A Town Called Treachery

by Mitch Jennings

A deadbeat dad. A curious boy. A journo drowning in the past ... and a town full of secrets. Can the truth ever be found in a town called Treachery?


A brutal murder in a town called Treachery? It's a story most journos would kill for, but for Stuart Dryden, it's a major inconvenience. He didn't take the gig at the local rag for its bustling crime beat. He'd sacrifice a career-making story for happy hour at the pub, but not even he can let a grisly murder through to the keeper. Especially when he keeps getting scooped by a persistent kid with a disposable Kodak.

Life's tough for eleven-year-old Matty Finnerty. His mother's gone, his father's gone most of the time and, as hard as he tries, he just can't get the kids at school to like him. When his favourite teacher Wendy Millburn turns up dead at the beach, it puts his dad Robbie in the crosshairs of a town that never liked him anyway.

Worse than the bricks through the window, the dead rabbits on the lawn and the fish heads in the mailbox is the fact no one seems to be looking for Wendy's killer. Matty starts to wonder whether Robbie knew her better than he's let on. He needs a hero, and Dryden will have to do - that is, if he can just stay sober for a night or two. He might even cast off the ghosts of his own past.

As they stumble their way to answers, can they find the truth about Wendy - and what they're really made of?

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Australia, Thriller, Childrens, Family, Audiobook

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2024

About the author

Mitch Jennings had always harboured ambitions to write a novel, but he says that working fulltime as a journalist meant that writing at home after work wasn’t very appealing because he had already been writing all day. He knew that he needed structure and accountability, so he enrolled in Novel Writing Essentials at the Australian Writers' Centre.

Mitch’s debut novel is A Town Called Treachery, a crime novel set in a small town on the NSW North Coast. He had originally been drawn to literary fiction, but discovered a love of crime audiobooks as he went on long walks. The crime fiction struck a new creative nerve and so began the idea for A Town Called Treachery.

Reviews

[Brooke - One Woman's Brief Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 31 July 2024**

This is an Australian crime novel that I very much enjoyed. It will surprise readers to learn it is a debut novel for the author given just how well-written and engaging it is. After the murder of a local woman in a small town, the consensus is 11-year-old Matty's dad did it. Matty is a budding journalist and links up with the local journalist Stuart to try and uncover what exactly happened to Wendy; the book alternates between Matty and Stuart's point-of-views. The character development of Stuart, the lazy journalist with a drinking problem, was great. Matty was one of the best child perspectives I've read for awhile, and I have no doubt that every reader will be cheering him along.
Overall: an impressive and absorbing Australian crime fiction debut.

[Michele (michelethebookdragon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an astonishing debut novel. A Town Called Treachery is an exceptional book that I enjoyed from the first page to the last.

With shades of Southern Aurora and The Night Whistler I was drawn into the lives of the characters and had an emotional connection to them.

Matthew Finnerty is a young boy who has been dealt a rough hand in life, but who just wants to fit in and has dreams for the future. We see him stoically dealing with his daily life with a drunk and emotionally absent father and kids who can just be so cruel. If you don't cry on page 103 then you have no heart.

Stuart Dryden is a journalist who just does what is needed to stay afloat but lacks any sort of drive to excel in his work, but offer him a drink and he will be front and centre of the action.

This unlikely pairing are drawn together when Matthew has captured photos of a murder victim at the crime scene and some basic information about the crime and hands them over to Stuart, giving Stuart a leg up on what will become the biggest story this small town has ever seen.

When the investigation really gets going and the secrets and lies in this town start to unravel, no one could guess the outcome of this story. From the town golden boy to the local police, drug runners and a bikie looking for a fresh start, this story had plenty happening.

With a storyline set in the early 80's I was loving the references to the music from my teen years.

I loved the range of characters and the back stories and connections they had. Everyone felt real and I was cheering their wins and feeling their losses. The innocence of young Matthew was endearing and I just wanted to tell him to keep going.

This is the type of book I love to read and this is an absolutely sensational debut from an author I'm pretty sure we will hear more from.

[Bernard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining story set on the North Coast of NSW, Australia.

One of many books about Australian small town life, where things are not all they seem.

