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 … 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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Loved this so much! I thought I knew who the killer was about halfway through – turns out I didn’t! Well written, great characters, definitely an author to follow. Highly recommend.
The huge, relentless sky; the sun beating down; the vast open space; the claustrophobia of a small community that suddenly realizes one of their own has committed the most terrible of murders – The Dry, by Jane Harper, transports the reader so that I wasn’t simply reading these things, I was right there. Even in the cold of the British winter, I could feel the stifling heat of the Australian summer.
I’m late to the party with this book, and deliberately so. I went into it feeling neutral, rather than with high expectations from all the hype, and I’m so glad I did. I loved The Dry from the very beginning. It’s a clever hybrid of detective novel and psychological thriller, and it really worked for me. It wasn’t simply about trying to guess who did what, but also ‘why’’.
In addition, each character came across as real and rounded; a totally believable person I could easily come across. That, added to the incredible sense of place created, along with the twisting and turning tale, made The Dry impossible to put down, and I found myself thinking about it when I DID put it down. Highly recommended.
I’m coming a little late to Jane Harper. This is her first mystery, and her third was just published this week. But I’m a huge fan now. Gripping story. Perfectly drawn characters. Surprising twists. And she brings the Australian bushland fabulously to life.
This is an excellent and well-written novel, with a gripping storyline of a family murder. I loved the images of the Australian outback that the narrative created in my mind.
Beautifully written sense of place and perfect example of pent-up tension.
It’s indicative of the powerful scene-setting of this book that I read it in the cold and snowy of winter and could still feel the oppressive heat of the Austrian drought which forms the background.
It’s a cold case enquiry. Policeman Aaron Falk returns to his former hometown for the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke. The two of them shared a lifelong secret about an earlier incident in the town.
Powerful prose which will have you really feeling the heat, not just of the drought but of the two incidents which mark the small town.
You can taste the Outback dust in this compelling debut.
It grabs you from the first page and never lets go, pulling you into a web of intrigue, tragedy, and—somewhat miraculously—redemption.
Out of the pile of books I read every year, there are only a handful that stand out. Ms. Harper has written one.
Don’t miss out!
~D. L. Orton, Award-Winning author of the Between Two Evils series (Book 1: Crossing In Time: A Dystopian Love Story (Between Two Evils Book 1))
Luke Handler shot his wife and son and then himself – and on the surface it’s an open and shut case. But when his childhood friend, Aaron Falk returns home for the funeral he gets drawn into trying to discover the real truth surrounding his friend’s tragic death and is drawn into a web of lies and deceit. This is a gripping story and a real page-turner and gives you an excellent insight into what it’s like to live in a small town suffering from an economic decline and drought in Australia.
I have mixed emotions about this book. I admit I prefer a stronger protagonist and Aaron Falk was not in this category. The story follows Aaron Falk as he returns to his childhood town for the funeral of his childhood friend Luke. Falk ends up staying post funeral at the request of Luke’s parents to help investigate Luke’s death. Along with this investigation there is a side story about another childhood friend. The story divided time between interesting and plodding. I hung in because I really wanted to see how it all unraveled. Many secrets and mysteries are solved by the end by Falk and the town’s Police Sergeant Raco. I admit the book is more true to life in how investigations stop and go but I found it too slow for my liking. If you prefer a slower pace in your mysteries this will be a 4-5 star for you.
Excellent brutal murder a agent returns for the funeral, & ends up
staying to help solve the crime in the drought stricken area
This book starts with the best prologue I have ever read, containing a disturbing crime scene and an evocative setting of rural Australia. Through the vivid descriptions, the reader is given a realistic depiction of life in a small country town experiencing drought, where tempers are high and emotions raw.
I have read some other books by Jane Harper, but this one would have to be my favourite. The setting, characters and plot makes this a compelling page-turner. Highly recommended.
It was slow burn, but it was interesting, gripping and thriller. Loved it.
I picked this up out of boredom, thinking it was better than in that zone where you need something to pass the time and there is nothing interesting you at that moment (waiting for my doctor who is always an hour or more behind…he’s worth the wait). Loved this book. I kept waiting to dislike it, you know that feeling with a read you just happen to pick up. That didn’t happen. It wasn’t always action packed or page turning, can’t wait reading. It was more like, it has me and I don’t want it to let go whyereever we are going. Great read. Liked it so much I have read all of her books. Now I wait impatiently until her next novel arrives.
Started reading this book because it is set in Australia. Got sucked right on in and finished reading it the next morning. Great read.
I love books about Australia and this book, Jane Harper’s, debut novel is a wonderful read.
Jane Harper’s superb first novel evokes a struggling Australian country town ravaged by a long drought. From the chilling prologue onwards, the reader discovers what happens to hardy country people when it doesn’t rain for years. Their disintegration is understandable, but not pretty. The brooding detective from Melbourne who arrives with his own unresolved past, is a compelling protagonist.
I guess I’m a new fan of this author now. I didn’t know the story until I saw the movie trailers and it caught my eye.
I read until late evening as I just couldn’t put it down until I found how who and why.
Murder, more than one mystery happening here, are they connected?
Aaron left town with his father when he was 16. Returning as an adult for his mates funeral, dealing with small town animosity he is determined to find out what happened now and in the past.
A town dealing with a long time drought, tempers are frayed and yet people still find money for drinking and gambling which creates more trouble.
I loved the way the author wove all the pieces of this tale together. I really didn’t see it coming, some of it maybe but not that missing link.
Brilliant story set in my home….I work in Footscray but stay out of alleys lol
Loved every moment and I’m looking up the next story now.
#librarybook #supportyourlocallibrary
This book is another one of my second-hand finds. It was published in 2016, but it’s still a riveting read. The Dry is an entertaining mystery. An FBI agent goes home for a funeral and becomes tangled in the mystery of an old friend’s death and a mystery from their childhood. Jane Harper keeps the story unfolding with rich characters and a believable setting. All of the elements of a small town add to the mystery: the passions and the stereotypes. I recommend this as a worthy pandemic read.
Great read. The setting of the drought affected rural town is like another main character. Beautifully written with identifiable characters. Great twist in the plot as well.
My Review of The Dry, Book One of the Aaron Falk Series, by Jane Harper; published by Flatiron Books
The Dry, Book One of the Aaron Falk series by Jane Harper is a fantastic debut novel! Jane creates an authentic setting where not one, but two murders have taken place. Even though we’re taken to Australia during a severe drought period, it was a great travel experience, especially during the current no travel Covid days. You’re able to get a true sense of the environment throughout the story. Jane introduces multiple twists and turns within both murder scenarios to where it’s almost an impossibility to figure anything out. I thoroughly enjoyed The Dry by Jane Harper and highly recommend it to all mystery/thriller/suspense readers.