Helpful Score: 1
Excellently crafted, many-layered mystery. Third in the Aaron Falk series. As usual (so annoying) I know I've read the previous two but I don't remember the plots. I think I can say with confidence that a new reader could start here. You'll catch the references to previous events, but it won't make a difference to the story. The pacing is steady and deliberate, with Falk and his friend Greg Raco just revisiting the records and adding small bits of detail to the cold case. Harper gives the reader the same clues so I was able to guess what happened with Kim before Falk came to his conclusion, although there is a secondary mystery where my guess was completely off. Good believable characters. The novel is set in Australia's wine country, and you get a good feel for being in a small town in a fairly rural area. To an American reader, it doesn't scream "Australia" but there is no reason it should. I very much enjoyed it.
Helpful Score: 1
Jane Harper is among my favorite authors. Her first book THE DRY is still my favorite but I have enjoyed all of her books. I was happy to see the return of Aaron Falk and I look forward to reading more of him (I hope?). This was a compelling mystery from the start (it actually became 2 mysteries-the disappearance of a mother with a 6 week old baby and a 6 year old unsolved hit and run). These center around the annual Food and Wine festival of a lovely small town. The characters are endearing, the atmosphere was a joy to experience. The mysteries kept me guessing and there were surprises in the end. Good reading!
Disappointing. For most of the book, this is a very gentle story about a group of friends in a small town in Australia, in which not much seems to be at stake - though there are a couple of tragedies in the background.
Near the end of the book all the minor mysteries get wrapped up in surprising ways, but that doesn't redeem the book's slow pace and immersion in ordinary life.
Not much exotic Australian flavor in this novel for an American reader who loved some of Harper's earlier works for that quality.
Near the end of the book all the minor mysteries get wrapped up in surprising ways, but that doesn't redeem the book's slow pace and immersion in ordinary life.
Not much exotic Australian flavor in this novel for an American reader who loved some of Harper's earlier works for that quality.
The last 25% was engaging, but this book was way too long. Very slow to start out with, and I had a hard time keeping track of the characters and the relationships between them.
Although Exiles unfolds very slowly, I was completely drawn in by the story. However, that's no real surprise because Jane Harper has a tendency to do that to me. It takes time for Aaron Falk to become enmeshed in the close-knit circle of missing woman Kim Gillespie's family and friends. And they're a very welcoming bunch-- especially since Falk is to be the godfather of the newest little addition to the group.
Everyone has a story. Everyone has an opinion of both Kim herself and what would make her simply disappear into thin air. Kim's teenage daughter Zara's battle to learn what happened to her mother is poignant, laced as it is with both a child's heartbreak and teenage obstinate prickliness. Moreover, Falk learns that Zara's friend Joel has also lost a parent under rather mysterious circumstances. And while Falk searches for answers, he's also finding good reason to re-evaluate his own life, both personally and professionally.
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Exiles is just the sort of mystery character-driven readers are going to love. Personal histories. Emotions. Motivations. Evasions. Harper's red herrings are superb. Not only was I led down the wrong garden path, but I also discovered that I wasn't even in the right garden.Â
For those of you who haven't read one of Jane Harper's books, I urge you to rectify your oversight. Exiles may be the third book featuring Aaron Falk, but it does well as a standalone. Get yourself a copy and dive right into a marvelous tale.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
Everyone has a story. Everyone has an opinion of both Kim herself and what would make her simply disappear into thin air. Kim's teenage daughter Zara's battle to learn what happened to her mother is poignant, laced as it is with both a child's heartbreak and teenage obstinate prickliness. Moreover, Falk learns that Zara's friend Joel has also lost a parent under rather mysterious circumstances. And while Falk searches for answers, he's also finding good reason to re-evaluate his own life, both personally and professionally.
Â
Exiles is just the sort of mystery character-driven readers are going to love. Personal histories. Emotions. Motivations. Evasions. Harper's red herrings are superb. Not only was I led down the wrong garden path, but I also discovered that I wasn't even in the right garden.Â
For those of you who haven't read one of Jane Harper's books, I urge you to rectify your oversight. Exiles may be the third book featuring Aaron Falk, but it does well as a standalone. Get yourself a copy and dive right into a marvelous tale.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
aaron falk is back and he is a delightful character, full of vulnerability, brains and kindness. there are tons of wonderful personalities in this book and we get to know a bunch of them well. in the most perfect way, the book gently meanders along and then the tension really rises in the final part of the book. i have loved all of jane harper's previous 4 books. this one joins the ranks. looking forward to the next one.
