Name: Allison's review of The dry by Jane Harper
Item: The dry
Rating: 4
Author: Allison

Jane Harper

"A small town hides big secrets in The Dry. 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."--

a novel

The dry

Allison

Jane Harper's new novel, The Survivors, is now available for pre-order WINNER OF THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CRIME THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018 WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD 2017 Amazon.com's #1 Pick for Best Mystery & Thriller 2017 'One of the most stunning debuts I've ever read...Read it!' David Baldacci 'Packed with sneaky moves and teasing possibilities that keep the reader guessing...The Dry is a breathless page-turner' Janet Maslin, New York Times WHO REALLY KILLED THE HADLER FAMILY? I just can't understand how someone like him could do something like that. Amid the worst drought to ravage Australia in a century, it hasn't rained in small country town Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are brutally murdered. Everyone thinks Luke Hadler, who committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son, is guilty. Policeman Aaron Falk returns to the town of his youth for the funeral of his childhood best friend, and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. As questions mount and suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him twenty years earlier. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke's death threatens to unearth. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, secrets from his past and why he left home bubble to the surface as he questions the truth of his friend's crime. Praise for The Dry 'Spellbinding' Ian Rankin 'Riveting' Mail on Sunday 'Stunningly atmospheric' Val McDermid

The Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year 2017

The Dry

Jane Harper writes mysteries in a way that the plot, while entertaining, is secondary to the atmosphere and characters. I loved this story.

Cheri McElroy

Sonia Grgas

Really a 3.5. Liked it very much for the first two thirds. I feel the reveal was done in an anti climactic fashion and didn't deliver the punch one expected from the earlier part of the book.

the only reason I didn’t throw this on my DNF funeral pyre is that I needed to see if it played out as clichéd as it seemed (it didn’t) (still boring) 

Grace M

Denaiir

I loved the small-town atmosphere and the characters were pretty interesting. I also generally enjoy dual timelines, the pacing was good, and the reveal was quite interesting. I don't know why it got that much attention though, it's not better than many thrillers I've read recently that got way less attention

Kept you guessing, a good who-dunnit set in a depressing Australian drought

Claudia Robertson

Kahli Scott

A gripping atmospheric thriller that I rushed through in only a few sittings. Oddly enough, the pace sometimes should have seemed slow, but every scene was meaningful and keeps you hooked. The characters were vivid and felt like people you'd actually know from a small Australian town. Fantastic storytelling from Jane Harper, looking forward to the rest of Aaron Falk's investigations!

Patricia Nelson

I got this book as part of a First to Read pre-publication copy. The twists and turns made it a quick read. The murder mystery during a drought in a small town in Australia with prodigal son themes made it a good book!

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING ERIC BANA AS AARON FALK. The international debut bestseller from the author of Force of Nature and new novel The Survivors. "A breathless pageturner ... A secret on every page" The New York Times "One of the most stunning debuts I've ever read ... Read it!" David Baldacci "Makes the Australian Outback come alive and breeds respect for its survivors" Bill Clinton WHO REALLY KILLED THE HADLER FAMILY? It hasn't rained in Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the farming community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are discovered shot to death on their property. Everyone assumes Luke Hadler committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son. Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk returns to his hometown for the funerals and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. As suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him twenty years earlier. Because Falk and his childhood friend Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke's death threatens to unearth ... WINNER ABIA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 WINNER ABIA GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 WINNER INDIE BOOK AWARDS DEBUT FICTION 2017 WINNER DAVITT AWARDS ADULT FICTION 2017 WINNER DAVITT AWARDS READERS CHOICE 2017 WINNER NED KELLY AWARD BEST FIRST FICTION 2017 MORE PRAISE FOR THE DRY "I devoured it in just over 24 hours ... Spellbinding" Ian Rankin "Devastating debut ... a suspenseful tale of sound and fury" Publishers Weekly, starred review "A nail-biting thriller ... this fine debut will keep readers on edge and awake long past bedtime." Kirkus, starred review "Every so often a debut novel arrives that is so tightly woven and compelling it seems the work of a novelist in her prime. That's what Jane Harper has given us with The Dry" John Hart, New York Times bestselling author of Redemption Road "It's extremely rare and exciting to read a debut that enthralls from the very first page and then absolutely sticks the landing." C.J. Box, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Off The Grid "Australian author Harper's debut is a stunner." Booklist

