MOLE CREEK

I first visited the Tasmanian town of Mole Creek as a kid. Spent the time wondering if I would get lost in the caves, never to be seen again. Only fitting that Mole Creek would read like a similar rabbit warren of twists and turns, that kept me guessing until the very end.

“This is Tassie tiger country, all right, even down to the labels on the local Cascade lager.”

Journalist, Xander McAuslan, receives bad news. His Vietnam veteran (and retired policeman) grandfather, Pete, has taken his own life while writing memoirs in his Mole Creek cabin. Xander leaves Sydney for Tasmania, and begins to suspect there’s more to it – perhaps his grandfather was murdered. Long-held secrets and shadowy figures reveal themselves. Betrayal, murder, and espionage fill the pages.

“He’s aware that paranoia is starting to win its battle with logic and common sense, arriving in his thoughts disguised as both.”

Mole Creek is told in dual narratives. One set in present-day Tasmania, as Xander seeks answers in an increasingly dangerous environment. The other set in Vietnam during his grandfather’s time there – inevitably linking up with the present. This latter timeline was slower-paced, and I found it hard to connect with. I was gripped by the present-day story, only to find it briefly disappear as it shifted to Vietnam. It broke what was otherwise great pacing.

James Dunbar delivers strong dialogue. I enjoyed the back and forth between characters, and the injection of humour, which contrast darker elements. It was fascinating to see deadly espionage set in Tasmania. James made good use of the atmospheric landscape. I couldn’t put the book down from Derwent Bridge onwards. My favourite character was Lorenzo, a Vietnam vet survivalist who lived off-grid with his dogs, Crosby and Stills. It was also fun to see action in my hometown of Launceston– who thought those streets could be filled with such intrigue?

“As soon as Xander crosses the road he becomes aware of someone walking in the same direction at the same pace on the other side of the street.”

At one point, a character asks Xander to give him bullet points on everything. “Way too complicated for that,” he responds. It made me laugh, as I couldn’t agree more. Like many espionage novels, it was highly complex, and serious brain exercise. James did a great job to juggle these moving parts, however, and provide a satisfactory conclusion. The finale alluded to a sequel, which has me intrigued as to what happens next.

Mole Creek is a wild ride that blends espionage and action well, and utilises its Tasmanian setting for maximum effect. Sign me up for the next instalment!

Shout-out to my uncle for this unexpected buddy read! I see what you mean about the foxes.

Many thanks to Echo Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mole Creek is a tension-filled debut crime thriller by James Dunbar (note: he has also written a couple of crime caper novels under the name Jimmy Thomson) and it charges off with a murder mystery that introduces elements of international espionage and political intrigue while never really going all out and fully immersing you in either of those sub-genres. Instead, the main focus starts on the death of old Pete MacAuslan in Mole Creek.

Xander MacAuslan is a journalist who also writes true crime stories and manages to get up the nose of dangerous underworld figures. Death threats are not uncommon thanks to his willingness to call out organised crime. He’s based in Sydney when he gets news that his grandfather, a retired police officer and Vietnam veteran living in Mole Creek, Tasmania has committed suicide.

By the time he reaches his grandfather’s home he has had numerous indications that Pete’s death is anything but suicide but convincing the local police is proving impossible. A dodgy suicide note, and getting attacked a couple of times by men with eastern European accents are merely the start of the anomalies that shout out at him. Additionally, his grandfather’s computer is missing as are all his backups. Before long, so are Xander’s.

The story is told in dual timeframes: the present with Xander investigating his grandfather’s death; the past, during the Vietnam War 50 years earlier and the events that took place there that may have something to do with Pete’s death all these years later. Clearly, there are events that take place in Vietnam that are important and have ramifications, it’s a matter of paying attention and figuring out where the clues make themselves known to us.

