Aaron Falk is back, and better than ever.

I thought THE DRY was a great atmospheric, slow-burn mystery, but its follow-up FORCE OF NATURE just didn't work for me. I'm so pleased to report that EXILES is worth the read.

In this perhaps last book in the series, federal investigator Falk is visiting Marralee to spend time with the Raco family and become their son's godfather. The christening was supposed to happen the year prior, but was put on hold when family friend Kim Gillespie went missing. Falk isn't there to investigate; still he can't help but take another look at things.

The narration is by Stephen Shanahan, who's narrated Harper's other books as well. I had to listen at 2x rather than 2.5x speed to catch every word with the Australian accent, yet I found myself opting for the audiobook over the text multiple times. I also liked to have Shanahan's voice in my head while I'm reading the text.

This is the 3rd book in the series. Aaron Falk is in town for his friend's son's christening. While there, he finds that a woman disappeared a year prior and left her infant daughter alone at a festival. He starts investigating the disappearance and discovers what really happened.

I listened to the audio book and Stephen Shanahan was awesome. He truly did a fantastic job. However, this book was not for me. I can't fully explain why I could not get into this book. Jane Harper is a wonderful writer and she describes things very in depth. That could be the problem. It took a long time to get any where in the story. I was 3/4 of the way through the book before, I felt, it finally interested me. However, the book does give a nice glimpse into the Australian wine country and that was interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan audio and Jane Harper for the complimentary ARC.

A Jane Harper novel is a cause to celebrate. Harper's novels are always character-driven and atmospheric and low burning and still manage to surprise you and this one is no exception. It is the story of a mother who goes missing in the middle of a town carnival leaving her newborn baby behind in a stroller.

What would possibly make a mother do that?

The story unfolds slowly and deliberately. You get enmeshed in the affairs of this little town and the tangled lives its inhabitants have with each other. I was so invested in these characters and their story that I was heartbroken when I found out what happened.

with gratitude to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

A twisty mystery that has you second-guessing each character and their motives from the start. Jane Harper's works never disappoint, and this one immediately pulled me in!

Jane Harper finds themes that are so relevant in our contemporary lives, does thorough research, then thrills us with her excellent writing, not revealing the PROBLEM until well into the book. Which for me, shows me how easily taken in I can be by people. Most of us want to believe that people are basically good so we believe what we see or is in front of us.

This is the third book of Federal Investigator Aaron Falk. He is on vacation for the baptism of a close friend's child in wine country, Southern Australia. He gets caught up in the mystery of the disappearance of a woman - the one-year anniversary is the same weekend as the baptism. Falk gets drawn into the small-time life of this town, is attracted to a woman there, and with his close friend is determined to find out what happened to Kim Gillespie.

The suspense is wonderful. Harper does not disappoint.

I couldn’t wait to start this and couldn’t put it down! I’m a big Jane Harper fan, she is a must-read for me, and this does not disappoint! It’s one of my favorites of hers, and I love the unique plot line that always kept me guessing. Like her other books, this one takes place in a new part of Australia with a new climate and cultural factors. This one takes place in the rural Australian Wine country and like her other books, the local environment is almost another character.

Once again Steve Shanahan absolutely knocked it out of the park. He is one of my favorite narrators. I can’t recommend this book highly enough!!!

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Jane Harper, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Jane Harper is back with another thrilling police procedural featuring Aaron Falk. In story full of emotion and tense revelations, Harper strikes a chord for many readers and offers a sensational piece that is sure to entertain. Harper has kept me enthralled with all three novels in the Aaron Falk series and this is likely her best. Eager to see what Harper has on the agenda next, I hope this novel impresses other series fans and those who enjoy something with a great Australian flavouring.

A young baby is found on the grounds of a local festival in rural Australia. Her mother, Kim Gillespie, is nowhere to be found. While the baby is safe, it is the complete vanishing act has everyone baffled. People speculate, but this does not help in the search for Kim or strengthen the foundation that is a motive to abandon a little one.

A year later, plans for the baby’s christening coincide with an updated plea for news about Kim, who remains at large. Federal Investigator, Aaron Falk, is part of the group that has gathered, hoping that he can find a clue as to where Kim might have gone. While Falk hopes to work with the family, he notices things are not as bucolic as they first appeared in this small Australian community.

While things are slow to prove fruitful, Falk refuses to dismiss the gut reaction he has about Kim Gillespie and her disappearance. He discovers more about her past and how she was treated as a teen, particularly around the festival that is playing out around them. What demons lurk in the shadows and might they explain Kim’s disappearance? Falk will stop at nothing in his own policing style to get answers and bring news to those who need it most. With flashbacks that cover a variety of time periods essential to the story’s foundation, this is perhaps Harper’s best Falk Nobel to date. I am eager to see what other series fans think and how Harper will build things from here.