This book/author came recommended by Adrienne Young as a great example of voice & timeline/POV jump “rule breaking” used effectively to paint a great mystery. Very much enjoyed this riveting tale with plentiful twists and suspicions thrown on several characters before the real criminals (past and present) are revealed.

Content warnings: parental abuse, gun violence, murder/death (including of a child), implied/perceived suicides

Liz Griffin

This book/author came recommended by Adrienne Young as a great example of voice & timeline/POV jump “rule breaking” used effectively to paint a great mystery. Very much enjoyed this riveting tale with plentiful twists and suspicions thrown on several characters before the real criminals (past and present) are revealed.

Content warnings: parental abuse, gun violence, murder/death (including of a child), implied/perceived suicides

Zoey Mikalatos

Two mysteries woven together in an excellent blend of present and past.

"Death rarely changes how we feel about someone. Heightens it, more often than not."

Gary Udstrand

The story takes place in small, remote Australian town. A terrible tragedy dredges up the past and the whole town spins out of control. The book is a very enjoyable and quick read, characters are compelling and will lead you on many twists and turns. The writing is great, you really start to feel the isolation and loneliness of a small outback rural community and the desperation of its citizens.

Celeste Richardson

If I were asked to describe this book in one word, I would reply with a single syllable: meh. The Dry is a lauded debut with a respectably high rating, but I was obviously missing something. It wasn’t a bad book, I just couldn’t quite manage to connect. 

Two simultaneous mysteries plague Aaron Fawk’s tiny hometown when he returns after twenty years, one a triple murder/suicide that is the sole reason he has chosen to return to the town, and the other a more than twenty year old questionable death that was the reason he was driven out of the town in the first place. The narrative jumps back and forth between timelines and Fawk tries to find answers regarding the death of his friend and his family, as well as the death of another friend decades in the past. Both plot lines presented intriguing mysteries that weren’t easily solved, and both were wrapped up neatly by the book’s final pages. 

Fawk is a really good guy who has had a rough life, mostly because of the small-minded townspeople of Kiewarra who drove him and his father from their family home. These same people give Fawk hell when he returns, hoping to understand what happened to his friend Luke and why that drove him to kill his wife and child before turning the gun on himself. But the deeper Fawk digs, the more old wounds come to the surface, and the less sure he is that Luke’s death is as cut and dried as it first appeared. Even as the town that hates him tries to drive him away for a second time, Fawk refuses to give up his off-the-books investigation until he has answers. And if those answers also lead to more information about Ellie’s death twenty years ago, so much the better.

I love reading about places that I long to visit. Australia is among those places. But if that visit involved a stay in Kiewarra, I believe I would rather pass. Very rarely have I encountered a setting I hated more, which I know was part of the point. Kiewarra is an agricultural community in the midst of one of the worst droughts on record, so obviously tensions are high. And those tensions are ratcheted up even higher by the apparent murder/suicide of a family of their own. If one farmer lost it and took out almost his entire family to escape the drought, will the same idea worm its way into the minds of others? 

This was a well written debut, with a compelling cast of characters, a three-dimensional setting, and mysteries that kept you guessing but whose answers made complete sense with the clues sprinkled throughout the text. I felt that the pace was a bit plodding, but I recognize the allure of a slow burning suspense such as Harper delivered. While I respect it and appreciate it for what it is, it’s a book that I feel myself already forgetting. I don’t know why it didn’t work for me, but I’m far from the norm. The Dry is popular for a reason; don’t let my experience in any way hinder your own.

