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The Dry (Aaron Falk #1)

by Jane Harper

4.08 · Rating Details · 24,151 Ratings · 3,313 Reviews

After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke's steadfast claim that the boys had ...more

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published January 10th 2017 by Flatiron Books (first published May 31st 2016)

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Jun 28, 2016 Chelsea Humphrey rated it it was amazing

I know it's early days, but I have a feeling this will be a top read of 2017 for me; I'll go as far as saying if I had read it last year it would have been in my top 2016 reads. The writing is excellent, the pacing was quick with fully fleshed characters, and the ending was satisfying without being too cut and dry. Half the fun of this story is, even if you guess at the who, you probably won't guess the why until it's revealed. This was a perfect example of a book being extremely dark and terrif I know it's early days, but I have a feeling this will be a top read of 2017 for me; I'll go as far as saying if I had read it last year it would have been in my top 2016 reads. The writing is excellent, the pacing was quick with fully fleshed characters, and the ending was satisfying without being too cut and dry. Half the fun of this story is, even if you guess at the who, you probably won't guess the why until it's revealed. This was a perfect example of a book being extremely dark and terrifying without being overly graphic for the shock value.

"It wasn't as though the farm hadn't seen death before, and the blowflies didn't discriminate. To them there was little difference between a carcass and a corpse."

Your attention; I have it, right? Those are powerful opening lines, and when placed within the full fledged prologue you have one of the most intriguing and gripping introductions to a book I have ever read. Please don't misunderstand, this isn't a break neck thriller that you rush to read in one sitting; it's more the slow, delicate sipping of a fine wine that you tend to gradually chug more quickly as you reach the bottom of the bottle. If someone asked me how I felt a police procedural should be written and what details should be included I would simply hand them a copy of this book and tell them to read it. I feel privileged to have found such a golden story to catalogue in my mind so early in the year; the complex web of deceit and lies in this farmland of Australia completely captivated me to the point I actually found myself trying to piece together the various mysteries while doing other daily activities.

While the writing was excellent and the mysteries were well done, what placed this book in 5 star land for me was the depth and beauty given to the characters. I was so engrossed in these people that I actually felt present for each conversation; the descriptions of the setting were so incredible that I thought I would break out into a sweat at any moment from the drought I was mentally present for. I honestly can't think of a single complaint of what I would change about this book. While you may guess correctly on the "whodunnit" in both present day and past mysteries (due to a limited pool of characters to choose from) you likely won't guess why. I had missed a tiny clue, just as our characters did, which caused me to go down the wrong path and find myself just as shocked as the police officers. I adored the way the author chose to slowly unravel the plot and how she really ramped up the tension and action near the end where I felt my heart about to beat out of my chest. I'm attaching a footnote regarding the triggers in this book, so feel free to browse it at the end of this review if it's a concern for you.

As I was browsing on Goodreads, I noticed this is set to be the first installment in a series featuring our main character Falk. I'm really torn on this, as I felt the ending was perfect as it was. I'm one of the few who doesn't like everything neat and tidy, and while The Dry gave us plenty of closure, it left a few things open which I felt gave the book that final umpf of power to shine above the rest. I'm a little worried that a series will continue to focus on beating that particular "openness" to death to the point nothing is left vague. On the other hand, I'm dying for more Aaron Falk! I'd love to see him handling more cases and I would really love to see a return of many other characters like Raco and Gretchen, but also some minor ones like Jamie and the doctor. Rambling now, but needless to say highly HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Please put this on your radar folks if you haven't yet. If you enjoy an excellent mystery that is a police procedural not heavy on the mundane details, this is for you. Incredibly well done and I'm absolutely FLOORED that this is a debut novel. I believe we'll be seeing much more of Harper to come.

Thanks Lisa Jordan for sending me your personal copy last year. She mailed it all the way from Australia and it's been a blast discussing the creepy crawlies (read monsters) that live (read prowl) in the area there. You all are brave souls!

