Overall, what did you think of Force of Nature? (no spoilers in this thread please)

Overall, what did you think of Force of Nature? (no spoilers in this thread please)

This was a great book! I have not yet read the other in the "series" The Dry, but I have it on hold at the library!

I was introduced to Jane Harper with her book The Dry, Force of Nature was the third one of hers I've read and I'd have to say she is fairly consistent with her writing. I did, however, find The Dry the best of all she's written. I do enjoy reading about an environment unfamiliar and I'm appreciating discovering what Australia is like.

I liked the book a great deal, probably even more than Harper's first book, The Dry. It was a well-paced good mystery, with a couple of good red herrings. The premise was good too---a group of women set out into the wilderness on a team-building experience. All but one return and Detective Aaron Falk and his partner set out to solve her disappearance. I enjoyed the complexity of the relationships amongst the women and I freely admit to loving a good catfight! I thought Falk's character could have been developed more in this book, but it's obvious that at least a third in this series will be forthcoming and maybe we will learn more.

Excellent, but I was hooked on Harper with The Dry. I is nice to watch a writer who started strong get better and better.

I really liked this book. I was hooked with The Dry, and couldn't believe it was a debut for Jane Harper. I couldn't wait to read Force of Nature. Harper's writing is fabulous! About half way through, I had to finish. I wasted a Sunday, but it was worth it. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I enjoyed the book, could not put it down. Really liked all of the characters. It was a good mystery that kept me wondering how it would end. Now I will read her other books. Thanks for introducing her to me!

I really enjoyed it and after I read The Dry, I knew I wanted to read this one too. I was not disappointed with the second book and liked it as much as the first. I really liked that it took place in Australia, a place I'd love to visit.

I had read, and loved, the Dry, so was eager to read the next in the series. It didn't disappoint! I haven't read many books set in Australia, so really enjoyed the place.

I feel like this book was well written, with a lot of plots and twist. I feel like this writer did an amazing job telling this story.

Good book! I have not read anything else by her, but will now.

It has a solid plot and realistic characters & it kept me guessing to the end so I enjoyed it. Like others who have commented; I enjoyed The Dry a little more but think Force of Nature is a solid follow up in the Falk series. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series as well as other books written by the author.

Having read Dry by the author I really thought it was an excellent second book

I enjoyed reading Force of Nature. Alternating the time periods with each chapter worked well. With some books I've read it didn't work for me. The author kept the story moving and suspenseful. I look forward to reading other books by her.

I grabbed this as soon as I saw it was available. The Dry was so exciting, I had to see if Harper could match that. Also, I love the introduction to Australia - very interesting read. I liked this a lot - especially the development of Erin's character - and it was a great mystery - I just was not as engaged with the women and the situation here as much as I was with The Dry, its plot and characters. Just this morning I read that Harper's third book arrives February 5 and takes Falk back home - so I am excited to see how Harper's writing skill and main character continue to develop. Fantastic reading!!

It is hard to write a review about a mystery without giving away any spoilers. Each time I thought I knew for sure who was bad and who was good, I was wrong. I also liked the subtle way the motive was introduced in the middle of the story. At first I believed Force of Nature would be about about corporate whistle blowing, but i was totally wrong. The setting, the bushland of Australia, with its past memories of an unsolved missing person cold case and a serial murderer in prison, was perfect for the danger that would reveal the weaknesses of the 5 women. I know after reading this book that if I were told that my company planned to send me into the wilderness as a way to build camaraderie and leadership, I would politely decline. Although it follows a recognizable formula, I thought it was an excellent mystery.

I loved it. Great characters and character development. Plot had an interesting twist or two which always is welcome. I would definitely read her next book based on this one.

Like a few other posts mentioned, I liked The Dry better than Force of Nature. I, unlike a previous post, do not enjoy a good cat fight. Just because I preferred Ms. Harper's first book doesn't mean I think her second wasn't good, it was. I plan to read more of her novels in the future.

I liked this book a great deal and recommended it to friends and family members. I am not a person that has ever automatically headed to the "mystery" section of a book store or a library, and I think I have been missing out on some entertaining books. Whenever I thought I knew what was going to happen, the author surprised me. I have also bought another book by this same author just this week.

Having read The Dry which I thought was terrific, I was thrilled to get The Force of Nature to discuss on BookBrowse. It did not disappoint and I wrote a review of it for the site as soon as I finished it--which was in one day! JULIE AB it is NEVER a wasted day when you read a good book--that's my philosophy anyway--lol

I'm not a mystery reader so was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this book so much. It held my attention from the beginning. I liked that whenever I thought I had it figured out, there was a twist and I was wrong! I thought the characters were well written and that I really knew each of them. Good book!

This was a compelling read - my favorite kind! I enjoyed The Dry, and this one was just as good if not a little better. I will be looking forward to Harper's next novel.

