A well written, nice story but definitely an underwhelming mystery. Good atmosphere with wonderful descriptions of the coast and tides, but the plot kind of plods along. A decent book if you’re not looking for anything too exciting in a murder mystery.

This book is terrific. It was more of a slow burn than a lot of her books and I really enjoyed getting to know people in this town. I suspected almost everyone but the real culprit! Another terrific Jane Harper book.

Jane Harper has become one of my favorite authors ever since I discovered The Dry. She is so skilled at depicting sympathetic--but imperfect--characters and nuanced situations. The Survivors is set on the coast, which is different from her previous novels. It's an interesting change of pace, and she's made it just as perilous as the interior of Australia. This one was definitely a page turner!

In September of 2017, I read Jane Harper’s debut novel The Dry. I was instantly hooked on Harper’s immersive and captivating stories of long-held secrets, suspense and family drama. Since 2017 I have eagerly awaited every year for a new release from Harper.

Kieran Elliot returns home to Evelyn Bay, a small town on the island of Tasmania. Twelve years ago, Kiernan made a mistake which devastated him and his family. Accompanying Kieran are his girlfriend Mia and their baby Audrey. Trips home are always difficult for Kieran as the entire town is aware of the Elliot family tragedy. When a young woman goes missing during Kieran’s visit, the town begins to turn on each other, rehashing old rumors and opening old wounds.

The missing young woman is named Bronte. She worked as a waitress in the local bar/restaurant. Bronte did not grow up in Evelyn Bay, she was visiting for the summer to draw inspiration for her artistry from the town. Her death shocks the town, some suspecting an unknown outsider as the murder. I have read many stories of murders taking place in a small town; however I am always shocked by how quickly the residents turn on each other. Families who have known each other for decades now see each other as potential murders. Forever damaging trust and relationships. This aspect was particularly jarring in The Survivors because of Evelyn Bay’s dark history. Rather than tragedies pulling the community closer together, it made the community become even more fractured.

A century ago, the SS Mary Mirerva capsized, killing fifty-four passengers and crew. The wreckage of the ship now resides in the waters on the shores of Evelyn Bay. The wreckage is also an attraction for local and tourist divers alike. One of Kieran’s oldest friends Sean, owns and operates a boat which offers underwater tours of the wreckage. Above the waters of Evelyn Bay stands a statue of 3 people, the statue pays tribute to those who lost their lives aboard the SS Mary Mirerva. Named The Survivors, the statue also serves as a reminder of high tide. I found myself immediately drawn to The Survivors statue. How hard it must be to live in a town made popular by such a tragic event. Although the shores of Evelyn Bay are beautiful, one only has to look out upon the water and be reminded of the calamity. The capsizing of the SS Mary Mirerva is one of two catastrophes Eveyn Bay has endured. There is a dark cloud which hangs over Evelyn Bay. Readers will be completely immersed in the beauty as well as the darkness within the small community.

Harper’s hypnotic style of writing will enable readers to hear the waves crashing and smell the ocean. Her books consistently allow readers to find themselves transported to wherever the story takes place. Harper expertly uses the climate and atmosphere to create mystique and suspense.This aspect is always what I look forward to most when starting a book by Harper. The Survivors is no exception.

Although I enjoyed The Survivors, it is not my favorite of Harper’s. The Survivors for sure had its moments of cliffhangers and suspense. However, The Survivors lacked the tension of her previous books. The lack of tension does not affect my overall rating of The Survivors. I did not guess the conclusion and I found it hard to put the book down. Readers looking for a mesmerizing and atmospheric read should add The Survivors to their list of must reads.

The central theme of The Survivors is guilt. Kieran Elliott has been living with it for twelve long years, knowing that his decision to ignore the weather cost the lives of his brother and his brother's best friend, both very popular young men in their small village. No one's come right out and said so, but Kieran knows they all believe he's the one to blame. When a young artist from Canberra is found dead on the beach, the stage is set for readers to find out exactly what happened to her and what happened on that fateful day of the storm. The village was hard hit because not only did two young men die, but a young girl went missing as well, and instead of digging for the truth, it seems they all banded together in silence to ease everyone's pain. Well... that didn't work very well, did it?