*Trigger warning- if you've read the plot summary then you know the premise is a father shooting his family and then himself-the mystery is whether he truly was the guilty party or if someone else was and framed it to appear that way. While the author did a fantastic job of writing with respect and caution on such a disturbing subject, there is brief discussion of the shooting of the young son that may be disturbing for some readers. Overall, the story isn't graphic and the violence is mainly implied. ...more

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Dec 01, 2016 Paromjit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, crime-fiction, thriller, mystery

This is an astonishingly good crime fiction debut by Jane Harper set in Australia. Aaron Falk and his father were run out of their home in Kiewarra over twenty years ago over rumours of Aaron's hand in the death of Ellie Deacon. It was ruled a suicide and Aaron had an alibi, his best friend Luke. Aaron has returned to Kiewarra for the funeral of Luke, his wife, Karen and his son, Billy. It appears that Luke shot his family and then himself due to their poor financial state caused by the unrelent This is an astonishingly good crime fiction debut by Jane Harper set in Australia. Aaron Falk and his father were run out of their home in Kiewarra over twenty years ago over rumours of Aaron's hand in the death of Ellie Deacon. It was ruled a suicide and Aaron had an alibi, his best friend Luke. Aaron has returned to Kiewarra for the funeral of Luke, his wife, Karen and his son, Billy. It appears that Luke shot his family and then himself due to their poor financial state caused by the unrelenting drought. Aaron is now a financial investigator with the Melbourne Police and Luke's parents do not believe their son is responsible for such unforgivable acts. They ask a reluctant Aaron to see what he can find out.

There is a mean and nasty streak running through the local community compounded by the never ending and relentless heat. Led by Mel and Dow Deacon, the old rumours about Aaron having a hand in Ellie's death are resurrected and a vociferous campaign against him begins. They are determined to hound him out for a second time and are not above using underhand and dirty tactics to achieve their aim. Aaron joins forces with local cop, Sergeant Raco, who has his own doubts about Luke's guilt. Evidence soon accrues that suggests Luke is innocent of wiping out his family. Aaron's memories of the past come to the fore and the mystery of Ellie's death runs as a concurrent thread. Aaron and Raco slowly begin to uncover the secrets, lies and fears buried in Kiewarra. The closer they come to the truth, the more they unsettle a killer willing to ignite a conflagration in a place ill equipped to handle it. The truth behind Ellie's death also begins to become clear.

The author does an excellent job in bringing Kiewarra alive and the disparate characters that inhabit the place. It is a closed and intense community where people hold on to grudges and feelings with such fervour, as though letting them go would result in the disintegration of the self. The drought threatens livelihoods, and the heat raises stresses sky high. This is a well written story with a compelling narrative. The character development is so well done. The tension and suspense keep the reader totally enthralled. Cannot wait to see what Jane Harper writes next. Highly recommended and brilliant read. Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC. ...more

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Feb 15, 2017 Kristin (KC) rated it really liked it

Shelves: thriller, mystery

*4.5 stars!*

What a book. I had to sleep on this one. Not like, right on top of it, it was just a little to the left of my pillow, but I needed time to process. It’s not as though this read was so incredibly intoxicating that I couldn't wrap my head around it—quite the contrary, actually.

The pace is steady and slow, verging on dull at times but never quite crossing that line. The plot itself is packed with twists, but they felt gentle and weren't especially shocking.

So what did it for me? The a ...more

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May 05, 2016 Suzanne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed, aussie-author, 2016, aww

5 unflinchingly bright hot stars for 'The Dry'

Love having reading friends to share books with! Thanks Mel. Very glad to have unexpectedly stumbled across this one, considering I’d had a recent conversation with my local bookstore manager where she’d mentioned it’s their top seller. I always ask her what is the current best seller. Best seller it is.

A dazzling debut where again I am left wondering, what’s debut-ish about this work? The entire read I was chopping and changing my mind about who kil ...more

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Apr 04, 2017 Elyse rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"Officially the worse conditions in a century" .....Melbourne, Australia.

"The weather pattern had a bad name" ----"El Nino" ----in "The Dry".
"El Nino" refers to "the little boy", so named because the pool of warm water in the Pacific near South America is often at the warmest around Christmas. The original name, El Niño de Navidad, traces its origin centuries back to Peruvian fisherman, Who named the weather phenomenon in reference to the newborn Christ.
"The Dry", itself refers to the long stan ...more

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Feb 20, 2017 Larry H rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow, this was really a great book! I love it when books which are hyped actually live up to the praise they're getting, and Jane Harper's The Dry definitely did.