While there are many authors who have been successful in the police procedural genre, those who differentiate themselves have earned by additional praise. I have enjoyed Jane Harper’s Aaron Falk series from the start and can only hope others echo this sentiment. The writing is strong and has a great “Aussie flavour” that never gets tiring. While I appreciate Harper’s stand-alones as well, it is this series that always impressed me most.

Kudos, Madam Harper, for a great read with moments of quaintness amongst the heightened drama.

I loved the first two books in this series so was really looking forward to the newest installment. Sadly, I found this book drags and kind of depressing. I'll give another book from Harper a go, but hopefully it will be faster paced.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Bestselling Australian author Jane Harper returns with her popular series Aaron Falk (The Dry and Force of Nature) in this third installment—EXILES A captivating mystery of a missing mother from the previous year and another possible connected case. Are the two related?

Rich in character and place, Harper fans and Falk fans will be glued to the pages!

The book covers three timeframes:
A week in the present
A year earlier
Three years later

Told from multiple POVs, mainly of Aaron Falk, the seasoned, capable Australian Federal Police financial crimes investigator.

Set in the small South Australian rural town of Marralee near Adelaide. The opening of the Marralee Valley Annual Food and Wine Festival and Falk has arrived as the godfather of his friend Raco’s son, Henry, for the christening.

There are unsolved mysteries in the town. The year before, a mother had gone missing, leaving her baby in a pram at the festival, and six years earlier, a dad was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The mother’s daughter Zara and the man’s son Joel have joined forces to try and get some answers.

Aaron was in this same town the previous year, when thirty-nine-year-old Kim Gillespie, went missing from the Marralee Valley Food and Wine Festival, an annual event.

Kim Gillespie disappeared from the festival without a trace, leaving her six-week-old daughter alone in a stroller. A staffer discovered the unattended child, and authorities initiated an unsuccessful search.

Kim was thought to be suffering from depression, and it was assumed she committed suicide by jumping into the reservoir near the rear entrance of the festival. But her body was never found.

A year later, with the festival, family and friends want everyone to come together to try and solve this mystery. Maybe someone knows something they overlooked.

Raco, the law enforcement officer with another agency and the uncle of Gillespie's teenage daughter, has continued investigating Kim's disappearance. Aaron is on leave and agrees to help.

In addition to Kim's disappearance, there is unsolved hit-and-run traffic, taking the life of another town resident, Dean Tozer. Are the two cases related?

In addition to the cases, Falk has a relationship (or working on it) with Tozer's widow, Gemma. He met her in Melbourne months earlier.

Who committed the murders? Was it the same person? Motive?

There is much going on and Exiles is a slow burn; however, the author brings everything to light through the satisfying twisty conclusion.

From past to present, we are given clues and what Falk is thinking. The past must be brought to light. Fully immersive, a complex mix of family drama, detective, murder, cop procedural, and crime suspense mystery.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Stephen Shanahan for an engaging performance for all voices. Highly recommend the audiobook.

Thank you to #MacmillanAudio and #NetGalley for a gifted ALC. #SMPInfluencers

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Pub Date: Jan 31, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Jan 2023 Must-Read Books

Exiles by Jane Harper
Narrated by Stephen Shanahan

Deep in wine country, Aaron Falk is back at the same place he was at this time last year. At a small town festival with his best friend and his friend's family. Last year Greg and Rita Raco's son Henry was going to be christened and Falk is Henry's godfather. But the christening didn't happen because the mother of Greg's niece went missing from this very festival, leaving her baby unattended in her stroller. Despite pulling out all the stops, Kim was never found. Now, a year later, Aaron is visiting again for Henry's christening and to spend time with Greg and Rita, two people who are the closest people to family that Aaron knows.

Aaron spend all his time snowed under at his job as a financial federal investigator. He's sacrificed so much for his job that he seems to not be able to ever let up. It's a big thing that he took this time off, two years in a row, to spend time with friends. But this happy time of christening little Henry is weighed down by the continued absence of Kim. There are posters asking if anyone has seen her and her seventeen year old daughter is intent on being sure every festival attendee knows that Kim still needs to be found.

Another sad event is the hit and run death, several years ago, of Dean, one of the many classmates of Kim and the group of kids she hung around in high school. This story involves a lot of folks who have been close for a couple of decades and along with knowing each other for so long there are rumors and innuendos that run beneath the surface of polite conversation between the people present now. Who is the person whose vehicle ran Dean down? What caused Kim to pull away from her friends and family in the last year or so before she disappeared? Why would she walk away from her new baby? Was it suicide, a kidnapping, or did Kim just want to be done with the life she was leading?

