I have previously read The Dry and Force of Nature by Jane Harper so, when offered the opportunity by Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley to read The Lost Man, I jumped in. And this book is different. A great family drama set against the backdrop of the Queensland outback, 1500 kms west of Brisbane, where cattle stations cover several thousand square kilometers. Like that of the Bright family. Territory where temperatures regularly reach 45⁰C and to be left stranded means certain death. As Cameron Bright was to find out. Found dead and sprawled out in front of the Stockman's grave. Since the father Carl Bright had died, three brothers had shared the responsibility of managing the spread: Nathan, Cameron and Bub - the youngest. They all knew the peril of being stranded in the outback, so just what happened to Cameron? Is this a sinister occurrence or a stupid mistake? He leaves behind his wife Ilse and two daughters...

The Bright family have many skeletons in the cupboard - not the least - Nathan, with a troubled background. And Bub is no saint. And as various truths begin to emerge the family are faced with events that hold dire consequences.

The Lost Man is a fabulous mystery/drama that gets under your skin. Slow paced and relentless with reveals that are breathtaking in scope. Highly recommended. Another ripper from Downunder!

#TheLostMan is very different to The Dry but equally compelling. Atmospheric, clever and utterly absorbing. #JaneHarper's characters are always three dimensional and you are left saddened the book has ended but sated that the right loose ends are tied up. Another great read thanks to #NetGalley

I love the descriptive way Harper has of describing the colours of the outback desert, it's really evocative.

The novel builds from the discovery of the body of Cameron, a popular family man. However as questions start to be asked, a different picture forms of his character and marriage.

I read this in a weekend. Terrific.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of The Lost Man, a stand alone novel set in the Queensland outback.

When Cameron Bright dies of exposure neat the stockman’s grave in the middle of the outback, miles from anywhere his two brothers don’t know what to think - why he was there when he was supposed to be somewhere else and what or who brought him there.

Wow, what a read. I must admit that this is the first of Ms Harper’s novels I have read but I can now understand the buzz around her writing. The novel is told from Cam’s older brother Nathan’s perspective and it is so utterly compulsive I couldn’t put it down. It is listed under mystery and thrillers and while there is a mystery as in what happened to Cam and initially why Nathan is ostracised by the”local”community it is much more about the dysfunction in the Bright household and the unravelling of Cam’s life. It is absolutely fascinating and so well paced that my attention didn’t wander for a minute.

I love the descriptions of the outback and its cruel splendour. It is a hard life for the inhabitants- hours of driving to reach the closest neighbour and an environment so unforgiving you have to be well prepared every time you set foot over the door. Ms Harper really reinforces this with Cam’s death with initial suspicions pointing to suicide because an experienced man like him would not be so ill prepared. It’s a whole other life to my comfortable town existence.

Living in tough conditions breeds tough characters and it may be my imagination but the slightly offhand tone at the beginning of the novel seems to reflect Nathan’s character who holds himself apart from the rest of the world. As the novel progresses and the reader gets to know Nathan the tone seems more intimate. He, as are all the characters, is well drawn and becomes more likeable as more information becomes available. He is a tough, solitary man and seems to fit the environment.

The Lost Man is an excellent read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

The Lost Man begins with the discovery of the body of a man who died of heat, below an old grave in the outback of Australia. Like Jane Harper's other two novels the unique Australian landscape is as strong a character in this novel as any of the other protagonists - the lives of those who live in extreme heat, often hundreds of miles from their nearest neighbours is well described. The plot is strong, and I was kept guessing until the end as clues and details of the background of Cameron, the dead man, emerge.
Occasionally the device of keeping the readers dangling was overused - particularly I thought in the many growing hints about the central character and the secret in his past that meant he was especially isolated within the widespread community, but overall this is a gripping page turner, with a real sense of place. It sits well alongside Harper's other work and I can't wait for the next novel.

This was exactly what the doctor ordered as a compelling, creepy murder mystery that was brilliantly set in a powerfully conjured Australian outback. Two brothers discover a third dead, in inexplicable circumstances. Why did he leave his car in conditions that meant death from exposure?
I loved The Dry and this book similarly had a strong sense of an otherworldly place, along with the people who have adapted to live in it.

You know you really like a book when you simultaneously can't wait to finish it to find out what happens and at the same time you're dreading finishing it because it's so good.

Set in the harsh Australian outback, a family with three adult sons is sent into turmoil with the unexplained death of one of those sons. Was it murder? Was it suicide? Was it an accident?

This book is incredibly well-written - an absolutely riveting page-turner. Having read The Dry and Force of Nature, I had expected Inspector Aaron Falk to make a reappearance but that would probably have stretched his jurisdiction a little too wide. Instead, the land is the judge and jury out here, deciding who gets to live or die.

Set in the plausibly-named Balamara (based on Birdsville, a remote town on the border of the Simpson Desert) the blistering heat is palpable in Harper's book. Everything is nuanced and authentic and that's just the setting. She has also adroitly captured the way men speak to each other in rural Australia. Harper's real skill is understanding human behaviour: what makes each of us tick and what we do under pressure.

Nathan the lead narrator is given a sensitive internal monologue that only the reader is privy to as he is, in practice, a man of few words. I loved that distinction - hearing how different the thoughts and the words were.

I would highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy a fantastic literary thriller... Who doesn't?

