Jane Harper sure knows how to write a prologue! She has an uncanny ability to instantly hook me in within the first few pages. The Survivors is yet further proof of her complete mastery of crime writing with a distinctly Australian voice.

In this story, we are transported to the coast of Tasmania. Kieran returns to his hometown with his partner and baby, but he and everyone around him are still so deeply affected by a tragedy that took place there twelve years earlier. When a body is found on the beach, old secrets threaten to come to the surface.

All of the characters here are so believable and well drawn, and I loved how their lives were all so inextricably woven together. It's a small town where everyone has been affected in some way by the town's communal tragedy and I loved the way that the author made me care about these characters. Jane Harper really writes relationships well, her descriptions of the setting are so vivid and the plot races along, I was turning pages well into the night.

After being absolutely floored by her debut novel The Dry, The Survivors is just further proof to me that Jane Harper is one of Australia's best writers. There are a lot of distinctly Australian crime writers out there at the moment, but no one does it quite like Harper.

An emotional murder mystery set in a secluded Tasmanian seaside town, The Survivors will leave you guessing until the last page.

12 Years after a freak storm hits Evelyn Bay and changes Kieran Elliot’s life forever he returns to his hometown with his partner Mia and baby Audrey in tow. Emotions run high as Kieran, Mia and the other townspeople are still flooded with unresolved emotions and unanswered questions from the lasting impacts of the storm.

On his first night back home Kieran reunites with his old friends Sean, Ash and Olivia and meets Olivia’s new housemate Bronte. When Bronte’s body washes up on the beach the following morning the entire town is once again plunged back into the guilt and grief that haunted them after the storm. In a small town where secrets both old and new lie just beneath the surface, the residents of Evelyn Bay are quick to point fingers, but are they missing something more sinister? Could this murder be linked to the unsolved dissapearance of Olivia’s 14 year old sister Gabby during the storm.

Keiran is determined to find out, and will uncover clues along the way that will have him questioning his memories of that fateful day and everything he’s known since.

My expectations for Jane Harper books are always high and this one did not disappoint.

Harpers writing style, where she weaves in small clues to create a fascinating complex story is amazing. Her ability to provide insight into the characters' pasts and their memories through thoughts and conversations leaves you with a feeling of well developed characters where you believe you know everything there is to them.

This is where Harper catches you, as when what you don't know about these characters comes to the surface you will be left shellshocked. She is truly an amazing author.

Once again she perfectly evokes the Australian landscape and anyone who has spent time in the coastal areas of Tasmania will immediately recognise the settings, if not use the attached photos as a reference.

Although this book might feel familiar (man returns to town where he suffered emotional trauma as a boy and is shunned by townsfolk) it has its own distinct plot and sub plots that will keep you captivated.

Amazingly crafted, intriguing and entertaining, i highly reccomend this novel to all.

Jane Harper burst onto the scene with her excellent The Dry and subsequently produced books that proved she is no one hit wonder.
The Survivors are sculptures set against caves in a small sea side town. Kieran Elliott returns with his girl friend and baby daughter t9 help his mother pack up the house. His father has dementia and life is getting hard for his mum. When a young girl’s body is found on the beach past ghosts resurface for Kieran. His brother and a friend drowned trying to save him 10 years ago when he became trapped in the caves by a ferocious storm. Their boat flipped and the two boys never had a chance. On the same day as the storm another young girl had gone missing and these incidents somehow become intertwined with the current death.
It’s a great story of family and friends and forgiveness and regrets. I thought maybe the ending was a wee bit weak but on the whole i love it.

I had decided who did what and why reasonably early in the book, and because I am usually fairly good at guessing these kinds of things in books I spent part of the book feeling a bit disappointed. After all, I absolutely loved Jane Harper's previous books and expected to love this one too. But then came revelations that didn't tie in with my theories and the guessing game was on again. As it turned out, I was completely wrong in so many ways and nothing I had guessed came to pass or was what I thought it was. In my opinion it isn't quite as good as her previous books. I found the dialogue quite dry and I didn't engage with the characters as I usually do. But this was still a very good read and I recommend it,

I had read Jane Harper’s other books and really enjoyed them but I think this one is even better than The Dry, for which she is renowned. Yes, at times the dialogue got a bit tangled it’s own complexity but this is easily overlooked when you consider the sophistication of the plot. It was complex but the reader is led through it in such a way that you don’t dare read too fast... A very good example of how modern mystery/thrillers can also be strong literary offerings.