You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.

Michelle García

It was pretty solid and definitely an improvement from reading the Survivors. I liked the characters and the story but the author has a bit of a habit of leaving all the important discoveries for the last pages.

'One of the most stunning debuts I've ever read...Read it!' David Baldacci WINNER OF THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CRIME THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018 WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD 2017 Amazon.com's #1 Pick for Best Mystery & Thriller 2017 The Gold Australian Book Industry Award for Book of the Year Australian Book Industry Award for Fiction Book of the Year WATERSTONES THRILLER OF THE MONTH THE SIMON MAYO RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB CHOICE SUNDAY TIMES CRIME THRILLER OF THE MONTH 'Packed with sneaky moves and teasing possibilities that keep the reader guessing...The Dry is a breathless page-turner' Janet Maslin, New York Times WHO REALLY KILLED THE HADLER FAMILY? I just can't understand how someone like him could do something like that. Amid the worst drought to ravage Australia in a century, it hasn't rained in small country town Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are brutally murdered. Everyone thinks Luke Hadler, who committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son, is guilty. Policeman Aaron Falk returns to the town of his youth for the funeral of his childhood best friend, and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. As questions mount and suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him twenty years earlier. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke's death threatens to unearth. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, secrets from his past and why he left home bubble to the surface as he questions the truth of his friend's crime. And if you loved The Dry and Force of Nature, pre-order The Lost Man by Jane Harper now

Madhuri Sridhara

4.5 rounded off

I was expecting great things from this book and it delivered. An atmospheric slow-burn mystery that makes you feel the heat and the irritation that brings with it, I think I'm sort of glad that I read this on my visit to India in the summer. Felt like I was living in the book at times. 

Aaron Falk isn't well defined, not yet anyway but that helps in this case. We get to take see everyone from his calm and analytical POV. Initially, I didn't like the flashbacks as they seemed to be like typical YA romance but it gets better and comes together very well.

I'm looking forward to reading more of Harper's books.

Leah Patton

Really really good. Sucked me right in and kept the pages turning despite being devoid of any flashy twists and turns. It was just a well-written story. I didn't see the twist coming at all.

Taylor🩸

Fellowes Cynthia

Maybe my expectations were too high, but although the writing and characters were well drawn out, the ending left much to be desired. Not sure I understand the hype.

chloe mcpherson

20 years ago federal police investigator Aaron Falk was driven out of his hometown after the death of his friend Ellie. 
Now he is forced to return back to his hometown after his old best friend Luke Hadler and his family is found dead. 
As Falk I’m drawn into the investigation he discovers the truth that lies within the small town of Kiewarra. 

Boy did this book take me on a wild ride and I loved every minute of it. It was fast paced so I was able to get through it quickly, if life didn’t get in the way I would have been able to finish this in one sitting. Every chapter had me wanting to keep reading to find out what happens next. 
I also loved that this book is set in Australia, it’s not often I come across good Australian crime thrillers, so I was able to picture the book vividly in my mind because I could relate to the book (because I’m Australian). The writing style was 10/10, and the characters were likeable which is why when Luke’s killer was revealed I was surprised. Ellie’s killer wasn’t that surprising to me but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I can’t wait to read what comes next for mr Aaron Falk.

Jackelyn

I always love a good mystery but this story was so much more. Small town drama, murder, death, hidden pasts and twists and turns in every chapter. This was the first Jane Harper I've read but I will definitely be picking up more. Her character building and intertwining is beautiful.

Content Warnings: Murder, gruesome murder of a child, suicide, alcohol use, family drama, gambling

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.

A Novel

Sarah Broome

I read this within 24 hrs. Fantastic, intriguing story. Keeps you guessing the entire time. Loved it. 

