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There are currently 33 member reviews
for Exiles
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Rita J. (Golden VAlley, MN)
Exiles by Jane Harper
Until I picked up "Exiles", another novel by Jane Harper - "Dry" was my favorite book of the year. Not any longer. "Exiles" pulled me right in and kept me guessing thru the entire story - which is fresh,unique and relatable. The characters, although close, have a wide range of interests and flaws. I was excited to discover the main character is Aaron Falk. Back again with his low-key attitude and brilliant mind. A good mystery keeps you guessing, leading the reader down different paths. A great mystery keeps you unbalanced and on the edge. Then, just when you think you have it solved, something or somebody else comes up. The writing is excellent! The story completely sucked me in. I loved it.
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Cheryl S. (Redmond, WA)
Mysterious disappearance in Australian Wine Country
Thanks once again to BookBrowse for the ARC of Exiles, Jane Harper's latest mystery. I have read, and loved, all of her previous novels. Exiles is set in Australian wine country, with a return appearance of Detective Aaron Falk. Friends and family have gathered for a christening, still shaken by the mysterious disappearance a year earlier of young Zoe's Mother, Kim. Many of the leading characters have grown up and live in Marrallee Valley. The character and plot development is executed well, and the story quickly gains momentum. It was almost impossible to put this book down, it was excellent! I felt so fortunate to receive this early copy, and I'm already looking forward to Jane Harper's next book.
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Terri O. (Chapel Hill, NC)
Another winner from Jane Harper!
Jane Harper has done it again with Exiles, the third (and sadly last) book in the Aaron Falk series. In this installment, Falk, a federal agent whose day job is investigating financial crimes, finds himself embroiled in a missing persons case when he travels to South Australia for the christening of his godchild. One year later, when he returns to the same town for the rescheduled christening, he once again becomes involved in trying to figure out exactly what happened to the missing woman, whose body was never found. He also becomes interested in an old hit and run case that was never solved. Could these two cases be linked? Falk puzzles both mysteries out over the course of the book. Like the first two books in the series, Exiles is meticulously plotted, with a large cast of well-developed characters and a strong sense of place (in this case, South Australian wine country). As usual, Harper keeps the reader guessing right up until the very end, and I found the resolution to be both believable and satisfying. This book would appeal to fans of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad mysteries and anyone who enjoys complex, atmospheric mysteries.
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Dianne A. (Littleton, CO)
Exiles
I am a fan of Jane Harpers books and this one did not disappoint. She did a fine job of characterization even though there were quite a few characters. The story was intriguing, however, I thought it was a bit too long. I loved the ending, and I never expected it. I would highly recommend this book.
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Paula K. (Champaign, IL)
Welcome Back Aaron Falk
Echoing the pace of life in Marralee compared with Aaron Falk's busy life in Melbourne, Exiles begins deceptively slowly. Layer upon layer, Jane Harper builds a complex picture of life in a small rural town, where everyone knows everyone and everyone knows what to expect. Despite a cast of many characters, Harper depicts each one carefully and with the complexity befitting them, just as she depicts the landscape that plays an important part in the story, as it always does in Harper's books. Once again, Harper gives us a mystery, actually two mysteries, that are hard to figure out but, when revealed, tie together all of the clues that's she's planted along the way. Jane Harper remains one of my favorite mystery writers. I hope there are more to come in this series.
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Darlene B. (New Castle, PA)
Exiles by Jane Harper
In her new novel, 'Exiles', Jane Harper revisits the life of her character, Federal Agent Aaron Falk. Aaron is returning to South Australia to assume godfather responsibilities in the delayed christening of Henry Raco, the year-old son of his friend, Sergeant Greg Raco and wife Rita. (Readers of Jane Harper's novels will remember Greg Raco from her novel, 'The Dry'). The christening has been delayed because of a tragedy which occurred at the annual spring Food and Wine Festival in the Marralee Valley. This novel explores the disappearance of Raco family friend/relative Kim Gillespie, who not one vanished during the festival but also uncharacteristically abandoned her baby daughter Zoe.
The story unfolds slowly and methodically through the voices of the various members of the Raco daily and the close-knit community. As in many small communities, everyone knows each other well and have been in each other's lives for many years. There are advantages and disadvantages to this kind of closeness, however; and I believe this is one of the themes of the novel. Can a long-time familiarity and closeness among people lead to a kind of blindness in perception? Can familiarity actually lead people to see what they EXPECT to see rather than what is actually there? And perhaps this kind of familiarity may even camouflage old slights and hurts and leave feelings of anger to simmer just beneath the surface.
I found this novel to be carefully and thoughtfully written and although it unfolded slowly, it was well wroth my time. And I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Aaron Falk and his life.
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Mary C. (Plano, TX)
Not Just a Mystery
One of the highest compliments that I can give a book is that I do not want it to end, that the plot intrigues, and that the characters are people with whom I want to spend more time. Such was the book, Exiles. The deep and abiding relationships of the Raco family draw the reader in for a look into strong family dynamics. The backdrop of Australia with the idyllic town of Maralee, the glistening fecund vineyard, and the brooding reservoir give the mystery a strong backdrop. Also captivating was the way the plot develops as the reader views the past through the eyes of Falk and this tight Australian community. "We see what we expect to see," the author warns us. This proves to be eerily true.
This book will be my next recommendation to my book club when it is published in January as there are weighty topics for us to ponder. Teens and adults alike would find much to discuss. It is a mystery for those of us who love mysteries, yet a book with big ideas for discussion, not "just a mystery."
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