This book had everything—great writing, a terrifically evocative setting (I felt hot every time I read it, and it wasn't just because I'm running a fever, and I kept expecting everyone I came into contact with to speak with an Australian accent), interesting character development, and lots of twists and turns. It's amazing to think tha ...more

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Feb 22, 2017 Matt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

Succumbing to some of the biblio-peer pressure surrounding Jane Harper's debut novel, I thought I ought to make a little time and see what she had to offer. Australia has been hit with one of its worst droughts ever, turning fertile lands into blobs of brown. In the community of Kiewarra, rain has not fallen in upwards of two years, only adding to tensions. An emergency call is made and authorities arrive at the Hadler farm to find a bloodbath. Luke Hadler appears to have killed his wife and son Succumbing to some of the biblio-peer pressure surrounding Jane Harper's debut novel, I thought I ought to make a little time and see what she had to offer. Australia has been hit with one of its worst droughts ever, turning fertile lands into blobs of brown. In the community of Kiewarra, rain has not fallen in upwards of two years, only adding to tensions. An emergency call is made and authorities arrive at the Hadler farm to find a bloodbath. Luke Hadler appears to have killed his wife and son, before turning the gun on himself. The town chalks this up to extreme duress and a cloud of murder-suicide hangs over the town, which accompanies the scorching sun. When Aaron Falk returns to his hometown to attend the funeral of his childhood best friend, townsfolk whisper. Falk is forced to remember what happened two decades before, when a friend, Ellie Deacon, was found dead in the river and a note addressed to him turned up. His alibi is flimsy and turns out to have been concocted with the help of Luke, though they thought the secret would prove impenetrable. While Falk has made a name for himself in the Federal Police, he remains that teenager whose name was bandied around as having been responsible. Falk faces those awkward memories as he tries to better understand what could have pushed Luke to kill his family, with whom he was apparently very proud when last they chatted. Falk works with some of the local authorities to investigate the deaths, turning up small inconsistencies. Could someone have harboured animosity for twenty years and finally sought revenge for Ellie's untimely death? Could Falk be next on the list? Working to uncover what might have happened on the Hadler farm, Falk must clear his friend's name, while standing firm as the past rears its ugly head. A wonderful first novel that allows Harper to show that she is someone to be taken seriously in the genre. Perfect for mystery fans and those looking for a superior story to enthral and entertain.

Harper has made a wonderful first impression on me with this novel, developing a strong police procedural alongside the complexities of small-town Australia. Aaron Falk serves as a wonderful protagonist as he keeps the narrative moving forward with his investigative skills, though the darker past that he has been forced to revisit keeps readers wondering about this man until the final sentence. This hint at a less than pristine Falk allows Harper to introduce a number of other characters whose importance varies, while pushing the narrative forward. Kiewarra proves also to be effective as a setting, as it mixes that proximity to big city life with the quaint farm living that has become destroyed with the current drought. A community that holds grudges while wanting to envelop its citizens away from prying eyes, Harper uses these traits to further enrich her narrative. Harper's use of flashbacks throughout, rather than straight recounting dialogue, gives the reader a great deal of insight and provides a true 'revelation' perspective throughout the story, as if the reader were witnessing some of the events that had been mentioned in passing. The reader learns much from these glimpses into the past and it provides a telling connection to the larger story. Overall, a wonderful piece that should provide momentum for a series, should that be the route Harper wishes to pursue. Curious readers should not take the title to be indicative of the quality or presentation of the novel, but that stocks at booksellers will disappears as swiftly as an Australian brushfire. Get your copy today and you will not be sorry!

Kudos, Madam Harper for such a great start you your published career. I can see that many others have come to like this work and I cannot wait to get my hands on whatever you have coming.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
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Jul 16, 2017 Mary Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was the first book in a new series and I was really surprised on how much I loved this book. The book is utterly addictive, and I found it hard to take a break from it, reading it within a couple of days. Jane has managed to create realistic characters, dealing with very realistic situations. You often feel that you are standing in Aaron Falk’s shoes, as you start to feel his emotions moving through your body. My favorite part about this book was how everyone was a suspect. When I had final
This was the first book in a new series and I was really surprised on how much I loved this book. The book is utterly addictive, and I found it hard to take a break from it, reading it within a couple of days. Jane has managed to create realistic characters, dealing with very realistic situations. You often feel that you are standing in Aaron Falk’s shoes, as you start to feel his emotions moving through your body. My favorite part about this book was how everyone was a suspect. When I had finally settled on a killer, I would have to change my mind, chapters later, and did so throughout the book. Then, when I had discovered who it was, I was shocked at the reasoning behind the murders. I couldn't believe that this was the author's debut novel. I am so happy that this is a series.