Many thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and Jane Harper for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was delighted to receive an advance copy of The Lost Man, and even more delighted to report that I loved it. Jane Harper describes the harshness and cruelty of the Australian outback so vividly I feel I am actually there. Her characters are flawed, so realistic. I hoped I had guessed the outcome, I was delighted to be right. But I was gutted to be finished.
Already looking forward to Ms Harper’s next installment!

I loved Harper’s first novel The Dry and enjoyed the sequel so for the first few sentences of this I was slightly disappointed that it wasn’t another one in the series. Then I was totally mesmerised by the plot, the characters and the vivid descriptions of the harsh realities of life in the extreme heat of Australia where your nearest neighbour is 3 hours drive away and you never turn your back on someone in need when you’re driving even if you’re half dead or on fire yourself. It opens with the discovery of middle brother Cameron’s body next to a memorial for a mysterious man buried in the middle of nowhere. The description of the marks in the sand as he clawed his way round the memorial trying to use the shadow to protect himself from the sun as he died from the heat tell you everything you need to know about the dangers posed by the climate. The only policeman for an area the size of a European country is busy with incidents far away, so it’s left to Nathan the eldest brother and social outcast who hasn’t had any real contact with his brother for months to piece together what happened and gradually reveal the secrets from the past that have led to this point. If I’d been able to I’d have read this in one sitting bit I’m glad I spread it over 2 days and was able to savour the mystery. I can’t wait to read her next one now!

I have loved both Jane Harper novels so far and this, the third is right up there.

She is the Queen of the remote, raw and visceral Australian setting. You’re plunged into the dry, the heat and the lack of human contact here. Driving along a road without supplies could result in death. Your body might never be found - there’s a severe lack of passing cars.

But in the middle of this landscape, amongst the cattle farms and single houses, there’s a grave where the legendary stockman is buried. Used to frighten the children and people of this town. Now, a local man has been found lying in the grave...but why did he venture out here? and leave his car?

The story flits back to build up a shocking web of deceit, family breakdown and secrets which go way back. These are people from a unique place, where life is very different to anywhere else. The Queensland outback is not your friend it would seem and conditions are harsh and life dependent on landscape and weather.

The cast of characters is strong as are the relationships between them. I’ve never been to the area in the book, but then this is not a place for tourists. You have to have lived and breathed this land to fully understand and respect it. The secrets once revealed were both disturbing and sad.

The way the community, the land, the people and the past all wove together despite the gritty sandstorm of the plot is testament to Jane’s skill as a writer. Very cinematic and a thump to the chest ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the ARC of this book.
I've really enjoyed Jane Harper's two previous books, but I think this is my favourite book by her so far. Unlike her other books, this is a standalone self-contained story of a family and the mystery surrounding the death of one of three brothers. It's an easy, quick, engrossing read with a satisfying, if a little neat, conclusion.


In common with her previous books, this book does a wonderful job of evoking the huge landscapes and isolation of the Australian outback. I'm not sure I've read another author who is so good at bringing to life the landscape of a place without resorting to long, boring, florid descriptions which take you out of the story. It is such a skill to bring the landscape to life so well while always writing in service of the narrative. I love reading her books.


I really warmed to Nathan, the main character in this book, who is able to acknowledge his flaws and bad choices while still seeming somehow noble and trustworthy. His son Xander is also a really sweet and likeable character. It is really intriguing following the two of them trying to unravel the mystery of the reason behind Nathan's brother Cameron's death and uncovering secrets at the heart of their family.
I'd highly recommend this and Harper's other books.

The prologue is a perfect opener, a lone headstone stands alone in the vast open outback, the inscription faded by the elements. It stands where over a century ago a stockman became victim to the harsh environment and its now the scene for another death. The present day victim, Cameron Bright seeking out the small amount of shelter it provided from the harsh sun in his last hours as he met his inevitable end.

As the two brothers of the dead man arrive at the location and later join the rest of the family at his homestead the backgrounds, relationships and memories all flood back and layer by layer the lives of the Bright family are revealed, all the time keeping the reader guessing and wondering how Cameron Bright came to be at the location and why his vehicle with crucial supplies and water was found so far from his body.

The scene setting is well depicted with the Queensland outback setting the scene for this the third book by Jane Harper. A harsh location where neighbours are hours apart and roads are more dust than tarmac the red dust coating everything that moves in the vast open spaces.

With great characterisation from the outset the family and minimal staff at the homestead are all well written, and can be related to. Some of the residents in the local town of Balamara play crucial parts and the smalltown existence where family history is passed from generation to generation and grudges never forgotten is well portrayed

Having read and loved both 'The Dry' and 'Force of Nature' I started this one wondering if it would live up to the previous ones. No worries there! It exceeded my expectations, an incredible read! I loved it and I'm almost envious of those who haven't started it yet. Enjoy!

4.5 stars

This is Jane Harper's third book... I've liked every one of them enormously. She is definitely on my list of read whatever they publish authors.

This one is set in the huge expanse of the Australian out back,yet despite that the story felt claustaphobic to me.
A small cast,a lot of tension and an unexplained death.

The story is revealed layer by layer,so for me,by the end it wasn't a surprise to find out what exactly had happened,in fact it almost felt like there couldn't be any other outcome.
The whole book had some great characters,from the three main siblings,all so very different,the anxious son and the bullying father... each perfect for the role they played.

Another fantastic read from Harper.... can't wait to see what she brings us next