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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Well written but disturbing.
Jane Harper is a newer author on my favorite list. She has 3 or 4 books now. All were great. She has a brand new one out, today actually. I can’t wait to get it.
My second reading, January 2021:
When I keep going back in my mind to a particular book, I like to recycle it in a couple of years and second guess myself. The Dry is a debut novel, the first of a series by Australian author Jane Harper, and the drought and repercussions of drought are very familiar to those of us who have generations in the High Plains Deserts of the U.S. I think though, rather than the familiarity of the weather’s hold on our lives, this book touched my humanity in a way I don’t often feel. Any of us raised in a small town in the west understand the instability of the weather. Many of us have lived long enough to see summers where our animals had to be sacrificed due to lack of food and water. We have seen the angst and anger that infuses some as we spiral down into a life in which we have no control. Jane Harper takes you there. My background focus was tied to the repercussions of the weather. In this reading, the town of Kiewarra is another major player, and the nuances of this tragic time were more obvious.
If you haven’t read this series, you are missing a special experience. If you have, hit it again when you are feeling overwhelmed by life. A little social distancing and whipping up interesting face masks are a distraction but the tragedy is the loss of lives who would still be here with us – 400,000 and counting – and feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, should be our focus.
Reviewed on January 18, 2021, at Goodreads,
First Read, December 9, 2018:
The Dry is the debut novel of Jane Harper, set in the small farming town of Kiewarra, Australia through yet another El Nino summer of drought. Dust devils spun in the bed of rivers that had never before dried up. Officially, touted the nightly weather reporters, the worst conditions in a century. Farmers were having to kill their stock because there was no feed, no water to sustain them. Three-minute egg timers were hung in bathroom shower stalls, a stark reminder that water was more precious than cleanliness. And it is thought that second-generation farmer Luke Hadler may have gone round the bend, shotgunning his wife Karen, his six-year-old son Billy, and then himself.
Aaron Falk is a thirty-six-year-old Kiewarra native, though working these many years five hours down the road in Melbourne as a Federal policeman in the financial intelligence unit. Luke and Aaron were best buddies all through school. Luke, Aaron, Gretchen, and Ellie, a foursome that first saw tragedy with the death, maybe murder, possibly suicide, of Ellie while they were still in high school. Now there is only Aaron and Gretchen, and the local constable, Raco, was just days in the town and on the job when this tragic killing happened.
Luke’s parents want Aaron involved in the investigation, want their son Luke cleared of this heinous crime. Other locals aren’t sure Aaron wasn’t responsible, one way or the other, for the long-ago death of Ellie, and want him to clear out. No one is listening when Aaron explains, repeatedly, the kind of policeman he is. He follows the money. Strictly a desk job, financial intelligence. But Gerry and Barb Hadler were like parents to Aaron, growing up. And there are discrepancies, apparent even to Raco, the newly imported policeman. Can Aaron legitimately scurry back to Melbourne, turn his back on these people, this crime, and still live with himself?
The Dry is a tight, atmospheric mystery, hard to put aside. Jane Harper is an author I am compelled to follow.
Really enjoyed this book and recently saw the film which was a great representation of the book.
Gripping. Atmospheric. Listened to audio book and it kept my attention.
This novel by Jane Harper is such a fantastic representation of outback Australia. She has portrayed the characters in her book in such a realistic manner and the outcome is completely unpredictable.
Stunning Australian thriller with perhaps the best sense of place I’ve ever read in the genre. Remarkably assured and absorbing for a debut. Turned me into a Jane Harper fan girl, and has my highest recommendation.
The Dry, by Jane Harper, is the first in the Aaron Falk series. It is a dark, character driven story set in the boiling heat of the Australian Outback. This is a book that will surprise you, one that caused me to pause for awhile , and ponder the characters and their actions. It is a good read!
Jane Harper’s ability to capture the isolated, precarious life of a small town in the Australian outback is pitch perfect. Her main character Aaron Falk is wonderful and a study in how circumstances and prejudices and isolation can make or destroy someone. Highly recommend this book and her others Force of Nature and The Lost Man
A fantastic debut novel. A heartbreaking crime and a town on edge and populated by secrets, lies and anger. I loved every word and didn’t want it to end. Outstanding!
Super book, couldn’t put it down, complex and original!
Well written. I enjoy this author’s writing very much. Interesting characters. Covers a number of psychological issues.
Atmospheric mystery. An excellent debut with great characters, pacing and description.
I loved this book. An engrossing whodunnit, with an unexpected twist. It’s a rare book where I don’t guess from the outset who committed the terrible crimes. The author’s command of language is exquisite. Her power of description is a lesson all writers could learn, brief, evocative and vivid, instantly conjuring images of Australia’s scorching heat. Each character is wonderfully sketched in, arriving fully formed, and flawed. And very human.
The story’s tension built with each chapter, each flashback, and still at the finish managed to enthral and surprise me. The final paragraphs perfectly rounded out the story. A novel worthy of the awards and accolades. Now made into a movie, yet to be shown when Covid allows screening…
While I don’t think the answer to the who-dun-it was entirely credible, that may be just my bias. It gave an interesting picture of life in the Australian outback.
A great picture of the pressures faced by a rural community during crisis. A whodunit that keeps you wondering to the end. Lots of drama and emotion. A peek at the Australian landscape and farming lifestyle.
I enjoy this author’s writing; her characters and Australian venue!
I love Jane Harpers writing. Her description of the landscape is totally believable. A very haunting novel but one you won’t forget.
Been a year since I read it, but was entranced and read all others available at the time by Jane Harper. Must catch up.
Excellent