In the deceptively quiet town of Treachery, a school teacher has been murdered. Young 11-year-old, Mathew Finnerty , is a school boy with a great interest in photography and investigative journalism.
He wants to write for the local paper, and on one morning he has the perfect scoop. The woman murdered is his school teacher. He brings his pics and story from the crime scene to a lazy, drunken journalist for the local paper, Stuart Draper. The young boy is to be a great source of help for this journalist as they try and solve the mystery of who killed the teacher.

The book is not just a crime tale, but also a coming of age story, and the list of characters include the boy's drunken father, and feeble grandfather. There are the also the usual expected characters found in books of this kind, crooked law enforcers, and families with skeletons in their closets.

An entertaining read, with occasional moments of humor as well, it will be enjoyed most by Australian readers. The story may not have too many big twists, but there are a few surprises, and the short chapters and fast pace keep one turning the pages.

[Jeanie ~ MyFairytaleLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this coming of age/crime thriller. The plot is intriguing and the dark, snarky humor is well timed. The mostly likeable characters are flawed and well developed. The story takes place in Australia and there is a fair amount of Aussie jargon that adds to the atmosphere and authenticity. The narration on the audiobook production by Paul F. Verhoeven is terrific.

If you’ve got an Audible credit you’re anxious to use, this would be a great choice. Thanks to @inthelibrarywithadagger for recommending this excellent thriller.

[Lana Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 from me. Really enjoyed this story. Found all the characters believable and the storyline well thought out.

[Liisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What an astonishing debut novel! “A Town Called Treachery” by Mitch Jennings is an exceptional read – I was hooked from the very first page.

Matty Finnerty is a character I won’t soon forget – he’s reminiscent of Eli Bell from Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe (another favourite of mine). I’d love to see more from Mitch Jennings and more of these characters. A new series, perhaps?

A deadbeat dad. A curious boy. A journo drowning in the past… and a town full of secrets. Can the truth ever be found in a town called Treachery?

The plot is captivating – a brutal murder in a town where secrets thrive. Stuart Dryden, a washed-up journalist, isn’t looking for a scoop, but when local teacher Wendy Millburn is found dead and the town turns against Matty’s dad, Dryden has no choice but to dig deeper. Matty’s relentless search for answers is both heartbreaking and inspiring – he just wants someone to care, and Dryden might be his only shot at finding the truth.

The characters are rich, flawed, and real – Dryden’s battle with his past, Matty’s loneliness and quiet resilience, and the raw tension of small-town suspicion create an atmosphere that lingers long after the final page. Jennings has masterfully woven mystery, heart, and grit into this stunning debut.

If you love stories about unlikely heroes, found family, and digging beneath the surface of small-town lies, this book is for you.

Highly recommend – and I can’t wait to see what Mitch Jennings writes next.

For more of my reviews: www.instagram.com/liisalovesreading

#ATownCalledTreachery #FiveStar #BushNoir #MitchJennings

[Kate M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cracking crime mystery novel is set in Australia a few decades ago when Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath was still playing Test cricket and the unique Aussie spirit was still alive and well in the fictional, coastal, small town of Treachery. Ticked all the boxes for me, small town murder mystery told with heart and an authentic Australian voice, plenty of suspense, skulduggery, secrets and lies. Couldn't get my head out once I started. This book was better than a multivitamin, giving my heart a good dose of the incomparable Australian heart and spirit that the author's writing captured so profoundly.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an impressive debut....
An absorbing emotionally charged read.
From the opening chapter to the conclusion I was engrossed and what more can a reader ask?
A lovely sense of humanity...and currently that is a distraction we all need !
I suspect a very bright future awaits MJ.

[Priya · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a slow pace and no twists this is more of a literary fiction than a thriller.

[whatbooknext · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew might only be 11 but he’s been a fan of journalism since very young. When the sirens sound in his town called Treachery, early one morning, Matthew is on his bike with his cheap camera and a nose for news. He captures the police on the beach and a shape under a tarp. The sight of a foot, grey blue and still, shocks him, but he gets the pictures he needs.

Before the Treachery Chronicle Newspaper is even open, Matthew is waiting for its head reporter – Stuart Dryden. Matthew has written for the paper before, but this is his way to get his name beyond the Letters to the Editor page.

Stuart Dryden is an alcoholic, and perfectly happy writing stories about giant potholes or graffitied park benches, as long as he can get to the pub for lunch, a drink and then maybe another one. But Matthew is his wake up call. The town of Treachery suddenly has a newsworthy story and an 11 yr old is showing him up.

