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The Dry: THE ABSOLUTELY COMPELLING INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Kindle Edition
'Spellbinding' Ian Rankin
'A riveting murder mystery and a beautifully wrought picture of a rural community under extreme pressure' Mail on Sunday Thriller of the Week
'Packed with sneaky moves and teasing possibilities that keep the reader guessing...The Dry is a breathless page-turner' Janet Maslin, New York Times
WHO REALLY KILLED THE HADLER FAMILY?
I just can't understand how someone like him could do something like that.
Amid the worst drought to ravage Australia in a century, it hasn't rained in small country town Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are brutally murdered. Everyone thinks Luke Hadler, who committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son, is guilty.
Policeman Aaron Falk returns to the town of his youth for the funeral of his childhood best friend, and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. As questions mount and suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him twenty years earlier. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke's death threatens to unearth. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, secrets from his past and why he left home bubble to the surface as he questions the truth of his friend's crime.
Praise for The Dry
'Riveting' Mail on Sunday
'Stunningly atmospheric' Val McDermid
A WINNER OF THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CRIME THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR
A CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD WINNER
An Amazon.com's #1 Pick for Best Mystery & Thriller
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAbacus
- Publication date31 May 2016
- File size2.7 MB
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Product description
Review
It is hard to believe that this accomplished piece of writing, which returns again and again to the savage beauty of the landscape, is Harper's first novel - Sunday Times, Crime Book of the Month January 2017
Wonderfully atmospheric, The Dry is both a riveting murder mystery and a beautifully wrought picture of a rural community under extreme pressure - Mail on Sunday Thriller of the Week, January 2017
The writing is fantastic, and the plot - where many mystery/thrillers fall short these days - was completely unpredictable in the best ways possible... Aaron Falk, returns to his hometown in Australia to mourn, and inevitably investigate, his best friend's apparent suicide. What comes next is a series of twists and turns that will keep you guessing all the way until the end. I repeatedly found myself shocked and pulled in by Harper's fast paced and engrossing writing. Truly a fantastic read and hopefully the first of many to come from Ms. Harper - An Amazon Best Book of January 2017, Amazon.com
One of the most assured crime debuts I've encountered in many years . . . It grips like a vice from first paragraph to last, atmospherically evoking the small town of Kiewarra . . . Told with heart-breaking precision and emotional power . . . If you read only one crime novel this year make it this one - Daily Mail
Solid storytelling that, despite a plethora of flashbacks, never loses momentum, strong characterization and a sense of place so vivid that you can almost feel the blistering heat add up to a remarkably assured debut - Laura Wilson, Guardian
A sad, beautifully told tale of lives regretted - The Times
'Jane Harper's fleet novel about a triple killing is packed with sneaky moves and teasing possibilities that keep the reader guessing...hard to believe this is her first novel... The Dry is a breathless page-turner...The dryness that gives the book its eerie title looms large in the novel's finale, when certain kinds of weapons become even more terrible than those used to butcher the Hadlers. And a book with a secret on every page now has threats blooming everywhere, too. The Dry has caught the attention of Reese Witherspoon, who has a solid track record for spotting novels with strong movie potential. (Want some evidence? Gone Girl.) But Ms Hadler has made her own major mark long before any film version comes along - Janet Maslin, New York Times
Like True Detective set in the Australian outback...Amid the worst drought in a century, the tension and stifling heat running through the small town of Kiewarra crackle off the pages - Stylist magazine, this month's most exciting new novels
Set in a small Australian town during a blistering drought, this creepy and tightly woven tale about a detective investigating a brutal triple-murder is getting huge global attention for all the right reasons - it's brilliant! - Heat magazine
Pulse-thumping suspense... Building from the first page, rammed with atmosphere, suspicions, lies and tension, this is a first-class crime debut' - Fanny Blake's Great Reads, Woman & Home
Settle in a comfy chair and read . . . The Dry by Jane Harper. This gripping novel charts a policeman's unwilling participation in the investigation of a terrible murder in the town of his youth, and is set to be the biggest crime release of 2017 - GQ magazine
Tipped to be one of the biggest novels of the year . . . a gripping read - Hello magazine
Jane Harper creates an atmosphere of simmering tension right from the off. Her version of High Noon in the Outback flickers between past and present to slowly reveal what actually happened between characters who are far more engaging than the cogs usually found in clockwork thrillers . . . A more than promising debut - Evening Standard