With the help of police family liaison officer Althea Burgess, Xander starts to run his own investigation into his grandfather’s death. The problem is, he’s hampered by roadblocks at every turn. His motel room is ransacked, people who provide promising information suddenly die and he abruptly loses his job.

Mile Creek is an action thriller that builds in intensity as it unfolds. Early moments of violent confrontation promise a Sword of Damocles-style danger hanging over Xander’s head. It’s the classic suspense scenario that’s exacerbated by some unforgivable acts of betrayal which, when they were thrown in, they ensured I was completely thrown off-balance.

The story moves along briskly, which was fine for the most part. I had trouble keeping up at times, particularly when it felt as though a few leaps in reasoning were made that were slightly tenuous. I found myself forced to do some back-tracking to try to figure out how things held together. In the end, Dunbar managed to hold the plot together, narrowly avoiding it from ripping to shreds.

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Mole Creek is an edgy murder mystery. The story alternates between present day Tasmania and Vietnam 50 years ago, during the Vietnam war.

Journalist and crime writer Xander McAuslan hears that his grandfather, a retired cop and Vietnam Veteran, has taken his own life in the small town of Mole Creek in Tasmania. A place he and his grandfather had spent many holidays together.
Feeling as though he failed his grandfather, Xander travels to Tasmania to ease his own mind and to find out what happened.

Mole Creek is a fast paced read. Xander has a few enemies of his own and they seem to have followed him across the Strait. It’s only his cunning and skill that get him out of a few deadly situations and his dry humour and wisecracks that get him into those situations.

I couldn’t connect with the scenes in Vietnam, feeling they were unnecessarily taking me away from the present-day action.
Mole Creek is a complex mystery with a few red herrings thrown in. I was shocked at the unexpected ending and I certainly didn’t see it coming.
The richly described Tasmanian landscape is a treat within itself; evocative, dangerous and remote.

James Dunbar has written a compelling crime novel with Mole Creek, which has me looking forward to his next offering.

I was drawn to this book by the title and the fact I know Mole Creek and Tasmania. So I can right off the bat say I love the setting and locations of this book and think it fits really well in this story. This is really a story in two parts and about two people, their connection and the secrets from the past. That is what makes it an interesting and very readable book.

The story centres around Pete McAuslan and his Vietnam war story (from the past) and Xander McAuslan (Pete’s Grandson) in the present. When Pete suddenly dies (or is he murdered) Xander becomes embroiled in a game of cat and mouse and digs up stories from the past, from the war and secrets as yet untold. This story built somewhat slowly (but not too slow) and quickly became a thrilling and intriguing read. There was action and suspense, secrets and lies and it was so well written it kept me reading from start to finish.

I found it to be a great book of suspense and thrills book and one that kept me on the edge of my seat. And the ending… Well it sounds like a ‘To be continued’ type of ending to me. Can’t wait to see what comes next. This is certainly 4 1/2 stars from me.

Mole Creek
James Dunbar
Echo Publishing

Mole Creek is a split time period thriller, in which Sydney-based journalist Xander McAuslan travels to Tasmania to inquire into the circumstances of his grandfather Pete’s sudden death at his isolated cottage in Mole Creek. It becomes evident that Pete’s apparent suicide may in fact be more complicated than local police are willing to admit, with links to Pete’s shadowy service as a Provost (Military Police Officer) during the Vietnam War.

The narrative switches back and forth between Xander’s quest in the present and Pete’s experiences in 1970 while responsible for policing Australian military personnel in the town of Vung Tau, used by the Australian Defence Force as a R&C (Rest and Convalescence) station. Pete develops a relationship with bar proprietor Trang Minh, known as Lucy, and forms close alliances with his American opposite number, Donnie Carrick, and an Australian sapper (combat engineer) nicknamed Lorenzo.

