Exiles by Jane Harper

December 21, 2022

Exiles by Jane Harper

Aaron Falk, AFP officer, returns for a third case, this time in the wine country of Southern Australia near Adelaide. Falk has been invited to stand as godfather for his friends' new baby son, with the christening set to coincide with the local food and wine festival. But what should be a happy occasion is overshadowed by the mysterious disappearance of a young mother, as well as an unsolved hit-and-run case that continues to affect the community. As Falk learns more about the woman's disappearance, he begins to suspect that she didn't vanish by choice.

I really enjoy Harper's Aaron Falk series. Her detective is intelligent and professional, but also has a vulnerable human side. Harper writes clever intelligent mysteries that wind in all of the seemingly unrelated threads in a satisfying manner. I did not enjoy her previous standalone novel (The Survivors) that much, so I am glad that she returned to Aaron Falk. Readers who enjoy the Harry Bosch series will enjoy this mystery series set in Australia.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Wine country in Southern Australia

The Survivors by Jane Harper

March 4, 2021

The Survivors by Jane Harper

Twelve years ago, a local girl drown during a horrific storm, as did two young men who were trying to rescue one of their brothers. Kieran Elliott, the guy they were sent to rescue, has always blamed himself for all three deaths since he was in one of the cliff caves with a girl (another girl, not the one who drowned). Now he has returned to his hometown to help his parents pack up their house in preparation for a move to the city. Shortly after Kieran arrives with his wife and daughter, a young art student is found dead on the beach. Kieran is immediately suspected.

Slow moving, character driven, and all of the characters were unlikeable. The Survivors in the title was a statue of three people looking out to sea, and I never really understood what it had to do with the story, other than it was located near the mouth of the caves. All of Harper's books are set in Australia - I believe this is the first one not set in the outback.

I have enjoyed all of Jane Harper's previous books, but this one was a miss for me. If you haven't read her before, read either The Dry or The Lost Man.

The eastern tip of Australia is the place to go to surf.