Jane Harper does some interesting things with this story. It's the first time I remember reading a book that involves a young father who spends a lot of time carrying his baby daughter strapped to his chest while he's conducting an impromptu investigation, and that one detail tells readers a lot about his character.

The Survivors also shows the corrosive power of guilt. Kieran isn't the only one feeling guilt over what happened over a decade ago, and each person has reacted to it in different ways. Although the resolution of the tale took me by surprise, it shouldn't have; Harper planted clues all along the way.

There is a lot to like about The Survivors, and I am a huge Jane Harper fan, but I just couldn't warm up to this book like I did the others. I found it hard to connect to the characters, and the plot didn't engage me until the artist's death made Kieran wonder if there were ties between it and what happened twelve years ago. No, it's not quite up to her others like The Lost Man, but even Hank Aaron didn't hit it out of the park every time he swung the bat. I look forward to her next book with great anticipation.

I always look forward to reading books written by Jane Harper. She describes the settings of her books so well that I feel like I've actually been there. The Survivors doesn't disappoint. Set in a coastal town with dangerous caves and water currents makes the perfect ambiance for a twisty and dark mystery. There's murder, long-hidden secrets, and friendships that may not be all that they seem. Great characters and relationship building kept this story moving at a quick pace. Read and enjoy!

Jane Harper's The Survivors was one of the best thrillers I have read in the past year! I absolutely loved Harper's skills in writing this, creatively shaping a small coastal community where I could smell the sea breeze and hear the ocean waves. Although it started out a little slow for me, I quickly found myself racing towards the end trying to fit the pieces together - every time I thought I knew the right answers and had solved the murderers, it was soundly flipped on its head. For me, one of my absolute favorite parts of this book was that the main characters were an actual, functional couple with a baby - this definitely made this stand out from other thrillers.

I also really appreciated a few small lines in this book - one where there was writing on a character checking themselves on anti-ableist language (correcting themselves after calling someone insane) and another moment where we see our main character Keiran's inward frustration on anti-Asian racism (although I do kind of wish he had punched that guy). It was refreshing to see, especially after seeing some of these exact mistakes not checked in a recent 2020 thriller publication.

Fantastic book. Can't wait for more from Harper!

I will read anything Jane Harper ever writes. She's one of my favorite thriller writers and a master at using settings to drive suspense.. THE SURVIVORS is an eerie, atmospheric novel about a small seaside town and the secrets that linger beneath the surface. I couldn't put it down!

At the head of a series of dark, dangerous sea caves on a solitary coast in Tasmania stand a set of statues overlooking a tumultuous part of a seemingly endless ocean. This is the setting for Jane Harper’s The Survivors, a thriller which examines the cost of suffering and the rewards for endurance.

Kieran Elliott doesn’t like to come back to his parent’s home under the best of circumstances, and the present reality is far from ideal, making this trip especially torturous. He is helping his mother pack up the house in which he grew up, which has become too much to manage with his father’s worsening dementia. As he and his girlfriend Mia move knick-knacks from shelves to boxes and care for their newborn daughter Audrey, they find themselves suffering from both physical and emotional exhaustion. Tasmania holds bad memories for them both, recollections of a catastrophic storm which changed their lives forever: Mia lost her best friend Gabby under mysterious circumstances and Kieran’s brother Finn drowned while trying to perform a rescue during the gale.

There are good aspects to being back too though, and one of those is the chance to reconnect with Olivia and Ash, two of Mia and Kieran’s closest friends. The foursome meets at the Surf and Turf, a local pub, to grab drinks and catch up. One of the waitresses there is Olivia’s housemate Bronte, who is young, friendly and easy on the eyes. The eatery is all but deserted so everyone has a chance to catch up, talk to the new girl and relax. The (mostly) good vibes stay with Kieran and Mia till they are almost run over by a recklessly speeding car on the short walk home.  It is an ominous precursor of things to come.

The next morning Kieran and Mia, along with their friends and family, learn that Bronte has drowned. What is initially viewed as an accident by the locals quickly changes to a murder investigation as bruising on her torso confirms she was forcibly held beneath the water. It isn’t long before everyone on the island is looking at each other with suspicion, swiftly followed by comparisons to that time twelve years ago when Gabby disappeared during the worst squall in island history.

