Scan barcode
annie_brewer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
A solid mystery! Really enjoyed the small town atmosphere, very accurate of rural Australia.
I appreciate that the police work was mostly just collecting the information through questioning. The barrier to get people talking was excellently conveyed, but the solving of the case felt achievable once all the information was acquired. This seemed like a very accurate representation of how cases with limited resources could be resolved albeit doesn't provide the reader with an overly satisfying revelation.
I did find that Falk was a very average protagonist. He seemed to not have any motivations, nor large personality flaws, and was overall a bit underwhelming. The secondary characters were also a bit basic, but maybe were written to be reserved to add to the tension within the novel in regards to the drought, financial struggles and the distrust of the protagonist.
This was quite a slow paced read, but the duel timeline mystery of Falk's past was very interesting and kept me hooked.
Excited to read the next installments! Hopefully we learn a bit more about Falk and he becomes more developed.
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Child abuse, and Child death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Alcohol, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Addiction
jess2obsess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Rape, Incest, Gun violence, Death, Suicide, Violence, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Blood, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, and Animal death
Minor: Infidelity
wandering_canuck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this in one sitting. I was captivated from the opening sentence to the last word. I picked up this book only because it was a prompt for a reading challenge and I expect it to make my top 10 of 2024.
Exceptional writing. Harper builds a vivid landscape, where the
This is how a mystery-thriller should be written. The story was well fleshed out. Harper avoids the pitfalls of convenience and coincidence to make the story fit the outcome. Two whodunits within one novel, and both told in a way that left you guessing until the end. Though there are no loose ends left to be tied up, I never once felt I was being led by the hand. Her writing kept me engaged and I happily buckled in to ride out the story until the very end.
This book was simply brilliant and would make a great book club read. I'll definitely pick up another of her novels. She has me hooked!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Murder, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Bullying, Gun violence, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship
barbarella85's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Murder
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
emfield's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Child death, Violence, Alcoholism, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, Child abuse, and Excrement
Minor: Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Animal death
the_tea_collector22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Death
hannahleewhite's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts
madamegeneva's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
I assumed that reading the book wouldn’t be super interesting since I’d already seen the movie, but I was surprised at how engrossed I was in text. The book obviously has more space to flesh out characters’ thoughts and motivations (for example, Whitlam’s), and the way the author describes the town/scenery truly makes me feel as if I’m sitting in an small outback town pub. Brilliant.
Minor: Violence, Blood, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol
bootsmom3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Animal death, Addiction, Alcohol, Child death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Outing, Death of parent, Dementia, and Misogyny
lids_84's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So many twists and turns as the story unfolds. I love that it’s set in the dry Australian outback and is a must read for any murder mystery / thriller lovers.
Off to the book shop to get Jane Harpers next book.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Gun violence, and Murder