Reviews

The Dry, by Jane Harper

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nzlisam's review against another edition

5.0

An engrossing debut Mystery/Crime novel by a new Australian author.

I have nothing negative to say about this novel – loved the plot, the characters, the setting, the writing style, and especially the protagonist, Aaron Falk. Despite the numerous hints regarding the mystery, I fell for a red herring, well a couple of red herrings actually. I’ve never read a book where short, italicised flashback scenes were inserted in the middle of a chapter, similar to how they are used in a TV show or movie, but I felt it worked well, was clear and readable and I’d be keen to see more writers use this format. Because Amazon has Aaron Falk bracketed in the title line, I’m hoping Jane Harper intends to write more mysteries featuring him, and I’d be curious to see whether they’re also set in Kiewarra. I’m sure whatever this author comes up with next will be excellent.

mildutia's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

sarahmc's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

alexreads22's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

1.0

Disgusting animal torture!

Content Warnings

pages_for_holly's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

carrix2's review against another edition

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5.0

An excellent mystery thriller set in Australia in the heat of a summer of drought. Aaron Falk returns to the town of his childhood when his friend and his family are found dead, presumably by murder/suicide. But something there still haunts him from his teenage years, 20 years before. Bouncing between the two time periods, Aaron is faced with memories, old friends, new friends, and those determined to believe the worst of him.