At first glance, Rainier isn't anything special. It's a charming town conveniently situated smack bang in between Sydney and Melbourne. The kind of place where you stop for gas, or a wee, and go right back on your way to wherever it is you're going. Nobody would really give this place a second look under normal circumstances.

However, once upon a time seventeen years ago, Rainier was the location of three brutal murders. And in this day and age of true crime obsession, suddenly there is renewed interest. A tour operator would like to put Rainier and its bloody past back on the map. Some residents approve, albeit it for financial reasons. Others do not. So when the tour operator is found dead, who is responsible and why? Is it someone who wants to scare people off? Or the opposite, thinking that a fresh murder will bring in more bookings? Is this death in any way connected to the original ones?

This story is mainly told via Gemma, the owner of the local teashop, who was unfortunate enough to witness the death of victim number three all those years ago. Those events still haunt her to this day. But she's not the only one. Those murders affected a lot of the town residents, and to this day many questions remain unanswered. One thing is for sure, the death of the tour operator can't be attributed to the original killer since he's in prison.

And that's where former private investigator Lane Holland comes in. If you read Burr's excellent debut 'Wake', then you will be familiar with Lane and you'll also know why he's in prison. If not, not to worry, there's enough there to fill you in. But obviously you should most definitely read 'Wake' anyway, because it's really, really good. Anywho, Lane is in the perfect position to make contact with the Ripper and maybe help the investigation into the current murder along that way. All is not what it seems, though.

There's something about small town mysteries that will always lure me in. Of course, there are secrets lurking around every corner of Rainier. There were some I was able to work out, even if I initially thought my theories were way out there. Others were not so straightforward and Burr kept me guessing until the reveal. Rainier offers quite a list of potential suspects. Especially because many of the residents are rather unlikeable, except for the teenagers. But 'Murder Town' isn't entirely about solving these riddles. It's also about family, loss and grief, the impact others' lies or secrets can have on us, and the choices or decisions we make in our lives.

'Murder Town' is a compelling and addictive page-turner with that dreaded "one more chapter" vibe that makes you stay up way past your bedtime because you just have to know how things end. So maybe Lane's part in this story won't exactly be winning him any awards, but it does lead to the perfect set-up for a follow-up book. Naturally I can't tell you anything about that because that would spoil it, but I can't wait to find out more. If you're a crime fiction fan, I definitely recommend this series and Shelley Burr has easily grabbed herself a place on my go-to list.

Thought I'd have an early night with my book, catch up with some rest.
Instead, I stayed up way too late until I'd finished it.
As the second in the series, I think there's possibly not enough Lane, but he's there, on the side, keeping himself busy.
The main part of the story set in a small town involves murder, old and new.
There are a lot of characters, I couldn't keep track on them to begin with, and they're all connected.
A cracking story, with lots of twists along the way. Some I didn't even pick up a hint at.
It's a great follow up to Wake, and it's left me wanting more.