It is set in the fictional town of Kiewarra several hours drive from Melbourne. It is a hot, dry prolonged spell and the people are getting antsy as the heat roils around the dusty roads. Things are dying… and people are too.
When a farmer and his family are found shot dead, the community readily accepts that hopelessness and desperation have caused the father, Luke Hadler, to murder his wife and son and leaves his thirteen month daughter alive, before turning the gun on himself. His childhood friend, Aaron Falk, returns to Kiewarra to attend the funeral. Luke’s parents beg Aaron, a federal agent with the Financial Intelligence Unit in Melbourne, to look into Luke’s finances to see if things were really so dire that he committed murder-suicide. It doesn’t take long for Aaron to think things may not be what they seem and, with the help of the local police sergeant, Greg Raco, he begins to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths at the Hadler farm.

Aaron's return also re-awakens an old mystery from when he was a teenager where his friend Ellie was found dead in the river.

This was an easy five star rating for me. I could easily vision everything in my head while writing my review. It definitely met the Wow factor for me. I cannot wait to read book two in the series.

...more

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May 04, 2017 Cheri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction, library-book, 2017, australia, british-author, british-authors

4.5 Stars

”The Outback is impossible, forever and it’s free
No way can I find an end to what it means to me”
Sing You the Outback John Williamson

Mere days ago, I was inundated by water. Water, water, everywhere… Rivers overflowing … and suddenly I find myself transported to a land where rain hadn’t fallen in nearly two years.

”The drought had left the flies spoiled for choice that summer.”

The farmers told themselves that the drought wouldn’t last, said those words to each other, and to themselves ...more

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Feb 14, 2017 Julie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-shelf, e-book, crime, overdrive, 2017

The Dry by Jane Harper is a 2017 Flatiron Books publication.

This is my kind of mystery/thriller!

When Aaron returns to his hometown to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke, he intends to make a retreat back to his life as a federal agent, as quickly as possible.

But, Luke’s grieving parents ask him to use his talents to look into Luke’s financial affairs, in hopes of finding answers as to why their son killed his wife and son and then shot himself. The chances are slim to none that A The Dry by Jane Harper is a 2017 Flatiron Books publication.

This is my kind of mystery/thriller!

When Aaron returns to his hometown to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke, he intends to make a retreat back to his life as a federal agent, as quickly as possible.

But, Luke’s grieving parents ask him to use his talents to look into Luke’s financial affairs, in hopes of finding answers as to why their son killed his wife and son and then shot himself. The chances are slim to none that Aaron would find anything to ease their pain, but he feels he owes them a favor, so he agrees to stick around a few more days.

Before long, Aaron finds himself partnered up with a local investigator in an all-out search for clues that would shed light on the events leading up to the murder/ suicide. In the process, they uncover startling evidence that will change everything they thought they knew.

The Australian location, in a town suffering through a severe drought, where the heat is nearly unbearable, has the entire town unusually edgy, which paints a combustible atmosphere riddled with irritable tension from start to finish.

The shocking murder/ suicide is a compelling mystery full of unexpected revelations and surprising twists, but the secondary thread that takes up equal space in the novel, is a haunting cold case story centered around the death of a friend of Luke’s and Aaron’s back in their youth. Aaron and his father were both suspects in the girl’s death, and left town under a cloud of suspicion. Can Aaron find out what really happened after all this time?

Dual storylines can be tricky, but both stories weave between the past and present with amazing fluidity. The story is bleak, almost gloomy at times, with little or no relief along the way, but the characterizations are so vivid and the story so taut, the heaviness became an asset and is part of what made the story so absorbing and moody, along with all the hidden small town motives, suspicions and secrets that came roiling to surface.

While the subject matter may not be for the faint of heart, with such dark and emotional themes at play, the story has practically everything fans of this genre could ask for. It’s a police procedural in some ways, a twisty psychological thriller in others, with strong suspense and thriller elements added into the mix for good measure.

