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A Bec Whitfield Mystery #1
Bowen River
When policewoman Bec Whitfield accepts a transfer to Bowen River in remote Northern Queensland, she braces for a challenging return to her hometown and the strained relationship with her father. Moving with her manipulative partner, Gray Cameron, Bec is expecting a quiet post in a sleepy country town and is quickly proven wrong when local woman Leanne Delaney disappears.
In 1925, Elspeth Valentine dreams of leaving Strathallyn Station to pursue an equestrian career in England. Instead, a fateful decision ties her to World War I veteran Thomas Delaney, setting off a series of events that ripple through generations, shaping the Delaney family’s legacy.
Teaming up with local detectives Todd Davenport and Justin Chapman, Bec is given a task that leads her to uncover the hidden past of the Delaney family. As the case deepens and her father comes under suspicion, she finds herself entangled in a web of lies and betrayal.
As Bec navigates personal turmoil—including a growing connection to Detective Davenport—she refuses to let it hinder her investigative skills. Working closely with the team, she is determined to uncover the truth and find Leanne before it’s too late.
In 1925, Elspeth Valentine dreams of leaving Strathallyn Station to pursue an equestrian career in England. Instead, a fateful decision ties her to World War I veteran Thomas Delaney, setting off a series of events that ripple through generations, shaping the Delaney family’s legacy.
Teaming up with local detectives Todd Davenport and Justin Chapman, Bec is given a task that leads her to uncover the hidden past of the Delaney family. As the case deepens and her father comes under suspicion, she finds herself entangled in a web of lies and betrayal.
As Bec navigates personal turmoil—including a growing connection to Detective Davenport—she refuses to let it hinder her investigative skills. Working closely with the team, she is determined to uncover the truth and find Leanne before it’s too late.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 17, 2024
31 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Annie Seaton
183 books700 followersAnnie Seaton lives near the beach on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. She is fulfilling her lifelong dream of writing and has been delighted to discover that readers love reading her stories as much as she loves writing them. Her career and studies spanned the education sector for most of her working life until she took up a full-time writing career. Each winter, Annie and her husband leave the beach to roam the remote areas of Australia for story ideas and research.
Readers can contact Annie through her website annieseaton.net or find her on Facebook and Instagram.
Readers can contact Annie through her website annieseaton.net or find her on Facebook and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 2, 2025
Senior Constable Bec Whitfield accepted her transfer to Bowen River in Northern Queensland, hardly believing that with all the stations in Queensland she could have been transferred to, it was Bowen River, her home until she was sixteen and with her parents still there. Bec's relationship with her father had been tumultuous to say the least, but she missed her mother. The day she arrived in town, she discovered that an old school friend, Leanne Delaney, had gone missing, leaving two young children with no one to care for them. Her superior, Mark Lovatt, asked her if she could start work straight away to get a jump on the case and immediately Bec was engrossed in finding everything she could, that would lead them to Leanne.
As Detective Todd Davenport arrived to assist, they worked at interviewing everyone they could. The solar farm company - Strathallyn Solar - that Leanne was dead set against, had a few persons of interest; but it was what was found at Leanne's house, and what happened that made them realise they must be getting closer. But would they find Leanne alive? What would happen to her two young children?
Another thrilling start to a new series, Bowen River is #1 in A Bec Whitfield Mystery by Aussie author Annie Seaton and she's done it again! Tense, fast paced, action packed and full of chilling details, Bec is an excellent character; caring and compassionate but as strong as steel! With the inclusion of Elspeth Valentine and Strathallyn Station in 1925, and what happened to her which influenced future generations, I can see this will be another winning series by Ms Seaton. I am looking forward to #2 already - Shadows on the Shore - which will be published in June 2025. Highly recommended.
With thanks to the author for my ARC to read and review.
As Detective Todd Davenport arrived to assist, they worked at interviewing everyone they could. The solar farm company - Strathallyn Solar - that Leanne was dead set against, had a few persons of interest; but it was what was found at Leanne's house, and what happened that made them realise they must be getting closer. But would they find Leanne alive? What would happen to her two young children?
Another thrilling start to a new series, Bowen River is #1 in A Bec Whitfield Mystery by Aussie author Annie Seaton and she's done it again! Tense, fast paced, action packed and full of chilling details, Bec is an excellent character; caring and compassionate but as strong as steel! With the inclusion of Elspeth Valentine and Strathallyn Station in 1925, and what happened to her which influenced future generations, I can see this will be another winning series by Ms Seaton. I am looking forward to #2 already - Shadows on the Shore - which will be published in June 2025. Highly recommended.
With thanks to the author for my ARC to read and review.