Xander is assigned a family liaison officer, Althea Burgess, who accompanies and assists him in the aftermath of Pete’s death, despite being under significant pressure from the police hierarchy to tie the matter up as a suicide as quickly as possible. Xander is attacked by a ruthless Russian, realises he’s being tailed by a mysterious Vietnamese woman, and struggles to work out who he can trust as he closes in on the 50-year-old wartime secret that his grandfather wanted to pass to him prior to his death. The threads of information left behind by Pete lead him into the central Tasmanian wilderness, southwest of the the village of Derwent Bridge, and later to Canberra in search of archived war records.

I found Mole Creek to be an engaging read, more espionage thriller than murder mystery, featuring well-developed settings predominantly within central-northern Tasmania. At times I felt that there was just a bit too much going on and the large cast of supporting characters were occasionally hard to keep track of, especially in the dual-timeline format. I found the historical sections of the book, in which the author explores complex intrigues going on behind the frontline of the Vietnam war, particularly fascinating.

The first book published under the name James Dunbar, the same author has published under the name of Jimmy Thomson.

I get the sense Dunbar wanted to write something similar to a Robert Goddard story, where an everyday person, in this case a journalist called Xander, find himself in the midst of a decades old mystery and conspiracy that is far-reaching and dangerous. But where this book differs is Dunbar hasn’t shaken off the inclination to inject some elements that feel more “caper” than serious. It’s most notable in some of the characters Xander meets along the way. It’s not new, and I don’t necessarily think it a bad thing, but I’m not convinced it was the intention with this book. It felt as if the book were fighting with itself in some way, wanting to be serious but also struggling to hold off that need to be outlandish. If you compare this to the Killers of a Certain Age, it doesn’t match that level of outlandish. So, I guess this book feels stuck in the middle of two styles, and I wonder which in the more intended.

But I did enjoy the story overall. I thought Xander to be a convincing enough protagonist. I thought the mystery was well-structured and had the twists and surprises needed to keep me wanting more. I very much enjoyed the setting of the Tasmanian wilderness. The pace is spot on for a book like this, more in the present day narrative. The past narrative I found distracting more than anything else. It didn’t flow well for me, and made me wonder if there could be a way to remove it altogether. But I guess it gives the reader more details on Xander’s grandfather, Pete, and some of the other historical players.

I get the impression there will be a sequel. If there is, it is something I would read.

In the tiny Tasmanian town of Mole Creek, retired Australian cop and Vietnam veteran Pete McAuslan has retreated to his fishing cabin to write his memoirs. In Sydney, his grandson, journalist and trashy true crime author Xander, learns that Pete has taken his own life, with a suicide note. Xander suspects that something is wrong.

I had expected a serious crime fiction from the synopsis of this book, but this turned out to be a funny, action-packed crime fiction with twists and turns that I couldn’t guess, and I wasn’t disappointed at all.

There were so many hilarious moments that just made me chuckle. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job delivering the vibe of the book. The ‘poor’ narrator also had to do so many accents, as the characters were so diverse 😄 and unique.

I loved that the plot built up to an ending that felt like an epic action movie. I’d recommend anyone to jump in blind to this for maximum fun (as I did). I can’t wait to read the sequel!

See my bookstagram review.

Vibes: Gritty, Time Split, Aussie Noir

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The clever cookies at Echo Publishing seem to have a knack for always picking a winner when it comes to the books they kindly send me and Mole Creek was no exception!

In a nutshell this was true blue Aussie crime drama at its finest. It gave me James O’Loghlin / Gavin Strawhan / Iain Ryan and Garry Disher vibes – gritty storytelling, rural settings, corruption everywhere and a whole lot of dead bodies, like a LOT!

The story jumps between timelines of modern day crime investigation and flashbacks to the main character’s grandfather during the Vietnam War. I liked the mix which added depth to the mystery although some of the war era wording left me a bit lost.

While some lingo went over my head, I did appreciate the sharp dry sense of humour that James weaved in so well.

If you enjoy your debut novels with a side of investigative journalism, gritty crime and dead bodies galore, Mole Creek needs to be on your radar!