The exceptional writing provides a wealth of depth, which sets this one apart from the typical mystery thriller. I am tingling with anticipation for the next book in this series! I think Aaron Falk is going to be big hit.

5 stars
...more

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Oct 13, 2016 Meredith rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

This beautifully written mystery transported me to Kiewarra, Australia, a small farming community that is suffering from a drought, and also from being mired in the past.

Aaron Falk, a federal financial police officer, reluctantly returns to Kiewarra to attend the funeral of his former best friend, Luke Hadler. It appears that Luke committed a murder suicide, killing his wife, Karen, and their six-year-old son, Billy, before taking his own life. The community is in shock and speculation abounds. ...more

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Jul 08, 2017 Jen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Whoa, well done, Harper! I did not see that twist coming and just when I thought I had it all figured out, that theory was shot to hell. Brilliant.

This story is set in the bush in Kiewarra, Australia, where a murder suicide has taken place in a community where a drought is on. Falk, a cop who has come back for the funeral, is coaxed into staying to dig into the truth of what really happened to the family. A past is reawakened, secrets are kept close and many don't want him there for the ties he ...more

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Mar 21, 2017 Norma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-reads-of-2017, library

Holy Cow! What a wonderful book! This book definitely had all my senses on high alert while reading this one!

The mood, the atmosphere, the setting, the tone, the format…..

"Her goodbye as she left was as dry as the fields."

THE DRY by JANE HARPER is an absolutely engrossing and compelling whodunit crime mystery / thriller that drew me in right from the very first chapter to the very last page!

JANE HARPER delivers a clever, atmospheric, suspenseful, impressive, and very descriptive read here wh ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 PattyMacDotComma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Australian lit lovers

Shelves: favourites-adult, australian-author, arc-netgalley-read, mystery-susp-thrill-horror-crime, calibre, kindle, 2017-aus-1-challenge

10★! Superb!
There isn’t a thing I’d change about this debut novel from talented Aussie author Jane Harper. The Victorian rural town of Kiewarra is suffocating under the oppression of heat and prolonged drought. While some farmers and shopkeepers are still clutching at small straws of hope, others have walked off or sold out to foreign investors.

Then, a murder/suicide is discovered. It’s not the first in desperate country Australia, and the Hadlers were struggling. Luke Hadler has apparently sh ...more

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Feb 18, 2017 Karen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

So this is a really good debut novel about a farming community in Australia, the murder of a young family..father, mother, young son, but their baby left unharmed.
This story also goes back and forth from present time to 20 yrs earlier when this father and his group of four friends were growing up there.
One of the group, Falk, is now a cop from the another city, who comes to town for the funeral of his friend and his family, and ends up on the case to try and find the killer. There are lots of p ...more

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Jun 16, 2017 Carol added it

Shelves: fiction, debut, crime

The Hook - So many wonderful reviews by my GR friends found me craving to be in the loop. The promise of a crime story set in the dry bushlands of Australia was intriguing to me. Debuts also have great appeal.
The Line - ”And it’s tiger snake territory here, so watch your feet “
”description/

Snake Danger in Australia – Wildlife Tourism

The Sinker - I began this book on audio, expertly read by Steve Shanahan. Shanahan reads slowly and deliberately. At first this was driving me crazy, so much so that I tried to ...more

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Dec 27, 2016 Maureen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

*4.5 STARS*

First things first, applause for author Jane Harper, who's put together this cracking storyline set in the Australian farming community of Kiewarra.

Luke Hadler allegedly killed his wife Karen and young son Billy before turning the gun on himself, but is this tragedy as cut and dried as it appears?

Federal Police Investigator Aaron Falk returns for the funeral of his childhood friend Luke, but he faces animosity and threats regarding the suicide of Ellie Deacon some twenty years ago. E ...more

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Jul 03, 2016 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Aaron Falk came from a family that had lived in Kiewarra for generations, but after a young girl was found drowned, his family was forced to leave. After an absence of twenty years, now a police investigator I the financial division he returns to his old home town, brought back by the apparent suicide and murder of the family of his former best friend.

A début novel, very tightly plotted, extremely suspenseful, in a town where everything is not always as it appears. Loved Falk's character and the ...more

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Feb 13, 2017 Linda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star-winners, fiction, australia

"But you know what it's like here, mate. It takes a lot for people to be willing to stand up and rock the boat. It was the same then as it is now."