I jumped at the chance to request this book because I loved The Dry written by this same author. I as not disappointed!

I really liked this book and I certainly intend to recommend this book to others. I plan on reading her other book

I loved The Dry. The characters and book were memorable and stark Australia is one of my favorite settings. Because I liked Jane Harper's first book and fell in love with her writing, I was eager to read Force of Nature. I also love survival books. Hard times and how people handle them. I grabbed it from my mailbox and ripped it open, read it off and on in a couple of days. Unfortunately I also forgot it almost as quickly. I liked this rather unusual story of a corporate retreat and whistleblowing, but it was mostly forgettable to me. I look forward to reading her next book and hope for surprises. I also learned my lesson: the next book I discuss will remain unread until closer to the time of discussion. I love Jane Harper's descriptive writing and suspenseful plots. This is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves adventure, survival, and suspense.

I was not familiar with Jane Harper before reading this book.It seems that she has quite a following from her book The Dry. Many readers stated that they enjoyed that book more than the Force of Nature. I will have to take a look at that book. I did enjoy this book; it moved quickly, the characters were well developed, and there was a bit of suspense. What I did not care for and I may be the only one, I found the bickering between the charcters a bit off putting. I realize that they were lost, stressed, and at their wits end, but they were not particularly nice to each other before they even started! I know they are not friends, just co workers, but being snippy and bitchy on a team building event was not pleasant to read.

Overall, I really enjoyed Force of Nature and it made me wish I had read The Dry by the author first so I would have been acquainted with Aaron Falk first. But even so, it was a wonderful read in an Australian setting that seemed remote and stark. It was an edge of your seat thriller.

I originally gave 3 stars out of 5 stars. However, having this discussion has made me seen certain things in a better light. It is why I am rereading certain parts. Currently, I give it 4 stars out of 5 stars. I understand I did not have to use a rating system. I am weird. For me, it was the best way to explain my change of opinion with this book. I am going to have to rewrite my book review. I try to do book reviews to keep track.

I couldn't put it down. I often read reviews where people say they couldn't put a book down, and I usually don't respond that way. I found it compelling and I got lost in it, which is my favorite thing about books!

I really enjoy Harper's writing, her characters, and particularly her use of the environment to build the literary atmosphere. Felt The Dry was just a bit better than this one, but not by much. I will recommend it to my friends. I really look forward to Harper's future volumes.

I liked this book. The author keeps you guessing until the end. With so many recommendations for her first book, The Dry, I will want to read that and look forward to her newest one too.

Dark! Creepy! Compelling! Those are the first words that come to mind when I think about Force of Nature. This is my first Jane Harper novel and it is not a “feel good” book. That said, by the time I had finished the brief prologue I was hooked! I couldn't put it down.
The story takes place in a wild, rural part of southern Australia and the plot is pretty elementary. Five women go on a hike that is intended to be a corporate bonding experience. The women lose their bearings on the second day. Only four return. Federal Agent Aaron Falk (someone readers met him in Harper's previous book, The Dry.) is called in to either locate Alice Russell or find out what happened to her. The narrative alternates between past and present. The characters are complex. I struggled to find one that I really cared about. I think, if I had to name one, it would be Falk himself. Everyone has a questionable past of some sort. There is no simple way to untangle their personal histories from their past relationships with each other that will lead to suspicions and betrayals.
Jane Harper is a very skilled writer. Although there were times when I wanted more momentum, her careful plotting propels the story. Harper handles the Australian bush as a living, breathing character and she never relents as her characters and her readers confront the cold, damp, fear-inducing hazards of the Australian wild. There are occasions when her long descriptions of that same landscape begin to lag (as does the Force of Nature) but her excellent timing pulled me right back into the heart of the story .
This is more than a great detective story. It sits firmly within the current genre of “psychological thrillers.” The narrative is layered with hidden depth and secrets that sit just below the surface. It will remind her readers that childhood experiences never leave us and continue to shape almost every decision we make as adults. Force of Nature makes us stop and wonder how a vast wilderness can make us feel so claustrophobic.
Force of Nature is a definite must read but I am not so sure I would recommend it on a weekend when I was home alone (or on a camping trip)!

One of the things I really enjoyed about Force of Nature as well as The Dry (Harper's first book) was that the protagonist, Aaron Falk, is real. He is damaged and flawed, doesn't know everything, has to rely on other people to get information and sometimes fill in the blanks. He is also humble.

Also the descriptions in both books are very detailed and vivid. The reader gets a wonderful picture of the landscape in which the books take place.

Harper's characters are three dimensional as well. While the reader can't always see or tell their motivation for actions, I feel, that the characters are easy to relate to - as in "Yes, I know a person like that."

Based on the first two books I would definitely read the next in the series.