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The Dry: A Novel
Până la Jane Harper
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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“A breathless page-turner, driven by the many revelations Ms. Harper dreams up…You’ll love [her] sleight of hand…A secret on every page.” —The New York Times
“One of the most stunning debuts I've ever read… Every word is near perfect.” —David Baldacci
A small town hides big secrets in The Dry, an atmospheric, page-turning debut mystery by award-winning author Jane Harper.
After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn’t tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead.
Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there’s more to Luke’s death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets.
Acțiuni carte
Începeți să citițiInformații despre carte
The Dry: A Novel
Până la Jane Harper
Descriere
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“A breathless page-turner, driven by the many revelations Ms. Harper dreams up…You’ll love [her] sleight of hand…A secret on every page.” —The New York Times
“One of the most stunning debuts I've ever read… Every word is near perfect.” —David Baldacci
A small town hides big secrets in The Dry, an atmospheric, page-turning debut mystery by award-winning author Jane Harper.
After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn’t tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead.
Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there’s more to Luke’s death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets.
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I've found a new author to add to my arsenal. Although many of have and will try to escape our pasts, reality is we can't.
This was an engaging Australian crime story. The author did a fabulous job capturing the desperation a rural community faces when gripped by a vicious drought. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed the various flashbacks to when Luke, Aaron, Erin and Gretchen were teenagers. Aaron was a terrific protagonist. Not only was he trying to solve the death of his old friend, Luke, but was battling with past memories and demons. He was extremely relatable, and I felt sorry for the way the townspeople treated him. A great read.
Credited with sparking new interest in Australian rural crime novels, The Dry was published in 2016 to international acclaim, winning multiple awards, with the movie adaptation, to star Eric Bana, currently in production. After a twenty year absence, Aaron Falk reluctantly returns to his hometown, the small drought stricken community of Kiewarra, to attend the funeral of his childhood best friend, Luke Hadler, accused of slaughtering his wife and daughter, before turning the gun on himself. Falk is now with the Federal Police, investigating financial crime, and at the request of Luke’s parents, who are desperate to find an alternative answer to such a heinous crime, agrees to go over the farm’s business records. While the accounts prove to be fairly straightforward, it is inconsistencies in the details of the crime that bother Falk.The Dry is an atmospheric novel, evoking the dusty desperation of small farming towns struggling with drought and the myriad of consequences it has both economically and socially. Tempers are short, attitudes are anxious, and secrets fester In the heat.The mystery at the heart of The Dry is well plotted, and revealed at an even pace. Harper effectively builds and maintains tension, even where the past and present intersect. I admit to being a little piqued by one thread of the story that was resolved but felt unfinished.Guilt is is a major motivation for Falk’s investigation. His real reluctance to return to Kiewarra stems from the tragic drowning of another childhood friend, in whose death Aaron, and his father, were unfairly implicated. Driven out of town by the victim’s father, a vindictive bully and drunk, the community is no more welcoming on his return. It makes for an interesting character, struggling with both interior and exterior conflicts.The supporting characters are well drawn, though perhaps not terribly nuanced. It’s actually the absent characters, Luke and Ellie, that are the most dynamic.An impressive debut, I found The Dry to be an evocative and compelling crime novel. I am looking forward to reading the second book featuring Falk, Force of Nature.
A mystery involving a small town in Australia. An agent returns to his home town 20 years later for his childhood friend's death. He stays to help the family investigate further. The main character slips into the role of investigator while continuously being under suspicion for a wrongful death from 20 years prior. This was not as captivating a story as I would have liked to read, unfortunately.
I can’t say enough about Jane Harper’s THE DRY.This book had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I never saw the ending coming. It left me stunned in my chair.The interweaving of incidents and conversations from twenty years previous was expertly done.Very complex characters, a sense of place/location like no other, a horrific plot and measured, brilliant writing left me breathless.I can’t stop thinking about this book.
Can’t believe this is a debut novel! Good characterisations, a sympathetic investigator in Aaron Falk. Falk goes back to his small home town for the funeral of a childhood friend who appears to have killed himself after slaughtering his family. Alex unofficially helps the local police investigate whilst becoming engulfed in childhood memories.The action alternates between now & Falk’s teenage years.I didn’t guess correctly, which is always a bonus, and look forward to reading more investigations by Falk; Harper’s story-telling focusing on characterisation & location rather than detailed forensics.