Aaron Falk returns to the small farming community of his boyhood. The souls of its citizens are as dry and withered as the devastating drought that has taken root in the blanched soil. There's ne'er a sprout of welcoming for him here in Kiewarra.

But shock is the only apparent current running through this town. Falk's best friend of his youth, Luke Had "But you know what it's like here, mate. It takes a lot for people to be willing to stand up and rock the boat. It was the same then as it is now."

Aaron Falk returns to the small farming community of his boyhood. The souls of its citizens are as dry and withered as the devastating drought that has taken root in the blanched soil. There's ne'er a sprout of welcoming for him here in Kiewarra.

But shock is the only apparent current running through this town. Falk's best friend of his youth, Luke Hadler, is found dead in the back of his pickup truck with a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. And in its wake is the horror of the knowledge that Luke took the lives of his wife, Karen, and their son, Billy, with him. The haunting cries of baby Charlotte left in her crib bring reality to this doorstep. What led up to this blinding image of a man in free fall?

Aaron, a Federal Agent, planned on only attending the funeral service out of respect. Luke's father sends him an earth-shaking message for which he feels obligated to pursue. The puzzle pieces just aren't connecting here and community cooperation seems out of the question.

But in order to work with the local police, Falk must bend low and enter into the cavern of his past. The community painfully reminds him that he is no longer welcome here. Falk and his father abandoned their home in Kiewarra under some very dire circumstances. Falk and Hadler had been connected to the drowning death of a young girl, Ellie, twenty years ago. Luke and Aaron were tied to the same alibi of being together that fateful night. But were they?

The same driving force that weighed heavily upon Falk in the past revisits him once again. He is harassed and threatened constantly. Ellie's family makes their presence known. Can he make inroads into the parallels of the present and the past?

Jane Harper is a remarkable writer. Her indepth presentations of complicated characters is a true talent. She allows the reader to step delicately between past and present with slips of backstory in the appropriate places. Harper knows how to release droplets of water on parched passages at the right time. The storyline spreads outward in an arc of reveal known mostly to sage writers.

Harper is going to be an author to watch. I know so many of us will be anxiously on the lookout for future offerings by this stellar author. ...more

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Feb 02, 2017 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, mystery

I just finished this last night. This book is in my top to recommend reading. Wow ! It was perfect. No one in the town is without their hidden secrets. You feel the heat of Australia as you read the book. You feel the frustration of the police officers as they investigate. It's very well written, and even if you know anything about the book before reading, it's not graphic. So you don't have to worry if you have those issues. It's one of the best "whodunnits" I've read in a long time.

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Feb 03, 2017 *TANYA* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-of-2017

Great book!!! I cannot believe it's the authors first book. I was not expecting to like it so much. I'm very impressed, one of the best books I've read of the year. Intricate and yet so simple.

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Feb 07, 2017 Lindsay rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars! This is a GREAT book!! It grabbed my attention right away and didn't let go until the last page. After reading all of the excellent reviews, I was really looking forward to reading this book and it definitely lived up to the hype!

All of the characters were very well developed. I really liked Falk, the main character - he had a secretive side which had me questioning his past - I wanted to know his back story and figure out his intentions - I liked the aura of secrecy that surrounded ...more

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Dec 19, 2016 Taryn rated it really liked it

Shelves: received-from-publisher, netgalley, mystery-suspense-thriller

It was a cry that had come from too many lips since he'd returned to Kiewarra. If I’d known, I would have done things differently. It was too late for that now. Some things had to be lived with.

Times are tough for the people of Kiewarra, Australia. Crops are drying out because of a never-ending drought and money is running out. Tensions are already high in the community when a respected family is found murdered. Karen Hadler and her six-year-old son Billy are found shot to death in their home. The father Luke Hadler appears to have committed suicide in a nearby field. Only thirteen-month-old Charlotte was left unscathed. Federal Agent Aaron Falk, Luke’s childhood best friend, returns to his hometown for the first time in twenty years to pay his respects. The problem is no one wants him there. When Luke and Kyle were sixteen, their friend Ellie was found submerged in the river with rocks in her pocket. No one believes the boys' alibi and both Aaron and his father suffered under intense suspicion.

"Born and bred here, or forever an outsider, seems to be the Kiewarra way.”
“Born and bred isn’t a free pass either,” Falk said with a grim smile.

