Eric Bana delivers a brilliantly nuanced performance as a federal agent tormented by grief and suspicion. I’m rating this book 3 1/2 stars, because I did enjoy it quite a bit, but also felt certain pieces of the mystery were a little on the obvious side.The Dry is a slow burn, meticulously crafted murder mystery set in the scorched landscape of a remote Australian town. Who knew that a scene with a lighter in it could be quite so scary? It was fascinating to get a view of the small-town politics and power plays, and I found the description of the drought-ridden environment and its dangers really powerful. Aaron is an impressive main character, smart and determined, but also flawed and haunted by his past and his regrets.

I was very caught up in the story of The Dry and just could not stop reading! The murder itself is gruesome and terrible, and it’s shocking to see how the different pieces fit together. Meanwhile, his memories of the events of 20 years earlier are coming back strongly, and he’s finding himself plagued by that unsolved mystery as well. Something about the crime scene just doesn’t add up, so Aaron stays to help pick through the witness statements and other bits and pieces of clues. The people of Kiewarra have a long memory, and no one - especially the dead girl’s family - wants to see him back among them.īut Aaron and the local police officer both believe something is off about the deaths of Luke’s family. Twenty years earlier, he was suspected of murdering a classmate and was forced to flee with his father in the face of threats and aggression. It’s horrifying and ugly, and the town is roiling with unhappiness.Īt the same time, Aaron’s reception by the town is hostile. The Dry is a twisty tale of murder and secrets set in a rural Australian community, where drought has dried up farms and rivers and brought the entire town to the brink of natural and economic ruin.įederal Investigator Aaron Falk is drawn back into the web of gossip and lies in the town of Kiewarra when he returns home for a funeral - the funeral of his former best friend, who appears to have slaughtered his wife and son before turning the shotgun on himself. A secret Luke’s death now threatens to bring to the surface in this small Australian town, as old wounds bleed into new ones.

Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret. In the grip of the worst drought in a century, the farming community of Kiewarra is facing life and death choices daily when three members of a local family are found brutally slain.įederal Police investigator Aaron Falk reluctantly returns to his hometown for the funeral of his childhood friend, loath to face the townsfolk who turned their backs on him twenty years earlier.īut as questions mount, Falk is forced to probe deeper into the deaths of the Hadler family. A small town hides big secrets in this atmospheric, page-turning debut mystery by award-winning author Jane Harper.

The Dry by Jane Harper