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The Dry

(Aaron Falk #1)

Jane Harper (Goodreads Author)

4.02 · Rating details · 165,791 ratings · 14,299 reviews

A small town hides big secrets in this atmospheric, page-turning debut mystery by award-winning author Jane Harper.

In the grip of the worst drought in a century, the farming community of Kiewarra is facing life and death choices daily when three members of a local family are found brutally slain.
Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk reluctantly returns to his hometown for

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Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Published May 31st 2016 by Macmillan Australia

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Jun 28, 2016 Chelsea Humphrey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

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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Jan 04, 2018 Emily May rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, 2018

Luke Hadler may have had a light on waiting for him when he came home, but something else from this wretched, desperate community had seeped through that front door and into his home. And it had been rotten and thick and black enough to extinguish that light forever.

The Dry actually makes me feel vindicated in my rating and review of Ritter's Bonfire last year. I got some criticisms that I was being too harsh toward a debut author; that a lot of thrillers follow a familiar format but that d ...more

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Dec 01, 2016 Paromjit rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery, netgalley, crime-fiction, thriller

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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Jan 27, 2018 Kevin Ansbro rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: family-dynamics, doesn-t-live-up-to-the-hype, thriller

I was drawn to this arid Australian crime thriller by a desert storm of five-star reviews, not to mention the fact that this was The Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year.
Hmmm…
*Fold his arms and sighs*
I'm not saying that this was a bad book … it was OK … though the storyline (for me) was flat, improbable, slow-paced and bereft of suspense.
Apart from that, it was fine!

Bland federal agent, Aaron Falk, returns to the small Outback town of his childhood for the funeral of his best friend (and also his ...more

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Feb 15, 2017 Kristin (KC) - Traveling Sister rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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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Dec 20, 2020 Rick Riordan rated it really liked it

A compelling mystery set in the Australian outback, The Dry starts with the horrific apparent murder-suicide of a local farming family. When Aaron Falk, an old friend of the supposed murderer, returns to the town from his job with the financial police in the big city, he reluctantly agrees to look into the gruesome killings for his old friend's parents, who can't believe their son would really kill his wife and young son, then shoot himself. In looking into the crime, Aaron has to open up his ow ...more

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

Shelves: borrowed, aww, aussie-author

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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Dec 27, 2016 Maureen rated it really liked it

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

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

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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Feb 22, 2017 Matt rated it really liked it

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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Sep 17, 2017 j e w e l s rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-bejeweled, twister-hall-of-fame

I blame Aaron Falk. He just made me add a new shelf on Goodreads. Series. You see, I don't like book series. With a few exceptional characters preceding Aaron Falk (Harry Potter, Christian Grey, Edward Cullen, Kinsey Milhone) have I read an entire series. It's just too much of a commitment and then I feel guilty if I miss a book in the series. I will not be missing any book that Aaron Falk is in. Ever. No way, no worries, mate.

I am so late to THE DRY party that I almost didn't read it. Finally, I blame Aaron Falk. He just made me add a new shelf on Goodreads. Series. You see, I don't like book series. With a few exceptional characters preceding Aaron Falk (Harry Potter, Christian Grey, Edward Cullen, Kinsey Milhone) have I read an entire series. It's just too much of a commitment and then I feel guilty if I miss a book in the series. I will not be missing any book that Aaron Falk is in. Ever. No way, no worries, mate.

I am so late to THE DRY party that I almost didn't read it. Finally, feeling caught up and proud of myself for all my ARC reading, I picked up one of the few hardbacks I have actually bought and opened up.

“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."
--Jane Harper, The Dry

What a terrific first sentence! Jane Harper, you hooked me at page 1, sentence one.

As a reader, I am immediately FEELING this dusty, angry, Australian farm town as it reels from one of the worst droughts in history. I could hear the flies buzzing, see the rabbits eating the last bits of vegetation and smell the despair of the townspeople as they try to hang on to their livelihoods without any rain. I have not experienced this type of magical transportation in a long time. It is perfectly intoxicating.

Stay with me, because that is just the setting of the book. Now, add a hardworking federal cop, Aaron Falk, who has relunctantly come back to his hometown for the funeral of his best friend. Aaron Falk is not a perfect hero, he has issues and secrets, but he tries to do right by his friends and he knows something is wrong here. Aaron's childhood friend, Luke, has been accused of murdering his own family before turning the gun on himself. Aaron and Luke shared a secret many years ago which we learn of during the investigation of the family murder. Does this old secret have anything to do with Luke killing his family?

Aaron Falk is a tough nut to crack. The author shares just enough about him to make you want more. He is interesting, smart. A loner, a good guy, but what makes him tick? Oh, I'm a devoted fan. I will follow Aaron Falk through every one of his next books, even if there are fifty more to come.