Aaron planned to get out of town quickly, but Luke's parents want him look through Luke’s financials and see if he can find a motive or possibly something that might exonerate Luke. Aaron is reluctant to stay in this suffocating town for one second longer than necessary, but he has a hard time saying no to Luke’s grieving mother, who was also like a mother to him. He begins working with Sergeant Raco, who was only employed one week before the murders rocked the community. New clues are few and far between and the investigation is slow. The case has a few weird anomalies, but most of the evidence points to Luke being the killer. Aaron knows that Luke wasn't always the easiest guy to be around, but could he have really slaughtered his family?

On arrival, as the empty moving truck disappeared from sight, [city natives] gazed around and were always taken aback by the crushing vastness of the open land. The space was the thing that hit them first. There was so much of it. There was enough to drown in. To look out and see not another soul between you and the horizon could be a strange and disturbing sight.

I knew I was going to like this book from the moment I finished the creepy prologue where we follow the blowflies! It was totally a pull-the-covers-a-little-tighter moment. Despite the wide open spaces, Kiewarra feels oppressively claustrophobic. The town is like a powder keg about to explode. Even the children can't escape the looming feeling of disaster: "the rawness of local life had seeped into the kids’ paintings at the school. Sad faces and brown landscapes." I loved the moments of Aaron wandering around town getting a fresh look at his old stomping grounds. One of my favorite scenes was the horror Aaron experiences after seeing the current state of a river he spent so much time in. I’ll probably never say something like this again, but the occasional redback or huntsman spider lurking in the corners added a lot of character!

Scattered through the present-day story are flashbacks revealing the history between the high school clique of four: Luke, Aaron, Ellie, and Gretchen. Luke was the big personality of the group and kind of an ass. He got entertainment out of making his friends squirm. Sensible Aaron was Luke’s faithful sidekick. He was starting to develop feelings for Ellie and thought he'd have better luck with her if he was more confident like Luke. Ellie was moody and mysterious. She tried to spend as much time as possible away from her drunkard father. Gretchen, the newest member, was the bubbly blonde who Luke latched onto immediately. The group spent much of their after-school hours together, but they drifted apart after Ellie's death.

The relationships between the townspeople all felt authentic. Aaron's badge impresses no one: "Out here, those badges don’t mean as much as they should." No one wants Aaron digging around to expose the town's secrets and his former classmates are eager to put him in his place. Rallied together by Ellie’s father and cousin, many of the townsfolk are committed to running him out of town by any means necessary. But it isn't all trouble for Aaron. He strikes up some friendly relationships with some of the town's newcomers. After an awkward funeral scene where people begin to recognize him, he reunites with Gretchen, the only other surviving member of their crew. Their history comes bubbling to the surface with their easy rapport and subsequent flirtations.

"Death rarely changes how we feel about someone. Heightens it, more often than not.”

The past and present collide in the insular farming community of Kiewarra, Australia. Did Luke kill his family or was he framed? What happened in Ellie’s final moments? Are the two mysteries linked somehow? Being back in his hometown is difficult, but Aaron can't help but want to know what really happened and maybe even clear his name, even though it's too late to salvage his most important relationship. The Dry is a compelling mystery with an immersive setting and complex relationships.

________________
I received this book for free from Netgalley and Flatiron Books. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The publication date is January 10, 2017. ...more

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Jan 24, 2017 Brenda rated it it was amazing

This one's a stunner!

Kiewarra near Melbourne Australia is in the midst of a severe drought. The ground is hard and cracked, plants are dead and brown, and the river is bone dry. The residents are all under stress economically. When a farmer, Luke Hadler, appears to have killed his wife and child and then committed suicide, the powder keg is ready.

Aaron Falk, a federal police officer in Melbourne, receives a note that draws him back to the town he left twenty years ago. "Luke lied. You lied. Be a ...more

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Apr 23, 2017 Zoeytron rated it it was amazing

Shelves: public-library

"You can stand here with me if you want, but you'll have to agree not to talk about the heat." - Body Heat, 1981 movie

The small town of Kiewarra is dying on the vine. It is in the midst of a drought of mammoth proportions, the heat is unrelenting, the earth scorched and seared by the sun. Shade is a hot commodity, but even so, it provides little relief. You can almost feel the dust in the back of your throat as you read this.