One of the most stunning debuts I've ever read. I could feel the searing heat of the Australia setting. Every word is near perfect. The story builds like a wave seeking the purchase of earth before it crashes down and wipes out everything you might have thought about this enthralling tale. Read it! - David Baldacci
One of the best crime debuts of 2017 - literary Broadchurch meets Top of the Lake - Joseph Knox, author of Sirens
There is something about isolated communities and secrets and lies that just really intrigues me and this is one heck of a thriller with all of those things and more . . . [this thriller] slowly bubbles like a pan on a stove and you think you can guess the moment when the pan lid is just going to explode. But it's only been a little while since the water started to bubble, it'll be ages yet.....then BOOM. I had my eye on that pan lid from the start and I didn't guess what would happen. My heart is still beating like mad days after finishing the book - The Book Trail (via NetGalley)
You can almost feel the searing heat of the Australian drought in this intense, gripping, atmospheric tale. A compulsive read. - Kate Hamer, bestselling author of The Girl in the Red Coat
Put up your tray table, buckle your seatbelt, and sit back: you've found the right book for this flight. Set in the flash-ready tinder of a town going under, The Dry is a cracking good read that will have you hoping the pilot decides to circle the airport before landing. A hit by land or air. - Laura McBride, author of We Are Called to Rise
You will feel the heat, taste the dust and blink into the glare. The Dry is a wonderful crime novel that shines a light into the darkest corner of a sunburnt country - Michael Robotham, CWA Gold Dagger Winner, bestselling author of Life or Death
Every so often a debut novel arrives that is so tightly woven and compelling it seems the work of a novelist in her prime. That's what Jane Harper has given us with The Dry, a story so true to setting and tone it seemed I fell asleep in Virginia only to wake in Australian heat. It's rare, that sense of transportation, and I loved every minute of it - John Hart, New York Times bestselling author of Redemption Road
Terrific characters, unique and evocative setting, knockout plot construction. This book has it all - John Lescroart, New York Times bestselling author of The Fall
Every now and then an Australian crime novel comes along to stop your breath and haunt your dreams...There is about The Dry something mythic and valiant. This a story about heroism, the sins of the past, and the struggle to atone - Sydney Morning Herald
[A] devastating debut...From the ominous opening paragraphs, all the more chilling for their matter-of-factness, Harper ...spins a suspenseful tale of sound and fury as riveting as it is horrific - Publishers Weekly, starred review
A mystery that starts with a sad homecoming quickly turns into a nail-biting thriller about family, friends, and forensic accounting. Debut author Harper plots this novel with laser precision, keeping suspects in play while dropping in flashbacks that offer readers a full understanding of what really happened. The setting adds layers of meaning. Kiewarra is suffering an epic drought, and Luke's suicide could easily be explained by the failure of his farm. The risk of wildfire, especially in a broken community rife with poverty and alcoholism, keeps nerves strung taut... A chilling story set under a blistering sun, this fine debut will keep readers on edge and awake long past bedtime - Kirkus, starred review
A stunner...It's a small-town, big-secrets page-turner with a shocker of an ending. .. - Booklist, starred review
The Dry is one of the most talked-about debuts of the new year....Harper's story is tightly plotted and moves briskly, the tension as brittle and incendiary as the dried-out crops on the Kiewarra farms. But it is the beautifully evoked landscape and the portrayal of a gloomy outpost on the edge of a desert that are the stars of the show - BookPage
A firecracker debut . . . Journalist Jane Harper proves literary is often mysterious, with her thriller The Dry capturing readers' attention both for its final twist and its depiction of a hostile small Australian town beset by drought - West Australian
It's extremely rare and exciting to read a debut that enthralls from the very first page and then absolutely sticks the landing. Told with heart and guts and an authentic sense of place that simply cannot be faked, The Dry is the debut of the year - C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Off The Grid
A razor-sharp crime yarn dripping in the sights, sounds and smells of the Australian bush...The storytelling is accomplished, with a bald sparseness to the writing that draws you in and characterization that rings resoundingly true...as the action twists and turns, the pace build[s] to a fantastic finale that will leave you breathless - Australian Women’s Weekly
A tightly plotted page-turner that kept me reading well into the night...Harper shines a light on the highs and lows of rural life - the loyalty born of collective endurance in adversity, as well as the loneliness and isolation, and the havoc wrought by small-town gossip. She also explores the nature of guilt and regret, and the impact of the past on the present. In this cracker of a book Harper maintains the suspense, with the momentum picking up as it draws to its nerve-wracking conclusion - Australian Financial Review