The body found on the beach is a teacher at Matthew’s school, and was married to an influential businessman in the area. She is also his father’s ex – and fingers are quickly pointed at his dad. Matthew’s mum died when he was tiny, and he’s grown up with his drunken father and Pop who now has dementia. Saying Matthew is self sufficient is an understatement, but there is love in this all male household.

Matthew’s desire to be a newsman, clear his father’s name and avoid the incessant bullying he now faces, teams him up with journo Stuart Dryden and a new kid at school – who just happens to be a bikie’s son. All the wrong people to be linking up with, but all the right people to get him through the mystery of his teacher’s murder.


Switching points of view between these hugely contrasting characters kept things interesting, and me turning pages.
This murder changes many lives, for worse and for better as Matthew learns much more than how to write great news stories, Dryden finds a new lease of life and direction, and after many red herrings and mis-directions for the reader – the murderer is finally revealed.

I laughed out loud at Dryden’s humour – which was his fail safe way of dealing with tension, and loved the coming of age of young Matthew as the world of journalism, drugs, and crime swirled around him.

Journo Crime that reminded me of Chris Hammer’s Martin Scarsden series, and Trent Dalton's masterpiece - Boy Swallows Universe

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A debut Aussie crime novel, A Town Called Treachery (2024) by Mitch Jennings is a touching family saga featuring a would-be journalist, an eleven-year-old boy. The coastal hamlet of Treachery is a small town with long-buried secrets, with a local woman found dead on the beach. Young Matty Finnerly comes across the murder scene, taking photographs and overhearing the police talking. He takes his scoop to the local weekly newspaper run by Stuart Dryden, who is more interested in his afternoon lunches than reporting the local trivial occurrences. As the police struggle to advance the investigations, locals blame Matty’s father for the death, given his derelict parenting and drinking. A suave tale ensues, with a cosmopolitan cast of characters, an investigative journalism element and an eleven-year-old Matty - with a heart of gold. It's not often a debut novel gets a must-read five star rating, but this crime-based tale is more of a heartfelt coming-of-age - enchanting storytelling. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many wonderful portraits of so called ordinary people going about their everyday lives in here. Some really excellent set pieces, very visual stand-off scenes, gratifying character development and a satisfying finish.
Dryden the journalist made me laugh out loud several times with his turn of phrase and timing. Robbie explaining to his son Mattie that you know you love someone when you’ll eat what they cook, and thank them for it, even if it’s terrible also made me laugh out loud. As did Dryden describing some out of the box thinking by his Mum using balloons to explain why he and his brother don’t have dogs. The insights into family life at the fish & chip shop were great as was the glimpses of how the elderly Pops got around doing his thing with the occasional gentle bit of redirection.
Hopefully there’ll be some more books with these characters in the future. I’d love to know what they get up to next.

[Catsalive · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent debut novel set in the small coastal town of Treachery in the 1980s. Eleven-year-old Matthew Finnerty is a troubled character doing an excellent job of overcoming the adversities of his upbringing in this claustrophobic place: no mother, a drunk father & a grandfather suffering dementia. He's such a stoical kid that you can't help wanting him to succeed.

His interest in journalism & photography brings him into an investigation with broken-down hack journo, Stuart Dryden, when a local woman is murdered, & Matt is in the right place at the right time. When Matt's dad is implicated his need to investigate is even more urgent.

Dangerous & brutal, poignant & nostalgic, I enjoyed it very much. The young protagonist reminded me of The Night Whistler, another excellent Australian debut.

[Jemma Casson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a fantastic debut novel! A Town Called Treachery is full of well-developed characters set in a small Aussie town sometime in the early '90s. Although the year is never explicitly stated, it's clear from the details surrounding this murder mystery that we're in that timezone, from the music mentioned to the newness of mobile phones. Plus the fact that newspapers are still in print. The balance between the mystery unraveling and the need to print the breaking story is part of the thrill. Not to mention the police presence, a young apprentice, an old flame, drugs, money, rich and poor. This story has it all. Best of all it's fast paced and never slows down, and has a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to what's next from the author!

