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A review by butterflied4life
The Dry by Jane Harper
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.