The Dry by Jane Harper. I enjoy a well written “who done it?” story if the mystery has some literary merit. Jane Harper doesn’t disappoint. The book begins when Aaron Falk returns to his hometown to attend the funeral of his childhood best friend, Luke Hadler. Luke and his wife and son were all murdered in their home and most people assume that Luke murdered his family and then killed himself. Luke’s mother, Barb, does not believe that her son was capable of such a thing and asks Falk, who happens to be a federal investigator, if we would look into it. Barb has always been like a mother to Falk. Falk’s own mother died during his birth. Falk reluctantly agrees to stay in town a little longer to investigate as a favor to Barb and her husband. When Falk starts digging, secrets are unsurfaced. Falk was long ago accused for the murder of one of his friends, Ellie Deacon. A lot of the townspeople treat him unfairly, even cruelly because of this accusation. The mystery of her death was never solved. The town is suffering from a drought and the suffocating heat has seeped into everyone’s bones, leaving everyone on edge. “The crushing vastness of open land left enough space to drown in.” Everyone in the book is a suspect. As Falk explores Luke’s death, he also explores what really happened to Ellie. “Death rarely changes how we feel about someone. Heightens it, more often than not.” Truths are finally revealed among the harsh, dry landscape of Kiewarra.
This novel began slowly for me. I wasn't sure I'd be happy with it as I started it. Much of the story was sad or downright depressing. It certainly did not reflect the stereotype of the happy-go-lucky mates of Australia! I'm now afraid to read a book about Canadians in case I find out they're not all agreeable.This was a solid, slow moving mystery. An man returns to the town of his youth to determine if his friend was a monster or a victim. Tied into it is an old unresolved death. As we read we do not truly know if either will be satisfactorily answered.The writing was very good, the characters were sympathetic or despicable with not much in between. Sometimes it's nice to have such clarity.The ending is somewhat ambiguous but I don't have a problem with that because I feel justice has been served.
What an amazing debut novel - I was engrossed in this evocative story-telling from the opening sentence and could feel the heat, tension and paranoia in a community struggling to survive. All the characters were exceptionally well-drawn. This is a must for lovers of intelligent, well-plotted thrillers. An author to watch out for!
Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his rural small town for the first time in twenty years for the funeral of his childhood friend Luke. He probably wouldn't have come if not for the pressure and threat from Luke's father. Luke and his father left town for Melbourne after the drowning death of Ellie Deacon. He, Luke, Ellie, and Gretchen Schoner were good friends but the relationships between them all were changing as they reached their teen years. Luke was the charismatic but also thoughtless leader, Luke the more thoughtful follower, Ellie the troubled teen who might have been abused by her family, and Gretchen was the new member of the group. When Ellie's body was found, suspicions were that she was murdered rather than dying by suicide. And a cryptic note with the word Falk on it pointed the finger at Aaron or his father. Luke and Aaron agree to say that they were together when Ellie died despite the fact that they were not. Aaron has never been able to get Luke to tell him where he really was. Ellie's father was a powerful man in the area who wasn't above playing mean tricks to get advantage over his neighbors. He and his nephew were instrumental in building suspicions toward the Falks.Aaron wonders if Luke's death - another apparent suicide - after he murdered his wife and six-year-old son didn't have some roots in the past. Of course, there are plenty of current reasons for the deaths too. His farm is failing after years of the worst drought in Australia's history. Aaron coming back resurrects all the old issues from the time when Ellie died. Her father is suffering from dementia but hasn't lost any of his meanness. And Ellie's cousin Grant Dow is more than willing to point suspicion at Aaron too.Aaron teams up with the new cop in town to look into the deaths even though he would much rather leave the town and the events of the past as soon as he can. Their investigation digs up lots of secrets about a number of the residents. I really enjoyed this thriller. The writing was excellent and the descriptions of an area unknown to me made me feel like I was there. The story had multiple twists and turns. I liked the flashbacks to the time of Ellie's death which helped build the story and fill in some of the details.
