Crows Nest

Reviewed By  Janet Mawdesley       February 3, 2023

 

Author  Nikki Mottram

Distributor:      UQP
ISBN:                 9780702265778
Publisher:         University of Queensland Press (UQP)
Release Date:   February 2023  

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Crow’s Nest from Nikki Mottram, in a few words, is an absolutely riveting story that commences with a small, but captivating page which is utterly chilling, definitely surreal and certainly mysterious.

Dana Gibson, distraught after the death of her small son, distant from her husband and in dire need of change, has accepted a position as a Social Worker in Toowoomba for three months. She hopes this will help her heal and also allow her time out to try to understand the sad state of her marriage. It is as far from her stylish life in Sydney as she can get and Toowoomba is a place she has known from her childhood.

Her journey to Toowoomba is eventful and terrifying; her first day in the office sees her out on a case which will have her pushing the boundaries of not just her job, but the community she has to work in for the next three months. What has she gone and done?

As she begins to settle into her new role, she becomes involved with a local family in Crow’s Nest, a town which is known for its drug culture. The family appear to be slightly dysfunctional, but she has a feeling there is more being hidden than is apparent, but what.  The local police are not at all concerned.

When her client Sandra Kirby and friend are murdered in what appears to be a senseless crime, Dana becomes obsessed with finding answers to questions that have not been asked. She has a definite gut feeling that the easy answer arrived at by the local Police force is not the correct one. She puts her career, life and what is left of her marriage in jeopardy as she refuses to back down.

Secrets are hidden deep in the small town of Crow’s Nest and the locals are none too happy about having them dragged out into the bright light of day, particularly the head of the local ‘mafia’ Tony, who is known for getting rid of any ‘obstruction’ to his plans.

As the stakes grow higher, the danger levels rise, to the point where being unable to put the book down is a real contention!

The skilful mix of Social Work and crime is an interesting concept and when you add the soul destroying grief caused by the loss of a child, the storyline of Crow’s Nest carries a ring of truth, which makes the story so much more enjoyable.

With protagonist Dana Gibson, she has also portrayed what many who work in the Child Protection sector of Child Welfare contend with on a daily basis: too higher caseloads, too little time.

Crow’s Nest, a debut novel introduces captivating Crime thriller author Nikki Mottram to the Australian scene, with the first book in the Dana Gibson Mystery Series. Book two is due out in 2024. Can’t wait.