The Survivors in Around the World in 80 Books

Mar 31, 2021 Colleen Chi-Girl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mysteries, 2021, thrillers, audiobooks, australia-n-zealand

Wonderful story by Jane Harper, which was read by the male Aussie narrator that has done many of her novels. His voice is golden. GOLDEN. Brings the chapters to life.

You’ll read what everyone and the publisher writes about this, and I don’t have much different to add other than…this is probably my favorite of Jane Harper’s thrillers.

It was unputdownable and intriguing all the way to the surprising ending.

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Jun 21, 2021 Nadine in NY Jones rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, audio, r2021-in-2021, beach-cover

I enjoyed reading this, but once I was finished, I was left with the feeling that I'd just been sipping flat soda. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't crisp and satisfying, either.

There are a lot of characters in this book, and most of them have Gaelic names, which made it difficult for me to keep them straight. I had an especially hard time with Kieran's friends, Sean and Ash, both men the same age, with the same background, with similar jobs (landscaper and dive boat operator, so they are both self I enjoyed reading this, but once I was finished, I was left with the feeling that I'd just been sipping flat soda. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't crisp and satisfying, either.

There are a lot of characters in this book, and most of them have Gaelic names, which made it difficult for me to keep them straight. I had an especially hard time with Kieran's friends, Sean and Ash, both men the same age, with the same background, with similar jobs (landscaper and dive boat operator, so they are both self-employed with outdoorsy jobs), with names that have the "shh" sound in them meant I kept confusing them. Characters that you'll need to keep straight: Kieran, Finn, Toby, Liam, Sean, Ash, Gabby, Mia, Olivia, Bronte, Verity, Brian, Jonah, George, Renn, Pendlebury, and Audrey. Even the detectives Renn and Pendlebury both have the "en" sound in their names, so I kept confusing them. One is a man, one is a woman, one is local and one is an outsider, but which is which? Maybe I should have taken notes. There are four or five different age groups involved, but the only one I could really stay clear on was Audrey, the baby.

This book is more of a "old dark secrets are unburied and revealed" story than it is a murder mystery, which gives it a different feel from Harper's other books, which also involve small towns and buried secrets but are all primarily murder mysteries, with detectives front and center. There are detectives in this book, also, but the main character is Kieran, who is back visiting his small town hometown with his girlfriend (also from the hometown) and newborn daughter, helping his parents pack for a move. It's been twelve years since he's been back home, and some people in the town hold some resentment towards him, blaming him for a deadly accident that happened when he was a teen.

There are secrets revealed about that accident, secrets revealed about a missing girl, hints of family secrets that we never quite uncover, a few ominous characters, some bad blood between several groups, and secrets revealed about current events happening in town. But since I couldn't keep most of the characters straight, a lot of the secrets lacked any umph in the reveal. It was more of a: "oh, he did that? Wait, which one was he again??" And there are some secrets that are NEVER fully unraveled, and some details that are just dropped. (view spoiler)

There IS a murder, and this book does a fantastic job of providing multiple suspects who all seem very possible. If only I hadn't been so confused on who the characters are, I'd have been riveted. I certainly did not come close to unraveling the central mystery! Normally that's a good thing, but in this case I feel like Harper threw a bucket of mismatched nuts and bolts into the mix and never sorted them all out.

The central theme is "survivors' guilt" so the title is certainly appropriate. The wrap up is basically depressing. I mean, people are dead, and they're still dead, so there's never going to be a happy ending.

