She knows her once-charming town is now remembered for one reason, and one reason only. That three innocent people died. That the last stop on the Rainier Ripper's trail of death fifteen years ago was her innocuous little teashop. She knows that the consequences of catching the Ripper still haunt her police officer husband and their marriage to this day and that some of her neighbours are desperate - desperate enough to welcome a dark tourism company keen to cash in on Rainier's reputation as the murder town.
When the tour operator is killed by a Ripper copycat on Gemma's doorstep, the unease that has lurked quietly in the original killer's wake turns to foreboding, and she's drawn into the investigation. Unbeknownst to her, so is a prisoner named Lane Holland. Gemma knows her town. She knows her people. Doesn't she?
PRAISE FOR WAKE:
'Politically savvy, cleverly plotted . . . the kind of book that invites the ravenous language of binge reading: compulsive, propulsive, addictive' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
'It is hard to believe WAKE is a first novel. Plot, pacing and characterisation are so finely judged that it feels more like the work of a past master' THE TIMES
'A yarn that feels so plausible and terrifying, it stays with you' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY
'Outstanding . . . This is both a well-plotted, gripping mystery and a sensitive exploration of the aftermath of trauma' THE GUARDIAN
'One of the year's best debuts. Intriguing and compelling. Shelley Burr is a bright new talent in Australian crime fiction' CHRIS HAMMER
'My crime novel of the year . . . Intense and evocative, it tears at the heart-strings' DAILY MAIL
Untitled
With its intricate plot and vivid characters, Shelley Burr proves herself a master of modern Australian crime with 'Ripper', the brilliant follow-up to her sensational debut 'Wake'. This small town has a gruesome history with the Rainer Ripper, a notorious serial killer; now there's a copycat. Tensions are high around town as suspicion grows and Gemma finds herself drawn into the investigation. - Jessica (QBD)
Guest, 01/09/2023
Untitled
Lane Holland returns to the world of Shelley Burr for an absolute Ripper of a read. With a Copycat killer, true crime tour guide murdered, a town just trying to keep their heads above water. How well do we really know our friends, our neighbours,our family... Shelley Burr makes you wonder. - Vanessa (QBD)
Guest, 01/09/2023
Untitled
A town once known and haunted by the Rainier Ripper crimes 17 years ago is now struck with the realisation that history is repeating itself. A body is found, a copycat killer is now stalking the town, Gemma thought she knew her town and its people but now she will be left questioning everything. - Abbey (QBD)
Guest, 01/09/2023
Untitled
From the very first page, I knew I was going to love Ripper.
What can't you love about an Australian Crime in a small town with hidden secrets?
17 years after the serial killer was captured, a copy cat killer strikes throwing the town back into turmoil with dangerous criminals, undercover investigations, unidentidied victums and missing babies?! - Caisee (QBD)
Guest, 01/09/2023
Untitled
Why would you visit a town in the middle of nowhere, if not to take its ghost tour?
That seems to be the only reason people visit, the only way this desolate town makes money, by showboating the gruesome murders that occured 15 years before by the hands of the Ripper. But this might have been their first mistake, as a copycat killer has been lured in to make the tour a reality. - Tani (QBD)
Guest, 31/08/2023
Untitled
Gemma has known nothing but unease since the Rainier Ripper finished his murder spree in her teashop a year ago. Now, a copycat is back and ready to cash in on the notoriety being provided by the town's dark history and grisly tourism but when it starts again, it starts at Gemma's doorstep and she is once again caught up in the bloody mess. Will her town survive for a second time? will she? - Paige (QBD)
Guest, 31/08/2023
Untitled
The little town of Rainier isn’t remembered for much – just a serial killer. As the locals question how to use this past to bring in some cash, a copycat killer ruins all their plans, and brings Rainier back to its dark days.
This whodunnit is sure to intrigue with this tiny Aussie town turned upside down as the residents try to sniff out a murderer without exposing their own dirty secrets.... - Roxanne (QBD)
Guest, 31/08/2023
Untitled
When a bypass detours travellers around Rainier, business owners like Gemma are desperate to welcome tourists into their town. But are they desperate enough to allow a tour operator to capitalise on the pain of a serial killer in their midst all those years ago?
When the tour operator ends up dead, Gemma is left to wonder if they have a copycat on their hands or did they get it wrong last time? - Alison (QBD)
Guest, 31/08/2023
Untitled
Burr's second novel takes us to a tiny Australian town with a dark history. When a tour guide is murdered by a copycat killer Gemma is pulled into the investigation and the towns gruesome past. The characters are not who they appear to be and keep you guessing as you pull back the layers on a 17 year old murder mystery. Ripper is atmospheric and haunting, it will keep you on edge til the end. - Hayley (QBD)
Guest, 31/08/2023
Untitled
This book is a ripper of a read! The pages turn on their own and the vivid characters and authentic evocation of small-town Australia keeps you hooked from the very beginning.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good crime fiction with a fast pace, and lots of unexpected turns. - Rikke (QBD)
Guest, 31/08/2023
Untitled
The small Aussie town of Rainer is known for one thing - murder. So much so that thers's a local tour visting all the crime scenes. But when the tour operator is killed in a too-familiar manner, local resident Gemma knows a copycat is on the loose. And the original crime might not be as solved as everyone thought. - Katrina (QBD)
Guest, 31/08/2023
Untitled
If you've read 'Wake' by the same author, you'll notice a character returning in quite a different role. In the small town where everyone has something to hide, the Rainier Ripperhas returned to life in the only way that makes sense in this drama filled novel - by murdering the tour guide meant to show everyone the true crime walking tour that would keep this small town afloat. - Josie (QBD)
Guest, 30/08/2023
Untitled
Gemma knows her small town is famous for only one thing, a series of brutal murders by The Rainier Ripper. When the towns finances become desperate they welcome a dark turism company that plans to profit off the bloody murders. When the tourist operator turns up dead in a copy cat killing Gemma, her husband and criminal underworld figures are drawn into an enthralling who done it. - Jessica (QBD)
Guest, 30/08/2023
Untitled
Gemma knows her small town is only famous for one thing, a series brutal murders by The Rainier Ripper. When a towns dwindeling finances become desperate they welcome a dark tourism company who plan to benifit of the towns bloody legacy of murder. When the tour operatior is killed in a copy cat murder Gemma, her husbane and criminal underground figures are pulled into an enthralling who done it. - Jessica (QBD)
Guest, 30/08/2023
Untitled
Yet another thrilling novel from Shelly Burr! A small town seems to finally have put a series of gruesome murders behind it, until a copycat killer starts the horror again leaving Gemma to work out the truth. Perfect for lovers of crime fiction, especially Australians, this story is filled with twists and intrigue wrapped in a shell of Australian-ness only achievable by a local author.
Hazel - Hazel (QBD)
Guest, 29/08/2023
Untitled
Burr lures you in to a flase sense of security of a quaint small town in rural australia, a tea shop a happy couple and years of secrets. Gemma has been faced with a sinister veil of destruction as the Rainier Ripper copycat has opened a can of worms she thought were long gone. Her Hunt for the unknown could cost her life or even her town and this is a story you don't want to miss. - Jacqueline (QBD)
Guest, 26/08/2023
Untitled
If you are a crime reader, fiction or non-fiction, stop everything you are doing right now and grab a copy of Ripper by Shelley Burr. After the outsanding debut of Wake, Shelly delivers a fast-paced thriller that will leave you guessing till the very last page! Get ready to meet Gemma and the people of Rainer, a city where secrets don't stay buried forever and things are not what they seem. - Isadora (QBD)
Guest, 16/08/2023
Untitled
Shelley Burr returns after a stellar debut with the brilliant 'Wake'. Yet again, she effortless conjures small town life and the clash of personalities amidst the tragedy of a decades old triple murder. A tour guide hopes to cash in on the gruesome crimes of the 'Rainier Ripper'. Some townspeople are still grieving whilst others hope it will mean a new lease of life for their failing businesses and dying town. A 'Ripper' copycat strikes and he locals are yet again thrust back into fear and panic. A gripping plot and climactic twists keep you glued to the page. For fans of Jane Harper, Candice Fox and Christian White. - Nola (QBD)
Guest, 17/07/2023