Read it in a day, so that’s always a good sign. This follows an investigative journalist from Sydney looking into his retired police officer grandfather’s death dismissed as suicide. The story takes you back to the grandfather’s time as an MP in Vietnam.

I often find flashing back and forth from present and past can get hard to follow but in this case the author revealed enough each time to keep things moving forward.

To quibble, perhaps one might argue the female characters were a bit underdeveloped.

But I would certainly read crime fiction from Dunbar again.

Told from dual timelines and points of view Mole Creek is a great action and espionage read. It twists and turns making it hard to know who to trust. Xander, however, is a character you can’t quite decide if you like or loathe. He is cocky and quite arrogant, but also has a softer side you see glimpses of. After that ending though, it would be good to see him feature again in a sequel to try and figure that out!

Thank you Echo publishing for a gifted copy to honestly review.

I wanted to like it, but it was exhausting.

Was great reading a book, set where we live. Great to see the pubs, cafes, caves, Walls, and even the bus get a mention. And yes, we do have our share of veterans – but we don’t shoot foxes. A bit OTT with the number of people ‘mysteriously dying’, even for Tassie standards. And leaving it open for the sequel – Xander must have 9 lives!

THERE ARE NO FOXES IN TASMANIA…if you’re going to write a book name checking an obscure Tasmanian town do your homework…also…Cascade is NOT the local brew in the north of our fine state it is Boags. This could have been a much better book with a bit of fine tuning…

Mole Creek is not far from where I live, and as I enjoy Tasmanian crime fiction I thought I’d give this a try.

“Mole Creek” is a twisty Australian thriller, novelist James Dunbar’s first venture into the genre. He’s produced a novel that will please many readers.

The novel crosses two timelines, modern Australia and Vietnam in the 1960s during what we call the Vietnam War. Both are evoked differently and strongly, and readers will have no difficulty seeing them as different times and places.

I found the novel a little slow to get started. That’s in part because Dunbar has chosen a narrative style which I found a little distancing; I had some initial difficulty in feeling involved. That’s a personal reaction to the style, so not everyone will feel the same. And once the novel got up some momentum, it was well paced and kept me reading.

Xander was the only character I strongly engaged with, but to some extent I think that was Dunbar’s intent. In keeping other characters a little too shallow for the reader to empathise with, he makes it all the harder for us to determine who’s on which side.

Recent events in the US may cause some readers to feel that a central pillar of the unwound plot no longer has credibility – it certainly made me snort cynically! This is an unfortunate coincidence of timing. It still makes sense in the context of the novel.

The ending of the novel may divide readers. As is common in the genre, multiple twists are piled on, in both the final action scenes and the quieter final unwinding and closing. There are a lot, and some might feel that there’s one too many, pushing the plot a little too far from credibility.

I’m on the fence; not every twist was credible to me, and the sheer number of twists saved till close to the end made it harder to follow the explanations. On the other hand, you don’t want things to be too simple. A book that makes you think isn’t a bad thing.

So, read it and see whether you’re on board with the ending or whether it should have one twist less! Overall I enjoyed this and would recommend it to readers who like crime or spy thrillers.

If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.

An edited version of this review first appeared on www.beautyandlace.net as part of their bookclub.

‘Coincidence is the last resort of the logic-impaired.’

Pete McAuslan, retired police officer and Vietnam veteran, had retreated to his cabin near the small Tasmanian town of Mole Creek to write his memoir. His grandson, journalist Xander McAuslan who is based in Sydney, receives news that Pete has taken his own life. He has left a suicide note, seeking forgiveness.

Xander travels to Launceston, where the local police collect him from the airport, express their condolences and take him to Mole Creek. When Xander cannot find his grandfather’s laptop in the cabin, he starts questioning the version of events he has been given. Althea Burgess is the police officer assigned to liaise with Xander and it becomes clear that the police are not interested in investigating what they believe to be a clearcut case of suicide, but Xander persists. Xander is challenged at every step: his motel room is searched; a stranger claims a connection while another threatens him.