In this exhilarating debut (which won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an unpublished manuscript), Falk goes back to a town ravaged by feelings of resentment and distrust that are exacerbated by drought . . . A community psychologically and socially damaged, Kiewarra resembles Henry Lawson's bush. Australian novelists such as Harper, in a small and select company, are exploring disquieting, imaginative territories, far from the littoral or metropolis - Weekend Australian
In Jane Harper's debut The Dry, long-held grudges are thrown in the mix to make for an absolute tinderbox - and a cracking read. Harper has delivered a tense, evocative thriller that paints a stark picture of what desperate times can do to a community. She slowly reveals the deep-worn tensions between characters in the small town, and it's this that makes The Dry such a good read . . . tension crackles . . . It's not surprising that Reese Witherspoon's production company, Pacific Standard, has already snapped up film rights for The Dry. It has some decidedly Australian aspects but Harper's basic point - about the desperate things people will do in desperate times - is universal - Adeleide Advertiser
Atmospheric and riveting, this remarkable debut announces a significant new talent - Morning Star
From the Inside Flap
I just can't understand how someone like him could do something like that.
Amid the worst drought to ravage Australia in a century, it hasn't rained in small country town Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are brutally murdered. Everyone thinks Luke Hadler, who committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son, is guilty.
Policeman Aaron Falk returns to the town of his youth for the funeral of his childhood best friend, and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. As questions mount and suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him twenty years earlier. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke's death threatens to unearth. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, secrets from his past and why he left home bubble to the surface as he questions the truth of his friend's crime.
From the Back Cover
'One of the most stunning debuts I've ever read' David Baldacci
I just can't understand how someone like him could do something like that.
Amid the worst drought to ravage Australia in a century, it hasn't rained in small country town Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are brutally murdered. Everyone thinks Luke Hadler, who committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son, is guilty.
Policeman Aaron Falk returns to the town of his youth for the funeral of his childhood best friend, and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. As questions mount and suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him twenty years earlier. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke's death threatens to unearth. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, secrets from his past and why he left home bubble to the surface as he questions the truth of his friend's crime.
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B01C37W582
- Publisher : Abacus
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : 31 May 2016
- Edition : 1st
- Language : English
- File size : 2.7 MB
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 336 pages
- ISBN-13 : 978-1408708187
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Book 1 of 3 : Aaron Falk
- Best Sellers Rank: 7,966 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer reviews:
About the author

Jane Harper is the author of The Dry, winner of various awards including the 2015 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript, the 2017 Indie Award Book of the Year, the 2017 Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year Award and the CWA Gold Dagger Award for the best crime novel of 2017. Rights have been sold in 27 territories worldwide, and film rights optioned to Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea. Jane worked as a print journalist for thirteen years both in Australia and the UK and lives in Melbourne.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book to be a riveting read with believable twists and turns, and one review notes how the investigation unfolds with tantalizing glimpses. Moreover, the writing is well-crafted, with one customer highlighting how it pulls readers into the sleepy town, while the characters are wonderfully developed and the Australian setting is gripping. Additionally, the book maintains a good pace throughout, though some mention it starts slowly.
AI Generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a riveting and enjoyable read, particularly suitable for holiday reading.
"...The Dry is a remarkably good novel. Jane Harper’s writing style is impeccable, with likeable characters, an airtight plot and a fantastic setting...." Read more
"...full advantage of the landscape, atmosphere, and characteristics of the place and the people...." Read more
"...Jane Harper has created a really riveting read, and I can’t wait to catch up on her other books." Read more
"...This is a new genre for me to read. I'm a perpetual romance reader and this was a fantastic read to get me into a murder mystery novel for a change...." Read more
Customers enjoy the storyline of the book, which unfolds with tantalizing glimpses and believable twists and turns, with one customer highlighting the effective use of flashbacks and another noting the thrilling denouement.
