and strong intense interesting characters. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!!
February 6, 2025
3.5 This is a new author for me. It was a free kindle book from BookBub. The mystery was pretty good—lots of first names and last names which required concentration—not a bad thing when reading a mystery. I was surprised at the rather “teenage” crushes by three characters at first sight of each other (two police and a ranger). The entire scheme became rather convoluted. I must admit that I was not highly motivated to finish it, but I did.
The other reviews are very positive so you might want to give it a try. No, I do not plan to read book two in the series. I rated it higher than the “mystery” warranted, but I enjoyed the glimpses of life in that area of Australia.
The other reviews are very positive so you might want to give it a try. No, I do not plan to read book two in the series. I rated it higher than the “mystery” warranted, but I enjoyed the glimpses of life in that area of Australia.
September 4, 2025
I really enjoyed this story with very well-developed characters, very relatable as a Queenslander who’s spent time in the far north.
My only criticism is that while most characters were well identified a couple of relationships seemed to have been skimmed over. The publicans seemed to know a bit about the issues that hung like a cloud over Ned. Likewise Larry’s personage was a light touch. However this didn’t detract from my enjoyment as a reader. I think the finale was a bit rushed with the case wrapped up with some rather confusing details which could have been introduced a little earlier rather than in the last few pages.
I’ll look forward to the next in the series
My only criticism is that while most characters were well identified a couple of relationships seemed to have been skimmed over. The publicans seemed to know a bit about the issues that hung like a cloud over Ned. Likewise Larry’s personage was a light touch. However this didn’t detract from my enjoyment as a reader. I think the finale was a bit rushed with the case wrapped up with some rather confusing details which could have been introduced a little earlier rather than in the last few pages.
I’ll look forward to the next in the series
September 3, 2024
A new series featuring Dawn Grave who we met in the last of the Opal Field series.
Dawn a detective with the Sth Australian Police returns to her hometown Cooktown after 20 years following disturbing messages from her younger sister.
20 years earlier her brother was accused of murder and then found after supposedly committing suicide and now she wants to clear his name and prove he was murdered.
Although not officially able to work with the QPD, she is central to solving the case.
Plenty in the book to keep you rivetted and then looking forward to the next in the series.
Dawn a detective with the Sth Australian Police returns to her hometown Cooktown after 20 years following disturbing messages from her younger sister.
20 years earlier her brother was accused of murder and then found after supposedly committing suicide and now she wants to clear his name and prove he was murdered.
Although not officially able to work with the QPD, she is central to solving the case.
Plenty in the book to keep you rivetted and then looking forward to the next in the series.
October 28, 2024
Grave Regret: An Australian Small Town Crime Mystery (Dawn Grave Book 1), my nineth read from author Fiona Tarr. Tarr has become one of my go-to authors! “I received a Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. Grave Intent: An Australian Small Town Crime Novel (Dawn Grave Book 2) due out on November 30 has just moved up my TBR list. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
December 13, 2025
A good little read. Develops characters well and the plot bounces along through a complex plot that unfolds with plenty of possible connections and motives and unresolve sexual attraction. A few red herrings and a satisfying resolution. I will read the next in this Aussie detective, crime solving addition.
But not until I read a more meaty hisorical saga or end of world , deep and desperate novel in between
But not until I read a more meaty hisorical saga or end of world , deep and desperate novel in between
September 5, 2024
A great start to a great new series. Fiona's writing is excellent. Reading her novels is a breeze. This is a new series with another strong female character, a detective no less, with many secrets and a dark past that haunt her. Now is her chance to find out the truth. I couldn't put this book down, and I look forward to the continuation of this series. An excellent novel!
January 8, 2025
Grave Regret
This story is set in Australia. A small town with lots of secrets and murders. The character, Dawn, was a pain and hard to warm up too. But that's what author wanted, everyone else it easy to connect with. Overall, the story held my interest and gave me the happy for ending that I like.
This story is set in Australia. A small town with lots of secrets and murders. The character, Dawn, was a pain and hard to warm up too. But that's what author wanted, everyone else it easy to connect with. Overall, the story held my interest and gave me the happy for ending that I like.
January 27, 2025
This is my first Fiona Tarr novel, its not going to be my last.
The rollicking storyline played out beautifully with not too many extra characters as sometimes happens with this type of novel. A few repetitive lines about how much Dawn missed Adelaide amongst other things, but am willing to cope with that ;) I could see it playing out like a tv show, and could feel the FNQ humidity and every downpour. Going straight into book #2.
The rollicking storyline played out beautifully with not too many extra characters as sometimes happens with this type of novel. A few repetitive lines about how much Dawn missed Adelaide amongst other things, but am willing to cope with that ;) I could see it playing out like a tv show, and could feel the FNQ humidity and every downpour. Going straight into book #2.
February 5, 2025
Greed and Control
Motives for murder and assault needed to be figured out if they were going to solve new crimes and old crimes in a small town. This story was hard to understand because it was difficult to figure out who the characters were, especially when first names and last names were interspersed within the book.
Motives for murder and assault needed to be figured out if they were going to solve new crimes and old crimes in a small town. This story was hard to understand because it was difficult to figure out who the characters were, especially when first names and last names were interspersed within the book.
April 13, 2025
I enjoyed the first book in this series. The characters are unique and have strong personalities while carrying a lot of baggage from past experiences. The plot is pretty straight forward without too many twists and turns into different plots but the final ending does come as a bit of a surprise after the investigations go down several different paths.
August 26, 2024
A very good Australian outback crime mystery with a well written storyline and an outstanding female detective main character. Page turning read with plenty of action and lots of suspense. Highly recommended read in this excellent detective series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews