Review: Stay Buried by Jane R. Miles

As Cyclone Tracy tears through Darwin, Christmas Eve 1974, four girls disappear into the heart of the outback. No tracks. No bodies. No answers.

Decades later, one returns. 

Inspired by true events Jane R. Miles' debut novel Stay Buried is a hauntingly powerful read.

2004 - The parents of four missing girls gather together in front of the Police Commissioner awaiting the latest development in the case of the girls disappearance on the night cyclone Tracey hit Darwin in December 1975.

1975 - One of the missing girls, eight-year-old Lisa-Marie narrates events as they happen.

The 2004 timeline is narrated by Von (Evelyn) who is positive her mother Sally's disappearance, only weeks before the girls, is linked. However, no-one is interested in down-and-out Sally or the daughter she left behind.

Lisa-Marie is one peculiar little girl and reading her narration of the story is spine-tingling. She's outspoken and a manipulator. Her character retains believability as she often reverts back to how you would expect an 8 year old to act.

While the reader knows what happened to the girls, the final outcome remains a mystery until the end of the book.

Miles delivers the story with a tense, creepy atmosphere and a continual foreboding feeling hangs in the air. There are plenty of chapter ending cliff-hangers that keep those pages turning and jaw-dropping reveals making Stay Buried a book you'll find hard to put down.

I was pulled into the mystery and amazed at the girls' sheer will to survive that overcame social and ethical norms. Stay Buried is a chilling and thought provoking read.

My rating 4.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Publisher: HQ Fiction

Publication date: 28th July 2026

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 322

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

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