What's your pleasure? Pressure cooker or slow boil? Blast furnace or b ...more

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Jan 28, 2017 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I decided to maximize my reading time so while doing tasks and walking I decided to listen to The Dry by audio version.

The Dry is a clever, entertaining and engaging whodunit story that is perfectly paced with two mysteries to be solved. One in the past that links characters and events to the present. The story is a believable plot driven by secrets, lies and sins of the past.

The story is told by rejected, returning and now outsider Aaron Falk, who is at odds with the people of a small rural t ...more

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Aug 18, 2016 Phrynne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Extremely well written, a good story, likeable characters and sufficient mystery to keep the reader guessing until the end. What more can you ask for?
I found it very hard to put down. Very impressive for a debut novel and we can look forward to great things from this author.

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May 07, 2017 Dem rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Terrific suspenseful novel and a real page turner

Luke Hadler turns a gun on his wife and child, then himself. The farming community of Kiewarra is facing life and death choices daily. If one of their own broke under the strain, well ...

When Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk returns to Kiewarra for the funerals, he is loath to confront the people who rejected him twenty years earlier. But when his investigative skills are called on, the facts of the Hadler case start to make him doubt this m ...more

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Feb 23, 2017 Andrew Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Aaron Falk is returning to the Australian farming community of Kiewarra. He’s been summoned to attend the funeral of longtime friend, Luke Hadler, but promises himself he won't stay there one minute longer than he has to. He’s set himself an absolute limit of eighteen hours before he heads back to Melbourne. Well, as it turns out he’ll be in Kiewarra a little longer than that.

Hadler, Aaron is advised, had killed his wife and son before turning the gun on himself. It’s rumoured that the family f Aaron Falk is returning to the Australian farming community of Kiewarra. He’s been summoned to attend the funeral of longtime friend, Luke Hadler, but promises himself he won't stay there one minute longer than he has to. He’s set himself an absolute limit of eighteen hours before he heads back to Melbourne. Well, as it turns out he’ll be in Kiewarra a little longer than that.

Hadler, Aaron is advised, had killed his wife and son before turning the gun on himself. It’s rumoured that the family farm was in trouble - the area is suffering a crippling dry spell that’s been ongoing for a couple of years. We also learn that Aaron was driven out of Kiewarra some twenty years ago after he was suspected of being involved in the death of a teenage girl, Ellie. No wonder he doesn't want to hang around for long!

Things get a little complicated when the local cop let's Aaron in on his suspicion that the murder/suicide may not have been quite what it seems. And quite apart from the questions surrounding this recent tragic event we also become drawn into the story of Ellie’s death all those years ago. It’s clear that most of the locals haven't forgotten what had happened back then and aren't happy to see Aaron back in town.

Events unfold at a steady pace as the present day story is balanced with regular flashbacks to the time before Ellie’s death. My only issue here is that on the audiobook version I listened to these transitions in time weren't flagged at all - there was no pause signalling the end of something and the beginning of something else. Consequently, I was forever missing the change and getting confused by what I was hearing. I eventually realised I had to be alive to this and picked up the switches most of the time, but it was certainly a distraction. I do wonder if this is one book that works better from the written text.

But I liked the main characters, who were well drawn, and I was captivated by both stories. The pace was maintained well throughout with the tension being effectively racked up as the end approached. And both elements were wrapped up cleverly, with twists I didn't see coming. A four star rating for me that might have edged closer to five if the transition issue hadn't been such a bugbear. ...more

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Jun 01, 2016 Melissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-authors, pan-macmillan

I really enjoyed this crime mystery by talented UK born, now Aussie author Jane Harper! I expect that this book will do very well and that The Dry wont be the last hit we see from her!

Police officer Aaron Falk comes back to Kiewarra, the town where he grew up as a teenager in Victoria for a funeral. His childhood best friend Luke has murdered his wife and son and then killed himself. As the drought suffering town mourns for the loss of the family and the devastation of the circumstances, Falk be ...more

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About Jane Harper

Jane Harper was born in Manchester in the UK, and moved to Australia with her family at age eight.

She spent six years in Boronia, Victoria, and during that time gained Australian citizenship.

Returning to the UK with her family as a teenager, she lived in Hampshire before studying English and History at the University of Kent in Canterbury.

On graduating, she completed a journalism entry qualificati ...more

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