[Clive Parkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got the tip for this via a review from The Age which, while offering some positives ended on a negative note. Early on I had moments of agreement, where a bit more editing to help rough moments existed. But as I got in to it, started to love this band of characters in an earlier time (mid to late 90s) in their small coastal backwater. Loved the boy Matthew, out for a scoop and invariably landing “wins” in whole other ways. Certainly some shades of Jack Irish meets Boy Swallows Universe (plus some other influences) but this is not a bad thing. Good stuff. Certainly agree with the review that this could be a worthy script - I’d see it as a limited series rather than film.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 year old Matty has a tough life at home with his Dad and grandfather in a small NSW town. When he comes across a recent crime scene, he takes some photos of his own. When Matty arrives at the local news office, it turns out he knows more than the sole journalist, and so begins a collaboration between Matty and the journo Stuart that see them begin to unravel just why a respected young mother and wife was brutally murdered. Along the way, both Matty and Stuart both learn a lot about themselves so it's a bit of a coming of age story too. Great holiday reading, especially if you like Aussie crime writing.

[Delma White · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."
I read the first chapter of this book before I decided to buy it. If I realised it was a crime book I would not have bothered. (Crime is not my favourite genre.) It was however, a good read.
The story and characters slowly sucked me in. It is a well constructed story with funny, gentle characters.
The details of the crime are revealed so as I could follow who did what.
I love Matty, his Dad and Pop. Stuart Dryden is a lot of fun. So is Bill the publican. They are all created believably, flaws and all.
The last two pages were beautiful and made me cry. Just because.......

[Karen Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the debut murder mystery by Mitch Jennings whilst slow moving at times it held me long enough to find out how it ends. It has all the secrets of a small country town as well as heart warming friendship that grows between an alcoholic journalist and an eleven year old boy who is trying to find himself. He has an ability to write what he sees and takes it to the newspaper and so from there the story develops. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery and would like to give a new author a go.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. It was a slow burn at first, which I didn’t mind because the author was setting up engaging main characters, but then it becomes pacey, with clever twists before the end. I really liked the late 90s flavour with the references to the Royal Commission and Aussie music and early take-up of mobiles. I prefer character-driven crime, like this, and the standout characters for me were Matthew and Dryden, and the family of Bull, Val and Pod. The book has touches of humour and a lot of heart.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, this was an interesting told tale, but there were just bits that did not do well. The character of Matty Finnerty was too young for the role that he had to play and for the information that he had to process. It did feel like the plot had too many strands and would have benefitted from less complexity.

However I did read to the end and I thought the Australian-ness of the setting came over well.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another masterpiece from an Australian author.

I can’t say the ‘twist’ in the book was particularly revolutionary however the way each character came together in the end was incredible.

This book covers generational trauma, the small town stigma, jaded people and so much more.

I absolutely loved this book 10/10 recommend anyone to give this one a read

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great Australian crime drama! I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book… the characters are very realistic, the superbly constructed dialogue adding to their authenticity. Matthew certainly crawled into my heart in the same way Dalton’s Eli (from Boy Swallows Universe) left his own footprints all over it. I can’t wait to read what Mitch Jennings writes for us all next!

[Anna Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible debut novel. I didn't want it to end and, since finishing it, I've had a keen urge to simply start reading it again. For the record, the audiobook version is an excellent way to experience this book, the narrator getting all of the beats and cadences of the different voices bang on.

[Kerri Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from my friends at Harper Collins. Focussing on a journalist following a lead for a murder, he has help from an 11 year old wanna-be journalist who had photos on the scoop in Treachery, a small town in northern NSW. Whilst this was essentially a murder mystery it also follows the story of an 11 year old’s coming of age.

[Brianna Broderick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t the usual book I would read but it was chosen for my book club. It was amazing, the story line was thrilling and I didn’t expect any of it. I was always on my toes wanting to know what new information was gonna come out.

It’s an exceptional read and an amazing debut novel.

[TJ Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennings delivers a unique combination of a coming-of-age story, a murder mystery, and a criminal conspiracy in small-town Australia. A Town Called Treachery is filled with terrific writing, great characters and a wonderfully plotted story.

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a compelling book. Interesting characters who have lots of depth to them. Plot twists I didn’t see coming. Shows such an innocent from Matthew’s point of view and his progression into seeing the world around him him.

[Charlotte_loves_books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️ I have read one or two other books in this genre and while not my favourite I found this one to be enough to keep me reading til the end. The writing is very good and easy to picture the scene although I think it got. A bit lost around half way and could have lost 100 pages.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read from the first to the last sentence. Loved it!

[Bethan Hazell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressive debut. Well developed characters (though there were some cliches) & a solid story. Hopefully Jennings isn���t a one hit wonder.