The story shifts between Xander in the present and events involving Pete in Vietnam fifty years earlier. Xander starts digging and while uncovering some secrets from the past also places himself and others in danger. Someone is keen to keep a secret hidden and not afraid to murder anyone who gets in their way.

Espionage and political intrigue, accompanied by mysterious strangers, secrets and violence: there’s plenty of action. While the novel held my attentions from the beginning, a couple of twists towards the end seemed a little too incredible. Still, it’s good to have some really evil villains to detest.

‘Occasional truths are hooks on which to hang your fabrications.’

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Echo Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

✍️ In the Tasmanian town of Mole Creek, retired Police Officer Pete is slowing down and writing his memoir. In Sydney, his Nephew Xander, author and crime journalist has just found out that Pete has taken his life following a suicide note. Xander decides to investigate what really happened and suspects that something is very wrong and will get to the bottom of it. In the process he finds out things that he didn’t know about Pete from secrets during his time in the Vietnam War that could cause a lot of controversy and damage.

From the start of this book I was kept in a Curious State of Intrigue and Secrecy which held me CAPTIVATED till the end. What a Striking Story. I couldn’t put it down. Recommend picking up a copy! FIVE STAR reading!

The Storyline was Satisfyingly well written and plotted as I was transported to the past and present narratives from the Vietnam War of 1960 to current day Tasmania. A fantastic meshing between timelines that blended into the story to create a narrative that was both compelling and engaging to the reader.

The more I read the more Invested and Engrossed I was in the multiple POV’s, sharp dialogue, and the suspenseful nature of the characters. A very exceptional story.

I appreciated the Author’s knowledge of the subject of war and the history behind it.

There were so many moments throughout the story where I noticed discrepancies between certain characters and their roles and I couldn’t help but wonder and speculate on what was going to come next. Masterful storytelling which had a brilliant way of keeping me in utter shock and suspense right till the end.

Okay, I’ll go to 3.5/5. A clever novel in many ways, written by an author who obviously has a lot of life experience.
Pete McAuslan, a Vietnam vet is found dead in a cottage in Tasmania. Xander, his grandson and closest relative, investigates and finds Pete was likely murdered. Xander is an author, journalist and handy fighter, even though only 5 feet 6 inches in the old money. The story alternates between the current day and 1969/1970 in Vietnam. Before he is offed, Pete is writing his memoirs and this disturbs some nasty people – namely Russians who have a major secret to keep hidden. The resourceful Xander manages to finally put the conspiracy together, amid much bloodshed in poor old Tasmania.
Whew, a lot happens in this 343 page novel, most of it to our Xander. I like crime novels and also espionage books, but am less enamoured with fantasy. Alas, much of this book is just that. And in my second paragraph above, I have not told you even half of the shenanigans that take place. I did, however, like the little asides and smart comments from Pete and Xander. Well done. Easy reading all round, but you certainly needed to suspend your disbelief much of the time.

A promising debut in Aussie crime fiction, Mole Creek by James Dunbar (2023) has an intriguing spy thriller element. The death of a former Vietnam veteran and police detective, Peter McAuslan leads to his journalist grandson Xander’s trip to Tasmania. Police have determined the death as non-suspicious but Xander doesn’t agree. He is determined to work out what was so important to Peter that he would only be told when they met in person. In order to discover the truth, Xander must uncover parts of his grandfather’s life, which he has never spoken about, as a series of life-threatening incidents occur. The narrative seamlessly alternates between events in Tasmania and Peter’s tour of Vietnam in 1969 as a military police liaison officer. With plenty of surprise twists, nicely rising tension and danger, Xander has increasing doubts about whom he can trust or even believe. A must-read Aussie noir spy thriller that has a four and a half stars rating and a curiously promising ending. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.