Harper excels at using her setting to great advantage and in The Survivors she creates an eerie, atmospheric location perfect for a mystery. I loved how superbly she captures the sensation of small town living - there is the cozy comfort of being known by and familiar with everyone around you but there is also the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped and spied on by those whom you call friends and family. There is the idea that everything you do is fodder for gossip the second it happens, and yet underlying all that is the awareness that everyone has secrets and all are desperate to keep them. The author spins everything together to take a seemingly innocuous community and build within it a tense, dangerous ambience.

It is the secrets - the need to keep some small, banal pieces of oneself private and the confined nature of the district making that difficult - which drives the story. There is no real sense of menace, no feeling of a killer unleashed and about to wreak devastation on the area, but there is a sense of mounting pressure as the small, hidden pieces of the past seem determined to break through to the surface.

Every character here has a beautiful depth to them that gives dimension to the tale. Kieran and Mia have chosen to move forward from their losses of twelve years before and create new and improved lives for themselves. They are both kind, caring, compassionate people who have become better rather than bitter as a result of what they went through. As they interact with other denizens of the community they learn that not everyone has been able to do that and that loss has etched deep, lasting wounds in many of the locals. I really appreciated how the author emphasizes that everyone’s journey through grief is different and how small things can affect  how well we are able to cope.

I also appreciated how she is able to endow everyone who comes on the page with a unique, realistic personality which made the story feel very true to life. From the police who are investigating the crime to the author who’s recently moved to the island, there is a solidity to those who appear on the page so that they don’t just come across as parts in a story.

The pacing here manages to be both languorous and strained. On the one hand, everyone is understandably upset and anxious about what happened and yet investigations take time. The endless police interviews and combing of the area for clues take days, which in itself creates another layer of anxiety. The people all want justice to prevail but they also all want to just get back to their lives without the worry and suspicion which currently permeates their neighborly interactions. As one outsider aptly puts it, “Places like this, they need to be tight-knit to work. Once the trust is broken, they’re stuffed. Whether people see it or not, the writing’s on the wall.” This is the underlying emotion that infuses everything and everyone; the perception that this latest blow to the town might destroy all they’ve built.

The Survivors is a deeply fascinating mystery which closely examines human interactions and the small things that can cause big problems in those relationships. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspense stories.

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I know many people love Jane Harper, but I have never read this author and this book was not for me. I would not call it a thriller, more of a mystery. It is very slow and there is no real excitement or twisty ending.

When Kieren, his girl friend and his baby daughter return to his childhood home in Tasmania to help his mother deal with his father suffering from Alzheimer’s, he knows old memories of guilt will be dredged up, but he doesn’t realize how deeply they will impact him. When teens, his brother died trying to save him from drowning during a horrific storm. Kieren has always blamed himself. Years later, the death of a college art student brings memories to life again when the small community becomes involved. The audio version brings the tension and emotion to life.

This was my first Jane Harper book and I really enjoyed it. I will be reading more of her titles now. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. The mystery was well done, and the way two mysteries were weaved into one was seemless. It was very enjoyable.

In a relatively short time, Jane Harper has established herself as a must-read author within the crime fiction community. With stories that feature complex characters and compelling plots, fans know they can count on her fiction to sweep them away from the world for the time it takes to consume them and leave them thinking about things for days to follow. After two connected books (The Dry and Force of Nature), Jane Harper released her first stand-alone mystery (The Lost Man) in 2019 and now follows that up with another stunning stand-alone called The Survivors.

The first thing readers notice about novels by Jane Harper is how important the natural world is to her plotting. The drought that serves as the backdrop for her debut fuels every decision in The Dry. Likewise, Force of Nature would be a very different book were it not set in the lush and dangerous Giralang Range wilderness. Even The Lost Man draws readers into its unique setting – a vast cattle ranch deeply isolated within the Australian outback. So, it will be no surprise how significant nature and setting are to her latest novel.

In the case of The Survivors, it is the sea that takes prominence. Evelyn Bay is an area dependent on its proximity to water – both in positive and negative ways. As a testament to this, a solemn statue stands guard out in the water marking the location of the sunken Mary Minerva. This monument can be seen – albeit differently – from beach to cliff, and always serves as a reminder of the past for townsfolk native to the area.