Jane Harper's fourth novel is a standalone mystery, set in a small beachside community in western Tasmania. As with her other books, the Australian landscape is a key element in the book. This time it's the sea and tides that play a significant role.

"The Survivors" that give the book its name refer to three sculptures erected at sea to commemorate a shipwreck many years earlier. But it also refers to the inhabitants of Evelyn Bay who were deeply affected by three deaths during a violent storm 12 years earlier. Kieran lost his brother Finn and Finn's best mate Toby in an accident that he still feels deeply responsible for. Gabby, a 14 year old local girl, also disappeared and her body has never been found.

Kieran has left the town. He has a new life in Sydney and he and his girlfriend Mia (who was Gabby's best friend) have a newborn daughter. He has returned to Evelyn Bay for the first time in many years to help his parents with an upcoming move due to his father's dementia. The second night that they are there, another local girl - Bronte - drowns in suspicious circumstances.

I didn't think this was Jane Harper's best book but it's still immensely readable. At times it gets bogged down in conversations as rumours spread through the town, but she's a master at revealing enough clues to keep you guessing without being able to work out the answer too early. This would make an excellent TV series and it has many of the characteristics that made Broadchurch so appealing. A small community where everyone knows everyone but there are also secrets and grudges bubbling below the surface. Suspicion falls in turn on numerous characters, among them a resident author, Toby's wayward son, Kieran's apparently confused father, Gabby's grieving mother. Lots of disparate threads that all get woven back into place. Even a second rate Jane Harper is better than most other crime novels.

Thank you to Net Galley and PanMacMillan Australia for the ARC.

Another wonderful book by Jane Harper. Kieran and his partner and new baby head back to Evelyn Bay to help his mother and ailing father move. Once there memories from the night of the big storm 12 years ago come flooding back with unresolved emotions. A young woman is murdered while they are there and unexpected things turn up during the investigation into her death. It is a real page turner, the characters are all believable. What I particularly like about this author’s books is her ability to draw the place where the book is set. She really painted a picture of a small seaside resort, dependent on tourism for its wellbeing.

An absolute joy to sit down with a coffee in hand, the rain outside, and new Jane Harper ready to go. Immediately, I was transported back to that recognisable, comfortable Harper-verse. She has such a wonderful, easy writing style. Her descriptions of humans and their surrounding are lovely, and with this book set on the seaside, it's clear from the beginning that her descriptive skills cover a variety of vistas. As great as it was to be in this world, I found this book less compelling than its predecessors. After the propulsive, shattering THE LOST MAN, this one took its time getting to the meat of the mystery. There are many threads to follow that don't quite tie up as satisfyingly as in previous books. Having said that, this is still a neat rainy-day read with moments of suspense, insights into grief and intergenerational trauma, and explorations of the changing nature of friendships, particularly male friendships. I will take any ride Jane Harper wishes to take me on, and I remain as excited for the next one as I was for this. Thanks for the read.

Are the survivors happy or sad? Are they looking back at the people they lost or looking forward to their future? The answer is complicated.
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12 years ago a storm hit Evelyn Bay, a sleepy tourist town in Tasmania. 2 local men and one local teenager were lost in the deluge. In the present day, the body of 21 year old Bronte has been found on the beach. Old wounds are reopened, guilt once buried resurfaces, the seams of the tight knit community are strained and the storm, it seems, rages again.
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To say I was hotly anticipating this new novel by Jane Harper is an understatement! I got my hands on a prerelease copy and I was so chuffed, I promptly finished the book I was reading, swept aside my reading plans and dove right in. I was not disappointed.
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The story is immersive and had me on the edge of my seat. I made many (wrong) guesses and in the end true to form, I was completely wrong. Jane Harpers’ writing style is a delight and has once again evoked the Australian landscape perfectly. Look, I’m a super fan ok? This was never going to be a negative review.
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If you haven’t read any of Jane’s previous books, I highly recommend the Dry which is also being made into a movie with Aussie hot property and Hector of Troy himself, Eric Bana.
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