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A review by davidb71
The Survivors by Jane Harper
4.5
I thought this was brilliant. Right from the start I felt like I was in the hands of a skillful writer. I thought the story, the setting, the cast of characters were all intriguing, and I was very impressed by how Jane Harper structured the book - the way the story unfolded, the way she chose to reveal information, I thought was beautifully balanced and well-judged. This is an intelligent crime mystery that respects and rewards the reader.
*spoilers ahead!*
One caveat I have is relating to the killer - specifically his second crime, which you could argue was really his first real crime, if you're giving him the benefit of the doubt about what happened 12 years earlier. But even if you don't give him the benefit of the doubt about the earlier incident, the second crime is still a whole order of magnitude something different - it's straight up psychopathic. My caveat is that the character didn't seem to be a psychopath, yet I didn't detect any changes in his behaviour to suggest he was struggling with his conscience in any way. But maybe those signs were there but they were just subtle and I missed them. It bothers me when someone can commit such a heinous act yet then act like everything's normal. A psychopath could do this, but a regular non-psychopathic person with a conscience? Surely he'd have been consumed by guilt and self-loathing?
And a second issue I have is really more about me than the book: I would have liked one more chapter. The novel abruptly ends after we find out the truth of what happened to Gabby and Bronte. I would have liked to see the aftermath of these revelations. I wanted to see what happened over the following day or two, as the news rippled through the community, how it affected different characters and the feeling in the community as a whole. But I respect Jane Harper's decision to end the book where she did, and maybe, on reflection it is more powerful this way - leaving the aftermath to our own imaginations. It really is a testament to how vividly she wrote this community and these characters that I cared enough about them to want to read how the truth of the crimes would affect them all.
Overall, a fabulous book. Intelligent, playful - at times I felt she was toying with the reader, in a very enjoyable way - and very satisfying.
*spoilers ahead!*
One caveat I have is relating to the killer - specifically his second crime, which you could argue was really his first real crime, if you're giving him the benefit of the doubt about what happened 12 years earlier. But even if you don't give him the benefit of the doubt about the earlier incident, the second crime is still a whole order of magnitude something different - it's straight up psychopathic. My caveat is that the character didn't seem to be a psychopath, yet I didn't detect any changes in his behaviour to suggest he was struggling with his conscience in any way. But maybe those signs were there but they were just subtle and I missed them. It bothers me when someone can commit such a heinous act yet then act like everything's normal. A psychopath could do this, but a regular non-psychopathic person with a conscience? Surely he'd have been consumed by guilt and self-loathing?
And a second issue I have is really more about me than the book: I would have liked one more chapter. The novel abruptly ends after we find out the truth of what happened to Gabby and Bronte. I would have liked to see the aftermath of these revelations. I wanted to see what happened over the following day or two, as the news rippled through the community, how it affected different characters and the feeling in the community as a whole. But I respect Jane Harper's decision to end the book where she did, and maybe, on reflection it is more powerful this way - leaving the aftermath to our own imaginations. It really is a testament to how vividly she wrote this community and these characters that I cared enough about them to want to read how the truth of the crimes would affect them all.
Overall, a fabulous book. Intelligent, playful - at times I felt she was toying with the reader, in a very enjoyable way - and very satisfying.