May 12, 2025
A always enjoy an Annie Seaton book and this one is the start of a new series and a duel time line and I loved it, Bec Whitfield is a police officer who wants to be a detective and takes a move to the small town she grew up in and has not returned for twelve years, her parents are still living there and this is one of the problems about moving home, her father and her do not get on, as well as the fact that her partner Gray has come with her. Expecting a fairly quiet start to her move she arrives just as news breaks on a missing woman, Leanne Delaney, who Bec went to school with and was very good friends with Bec throws everything she has at finding her friend.
1925 Elspeth Valentine lives on Strathallyn Station with her mother and father they breed and race horses, but her dreams are to move to England and make her way there, her mother has other ideas but when a new horse trainer, Thomas Delaney arrives life changes for Elspeth and soon finds herself married and a mother but life does not turn out the way she wants sadly but Elspeth stands strong and works hard.
Bec joins ranks with Detectives Todd Davenport and Justin Chapman to find Leanne and the investigation uncovers a hidden past from the Delaney family this gives them some answers to questions they have, and it appears that her father may be more involved than anyone thought but will they find Leanne Delaney before it is too late?
Bec has a few personal issues to work through and there is a bond growing between her and Todd but she never gives up in her investigation, she shows tenacity and strength to find answers, this is such a fabulous story, fabulous characters and setting and I am really looking forward to more in this series and to see if something more grows between Bec and Todd.
I do highly recommend this one to any reader who loves a good mystery.
1925 Elspeth Valentine lives on Strathallyn Station with her mother and father they breed and race horses, but her dreams are to move to England and make her way there, her mother has other ideas but when a new horse trainer, Thomas Delaney arrives life changes for Elspeth and soon finds herself married and a mother but life does not turn out the way she wants sadly but Elspeth stands strong and works hard.
Bec joins ranks with Detectives Todd Davenport and Justin Chapman to find Leanne and the investigation uncovers a hidden past from the Delaney family this gives them some answers to questions they have, and it appears that her father may be more involved than anyone thought but will they find Leanne Delaney before it is too late?
Bec has a few personal issues to work through and there is a bond growing between her and Todd but she never gives up in her investigation, she shows tenacity and strength to find answers, this is such a fabulous story, fabulous characters and setting and I am really looking forward to more in this series and to see if something more grows between Bec and Todd.
I do highly recommend this one to any reader who loves a good mystery.
January 22, 2025
Big thanks to Annie for sending us a copy to read and review.
Destination fiction royalty Annie Seaton has given her audience a new mystery and crime read.
The first book in the Bec Whitfield series has us, after finishing, wanting more.
Policewoman Bec arrives in Bowen River after accepting a job at the local constabulary.
Returning to her hometown with her devious boyfriend and having to confront her religious parents has mixed feelings for Bec.
Then a local woman disappears.
Detectives Davenport and Chapman turn up to help with the investigation and Bec feels a connection with one of them.
Also in 1925 Elspeth Valentine meets Thomas Delaney and sparks fly.
But she dreams of a life with horses as her main goal.
Life has other ideas…
Can the two stories be linked…..
There’s secrets, romance, history, suspense, tension and family drama.
A picturesque backdrop, a new puzzle to decipher, a stylish plot and a set of new characters, all to enjoy from cover to cover.
While we have a country, police and law thread we also get a historical storyline that lifts the narrative up a notch
Annie offers readers many books from her catalogue to choose from and this is another to add to that impressive list.
Destination fiction royalty Annie Seaton has given her audience a new mystery and crime read.
The first book in the Bec Whitfield series has us, after finishing, wanting more.
Policewoman Bec arrives in Bowen River after accepting a job at the local constabulary.
Returning to her hometown with her devious boyfriend and having to confront her religious parents has mixed feelings for Bec.
Then a local woman disappears.
Detectives Davenport and Chapman turn up to help with the investigation and Bec feels a connection with one of them.
Also in 1925 Elspeth Valentine meets Thomas Delaney and sparks fly.
But she dreams of a life with horses as her main goal.
Life has other ideas…
Can the two stories be linked…..
There’s secrets, romance, history, suspense, tension and family drama.
A picturesque backdrop, a new puzzle to decipher, a stylish plot and a set of new characters, all to enjoy from cover to cover.
While we have a country, police and law thread we also get a historical storyline that lifts the narrative up a notch
Annie offers readers many books from her catalogue to choose from and this is another to add to that impressive list.
December 30, 2024
Bowen River
A well written story revolving around families and their secrets, ancestors and greed. A young woman reconnecting with her family. Also the story looking at how solar energy and its impact on the environment and people's lives. A story that will keep you reading to fill in all the blanks
A well written story revolving around families and their secrets, ancestors and greed. A young woman reconnecting with her family. Also the story looking at how solar energy and its impact on the environment and people's lives. A story that will keep you reading to fill in all the blanks
July 30, 2025
Easy read and enjoyable mystery set in North Queensland
August 5, 2025
2.55 stars
It felt incomplete. I mean, all the back and forth… all that history and it just fell apart in the end.
It felt incomplete. I mean, all the back and forth… all that history and it just fell apart in the end.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews