INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Two brothers meet in the remote Australian outback when the third brother is found dead, in this stunning new standalone novel from Jane Harper Brothers Nathan and Bub Bright meet for the first time in months at the remote fence line separating their cattle ranches in the lonely outback. Their third brother, Cameron, lies dead at their feet. In an isolated … lies dead at their feet.
In an isolated belt of Australia, their homes a three-hour drive apart, the brothers were one another’s nearest neighbors. Cameron was the middle child, the one who ran the family homestead. But something made him head out alone under the unrelenting sun.
Nathan, Bub and Nathan’s son return to Cameron’s ranch and to those left behind by his passing: his wife, his daughters, and his mother, as well as their long-time employee and two recently hired seasonal workers.
While they grieve Cameron’s loss, suspicion starts to take hold, and Nathan is forced to examine secrets the family would rather leave in the past. Because if someone forced Cameron to his death, the isolation of the outback leaves few suspects.
A powerful and brutal story of suspense set against a formidable landscape, The Lost Man confirms Jane Harper, author of The Dry and Force of Nature, is one of the best new voices in writing today.
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First book by Jane Harper I have read and I really enjoyed. Have since read The Dry and buying one more.
Strong character development, enjoyed the Australian outback descriptions (felt like West Texas on steroids which I can imagine it is), and the twists of the plot line.
Felt very satisfied with the ending in wrapping things up in a logical and acceptable manner. Flow was very good, page turner in a very good, positive way.
I liked the story, a mystery and some romance but ending is surprising.
I really loved this thriller set in the Australian outback. I am always drawn to books with a strong sense of place and this one really nailed the location. I could feel the suffocating heat, the sheer vastness of the land and the long distances that separate members of the same rural community.
Harper weaves a clever story, keeping you guessing as to how exactly Cameron Bright meets his horrible death. But most of all I loved this book for its portrayal of loneliness and disappointment in the character of Cameron’s brother, Nathan, the oldest of the three Bright sons. The relationships between the two surviving brothers – and the dead Cameron are Shakespearian in their subtlety, and realism and the sensitivity with which Harper conveys them. Likewise Cameron’s relationship with his teenage son which is brilliantly portrayed.
I enjoyed her two previous books but this one is in another league. Superb and highly recommended!
This is the kind of book I’ll read and read again! It’s a winner.
Family dynamics in a isolated, challenging environment: the Australian outback. The arid, blistering desert makes human survival dependent on technology and cooperation. When those fail, people die. The mystery revolves around why one brother walked away from his vehicle and perished in the heat. How his family related to one another for two generations is gradually revealed. The first person narrator is a deeply wounded, deeply sympathetic character who comes out OK in the end. The only shortcoming is a lack of environmental detail–hardly a plant or animal is mentioned, beyond grass and dingos. Deserts have a lot going despite the superficial barrenness. This author could have done well to add a little of that. Still, a compelling read.
I purchased this book as soon as I was able because I adore Jane Harper’s work. And The Lost man lives up to the hype – I was caught by the fifth page and was buried in the Outback for a couple of very cold days here in the U. S. desert. No Better way to spend your downtime than lost in a good book.
This is a family tale. The men are strong and made hard by the work and the environment. Life is hard and must be played by rote – if you break the pattern of existence you will die in a couple of hours. And the women are harder – are tasked with raising kids in this environment as well as making the world habitable for all and assisting as needed on the farm. City people have no idea and most can’t understand the pull of this kind of existence, and those of us affected by it can’t explain it. Jane Harper does a great job of laying it all out for us, though. This is a world you can feel all around you as you grab a cup of coffee between chapters.
Visit this world, please. You won’t be sorry.
A great book. Very descriptive with complex characters. You could feel the heat of the Australian outback. Great story and as usual great twists and turns along the way.
I have become a great fan of Australian novelist Jane Harper’s mysteries set in the Australian outback. The Lost Man is a gripping family drama with a shocking conclusion. Harper’s stories use setting in the best way possible–to evoke a character that influences outcomes. Well done!
I was a bit hesitant with this book at first, but the plot and use of description soon captured my attention. The novel is a story of family, hidden secrets and forgiveness. If you have not read the author’s work before, this stand-alone novel is a great place to start.
It takes a special kind of person to live in the Australian outback, if Jane Harper’s books are any indication. I love how her characters are shaped by this desolate harsh climate and how the isolation affects them. This book surprised me. I thought I had figured out why Cameron Bright had ended up dead several times and was blown away by the ending. Highly recommend this book.
Jane Harper creates a compelling story set in a harsh environment in Australia. The characters are both sympathetic and believable although the choices they make are not always the best from this reader’s viewpoint. It is a book hard to put down once you begin reading.
Very well written.
I am completely taken with the originality and strength of the writing. Highly recommend.
I’ve now read all three of Jane Harper’s books. You can’t go wrong with these original, well-written mysteries. She may be the Australian Tana French in that she develops strong characters with vivid back stories. When you finish “The Lost Man” you’ll look back at the ending as both surprising and yet also inevitable. Her descriptions of the harshness of the Outback permeate the book. The hot, dry, dangerous environment is almost a character in the book. In fact, all of her books touch on the idea that nature is against humanity like many of Thomas Hardy’s novels. But don’t let that literary ambition deter you. The book — and her others — are also terrific mysteries.
Wow!!! Not the ending I was thinking it would lead to. Having said that, I have mixed feelings about this book. This is the third book of Harper’s that I’ve read and they all seem to leave me with the same feelings – really sad for the main characters and the outback is a sad and hard lifestyle.
If I could’ve, I probably would’ve only rated this a 3.5star but decided to round up instead if down.
Absolutely loved this book! As always a great read from Jane Harper
Jane Harper has followed ‘The Dry’ and ‘Force of Nature’ with ‘The Lost Man’ and kept her starring role for the Australian Outback. Cameron the middle brother is found dead at the Old Stockman’s Grave a local landmark.
There follows a powerful story of suspense, set against a dazzling landscape. Nathan, the older brother, has to piece it all together.
This is a terrific book. A great read. The
Characters are unique and interesting. If you want a good story this is it.
I’ve read all of Ms Harper’s books, but this was by far my favourite. I spent the afternoon in front of the fire yesterday reading because I couldn’t put it down! Her descriptions of the Australian Outback make you feel like you’re there, her build up of the characters is done in a way that builds tension and makes you start guessing how this all happened. I got it wrong until almost the very end. A satisfying read that I highly recommend. There is some minimal (but ever so realistic) foul language but nothing that should bother most readers.
This book was a bit slow at times but the ending made up for it.