"...There are red herrings dotted throughout, and a very dramatic climax, which all keep things interesting enough to stay fully engrossed even if you..." Read more
"...There is no doubt that Harper knows how to set a story and how to take full advantage of the landscape, atmosphere, and characteristics of the place..." Read more
"...The Dry quickly swept me into the story, and I became totally immersed in the lives of the characters, living in the small, seemingly forgotten,..." Read more
"...I really enjoyed the flashback scenes, they show Falk as a teenager, falling for a girl, and adds more mystery to the story as the subplots of &#..." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting it is well thought out with enough descriptive text, and one customer mentions how it draws readers into the sleepy town setting.
"...The Dry is a remarkably good novel. Jane Harper’s writing style is impeccable, with likeable characters, an airtight plot and a fantastic setting...." Read more
"...The story is also told in the third person, mostly from Falk’s point of view, although we also have fragments, that are differentiated from the rest..." Read more
"...this worked really well with the setting, and the writing pulls you in to the sleepy town...." Read more
"...movement from past to present is presented effortless and clearly outlined in italics to cover over any confusion for readers...." Read more
Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting that they are wonderfully developed and focused on the plot, with one customer highlighting how the Australian outback serves as a character in itself.
"...Jane Harper’s writing style is impeccable, with likeable characters, an airtight plot and a fantastic setting...." Read more
"...unscathed, and most of them are morally suspect, here there are good characters (although they might not appear to be) and some truly bad ones...." Read more
"...Aaron Falk is a brilliant character. Right from the beginning, I thought there was something mysterious about him...." Read more
"...There are a lot of characters populating the world of The Dry and they all have their own lives and backstories, which we get to experience as Falk..." Read more
Customers describe this book as a page turner, with one customer noting it kept their interest 100% throughout.
"...it could be described as slow it just works and it was a definite page turner. Thoroughly recommend this book and will read more from this author." Read more
"...I really enjoyed the book, it's certainly a page-turner but I have to admit that I guessed how it was going to end and then felt like she didn't..." Read more
"...This was a real page turner, and I'm already looking forward to reading more from this author." Read more
"...This was a book club choice and I enjoyed reading it. If you like slow-burning thrillers, then this is for you." Read more
Customers praise the book's pacing, describing it as a well-executed whodunnit and a fine page-turner.
"...There are a lot of layers, with the Hadler investigation in the present and the mystery of what happened to Ellie Deacon twenty years ago, but both..." Read more
"...are a vivid setting but I think the story develops naturally and believably from the characters within this community whose human weaknesses and..." Read more
"Jane Harper's crime thriller is a slow-burning page-turner which builds nicely...." Read more
"...I wasn't disappointed as it really is excellent - it's well-written, the plot is good and it's main characters are well-developed and fully..." Read more
Customers praise the book's vivid depiction of rural Australia, particularly its gripping portrayal of drought-stricken landscapes and small-town life.
"...One of the many strengths of the novel is that it so effectively creates a sense of place, which gives it a lot in common with the Nordic noirs..." Read more
"...The script and character descriptions, the countryside and rural conditions so accurately and atmospherically detailed in this novel are, therefore,..." Read more
"...There are running parallels between city life and country existence...." Read more
"Good story, good pace, good plot, well written, a strong sense of place." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some praising its good flow throughout, while others find it very slow going for most of the book.
"...The writing here is exceptional. The pacing, the plot lines, the characters, all as perfect as you could wish for...." Read more
"...There is a slow pace that is completely appropriate to the setting of the story, with the occasional violent outbursts giving the impression of a..." Read more
"...It is slow and contemplative at times, and the past weighs heavily on the investigation (especially on those who have matters pending)...." Read more
"...Slow-burning and brilliantly developed, there are no big twists and turns to take away from the emotions that plague this tight-knit community...." Read more
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Top reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 September 2020Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseJane Harper hooks you straight away, with a disturbing opening chapter, as she describes the haunting opening scene. As I’m typing this, I can still picture the blowflies that appeared so sharply in my mind as I was reading. The Dry quickly swept me into the story, and I became totally immersed in the lives of the characters, living in the small, seemingly forgotten, town of Kiewarra in Australia.
