The Waterhole in Aussie Readers

Nov 17, 2021 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery, read-on-kindle, aussie-authors, 5000-2021, 2021-release, reviewing-by-request, arc, crime, own-read, thriller

Detective Marley West and his partner Brigit were called to a backyard discovery in the small town of Cowaramup, where bones had come to light after a bobcat began digging where an old waterhole had been. But it was over twenty years since developers had filled the creek and waterhole in so their investigation would go to the family who owned the land. The Ross family – brothers Bill and Jack – were the only ones left and they were well up in age. Bill had served in Vietnam, following in the sho ...more

40 likes · Like · see review

Jan 07, 2022 Helen rated it it was amazing

I am a big fan of Lily Malone’s stories and this one differs a little from her other ones but it was so fabulous, set over three time lines this one had me turning the pages, the characters good and bad have been bought to life on the pages, we meet Detective Marley West and his partner Brigit as they dig deep into the past to find the answers when a waterhole being dug up spits out bones.

The small Western Australian town of Cowaramup is pulled into turmoil when neighbours at a BBQ decide to try I am a big fan of Lily Malone’s stories and this one differs a little from her other ones but it was so fabulous, set over three time lines this one had me turning the pages, the characters good and bad have been bought to life on the pages, we meet Detective Marley West and his partner Brigit as they dig deep into the past to find the answers when a waterhole being dug up spits out bones.

The small Western Australian town of Cowaramup is pulled into turmoil when neighbours at a BBQ decide to try and dig up an old waterhole and the digging brings bones with it, human bones, the police are called and Detective Marley West is sent to investigate now he and his partner Brigit uncover that the original waterhole was on the farm of the Ross family the matriarch Morag long gone but her two sons Bill and Jack are still here and living on parts of the old farm and they do not get along.

Bill went to Vietnam and Jack had stayed and run the farm with his mother they were popular young boys in the town and were very competitive at everything even with their love lives. There was also the local cop Alan West, yes Marley’s grandfather unfortunately he was a bad cop and controlled the town and some of its citizens back in the day. So when Marley arrives to talk to Bill and Jack they are very wary, but Brigit and Marley work well together and are soon finding some answers.

This story unravels a lot from the past and the people who have lived in Cowaramup for many years, there are secrets and lies that have added to tear a family apart and then add in the corrupt cop and this one is a must read story for any reader who loves to be swept up in a mystery that slowly unravels in the best way. There are some wonderful characters in this one not only the Ross boys but Annette who plays a big part in this story, lots of twists and turns and maybe that hole should have been left as is and secrets kept where they were or maybe it was better for the truth to come?

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would highly recommend it and I also hope that we get to enjoy more stories with Marley West and Brigit. Marley is a fabulous character he has been through a lot because of his grandfather and he is rebuilding his career and I really want to see more of him.
...more

21 likes · Like · see review

Dec 07, 2021 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-author, arc-are

Australian author Lily Malone, best known for her rural romance series, ‘The Chalk Hill’, dips into the crime genre with The Waterhole.

When human bones are discovered in what once was waterhole on the edge of a suburban development, Detective Marley West and Constable Brigit Winger, are tasked with unraveling a complicated cold case that opens old wounds in the community of Cowaramup, Western Australia.

Three timelines reveal a feud between brothers, Jack and Bill Ross, stretching back almost ha ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Apr 25, 2022 Janine rated it it was amazing

Wow what an awesome story! A waterhole produces human bones, but who are they. This begins a twisty Turney story about brothers, families, forbidden romance and deep dark secrets that slowly reveal over the course of this novel. Lily Malone has written a story that is crying out to be on the big screen and I hope someone takes notice. A brilliant portrayal of small town policing gone wrong and the consequences that last for years. 5 excellent stars ⭐️

3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 29, 2021 Bree T rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, mystery, crime, rural-lit, australian, aww2021

This is a very well put together mystery with well rounded characters and complex backstories for days.

Detective Marley West is called to a small Western Australian town when a couple of guys with a backhoe find human bones in an attempt to find a waterhole that used to exist before it was filled in during the subdivision development. A careful excavation of the site reveals not just the bones of one body but two.

There was so much I loved about this! Firstly, I really enjoyed the character of De This is a very well put together mystery with well rounded characters and complex backstories for days.

Detective Marley West is called to a small Western Australian town when a couple of guys with a backhoe find human bones in an attempt to find a waterhole that used to exist before it was filled in during the subdivision development. A careful excavation of the site reveals not just the bones of one body but two.

There was so much I loved about this! Firstly, I really enjoyed the character of Detective Marley West. His story is doled out slowly and I still think there’s a lot we don’t know about Marley. His grandfather Alan West was a crooked cop who controlled the town during his time, having half of it in his pocket and the other half terrified of him and what might do. Although Marley isn’t him, he bears the legacy his grandfather’s disgrace left upon the family and how it impacted on other members as well. It also cost him his marriage and Marley isn’t in the greatest of places. He fights not to be taken off this case when it might be connected to his grandfather – perhaps this is a chance of some sort of redemption for Marley who isn’t the one who needs to be redeemed but still bears the stigma of it anyway. I also loved his interactions with his younger partner, Brigit Winger. The two of them are great together.

I found myself so intrigued by the story of Bill, Jack and Annette. It was hard not to really feel for Annette and the triangle was much more complex than it first appeared. It would’ve been really easy to simply demonise Jack I think but he had hidden depths and I felt like his friendship with Jed really showcased how genuine he’d been in his desire to live a better life when he was given the chance to be free. All three of them had suffered at the hands and whims of a person who enjoyed manipulating people and having power over them and that suffering had continued for years.

As well as there being the “present day” time period, which I think is 2018 and the time period when Bill and Jack meet Annette and how that plays out in the 60s, there’s also a brief foray into 1994 and a significant event that happens during that time. That part of the story gave me shivers because I’ve lived in a small town, I’ve experienced how laid back and casual things can be in that environment and this is an excellent example of how things like that can be taken advantage of and it’s always the sort of thing that you think would never happen in such a small town.

I don’t know if Lily Malone plans this to be a series, but I hope so because I honestly feel like this has a huge amount of potential. We’ve only scratched the surface with Marley West, the shadow that hangs over his head from his grandfather and how his career can progress from here. There’s some issues in his personal life as well, which could definitely be developed further. I also wouldn’t mind exploring Brigit as a character also but I feel like West in particular, could quite easily carry a series of some weight.

This was excellent – I found it riveting from the very beginning. I loved the setting, I thought the characters were done incredibly well and the overall mystery was compelling and kept me invested. This is a clever and polished foray into the world of mystery and crime.

***A copy of this book was provided by the author for the purpose of an honest review*** ...more

2 likes · Like · see review