Having left his hometown as a teenager, only the funeral of his former best friend Luke Hadler could make Federal Agent Aaron Falk return to that small town, and then, only at the command of Luke’s father. The town has suffered much: the drowning death 2o years ago of a teenage girl, the downturn of the economy, the drought that has lasted for many months, and now the deaths, or really, the murders of a young boy and his mother. Official ruling was murder/suicide, but Luke’s parents can’t believe that their son would do such a heinous thing, and they beg Aaron to investigate. Thus begins the intriguing tale of secrets, lies, distrust, bullying, abuse, and more that permeates the town of Kiewarra. Jane Harper’s debut novel has everything a reader looks for in a thriller. Compelling, tightly-woven, intricate, and masterfully written, this page-turner is filled descriptive and picturesque phrases and complex characters. As Aaron unravels the mysteries both past and present, you will feel the characters’ anguish for the past that can’t be changed, and for the future that may be ruined.
Small country towns can be a rich and seemingly endless source of material for novelists, and isolated, outback Australia is proving to be on the upward trend for this particular type of crime genre. Harper does a convincing job of setting out the social perimeters of Kiewarra, giving the reader plenty of scope for trying to solve its mystery. Our group were all impressed with this story, finding the setting realistic, the characters interesting and the plot intriguing. The truth was well buried, but once revealed was not so bizarre to be unbelievable or even over dramatic. Just a sad case of human failure. We had a great discussion on many issues … small town life and the act of returning to your home town after a long absence and the history that people create for themselves and their community. There was also talk about the structure of crime novels and how secondary stories can contribute or take away from the main plot. We had a few questions that needed answers, but overall we were more than happy with the conclusion. So much so that all of us will be reading Harper’s subsequent titles.Monday Night Book ClubTo find a book that is loved by every one of our members is a rare find indeed. But that is exactly what happened this month with Jane Harper’s debut novel The Dry. The small-town story of Aaron and his best friend Luke was thought to be a well-drawn base plot to the complication of events that awaited Aaron on his return to his home town and the funeral of his best friend. The supporting characters were all there, waiting for him and readers were thrown headfirst into the melee and community suspicion around the local tragedy. This structure alone was thought to be a small touch of genius on the author’s part. Instead of introducing characters one at a time as the story unfolded, we find most of them within the first few pages, and then the smoke and mirror strategy begins. But it is not only the clever writing style and intelligent plot that impressed our group. The sense of place … small town, outback, hot, dry Australia, was so well drawn that everyone commented on how much they felt the heat and drought. Many of us have experienced such places and believe Harper certainly has done her research, if not her time in the outback. The social issues raised in the novel were also worth commenting on. Small, isolated communities have their tribulations and although Kiewarra is a fictional town, its people and their dynamics are very believable in this story’s context. Generally, a unanimous opinion on a book can lead to a rather ordinary discussion, but in this case, we found ourselves engaged in what became a very stimulating and enjoyable chat on what we consider to be a piece of brilliant Australian literature.Tuesday Book Club
Our Book Club selection for mystery. This was fast paced, interesting and almost all of us loved it.
Aaron Falk returns to his hometown, left long ago under suspicion in the circumstances surrounding the death of a girl. The reason his return is the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke. The death appears to be a murder/suicide of the friend and his family in the dire financial circumstances of the farm community in a drought. Aaron is a Federal Police officer who investigates financial crimes. Luke's parents convince Aaron to informally look into the family's death, hoping that there might be another explanation. It's a well written crime drama, with the requisite amount of red herrings, doubt and suspicion abound. I look forward to reading more of her work.
Kiewarra is a hot and arid Australian town that is in the grip of a calamitous drought. Stores have closed and farmers are struggling to stay afloat. In Jane Harper's "The Dry," thirty-six year old Federal Agent Aaron Falk, who was raised in Kiewarra but now lives and works in Melbourne, returns to attend the funeral of a childhood friend, Luke Handler. Luke was found shot to death in his truck, while his wife and child were gunned down in their home.
At the request of Luke's bereaved parents, Aaron agrees to take a short leave and lend a hand to the investigating officer, Sergeant Greg Raco. Before long, Falk suspects that practically everyone he meets is hiding something. Equally disconcerting is the chilly reception Aaron receives from the townspeople because of the still unexplained drowning death of his former friend, sixteen-year old Eleanor Deacon, twenty years earlier.