I enjoy spending time with Aaron. He has a troubled past that will never let him go but he does his best to treat people right and be a good friend to the few people he's befriended. Now he's a godfather to little Henry and more a part of a family than he's ever been. He's even met someone who he'd like to spend more time with if his job didn't take up his entire life. At least while he is here he can help his best friend puzzle over the situations of Dean and Kim. If only he could stay here forever, a place he knows could be a home for him, if his job didn't place such huge demands on his conscience.

I was able to listen to the audiobook of this story while having the digital copy in front of me, a great way to enjoy Stephen Shanahan's voice while being able to see the spelling of names and places at the same time. Shanahan represents Harper's stories to me. I've now listened to him so much that I can understand his accent, which fits Aaron's so much.

Thank you to Flatiron Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the digital and audio ARCs.

Jane Harper has become one of my favorite mystery writers. Although crime is her genre, she writes some of the best settings of any contemporary writer I know. I often recommend her books to fiction writer friends who are seeking to establish strong, clear locations in their own manuscripts.

Harper’s books draw a fictional map of Australia that is as vivid for her readers as Middle Earth must be for Tolkien readers. Even for this reader, who has never traveled to Australia, reading about these locations—usually fictional composites of real locations—is inhabiting them in a visceral way. I can still clearly see in my mind’s eye the bleak farming town of Kiewarra, the setting of Harper’s first novel, "The Dry," as its inhabitants grappled with a shocking murder that takes place during the worst drought in memory. And the cattle ranch of outback Queensland during a brutal heatwave provides more than just a setting for "The Lost Man," it also contributes to the bleak, restless atmosphere of the novel. In fact, Harper’s locations are all crucial to her plots, from the rugged, bushland trails of the Giralang ranges in "Force of Nature," to a small, touristy Tasmanian beach town in "The Survivors," and now, in this new novel, set in the South Australian wine country, the beautiful Marralee Valley.

Her mysteries alternate between the series involving the federal investigator Aaron Falk, of which this novel is the third, and stand-alone mysteries. Each of Harper’s books are intricately plotted, and they often twine two obliquely related mysteries together. Most of her plots move seamlessly through time as well, from flashback to the present, and sometimes change POV from chapter to chapter. And in terms of the mysteries themselves, I am a longtime mystery reader, and it is rare for me to find a writer that so consistently surprises me without a single false note or trick.

In this new novel, Aaron Falk, visits the Marralee Valley to attend the christening of his godchild, which is taking place during the region’s annual wine festival. He becomes involved in looking into the case of a local woman, who went missing the year before, uncharacteristically having left her six-week-old child parked in a stroller at the festival. Did she commit suicide or was she abducted? Why didn’t anyone see her at the festival before she disappeared? Was this random or did someone want her dead? And, also, how often do family ties and alliances interfere with the commitment to truth and justice?

I listened to the audiobook and found the narrator to be excellent in conveying the different characters. A five star rating all around.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to listen to this audiobook before its US release in February 2023.

4 stars

In _Exiles_, Harper creates a palpable sense of place and a collection of compelling characters whose connection to a particular crime keeps the work feeling fast paced and engaging from start to finish.

This is the third installment in the Aaron Falk series, but it is my first read in the series, so I can say confidently that this can be read as a standalone but that it's also so good that I'll be going back to the first two expediently. Falk is an intriguing character and has just enough personality to be interesting on his own but also not to take away from the central mystery and the related thrills. The small town feel also comes through clearly here and impacts the story in a way that feels relatable regardless of the reader's personal experience.

I really enjoy Harper's work and was reminded of that so quickly in listening to this one. On a related note, I wholeheartedly recommend the audio version when and where available. As an added bonus, it'll take you right to Australia if you're not lucky enough to be reading from there already.

I recommend this even as a standalone, though I look forward to rounding out the series in the near future. Harper fans and fans of well devised thrillers will enjoy this one.

The mother of a newborn goes missing at a fair, leaving the baby behind. Where could she be?

I love the Aaron Falk series and was very happy with where this story took him. I felt like I could actually see what was happening in the story, which doesn’t often happen for me. Can’t wait to see what he gets up to in the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third Aaron Falk book so we get to catch up with some familiar characters. I really enjoyed it - good mysteries as well as flawed but likeable characters. I'm not sure there will be another Aaron Falk book; this one seems pretty final.

This is the third book in a series featuring Aaron Falk. The books can be read stand-alone, but I appreciated the continued building of the character from the previous titles. I listened to this book and found the narrator's voice easy to understand and his Australian accent contributed to the setting and atmospheric feel of the novel. This is a slow build, with the disappearance of Kim and the one-year anniversary of her gone missing the major plot point of the novel, but the character development and relationships are what propel the story. The relationships between the secondary characters, including Kim's daughter, new husband, former partner, and long-time friends of Falk lay the foundation that helps unravel the mystery. I appreciated the resolution for the disappearance, but I found the ending a little too tidy. I am looking forward to reading the next book featuring Falk.