Jane Harper portrays a harsh landscape. Kiewarra is facing its harshest drought in years. As businesses struggle, a grisly discovery is made. A family has been shot dead at their farm, with only one survivor, a baby, who will never be able to say who shot her family. This is where the lead character, Federal Agent, Aaron Falk steps in. He once lived in the town, but has since been ostracised by the locals, following the mysterious death of a young girl, years earlier, who Aaron was linked to. Many of the locals believe he was the person responsible for her death, and they don’t want him hanging around. It isn’t long before he starts to receive threats.
I think The Dry is definitely more of a slow-burner, although I did find Jane’s writing very addictive. I thought this worked really well with the setting, and the writing pulls you in to the sleepy town. It seems, at first, that this is a case of a triple suicide, and that the baby’s father, Luke Hadler, is responsible for his family’s deaths. The reason Aaron has returned, is for their funeral, as he was once best friends with Luke. But he is soon roped into the investigation, in an unofficial capacity. Aaron is determined to get to the bottom of the killings. He soon comes to believe that a third party was involved, but his investigations quickly make him unpopular.
Aaron Falk is a brilliant character. Right from the beginning, I thought there was something mysterious about him. It was the way in which he returned to his former home that made me question what had happened in his past. He doesn’t want to stay long here. As more details are revealed about him, and his friend’s history, I really wanted to find out the truth.
Jane Harper also takes us back in time, as we revisit the time when Aaron once lived in the town. This is where the plot really begins to thicken, as we begin to understand what happened. We can even begin to see why the people of the town suspect Aaron of being a killer. It’s these flashbacks that haunt Aaron, as he tries to reach the truth behind his friend’s death.
My heart was in my mouth as I was reading the final chapters, as the book raced towards a tense finale. Jane Harper has created a really riveting read, and I can’t wait to catch up on her other books.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2018Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseThis is a bit of a peculiar situation. After reading great things about this novel and requesting the author’s second novel Force of Nature (you can check my review here) from NetGalley, I had to read it quickly to take part on a blog tour. When I looked at other reviews, there were so many comparisons to the first novel (although it can be read as a standalone) that I felt I should read the first novel to make my own mind up. That means I will be comparing the first novel to the second, rather than the other way around. Sorry. Why do things the easy way when one can complicate matters?
There is no doubt that Harper knows how to set a story and how to take full advantage of the landscape, atmosphere, and characteristics of the place and the people. She sets the story during a terrible drought in Australia, specifically in Kiewarra, and has the main protagonist (who is also the main character in Force, Aaron Falk, a police detective specializing on fraud and financial crimes) return to his place of birth, twenty years after having left in unfortunate circumstances. The story is also told in the third person, mostly from Falk’s point of view, although we also have fragments, that are differentiated from the rest of the story by being written in italics, that go back to the events that happened many years back (the events that made Falk and his father leave town when he was an adolescent), and also to the more recent deaths. These fragments, also written in the third person, are told from a variety of points of views, although it is not difficult to know which character’s point of view we are sharing. (Some readers enjoy the style and others don’t, so I’d recommend checking a sample of the book before making a decision).
In this story, Falk is called to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke, who has seemingly killed his wife and young son, and then committed suicide, only leaving his baby daughter (13 months old) alive. Luke’s parents are convinced that their son has not killed his family and himself, and ask for Falk’s help. The current killings bring back memories of the death of a young girl who was Falk and Luke’s friend and with it the suspicions of his possible involvement.
The mystery has some elements of the police procedural (as Falk joins forces with the new police Sergeant, Raco), also of the domestic noir (there are many secrets, mostly family secrets buried deep, and relationships that are not what they seem to be at first sight), and there are plenty of suspects, clues, red herrings, to keep us guessing. But the book does not follow a straight linear narrative, as I mentioned; it does go into plenty of detail about things that do not seem to be always relevant to the murders, and its pace is not what we are used to in more formulaic thrillers. It is slow and contemplative at times, and the past weighs heavily on the investigation (especially on those who have matters pending). Although most of the violence takes place outside the page, and this is by no means the most explicitly violent novel I’ve read (I’m difficult to shock, though), there is violence and it deals in pretty dark subjects, so be warned. Whilst in some crime novels, even very dark ones, there are light and humorous moments that help release tension; there is hardly any of that here. What we have are insightful and contemplative moments, which go beyond the usual snarky comments by the cynical detective.