Harper inserts flashbacks into the narrative that, for a while, raise more questions than they answer. The author's dialogue and character development (except for a one-dimensional bully straight out of central casting) are impressive. Harper depicts Luke as a charismatic but occasionally selfish and thoughtless individual. Aaron, who is intelligent and eager to help, resents the fact that some of Kiewarra's citizens continue to shun and harass him. At least the attractive Gretchen Schoner, a single mother with a five-year-old son, remembers Aaron fondly and seems interested in getting reacquainted. "The Dry" is intense and suspenseful, and the author effectively captures the misery, hopelessness, and anger of Kiewarra's frustrated residents. Although a few of Harper's subplots are contrived and resolved implausibly, this moody and intriguing novel is absorbing enough to pique our interest and keep us invested in the outcome.
At the request of Luke's bereaved parents, Aaron agrees to take a short leave and lend a hand to the investigating officer, Sergeant Greg Raco. Before long, Falk suspects that practically everyone he meets is hiding something. Equally disconcerting is the chilly reception Aaron receives from the townspeople because of the still unexplained drowning death of his former friend, sixteen-year old Eleanor Deacon, twenty years earlier.
Harper inserts flashbacks into the narrative that, for a while, raise more questions than they answer. The author's dialogue and character development (except for a one-dimensional bully straight out of central casting) are impressive. Harper depicts Luke as a charismatic but occasionally selfish and thoughtless individual. Aaron, who is intelligent and eager to help, resents the fact that some of Kiewarra's citizens continue to shun and harass him. At least the attractive Gretchen Schoner, a single mother with a five-year-old son, remembers Aaron fondly and seems interested in getting reacquainted. "The Dry" is intense and suspenseful, and the author effectively captures the misery, hopelessness, and anger of Kiewarra's frustrated residents. Although a few of Harper's subplots are contrived and resolved implausibly, this moody and intriguing novel is absorbing enough to pique our interest and keep us invested in the outcome.
This is a perfect summer read where the drought weighs throughout the book, making tempers flare and emotions raw. What I enjoyed most was the remote Australian decor and the characters stuck in the outback where human laws bend due to isolation and scarcity.I could have done without the final revelations which make a stark story even more gruesome. Luckily there a bits of relief which make the story line tenable.
A small town that hasn't had rain in 2yrs, 4 unsolved murders and family rivalries that go back 20+ years makes for a bunch of cranky people and lots of accusations.This was a good mystery. I liked Aaron Falk and I liked the way the flashbacks were handled. Too bad we didn't see Mal Deacon end up where he belonged...
This book is set in the tiny farming community of Kiewarra, Australia, which is going through the worst drought in a century. Aaron Falk has returned to his home town to attend the funeral of his former best friend, Luke Hadler, a man who killed himself after murdering his wife and son. He hasn't been back since he and his father were run out of town when the body of Ellie Deacon was found, a piece of paper scrawled with the name “Falk” in her pocket.
Luke Hadler's father sends a message to Aaron, saying “Luke lied, you lied” and then asks him to investigate what drove Luke to murder/suicide. He knows Luke and Aaron alibied each other for Ellie's death and wonders if it's possible Luke has killed before. Aaron is now a member of the Australian Federal Police, but there are still plenty of people in Kiewarra who have never forgotten he was a suspect in the still unsolved murder of Ellie, opening a lot of wounds in the dying town.
This book is getting rave reviews everywhere. I thought the setting was perfect, simmering small town secrets set under the unrelenting heat of the Australian sun. The characters were very well done and, for the most part, very believable, with their small town hatred lying just below the surface. The author does an excellent job of using spare, engaging writing to make the reader feel like he is experiencing every action along with Aaron. I listened to the audio narrated by Steve Shanahan. He did a stellar job, his voice changing for different characters in a natural way. His accent and cadence made him very easy to listen to. I read this thinking it was a standalone book but see that the author is planning another book featuring Aaron Falk. I look forward to reading that one once it's released.
Luke Hadler's father sends a message to Aaron, saying “Luke lied, you lied” and then asks him to investigate what drove Luke to murder/suicide. He knows Luke and Aaron alibied each other for Ellie's death and wonders if it's possible Luke has killed before. Aaron is now a member of the Australian Federal Police, but there are still plenty of people in Kiewarra who have never forgotten he was a suspect in the still unsolved murder of Ellie, opening a lot of wounds in the dying town.
