Dirt Creek

A whirlwind of suspicion and anguish sweeps through the little town of rural Australia when twelve-year-old Esther vanishes while returning from school. During the hottest spring in decades, Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels comes in town to start her investigation. Meanwhile, Ronnie, Esther's persistent best friend, is working nonstop to locate her and bring her home.

Ronnie believes she is getting closer to locating Esther when her schoolmate Lewis informs her that he spotted her near the stream that afternoon with an unfamiliar guy. However, why won't Lewis talk to the police? And who else is making up information about how much they know about Esther's situation?

This novel explores the ties that bind, what we try to leave behind, and what we can never outrun, all the while keeping in mind what happened to Esther and what her loss does to a whole town. It is punctuated by a Greek chorus that gives voice to the remaining children of the small, dying town.

A girl goes missing in Hayley Scrivenor's small-town debut mystery Dirt Creek, which has been compared to The Dry meets Everything I Never Told You. The story follows the community's unraveling and eventual coming together.