Harper excels, as always, with a sense of place. The eponymous "Survivors" are sculptures: three cast iron figures in the ocean, off the coast of Evelyn Bay, Tasmania. They are described so vividly that I finally googled them to see what they looked like, only to find that they - along with Evelyn Bay, itself - are fictional. ...more

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Feb 13, 2021 Julie Griffin added it

I have really enjoyed Harper's prior books and was looking forward to reading this one. One of the reasons I enjoy reading world noir is to become immersed in the tastes and sights and culture of a place far from my midwestern suburb, and Harper excels at turning the landscapes of her books into a character of their own. Survivors did not disappoint as it had me breathing in the sea air, feeling the sand on my skin, and that sticky saltiness that comes from beaches. The story opens with Kieran s I have really enjoyed Harper's prior books and was looking forward to reading this one. One of the reasons I enjoy reading world noir is to become immersed in the tastes and sights and culture of a place far from my midwestern suburb, and Harper excels at turning the landscapes of her books into a character of their own. Survivors did not disappoint as it had me breathing in the sea air, feeling the sand on my skin, and that sticky saltiness that comes from beaches. The story opens with Kieran standing waist deep in the cold waters of a Tasmanian coast, his new baby stirring in the sling on his chest, as he contemplates his return to his small beach town to help his mother, Verity, pack up their house and move to an apartment and his dad, Brian, to a care home for Alzheimer's. The old crew of friends appear, Sean and Ash and Olivia, to see him and his girlfriend, Mia, who also grew up in the town. We quickly learn that not only the group but also his family and indeed the whole town are linked by a tragedy just over ten years ago, where two people drowned and a young girl went missing, never found. When another tragedy occurs, it brings up all the old feelings from the prior incident and fingers are pointed again. Those under suspicion for the murder of a young girl on the beach include Kieran's own mentally confused father, other townspeople seen with the victim and scarred by the drowning, and newcomers to the town who happened to be there when the girl disappeared. Why is a well known author digging up the garden in his new home, why does Ash detest him, what is everyone's relationship to each other? Kieran tries to solve his own feelings of guilt, deal with life as father of a three-month old, a son to a shifting family. The rhythm of the story moves back and forth as gracefully as the sea, and the ending was not easily foretold. We the readers end up stranded in the story, washed by the waves like the Survivors, a sculpture of three survivors of a shipwreck off the shore. Jane Harper just gets better with each book. Recommend. ...more

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Mar 08, 2021 Andy Plonka rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: src

It took me a while to sort out all the characters and their relationships but once I had everyone pigeonholed I was hooked and the ending was surprising though I should have been able to figure it out before the end. Not paying close attention to details on my part primarily.

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Apr 24, 2021 Sarah rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2.5 stars. I started this book three times before forcing myself to finish it the day it was going to expire on Libby. I wanted to know whodunnit. Disappointing, since I guessed the killer pretty much from the start.

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Feb 19, 2021 Julie rated it really liked it

So good! Jane Harold has quickly become a must read for me, she writes such great thrillers with compelling characters. This was the perfect read to pull me away from worrying and get me through the last few days of chaos here in Texas.

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Oct 31, 2020 Polly-Alida rated it really liked it

Shelves: recommended

Another great read from Jane Harper. A slow build up, takes its time recounting incidents from 12 years past and exploring how those events have affected the main characters, the survivors. Loss, anger, guilt, suspicion. Secrets come spilling out, families and friends question their connections and wonder if there could be a murderer among them. The rugged coastline, the strong tides and the moody sea are metaphors for the unpredictable twists and turns of life. Thank you to the publisher and ne ...more

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Oct 02, 2021 alana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: making-things, crime

Ahh, a new Jane Harper is such a treat! As usual the setting is the real star, and always so different than her previous books. I feel like I'm touring Australia with a hefty dose of familial drama and a side of murder. This one is a standalone in Tasmania that also features artmaking, novel writing, tricky photos, and a new parents -- yes, thank you! ...more

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Apr 10, 2021 Jillian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book does scene and mood very well—the beach and caves and small town is done so well I felt like I could see everything with perfect clarity. This is a mystery that definitely had me engaged throughout. I was slightly unsure about our “bad guy’s” ultimate motivations, but I really enjoyed this and recommend it for people who love mystery.

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Mar 04, 2022 Andy Plonka added it

I read this one before but it never got recorded

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