It is in this setting that readers are introduced to Kieran Elliott. Kieran and his girlfriend Mia have returned to the town of their childhood, bringing with them their infant girl. Kieran fled the area after his older brother was killed in a sea-faring accident, but with his father now suffering from dementia, Verity (the matriarch) needs help packing up the family’s belongings. Reunited with friends from his youth, Kieran begins to relax, thinking the visit will be less stressful than he imagined. That is, until a dead body is discovered on the beach one morning, opening old wounds that never healed.

The police begin to make connections between the death of this aspiring photographer and events that took place in Evelyn Bay years prior. Jane Harper has no interest in speeding her story along and instead draws readers into the atmosphere of the place and once again makes them care about the characters in ways that are rarely seen in crime fiction. Her prose writing is addictive and her ability to convey labyrinthine emotions almost unparalleled. In The Survivors in particular, it is the juxtaposition of grand scale tragedy with small-town life that feels fresh and innovative, but the heart of the story rests squarely on grief, guilt, and forgiveness.

Jane Harper knows how to build a mystery and in The Survivors the storyline allows for multiple possible solutions to the central case, forcing readers to constantly re-evaluate the evidence in order to determine which solution is the most logical. While readers are likely to figure out elements of the case, because of the complexity involved it remains unlikely that all answers will be found before Jane Harper presents her dramatic denouement.

The Survivors is another triumph for Jane Harper – sure to please existing fans and create new ones as well. Whatever she does next, it will most certainly be exciting, excellent, and unforgettable.

Kieran Elliott's life changed forever by a reckless mistake made during a devastating storm that lead to two lives being lost. Returning home years later with his partner and new baby in tow, he discovers that past is still alive as long-held secrets emerge after a young woman is found murdered on the beach. Along with the atmospheric landscapes of Evelyn Bay with it's caves and statues called the Survivors on the cliffs overlooking a famous shipwreck, Jane Harper is so good at painting the relationships and frictions in small towns. Another hard to put down thriller from a very talented writer!

The Survivors is Jane Harper's best book yet, which is saying something as she's a very talented writer! The atmosphere was charged, plus the descriptions were so vivid I felt like I was by the sea, and the mystery, spanning back over a decade, was intense. I really enjoyed this and think it will definitely add to Jane Harper's rapidly growing fanbase. Highly recommended.

The Survivors by Jane Harper is a very highly recommended novel of suspense.

Kieran Elliott, his partner, Mia, and their baby, Audrey, live is Sidney, but have returned to Evelyn Bay, on the Tasmanian coast. He has returned to help his mother pack up the house in preparation for selling it. His father, Brian, has dementia and needs to move into a nursing facility while his mother, Verity, will move somewhere nearby. Kieran and Mia meet that evening with Ash, Olivia, and Sean, at the Surf and Turf, a local eating establishment, where Olivia and her roommate, college student Bronte Laidler, are working. Returning to Evelyn Bay is a rare occurrence for Kieran. Twelve years ago he was involved in a tragedy during a terrible storm that resulted in the death of his brother Finn, and Sean's brother Toby. Olivia's younger sister, Gabby, also died that night. Kieran lives daily with guilt, feeling that Finn and Toby died because of him and there are others that share that sentiment.

The next morning Kieran discovers that Bronte was killed the night before. She was an art student who was exploring the area for inspiration over the summer before returning to school. By all appearances she seemed to be well liked. As her murder is investigated, rumors are swirling around on the community web pages, and secrets are exposed, many locals wonder if her murder has any connection to the deaths during the storm twelve years earlier.

Set on a coastal town where you have to respect the tides, with sunken ships off the coast, a statue dedicated to ship wreck survivors in the water, and dangerous sea caves off the shore, the atmospheric setting feels ominous. Adding to the turmoil is the current investigation and the various people who may be people of interest in Bronte's murder. Harper introduces several suspects and raises doubts on others as the plot unfolds. The writing is wonderful in this carefully plotted and paced narrative. It does start out slow, after the discovery of Bronte's body, but the pace allows you to catch clues and gossip, from now and from the past. The ending moves quickly, intently, and was unexpected until it happened.