As an example, a particularly touching comment by Barb, Luke’s mother, talking about the aftermath of her son’s death:
‘No-one tells you this is how it’s going to be, do they? Oh yes, they’re all so sorry for your loss, all so keen to pop round and get the gossip when it happens, but no-one mentions having to go through your dead son’s drawers and return their library books, do they? No one tells you how to cope with that.’
I thought the small town was realistically portrayed. The envies, the resentment, the discomfort of knowing that everybody is aware of everybody else’s business, and the prejudices and the tensions in a place where nobody can hide, and where you are never given the benefit of the doubt, felt true to life. Although I’ve never visited Australia, the dynamics of the place and its inhabitants, subject to major tensions due to the uncertainty the draught had brought to the local economy, create an atmosphere that is tense and oppressive, even if the story is not fast-paced.
The characters, in my opinion, are somewhat more clearly divided down morality lines in this novel than in the second, although it is not so evident in the beginning. Whilst in Force none of the characters come out of the book unscathed, and most of them are morally suspect, here there are good characters (although they might not appear to be) and some truly bad ones. Most of the characters (at least the good ones) carry a burden of guilt (in most cases for things they are not truly responsible for), whilst the bad characters seem unable/unwilling to take responsibility for their actions, no matter how cruel. As is the case for many investigators, Falk is also investigating his own past, and that is why he finds it so difficult to resolve the case. This process of rediscovery and personal digging will continue in the next novel. I would not say Falk is an immediately likeable character. I found him more consistent and easy to understand in the second book (of course, by then he had survived to the events of this novel, which would have had an impact on him), although he seems to come alive in some of his interactions with others (particularly Luke’s mother, a great character).
Overall, I felt the mystery part of the story is more intriguing and well-resolved here (even though the past case keeps interfering with the present; there are not as many loose ends and red-herrings here), although I did not mind that aspect of the second novel (that I found more morally complex). For me, this one is more of a novel for mystery lovers, especially for those who prefer to take their time and enjoy a different setting to the usual urban thriller. The second novel in the series pays more attention to how the story is told and to the characters themselves. But there is no doubt that Harper is a great writer and I’m sure we’ll keep reading her and about her in the future.
Top reviews from other countries
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P. OudshoornReviewed in the Netherlands on 12 June 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Schitterend debuut
Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseThe Dry is een heerlijke leeservaring. Twee verhalen door elkaar gevlochten in een desolaat Australisch stadje. Falk is een nieuwe ster. Een tweede boek komt eraan ! Hoera.
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Silke S.Reviewed in Germany on 11 November 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Das Outback
Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseDies ist mein Lieblingsbuch der Autorin. Als halbe Australierin bin ich selbst mit dem Outback vertraut, jedoch natürlich nicht in dieser Intensität. Das Buch ist sehr atmosphärisch und die Charaktere gut gezeichnet. Das Ende habe ich nicht kommen sehen. Empfehlenswert!
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Neusa Pereira da SilvaReviewed in Brazil on 14 September 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars surpreendente
Ótima caracterização da personalidade dos diversos personagens.
Detalhada e rica narrativa sobre vida em cidade pequena.
Final nada óbvio e bastante surpreendente.
- Ian B.Reviewed in France on 7 July 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly crafted atmospheric thriller
Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseA gripping thriller in the Australian outback, brilliantly depicted in seemingly effortless fashion by the author. Thanks to her limpid prose and highly visual style, you can not only picture the vast dry expanses of the outback, but you can feel the heat and smell the very earth that lies at the heart of the novel. Highly recommended!
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MayReviewed in Japan on 21 January 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars 静かなミステリー
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchaseオーストラリア、メルボルンでFederal Agentとして働くAaron。謎の死を遂げた親友のLukeの葬儀に出席するために町に戻ってくる。その町は、Aaronが20年前に、ある事件で殺人の疑いをかけられ、事件は謎のまま、人々の冷たい視線に耐えられず、父親と逃げるように捨てた町だった。
日照りで川も乾き、暑いオーストラリアの空気が伝わってくるような田舎町で、過去の未解決事件とLuke一家の謎の死を絡めて、淡々とミステリーが解決していきます。
ミステリーに加えAaronとLukeの秘密、青春時代の男女の微妙な関係、甘酸っぱい思い出も切なく描かれています。
アッというような意外性のあるミステリーではありませんが、デビュー作でありながら、ベストセラーというのも納得です。