Kim Gillespie vanished over a year ago leaving her baby in her pram. Kim had not been found and there have been no clues or explanation as to why she would leave her baby behind. Everyone who knows her claims this is out of character for her. She was a devoted mother.

Aaron Falk has come to town for the christening of his friend, Greg's son. The missing woman was once married to Greg's brother, and he asks Aaron to investigate her disappearance.

Tasked with trying to determine what would make Kim abandon her son, Aaron is also drawn to another woman. Not having enough on his plate, he finds another mystery to solve as well.

This book was on the slower side, and I struggled with it. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator's voice almost put me to sleep at times. I wanted more inflection and emotion; it made the slower feel of this book almost unbearable. But as I enjoy Jane Harper and the other books in this series, I stuck with it.

I have always enjoyed reading how Aaron solves cases. He is extremely dedicated and has lost many close relationships due to his commitment to his work. In this book, we see Aaron seeking out more personal relationships.

I am glad I stuck with this book as I enjoyed the resolution and how Falk solved the case(s). I enjoyed the characters and the atmospheric feel to the book. Harper excels at setting the stage and provides vivid descriptions to readers.

Exiles is the third in the Aaron Falk series but can easily be read as a stand-alone. A year ago, a mother went missing, leaving her baby in its pram at a wine festival. Now a year later, the family issues an appeal to the festival attendees for additional information. Aaron Falk is in town for a baptism that was postponed because of the disappearance. It’s a small town and everyone has known each other for ages. The tight knit group is discovering though that there have been secrets kept.
This is a slow burn story. Harper takes her time unwinding the story. Aaron isn’t formally investigating the disappearance, just asking questions on his own. Other friends and family have all been doing their own investigations over the past year. There had also been a hit and run five years before the disappearance which has also left lots of questions. The story delves into what we do for the people we love.
I listened to this but I think it might work better as a book. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and given how interrelated they are, I sometimes struggled to keep everything straight (especially since the story also goes back and forth between several time periods and there are multiple POVs. I really appreciated the ending and how Harper wrapped up both mysteries.
Harper’s writing is very descriptive and she does make it easy to envision each scene. She also does a good job of mixing the personal life of the MC with the mystery.
Stephen Shanahan narrated. His Australian accent caused me a few problems. I would struggle over a word and then by the time I figured it out, realize I’d missed a whole sentence. Another reason it might work better to read. But I heartily recommend the story as it was totally engrossing.

I love this series.

Investigator Aaron Faulk is in southern Australia wine country where a year earlier a baby was abandoned in her stroller when her mother walked away during a yearly festival.

The author slowly reveals the mystery as Faulk becomes embroiled in the lives of the missing woman’s friends. The story is a slow burn but also un-put-downable. You feel inserted into the story & as secrets are revealed you’re right there with Aaron as it goes down.

The narrator is perfection & part of the total immersion experience. This is drama at its best! And I’m not overly fond of drama. It’s just written so well!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio. Great series! I love Aaron Faulk!!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest chapter in the Aaron Falk police procedural series by the wonderful Jane Harper, perfectly narrated by Stephen Shanahan 5 stars! You must read the first two in this series but this would also work as a stand alone.

One year ago at an Australian festival, Kim Gillespie's new baby is found in her stroller but Kim is nowhere to be found. There were no clues and no witnesses. Kim's family - husband Rohan, ex-husband Charlie and their teenage daughter, Zara - are desperate to find answers. As everyone meets for a delayed christening, Melbourne Police Detective Falk gets drawn into the investigation.

I love this series and was so excited to fall back into this world, especially listening to the audiobook and that Australian accent! Typical of these books, they are very character driven and we see Falk's personal life more in this book. There are multiple mysteries to solve here, and Harper is masterful at connecting all the dots for the reader by the end. Highly recommended series - this was supposed to be a trilogy but fingers crossed for more!

Australian author Jane Harper burst on the mystery/suspense world with her very first book, The Dry. She has gone from strength to strength since then. That first book and this one both feature Aaron Falk as the protagonist detective. I like spending time with him. I think my enjoyment was enhanced by hearing, rather than reading, this novel. Aaron and the other characters just came to life for me through the narrator’s voice.

A mother reportedly left her newborn baby at a festival just a year ago. Did she leave her child voluntarily… or not? What about all of the people that she, Kim, left behind? They include a teenage daughter with Kim’s first husband Charlie, and her second husband, as well as those around them.

Harper does an excellent job creating a setting and a story. Are the events of the story linked to the past of these family and friends? Readers/listeners will surely want to know.

I highly recommend this title. Harper is in a group with other deep favorites of mine like Louise Penny.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this title. All opinions are mg own.