Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Lucy’s younger brother has gone missing. When she sets out to find him, the trail takes her to Night Town. It’s a rural backwater deep in the forests of south western Australia.
Lucy tries to enlist the help of the local police, but she is met with hostility. She befriends a man who might help her cause. Yet he is not quite who he says he is.
As the locals begin to resent her presence in the town, danger quickly mounts. The town has secrets and they seem to centre on the enigmatic Samuel Nightmesser, its wealthy benefactor.
What connects her missing brother to this grim boondock? And why do the townsfolk want rid of Lucy?
As the story unfolds we are immersed in a creepy, claustrophobic drama in which everything is at stake. If you like books with a strong female lead that keep you on the edge of your seat, you’ve found your next favourite read.
The sequels to this book, the full-length, standalone follow-ups COLD VALLEY NIGHTMARE and SAVAGE BAY NIGHTMARE are also available on Kindle.
Anna Willett is the author of several suspense thrillers that focus on women trying to overcome difficult and dangerous situations. The full list of her books, in order of publication, is as follows:
Starkly Realistic—A Great Find!
Lucy Hush’s brother seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth—or at least from the rural backwater of south western Australia. Although his mental state has been sketchy at times, he was doing better, and his sister finds it impossible to attribute blame for him not appearing to celebrate her thirty-third birthday on reverting to old habits. Instead, his non-appearance triggers the realization that something is terribly wrong. With only a selfie of Tim and the locale of Night Town as her clues, she sets off in search of him. A stranger she picks up on the way helps her locate Night Town, but once there, she’s met with suspicion by the police for asking questions. The townspeople are equally hostile, and she soon finds herself in danger. A shaky alliance is formed with Damon, the drifter given a lift, but with his background and motives a mystery, is he a blessing or a curse? She’ll soon find out because she refuses to back down in her pursuit. One way or another, she’ll find her brother and bring him home alive.
Well, this book was a pleasant surprise! I never read author Anna Willett before and am so glad I did! SMALL TOWN NIGHTMARE is a tidy mystery/thriller that kept me on the edge of the seat for the entire ride. Very very taut pacing and complex story kept happily stringing me along. The author’s use of descriptions is perfect and gives what is necessary to create a moody atmosphere. You really get a clear picture of what Lucy is going through as she searches for an answer as to what happened to her brother Tim. And as the clues are revealed, so are the idiosyncrasies and motives of the major players. The unveilings help pull us into the maelstrom she’s gotten herself into. These characters are fleshed-out and fully alive and there’s nothing that beats not finding sterile tropes littering the plot! This attention to detail only adds to the interest and the suspense because you don’t know who Lucy should trust.
In terms of what I didn’t like, there’s really only one thing and it has to do with the Being Bashed Syndrome. While I readily can believe a victim can be delivered some pretty hefty physical torture, when characters that aren’t in the same predicament also come to physical harm and keep on going only to be bashed again … yeah, no. You just can’t shake off pummelings so I wish Ms. Willett had been more economic with the bashings doled out. But that’s it!
Other than that, it’s an intense read. Love the way Lucy and Damon’s relationship develops. You don’t know whether to cheer the feelings on or yell at Lucy to run! So all-in-all, there are good chills and thrills—and lots of things we never anticipated. There’s also the complexity of the plot and final reveal, and neither disappointed! I definitely recommend SMALL TOWN NIGHTMARE and suggest you keep it on the nightstand to read before bed. Yes, it’s PERFECT FOR MIDNIGHT so enjoy!
