#BookReview of #Exiles by Jane Harper | @laurasherlock21

Critically acclaimed international bestseller Jane Harper returns with Exiles,
Aaron Falk’s final investigation

[ About Exiles ]

At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her pram, her mother vanishing into the crowds.

A year on, Kim Gillespie’s absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country to welcome a new addition to the family

Joining the celebrations is federal investigator Aaron Falk. But as he soaks up life in the lush valley, he begins to suspect this tight-knit group may be more fractured than it seems.

Between Falk’s closest friend, a missing mother and a woman he’s drawn to, dark questions linger as long-ago truths begin to emerge.

[ My Review ]

Exiles by Jane Harper will publish with MacMillan February 2nd and is described as ‘an outstanding novel, a brilliant mystery and a heart-pounding story from the author of The Dry, Force of Nature, The Lost Man and The Survivors.’ Many of you will be familiar with Federal Investigator Aaron Falk as we meet him for the final time in Exiles, the third and final book in the Aaron Falk series.

“Aaron Falk is the character who started my whole writing journey so he’ll always be special to me.
It’s been both fantastic and bittersweet to bring together this final story for him.
I’ve loved writing Exiles and I hope readers enjoy it.”
– Jane Harper

Exiles is the story of a community ripped apart when Kim Gillespie disappeared out of sight on the night of The Marralee Annual Food and Wine festival, leaving her baby alone in her pram. The assumption, following an investigation and an unsuccessful search and rescue, was drowning, death by suicide. Now, twelve months later, Aaron Falk has arrived into Marralee to celebrate a family event with his old friend Greg Raco. Falk is not one to take time off so he is finding it a challenge to relax and take advantage of this beautiful place surrounded by vineyards and gorgeous sunsets. Raco and his wife Rita are his closest friends and put Falk under no real pressure to get involved, except to carry out his one job as godfather to their baby son.

In a community the size of Marralee, everybody knows everybody else’s business and now, with the upcoming anniversary of Kim Gillespies’s mysterious disappearance, there is a renewed interest in the case. Raco’s brother, Charlie, had a previous on-off relationship with Kim since they were teenagers, so her disappearance is still raw in their household. Kim and Charlie had a teenage daughter, Zara, who is convinced that there is more to her mother’s supposed suicide. Knowing her mother, Zara suspects something untoward happened and she starts throwing questions and situations Aaron’s way. Raco has a file on Kim’s disappearance and passes it to Aaron on the off chance he sees something off about the whole investigation. As the layers begin to unpeel, Aaron soon finds himself digging deeper into the disappearance of Kim Gillespie. As the threads begin to unravel, he starts to consider the possibility that Zara might in fact be correct.

A close-knit community doesn’t always welcome the questions of strangers but Falk is unphased and begins his own unofficial investigation, uncovering more information than he had anticipated over the few days.

Set in the wine country of South Australia, Jane Harper takes the reader on an atmospheric journey into the lives of this rural community. A very immersive experience with a mystery that is slow to unravel, Exiles is a suspenseful and intriguing read with characters that are very authentic, coming alive as the chapters open out. Aaron Falk is a superb protagonist and, as readers, we are treated to the perfect combination of insights into both his personal and professional life, making him someone we can all easily relate to. The ending is fitting and is one that I’m sure all Aaron Falk fans will be satisfied with.

Satisfying and entertaining, Exiles is a credible and vivid tale, one that I thoroughly enjoyed and am very happy to recommend.

[ Bio ]

Jane Harper is the author of four internationally bestselling Australian mysteries, including The Dry. Her books are published in 40 territories and have sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. Jane has won numerous top awards including the CWA Gold Dagger, the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year and the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year. The 2021 movie adaptation of The Dry, starring Eric Bana, is one of the highest grossing Australian films of all time.

Jane worked as a print journalist for 13 years in both Australia and the UK, and now lives in Melbourne with her husband, daughter and son.

Twitter ~ @janeharperautho

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