This book is getting rave reviews everywhere. I thought the setting was perfect, simmering small town secrets set under the unrelenting heat of the Australian sun. The characters were very well done and, for the most part, very believable, with their small town hatred lying just below the surface. The author does an excellent job of using spare, engaging writing to make the reader feel like he is experiencing every action along with Aaron. I listened to the audio narrated by Steve Shanahan. He did a stellar job, his voice changing for different characters in a natural way. His accent and cadence made him very easy to listen to. I read this thinking it was a standalone book but see that the author is planning another book featuring Aaron Falk. I look forward to reading that one once it's released.
Fabulously told story. Many twists and turns until the last chapter. Well-written. Highly recommend.
Kiewarra, a small country town is Australia, is plagued by a drought that just won’t quit. The residents of this sleepy town base their lives on their farms and their ability to produce livestock and crops. Tensions are running high throughout the town and some residents are willing to go to great lengths to put a bit of money in their pockets. It looks as though one resident, Luke Hadler, finally had enough with Kiewarra and all the problems the town brought to him and his family. In order to deal with his hardships Luke Hadler decided to come home one day and commit suicide after brutally murdering his wife and son. Aaron Falk, is a federal cop specializing in financial crimes. He grew up in Kiewarra and called Luke Hadler his best friend up until the day he and his father were forced to flee town. Aaron is now begrudgingly back in Kiewarra to attend Luke’s funeral. Luke’s parents don’t for a second buy the story surrounding their son and his family’s deaths and plead with Aaron to look in to the case. With the aid of local police, Aaron begins to uncover a mountain of suspicions and evidence that doesn’t add up. Ever present to stop Aaron from finding the truth are his past, his shared secret with Luke Hadler, and a town that wants him gone. Can Aaron find out what really happened to the Hadler family or will his past and the town of Kiewarra run him off before he can bring them justice? Jane Harper creates a masterful story of past and present colliding through the search for truth in THE DRY. Interspersed throughout the novel are flashbacks to scenes from the past that shed light on Aaron’s secret and the impact it may have brought to Luke and his family’s demise. Each chapter draws the reader closer to uncovering the truth while getting to know the ins and outs of Kiewarra over the last two decades. There are surprising revelations and heartbreaking truths hidden in the lives of a town struck by tragedy, both in loss of people and loss of income. Harper’s debut novel is a symphony of emotions drawing the reader to a heart pounding and shocking finale. THE DRY is easily one of the best books I have read in 2017 and I cannot wait until the second installment of this series is released next year.
This is a stand-alone Australian mystery. I purchased it on a whim after reading rave reviews. I found it adequate, but not rave-worthy.Aaron Falk, a government investigator in Melbourne, has returned to the small farming community north of there to attend the funeral of his best childhood friend, Luke. The area is experiencing an extreme drought, farms are failing, and Luke has committed suicide, after first shooting his wife and young son, but sparing his infant daughter.Or did he? Luke's parents believe that there was foul play, and that the family was murdered. They ask Aaron to stay on and investigate. As the novel progresses, it all seems connected to the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl who was friends with Luke and Aaron in their youth, and the lies that may have been told by them at that time.There were lots of twists and turns, not all of them credible. But Harper creates a palpable atmosphere of drought, heat and flies. This was an enjoyable read, but not amazing.3 stars
The Dry by Jane Harper is a very highly recommended tense, atmospheric mystery. An incredible debut novel set in Kiewarra, a small Australian town, during a devastating drought.Melbourne-based Federal Agent Aaron Falk saw the headlines. Luke Hadler, his best childhood friend, was found dead, as were his wife, Karen, and their son, Billy. It appears that Luke killed his wife and son, leaving his baby daughter alive and crying in her crib. Then he drove off and found a place to kill himself. Falk, who left Kiewarra twenty years ago is summoned to attend the funeral by Gerry Hadler, Luke's father. After calling him about the arrangements, Gerry sent Falk a note saying: "Luke lied. You lied. Be at the funeral."Twenty years ago Aaron Falk and his father left Kiewarra under a cloud of suspicion that Aaron had something to do with the death of his friend Ellie Deacon. When he was under the scrutiny of the police at the time, he and Luke gave each other bogus alibis for the afternoon, which saved him from any charges being filed. Now as Falk is back, the residents in the small town remember why he left before and many of them are determined to make sure he knows he is not welcome in the town.In the meantime, even though Falk was planning to go back to Melbourne as soon as possible, he is asked by Gerry to help Sergeant Greg Raco to look into the case. As he and Raco begin to work together, it is clear that despite what seems obvious at first, this may not be a murder/suicide. As the two investigate, the bad blood between Malcolm Deacon, father of Ellie, and his nephew Grant Dow boils to the surface. But there are plenty of hidden secrets and suspicions in the small town.The Dry is simply an excellent novel that meets all my criteria for a perfect mystery. The quality of Harper's writing is brilliant. It is an engaging, extremely well-written, and finely paced novel.The setting is perfectly described and sets the tone and atmosphere. It's a small, mean town beaten down by drought and poverty and alcoholism. Many citizens in the town are cliquish, petty, and hold grudges, as well as secrets, from decades past. The main characters are well-developed. There are plenty of suspects at the start and even more surface as the investigation continues. Harper keeps the tension increasing at a steady pace as she divulges the backstory alongside the current investigation.Falk is an enigma, but appealing main character. He is closed off emotionally, but you know he is intelligent. When he agrees to stay for a short time and assist in the investigation, it is clear how much he would rather go back to Melbourne and shake the dust of Kiewarra off his shoes forever, but he understands his obligation to help Gerry and Barb Hadler find closure.There are suspects-a-plenty, but Harper surprised me at the end.No question about it: if you like mysteries read The Dry.Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of Flatiron Books.
