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lefttoread's review against another edition
3.0
"How short was the road from that decisions to this moment? The question ached like a bruise."
I was excited to say the least about reading THE DRY this year, I was hearing so many good things about the Aaron Falk series as well as about Jane Harper as a writer.
THE DRY is a great debut novel and I agree with most people that Jane Harper’s writing is clever and addictive. I found the book easy to read and it started out very fast paced. Unfortunately for me the story began to slow down after about 250 pages. The story itself did pick back up again towards the end and the characters never faulted, they all had strong personalities but then the conclusion happened and I found myself feeling disappointed.
"Death rarely changes how we feel about someone. Heightens it, more often than not."
THE DRY is a typical mystery thriller where the reader is left guessing ‘who done it’ until the very end. I was guessing throughout the whole story and I never guessed who the killer was, although I am happy that it was never made easy for the reader to guess the ending, I did end up feeling let down. When the killer was revealed I thought it felt anti-climatic. Throughout the full book there’s build up, there’s secrets from Falk’s childhood, it’s very tense and I felt the conclusion didn’t follow suit, it ended up actually being somewhat disconnected to all of the build up.
As I’ve said though, you cannot fault Jane Harper’s writing, I still wanted to read the book to the very end and I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series, FORCE OF NATURE.
Full review on my blog https://littlereaderxoxo.wordpress.com/
I was excited to say the least about reading THE DRY this year, I was hearing so many good things about the Aaron Falk series as well as about Jane Harper as a writer.
THE DRY is a great debut novel and I agree with most people that Jane Harper’s writing is clever and addictive. I found the book easy to read and it started out very fast paced. Unfortunately for me the story began to slow down after about 250 pages. The story itself did pick back up again towards the end and the characters never faulted, they all had strong personalities but then the conclusion happened and I found myself feeling disappointed.
"Death rarely changes how we feel about someone. Heightens it, more often than not."
THE DRY is a typical mystery thriller where the reader is left guessing ‘who done it’ until the very end. I was guessing throughout the whole story and I never guessed who the killer was, although I am happy that it was never made easy for the reader to guess the ending, I did end up feeling let down. When the killer was revealed I thought it felt anti-climatic. Throughout the full book there’s build up, there’s secrets from Falk’s childhood, it’s very tense and I felt the conclusion didn’t follow suit, it ended up actually being somewhat disconnected to all of the build up.
As I’ve said though, you cannot fault Jane Harper’s writing, I still wanted to read the book to the very end and I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series, FORCE OF NATURE.
Full review on my blog https://littlereaderxoxo.wordpress.com/
jascolib's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
liedora's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first book I've read by this Author, and I'll definitely be reading the second book in the Aaron Falk duology.
The characters were written such a way as to make them wholly believed and, apart from the main antagonist, you could feel their emotions coning off the page at you as you read.
The novel is well paced, and keeps you thinking you may have solved the mysteries contained, only to go into a new chapter and realise that you were wrong. When the conclusion starts to unfold, it is not rushed and keeps moving at the pace the Author has maintained throughout the book. This is one I would highly recommend reading.
The characters were written such a way as to make them wholly believed and, apart from the main antagonist, you could feel their emotions coning off the page at you as you read.
The novel is well paced, and keeps you thinking you may have solved the mysteries contained, only to go into a new chapter and realise that you were wrong. When the conclusion starts to unfold, it is not rushed and keeps moving at the pace the Author has maintained throughout the book. This is one I would highly recommend reading.
bbyrenesmee's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
rebeccamorgan's review against another edition
5.0
First book in a looong time that I haven't been able to put down until finished!
cgards's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
butterflied4life's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very atmospheric, slow burn (pun intended) crime story. I listened to the audiobook, which also helped to set the tone with Australian accents and pronunciation. The story is well paced with regular, consistent clue reveals that progress logically yet unexpectedly to a satisfying conclusion. The "childhood" mystery is also satisfying, if predictably heartbreaking. Although I called the story a slow burn, it is never too slow. There is always a small flame of a new clue or a new development that is constantly enhancing the story and keeping your interest.
This book reminds me strongly of "In the Woods" by Tana French in terms of overall plot structure. (It also helps that I read "In the Woods" in the last 6 months.) In both stories, we have a male law-enforcement protagonist who returns to his home town to investigate a crime. Both are complicated by an old unsolved case from the protagonist's past that haunts him throughout the story. However, the "old" mystery of Tana French is never solved/revealed while Jane Harper's IS revealed, and I think this made a big difference in my enjoyment of the story. I read crime/mystery to understand the puzzle, and an unsolved puzzle in inherently frustrating.
This book reminds me strongly of "In the Woods" by Tana French in terms of overall plot structure. (It also helps that I read "In the Woods" in the last 6 months.) In both stories, we have a male law-enforcement protagonist who returns to his home town to investigate a crime. Both are complicated by an old unsolved case from the protagonist's past that haunts him throughout the story. However, the "old" mystery of Tana French is never solved/revealed while Jane Harper's IS revealed, and I think this made a big difference in my enjoyment of the story. I read crime/mystery to understand the puzzle, and an unsolved puzzle in inherently frustrating.
emmabeckman's review against another edition
5.0
I'm kind of surprised that I'm giving this five stars, but I really really liked it! I thought the writing was really good. I really liked how the flashbacks were done. I was surprised by who the killer was (I REALLY thought it was someone else). I was a little bit disappointed by the reasoning and the ending but I can get over it. And I especially liked how it was both a police procedural and not; how Aaron is a police investigator but this isn't a case that he has been assigned. I liked that he could have that police point of view while still being more of an "interested party."