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There are currently 33 member reviews
for Exiles
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Maribeth R. (Indianapolis, IN)
Welcome Back, Aaron Falk
Harper fans who have missed Investigator Aaron Falk in her last few books will be happy to herald his return in Exiles.
Harper once again takes us to the bushland of Australia, and while not quite as atmospheric as many of her previous volumes, she still manages to invite the reader in with her descriptive prose which paints vivid pictures of the town and its surroundings.
Though Falk is not acting in his official capacity, he still manages to discover a mystery that begs for his attention. In this volume, Harper is able to reveal the human side of Falk through his relationships with the large cast of characters. Though the pace of this novel is slower than some of her earlier works, Harper uses the time to build to a surprising conclusion.
I thought this was Harper at her best. Her readers, old and new, will need to set aside some dedicated reading hours because this is a book they won't want to put down. Hopefully, Falk and company will be brought back again in future efforts.
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Mimi M. (Brunswick, GA)
"The little things you could have done differently, that was the stuff that haunted you."
Aaron Falk, federal investigator, is back in Jane Harper's newest book Exiles and what a thrilling read. It starts with a tragedy and then a year later the reader is brought back to the exact same location to once again figure out what a close knit group of friends saw and what they might have missed. How do these childhood bonds impact their past, but also their adult lives? Harper allows the story to unfold at a pace that meanders like the Southern Australian bush land. However, the intensity increases with each turn of the page just like the dangers that can be found in this unpredictable landscape. Hold on for a thrilling and unexpected conclusion!
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Helene M. (Washington Island, WI)
Intrigue down under
Exiles could have been a great book, but somehow just missed the mark for me ... Jane Harper is a good writer, and the concept of this book was a sound one, the character development, which is an important element of any fiction book for me, was excellent ... especially the characters of Aaron Falk and Gemma Tozer. But, it somehow still missed the mark.
I think some better editing might have been a great asset to this book. Many chapters seemed repetitive, and shifting back and forth between the present day and the time of the crime could have been handled a bit more deftly.
I seem to remember the same feeling about Jane Harper's earlier work: The Dry. Good book, but something's not quite right. Would I recommend it - yes, but I'd be sure to tell reader's that while I like the characters and the basic premise, I have reservations about the overall book.
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Sherilyn R. (St George, UT)
Aaron Falk series book 3
Kim Gillespie leaves her newborn baby alone at a busy festival and disappears. A year later Federal Investigator Aaron Falk is visiting friends in the Southern Australia wine country and becomes enmeshed in Kim's mysterious disappearance.
I really enjoy Jane Harpers ability to evoke a sense of place, Australia. She is also adept at character development. Her characters always seem interesting and just a little bit quirky.
What I didn't particularly like about this book was how slow the plot was developed. It was just not as compelling as her other Aaron Falk books, The Dry and Force of Nature.
That being said, I would still recommend Exiles. It is good reading and no one knows her way around a mystery like Jane Harper. She is a favorite author of mine and well worth the read.
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Jackie R. (Clark, NJ)
Enjoy a good mystery... read Exiles by Jane Harper!
A great read set in the land down under. I enjoyed the pace of the book as well as the introduction of characters and their relationships to each other over time. In addition never having been to Australia, Harper paints a great visual for the reader. She puts the individual pieces of the puzzle on the page for the reader to assemble.
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Patricia W. (Homewood, AL)
Not what I had expected
Having received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review, I have to say I have not read any of Jane Harper's books before. I did not enjoy reading this book. It was so full of tension and anxiety that I found it hard to follow the storyline and the characters. l gave it 4 stars because of the complexity of the mystery and the skill of the writer. It is a talent to put words on a page that touch emotions. I am an avid mystery reader and I don't know why I feel this way about this book, but I read for entertainment and I found none here nor a place I wanted to escape to.
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Susan N. (Sedona, AZ)
Exiled happily with Jane Harper
Exiles by Jane Harper is a solid mystery featuring Aaron Falk, a character the reader might recognize from two previous books. This thriller involves a woman who has mysteriously disappeared at a busy festival. Falk and friends dig into this mystery a year later at the same festival. The exciting plot developed slowly and I did not guess the resolution until nearly the end of the book.
The small town setting in Australia is essential as it allows for close friendships among the townspeople. The family Falk visits is warm and close knit. Falk fits in as his character develops. Jane Harper weaves a suspenseful plot in straight-forward language. I did have a problem with her many transitions from past to present events. They often seemed a bit clumsy and confusing. All in all, Exiles is a great read if you enjoy well developed mysteries with with fully drawn characters - I do.
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