Is this a character or plot driven mystery? BOTH! Plus, that Aussie setting! It is so real, you better keep your chapstick handy for the parched lips you develop while reading.

Sidenote: As I was reading THE DRY, Oregon's beloved Columbia Gorge was on fire for weeks (still is). Portland was enveloped in smoke, ash and heat! So hard to breathe! My own atmospheric reality definitely contributed to the transforming ability the book had on me- haha. Not to diminish this captivating story in any way. It stands on it's own, even if you read it at the North Pole! ...more

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May 03, 2018 Luffy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star

I sigh with relief when I realize I've read a 5 star book at last. I sigh with content. The setting was kind of interesting, and I have always believed that pound for pound, Australian literature has been punching above its weight for quite some time.

This book was so good. So freaking good. It doesn't need any words. Not that I have a clue about its reputation...I picked it up on a whim and haven't looked back since. This is the writing that will entice millions across the globe.

It's been centur ...more

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Apr 04, 2017 Elyse Walters 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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Nov 17, 2018 Kylie D rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-crime, aussie-author

Well, you know it's a good book when you finish it you just sit back and go WOW! I'm not even sure where to start with this review. Okay, I'll start at the start, which sees Federal Officer Aaron Falk head back to his hometown after twenty years to attend the funeral of his childhood best mate, Luke, who, along with his wife Karen and oldest child Billy have all died in what looks like an open and shut case of murder/suicide. Yet Luke's mother says it can't be and asks Aaron to look further into ...more

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Oct 22, 2017 Debbie rated it liked it

Shelves: australian, debuts, mystery, mostly-not-set-in-u-s

There in The Dry, it’s raining 5-star reviews, and here I sit, trying to get right with my 3-star drip-drop. Maybe I’m using silly water analogies because I’m remembering how parched this locale is, a small farm town in Australia, and I need some liquid. I’m sure that a big part of the allure of this story (about a guy, Falk, who is trying to solve a heinous crime) is its vivid, scorched setting. Everything is hot and dry and slow. I didn’t feel the heat for some reason, but I definitely felt th ...more

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Feb 20, 2017 Larry H rated it it was amazing

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 t ...more

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Nov 06, 2020 Farrah rated it it was amazing

⭐⭐ This book is flawless!! ⭐⭐

What an outstanding character-driven mystery. Actually a mystery within a mystery and I highly enjoyed the last three days that I've spend immersed in this book.

At no point did I think 𝘩𝘮𝘮𝘮𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 or 𝘤'𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺? or 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 or any of the other things that can pull me from a story.

The writing is perfect - a fair amount could have been edited out but I'm glad it wasn't because it added extra depth and history to the ...more

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Oct 20, 2020 MarilynW rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, hoopla-overdrive

The Dry (Aaron Falk #1) by Jane Harper (Author), Steven Shanahan (Narrator)

Aaron Falk, a Federal Agent, has returned to his hometown of Kierwana, Australia, for the funerals of his childhood friend and his friend's wife and six year old son. The area has been going through the worst drought in a century and maybe that was a factor in the suspected suicide/murder of this family. But Aaron knows that he and his friend Luke had a huge secret, connected to the death of their teenage friend Ellie, ...more

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Oct 13, 2016 Meredith rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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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Feb 18, 2018 Skyler Autumn rated it it was ok

Shelves: not-worth-the-hype

2 Stars

I don't get it? I am reading all these 5 star rave reviews for The Dry and I'm just left here thinking, what the hell am I missing?

description

This book was a bit of a chore for me to read. I literally had to force myself to read it, and I know what people are think, then why didn't you just stop reading it? And I have two answers for that:
1. I'm a stubborn bitch
2. I kept thinking the next chapter was going to blow my mind and then I'll understand these rave reviews, but as chapters went by I soon came to the realization this was going to be another over hyped read that doesn't live up to the hype.

The Dry is about Aaron Falk as he returns to his very dry hometown (I mean that both literally and figuratively) Kiewarra, to attend the funeral of his childhood friend Luke Hadler who allegedly murdered his wife, his child, decided to leave the baby alone and then go off himself. Murder-suicide what an interesting start to a mystery novel you may say! You my friend would be mistaken.

Aaron Falk and his dull personality pulls up to the scene, and is forced to come face-to-face with the past that he has been running from his whole life. Apparently when Aaron Falk was teenager one of his friend's Ellie was found dead in the river. Shortly after Aaron Falk's name was found written on a piece of paper in Ellie's room. Apparently in this little town that is enough to cause crazy accusations because towns' people in this novel are idiots, so with no alibi that night his dear friend Luke lies for him saying they were together the day of Ellie's death. Regardless of the lie people got their pitchforks out because this kid who has been nothing but the shining example of wholesome his whole teenage life, has his name scribbled on a piece of paper in Ellie's room so clearly he's a cold blooded killer! This logic is so sound even his own Dad is suddenly suspicious of him. Seemed out of left field to me but who am I to question the simpleton mindset of this idiotic small town.

