Book Review and Bookstagram Tour: Crows Nest by Nikki Mottram 

Crows Nest is a fictional crime story set in the Queensland town of Toowoomba. It is a debut novel for Nikki Mottram, who has a  background in child protection services.  This is clearly evident as the main character in Crows Nest is also a child protection services officer named Dana Gibson.

The story begins when Dana is offered a position in Toowoomba and makes the journey from her home in Sydney to the small town, leaving behind her husband Hugh, along with their marriage issues.

Dana's first house call is to a property in the nearby town of Crows Nest, where she is required to assess the children of a woman named Sandra Kirby. But it doesn't quite go to plan, and it isn't long before Dana realises that the city rules certainly don't apply in this new environment. 

When Sandra and her best friend, Debbie Vickers are found dead, shot at close range, the deaths are initially treated as suspicious but it appears that there are no leads. Dana is drawn into the investigation and wants to uncover the truth about the deaths of the two women, as well as prioritising  the safekeeping of Sandra's children, but how far are the locals prepared to go in order to keep Dana from uncovering the secrets, corruptions and truths of what happened? 

I thought that this was a great read. Nikki is able to draw on her past experience in the child protection industry to make this story realistic and believable. I also liked her visual and sensory descriptions as this added depth to the novel. I look forward to reading Nikki's next novel featuring Dana titled Killarney, which is coming soon. 

Crows Nest is available now through UQP, RRP $32.99

With thanks to DMCPR Media and UPQ for the opportunity to be involved in this bookstagram tour! Stay tuned for a giveaway I'll be running soon where you could win a copy of Crows Nest!