Kieran is the narrator of the story and it starts out slow, almost as if it is Kieran who needs to practice calming techniques before continuing to observe the investigation and share details. He does have several times where something is bothering him and we have to patiently wait for what it is he observed and noted subconsciously. Almost all of the characters have this careful, measured attitude where various regrets from the past are cohabitating with grief in the present. Harper excels at creating very well-developed, complex, nuanced, and contemplative characters. Even the minor characters feel real, like real people you'd find in a small town. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but their virtues as well as their flaws are simply there, as is found in anyone, anywhere. There are several scenes where the emotions are so real and so raw it almost takes your breath away. 4.5 stars

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Flatiron Books
After publication the review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Survivors was an atmospheric mystery that centered around a past disappearance and a current murder.

Kieran has returned to his hometown, Evelyn Bay, after many years of avoiding setting foot in the place filled with tracing memories. Kieran’s brother Finn and his business partner/friend Toby lost their lives in a terrible accident at sea during one of the worst storms the town had ever experienced. On that same day, a young teenage girl went missing, assumed to have been swept out to sea during the storm- the only thing ever recovered was her backpack.

Kieran has always blamed himself for the deaths of the two men since it was his cry for help that had them out on their boat that day. And now as he’s come home to help pack up and move his parents, a murder occurs on the beach. As Kieran tries to piece together the events of the past, something is needling him. He can’t shake the idea that what he’s always believed to be true about that day, isn’t true at all. There seems to be a link between the missing girl from many years ago to the present day murder of a young woman. And by digging up long buried secrets, more and more suspects come to the surface.

This story has a slow build up without a lot of action. It focuses heavily on the characters and their relationships. I was kept guessing until the very end so that was a plus. However, when all was said and done I was still left with a lot of unanswered questions.

Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron Books for this advance reading copy. This book will be published 2/2/21.

Jane Harper uses nature to deepen and further her stories more than almost any writer I can think of. In her first novel, The Dry, the unrelenting heat and drought affecting Australia becomes a part of the story. In this novel, set in Tasmania, an island off the coast of Australia, the story takes place in a tiny seaside resort town, and the ocean and the caves surrounding the town are as much a character as any of the humans populating the book.

This is a story of long held grief, secrets, and family dysfunction. Ready to turn away? Not so fast. Kieran Elliott has brought his partner Mia and his baby daughter Audrey home to help his mother pack. His father has dementia and he’s moving to a home, while his mother is moving to an apartment near him. The house is chaotic and full of boxes, and often all Kieran and Mia want to do it escape.

After a reunion with their friends at the local bar the first evening, the peace of the town is shattered when the body of a young woman, a seasonal worker, is discovered on the beach. For the town, this dredges up memories of a terrible storm a decade ago, one that claimed the lives of three townspeople, including Kieran’s older brother, Finn.

Harper teases out the story of just how Finn lost his life, and the reason that Kieran feels responsible for his brother’s death. His mother, who says she is “fine” and begins her days with yoga and meditation, still seems like she hasn’t forgiven Kieran. Kieran himself likes to start his day with a swim in the freezing cold ocean. Both routines are salves, but not a cure, for either Kieran or his mother.

The death of the young girl takes the story inside the lives of all of Kieran’s friends, all of them young when the tragedy occurred, and who are now hitting their 30’s. While there aren’t a lot of characters in this book, Harper manages to maintain an interesting tension and surprise between all of them that keeps the narrative dynamic.
While there may be other books written about long buried secrets and long held grief, Harper brings to the table a real skill with plot. She is an original thinker and a brilliant narrative storyteller. The presence of baby Audrey even adds a note of optimism, one that somehow isn’t corny. This is a book about dealing with the past, uncovering a killer, and looking forward. It’s beautifully written and emotionally true.

I like the setting for this book, the sea side town provides the perfect setting for a story like this. The characters are well developed and believable. Kieran is a reliable narrator and it is easy to distinguish the flashbacks from real time.
The story draws you in and keeps you reading. I did not have everything figured out prior to the end, the author is very good at providing details but not giving it away.

4.5* I was so excited to win an ARC from the publisher (thanks, Flatiron), since I've really enjoyed Jane Harper's novels in the past. And I think The Survivors has risen to the top as my favorite. She so skillfully weaves the story from 12 years ago with the current story, revealing just enough to get the reader invested in what has happened. Once I started it, it was so engrossing that I couldn't put it down. Jane Harper has definitely become a "go-to" author for me.