So Aaron Falk asked by both a local cop and Luke Hadler's father begins looking into his friend's death and finding out if he truly did murder his family and then kill himself, while simultaneously figuring out what happened to his friend Ellie all those years ago.

This novel like it's title suggests is very dry the characters are so one dimensional and barely developed that they literally could have been interchangeable in my mind. I found myself looking back at the beginning chapters to remind myself who a character was, because no personalities were truly defined. Even the protagonist Aaron Falk had the charaisma of a wet blanket, he's in the accounting division of the FBI and he truly lived up to the stereotype of the classic office accountant.

The mystery itself lacked any sort of urgency. Everyone was already long dead and there was no need to find the murderer quickly because they weren't racking up victims. So that gave way to lots of time for talking, and drinking, flirting, more drinking, reminiscing, thinking, walking, drinking, chatting... and so on. This novel was just Aaron Falk being sullen and contemplating everything. So when murderers are revealed I'm like ok, well I guess that good for closure... honestly I don't really care that much.

So I think my overall feelings of this novel can be explained by that exact sentiment. I really didn't care that much. If you want a proper gritty, disturbing, stressful detective series may I suggest you pass on this book and go straight for M.J Arlidge's Helen Grace series. Unlike this series it lives up to the hype and then some! ...more

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Jul 16, 2017 Mary Beth rated it it was amazing

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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Mar 21, 2017 Norma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-reads-of-2017

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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Nov 06, 2018 Charlotte May rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: alcoholism-drugs, contemporary-recent, crime-mystery-thriller

This was my final book to complete my 2018 Goodreads challenge, and what a book it was!

Holy shit! 4.5 ⭐️

"They're like sharks in here mate...they'll pounce at the first sign of blood."

Wow! This was the definition of a claustrophobic small country town. Aaron Faulk returns to Kierawalla for the first time in 20 years, but not on good terms. His childhood friend is dead, presumed suicide after murdering his wife and son.
Twenty years previous, a teenage girl drowned in the nearby river, throwing ...more

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

Shelves: 2017, library-book, literary-fiction, british-author, australia, 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 themse ...more

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Feb 07, 2017 Lindsay - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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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Jul 08, 2017 Jen rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery

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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Sep 21, 2017 Annet rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, dark, gritty, family-ties

First on the scene, the flies swarmed contentedly in the heat as the blood pooled black over tiles and carpet. Outside, washing hung still on the rotary line, bone dry and stiff from the sun. A child's scooter lay abandoned on the stepping stone path. Just one human heart beat within a kilometer radius of the farm. So nothing reacted when deep inside the house, the baby started crying...

An entertaining, easy & quick read. Well written psychological crime thriller, full of tension and atmosphere ...more

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Feb 24, 2018 L A i N E Y rated it it was amazing

Shelves: atmospheric-read, reviewed, mystery-thriller-crime, marvelous-writing, feel-this, aussie-cheers

If I’d known, I would have done things differently. It was too late for that now. Some things had to be lived with.

The Dry is such a heavy and ‘adult’ book: not in the sexual content or violence, although there were several stomach-churning descriptions, no, it’s such an ‘adult book’ in the sense of maturity, with hardships, human disconnections and buried secrets.

The book simply felt genuine and full of emotions. Do books have emotions anyhow? Well, It certainly made me full of emotions, I ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 PattyMacDotComma rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Australian lit lovers

Shelves: australian-author, aa, arc-netgalley-done, mystery-crime-thriller, kindle, favourites-adult

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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Jan 03, 2019 Felicia rated it it was ok

WANNA KNOW THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS BOOK? I need not worry about spending my money on the rest of the series.

The pacing of this story is slower than my dog walking from the car to the door at the veterinarian office.

I'm all about a slow burn, you could even call me a fan, BUT the best part of the slow burn is when the gasoline is thrown on the flames and it ignites into an eyelash singeing inferno. Which never happens in this story.

No doubt the plot sounds intriguing in the description, howeve ...more

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Play Book Tag: The Dry - Jane Harper - 4.5 Stars	5	18	Jun 27, 2020 11:01AM
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About Jane Harper

Jane Harper

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Jane Harper is the international bestselling author of The Dry, Force of Nature and The Lost Man.
Jane is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, and has won numerous top awards including the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year, the Australian Indie Awards Book of the Year, the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel, and the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the ...more