Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Dry by Jane Harper

21 reviews

wandering_canuck's review

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• 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

5 intense stars!!

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!

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Content Warnings

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

paigegraf's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Child death

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Sexual violence

smrankin5's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Engaging mystery.  Dark subjects.  Thrilling ending 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Death, Gun violence, Child death, Death of parent, and Grief

bek_p87's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was excellent. The landscape was tangible, the tension gripping, the people real. The horrors numerous and grounded in real life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse

bootsmom3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

melissa_b_67's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Gun violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, and Child death

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual violence, and Incest

Minor: Pregnancy

mels_reading_log's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is a story set in a drought in a rural Australian town where a double-murder/suicide has just happened. The cops, not being satisfied with that story start up an off-books investigation that unravels all of this small town’s secrets. I really liked the premise and all of the twists and turns, but the pacing was a little slow for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, and Murder

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

alicia_g's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Good consistent plot- just would have liked more of actually the explanation of the murders. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Dementia, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Animal death

mollyfischfriedman's review

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Murder, Death, Child abuse, and Violence

Minor: Vomit

lizgriffinwords's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Child death, and Gun violence

Minor: Death of parent