Imane

3.5 stars - a tad predictable but interesting enough to keep your attention even though you guessed the plot twists. The end left me with a sensation of unfinished business so this makes me a little bit mad lol I want vindication dammit

"Who really killed the Hadler family? Luke Hadler turns a gun on his wife and child, then himself. The farming community of Kiewarra is facing life and death choices daily. If one of their own broke under the strain, well ... When Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk returns to Kiewarra for the funerals, he is loath to confront the people who rejected him twenty years earlier. But when his investigative skills are called on, the facts of the Hadler case start to make him doubt this murder-suicide charge. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, old wounds are reopened. For Falk and his childhood friend Luke shared a secret ... A secret Falk thought long-buried ... A secret which Luke's death starts to bring to the surface ..." --

Jessica Williamson

3.75 Stars

This has one of my absolute favorite things in a mystery novel - dual timelines.

Not only are we dealing with the modern day murder/suicide of Aaron Falk's childhood friend and his family, but also a death from 20 years prior. In the past another of Aaron's childhood friends was found drown in the river, and Aaron was the #1 suspect in her questionable death. 

This book deals with small town life in a way that is so true to real life. Once the higher-ups in a small town decide that something is "true", it doesn't matter if it's based on fact or not, the whole town starts talking and suddenly everyone is shunning some random poor bloke who had no hand in his own undoing. The small town vibe in this reminded me a lot of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (you know, that campy 80's movie?) and honestly, I loved that about it.

And can we talk about how much the weather was a character here? With the book title and synopsis pointing you toward an Australian drought, the author did an impeccable job of describing everything with the heat in mind. Though I do have to question how often people were found shooting rabbits in this. Like, are rabbits THAT big of an issue in Australia? I have a friend, I'm asking. I need to know now.

I really enjoyed Falk's character, and it was interesting to see him react to his hometown setting. I know this is supposed to be a series but there were characters here I really liked and if they're not going to be in the next book then I don't know how I would feel about that. I guess I'll just have to think on it. 

Haper's writing style was easy to follow and immersive. I did enjoy that aspect of it and would like to pick up more from her in the future. 

As for the plot, there were a lot of Red Herrings, here and some of them I could see coming, and some I didn't. There were characters that I had weird feelings about and in the end I was right that they were fishy, but I wasn't exactly in the right lane when it came to figuring out why they were odd on the page. 

Overall, a really decent read that I enjoyed. I can't wait until the end of this month when I get to sit down with the others from book club and talk about it!

Cover - 3; Characters - 4; Plot - 4; Pace - 4: writing - 4; Enjoyment - 4.

Jayarna La Bozzetta

Harper is a great writer. Her descriptions are evocative and atmospheric. I feel like I'm there, and they feel so Australian it's like coming home. Her dialogue fits in well and the story flows well. 

However having read force of nature before this one, I have some gripes. That book is a carbon copy of this one, down to the nature of the end scene, the somewhat off limits light romantic b plot, and the backstory that never really pulls you in. I didn't care about these characters beyond the main one too much, and Harper's biggest issue is her inability to build suspense. 

Often her scenes and the story as a whole feel slow, dull or drag. She has the meat and material to work with, so it's a shame she doesn't know how to build it up, making us desperate for answers. She lets the steam out of a bubbling pot often. She also doesn't give relationships space to breathe, to grow, for us as an audience to become excited for something to happen. Which seems weird as I just said sometimes it can be slow and dull. But that's the issue - there's no claustrophobic nature, no tightening, no stress or 'will they, won't they' which is the fun of a thriller. And you can't tell me this isn't a thriller, because by design, with the alternating stories, drip feeding us information, is a hallmark of the genre. 

Good, maybe even great, but certainly not amazing.

Adrianna Giunta

I flew through this! I’ve never read a thriller set in Australia before and I loved the small town setting. I did not predict the big twist at all which is rare for me. This is a four star book instead of a five star book for me just because it didn’t have that five star feel. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

One of the best thrillers I read. Also described the dry desert so well I really wanted it to rain

Allison &
The dry by Jane Harper

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