Federal Agent Aaron Falk returns to his hometown some twenty years after he and his father fled amid suspicions that he’d been involved in the death of a young girl. His best friend, Luke Hadler, had steadfastly insisted that the two boys had been together at the time of the girl’s death. Only Luke had lied to provide the alibi; now he has murdered his wife and young son and killed himself and Aaron has returned for the funeral.But more than one person knows that the boys lied and, amid simmering old resentments, Aaron reluctantly joins the local police sergeant’s investigation because just maybe Luke Hadler wasn’t the one who’d pulled the trigger.In addition to complex, believable characters, the author has created a sense of place so well-drawn that the drought-stricken town becomes a character in the narrative. With a twisting plot that continually ratchets up the suspense, and an unfolding backstory filled with unexpected revelations, this unputdownable tale will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final unforeseen reveal.Highly recommended.
This book was set in rural Australia during a drought. Jane Harper has created a novel with great sense of place as I could actually feel the heat and dust in my throat while reading The Dry. The characters were believable and I especially loved the interaction between Falk and Raco, the two police investigators. The excellent plot moved very well with great use of flashbacks for telling the back story from 20 years ago. There were many twists and turns that kept me changing my mind about who the murderer could be. This is a fabulous debut from Jane Harper and I hope to read more books by her in the future. I would highly recommend this book for those who enjoy complex murder mysteries.
Loved this thriller set in Australia. A man's past comes back to haunt him when he returns to his small hometown after an old friend is murdered. "Death rarely changes how we feel about someone. Heightens it, more often than not."
An excellent debut suspense novel! A tautly written story set in a small town in Australia. A tragic multiple murder, small town secrets, and a hazy past combine to engage the reader quickly, and the tension builds steadily to the climax of the novel. I look forward to her next novel!
Good crime novel, set in Australia
Picked this up on the basis of a good review and it was very good. There are twists and turns and some excellent misdirection. The heat and drought are almost a separate character. The finale where an everyday object is used as more dangerous than any gun really brings home to a UK reader the reality of living in this sort of climate.
A cracking debut from Jane Harper featuring cop Aaron Falk on a trip to his childhood home, a town in the Outback facing a severe drought, for the funeral of his former best friend, Luke, his wife & child. Did Luke murder his wife & child & then commit suicide? Falk teams up with the local police to investigate. Lots of twists & turns & skeletons in the cupboard. Look forward to reading the next in the series.
The Dry (Aaron Falk, #1)by Jane Harper Setting - Kiewarra. Australia.This debut is perfectly named.The climatic descriptions are vivid and more than just a backdrop, they are an integral part of the story.Amid the worst drought of the century, Federal Agent Aaron Falkis summoned to Kiewarra for the funerals of Luke and KarenHadler and their son Billy.A note Aaron received in Melbourne simply said "Luke lied. You lied. Be at the funeral."Twenty years ago Falk was accused of the murder of mutual friend, Ellie Deacon.His best friend Luke was his alibi.The alibi held, but Aaron and his father were forced to flee Kiewarra.This return visit will open Pandora's box of secrets of the town and the people Aaron left behind.4.5*