Reviews

This is one of those special books that live up to the hype. You can see why it's won so many awards, because it's bloody good and deserves them!!

Falk comes back to his home town for his old friend's funeral, and stays to help figure out what really happened to his friend and his friend's family. But as with most small towns, there are lots of secrets and deceit, so it's a matter of figuring out the lies from the truth. And then there's the mystery from the past that drove Falk and his dad from the town many years ago.

I was hooked from the beginning and found myself being pulled into both mysteries. I loved absolutely everything about this book; the characters had so many layers and the backdrop of a drought stricken town was a character itself. I got a real sense of people and place through Jane's writing, it was addictive. I loved how the book was written in the present, and then had flashback scenes from multiple points of view throughout. It kept the reader guessing the whole way through. I've also never read a book like this before, and I think it's perfect for this genre because towards the end it heightened the tension and made those last chapters fly!

I listened to most of this on audiobook, which was fantastic, but I was dying to know what happened towards the end and I couldn't wait til I was in the car again to finish, so I ended up reading the last 30 pages.

I highly recommend this to everyone, even if you're not a fan of mystery books, I know you'll love it for the perfect writing that will have you wanting to pick it straight back up as soon as you've finished.

simonwalker's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Really enjoyed this. Easy read...much better than the film.

laurareane's review against another edition

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3.0

Crime novel. Interesting twist. Very sad.

jansbookcorner's review against another edition

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4.0

I started this series by reading book #3 - The Exiles. I wanted to read Jane Harper, and didn't pay attention to the fact that it was a series I was reading, until I started the book. While "The Exiles" made sense, I wish I had read this one first. I enjoyed the story and the quiet writing style that Ms Harper has. The mystery, the characters and the writing were a perfect blend to keep me engaged. I'm looking forward to Book #2 and other Jane Harper books.

bestknownfor's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

3.75

Sharp and pacy in an evocative landscape. The mystery unfolds well, although

the town's vendetta against Falk resolves a bit too quickly relative to how deeply-felt it is earlier on.

sirgustafur28's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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