Kieran, his girlfriend Mia, and their baby Audrey return to their hometown- a small, coastal town in Tasmania. Soon after their arrival, someone is murdered on the beach. The investigation quickly becomes entangled with another tragedy that happened twelve years ago, when two people died and another disappeared during a storm. Kieran discovers that the events from the past did not happen as he originally thought.

This is the second book by Jane Harper that I have read. Like The Lost Man, this starts off very slowly. The pace picks up and I finished the second half quickly. The reason for the three stars is the climax. It just was not very believable to me. <spoiler> I found it very juvenile and far-fetched. He hid the truth about Gabby's death to avoid embarrassment and then, as a full grown adult, murdered Bronte to keep the secret. Really?! </spoiler>

I listened to the audiobook version, read by Stephen Shanahan. For the most part, it was paced well. I found it easy to understand, even with the accent (which I love!!) I do have one complaint- the story would often move back and forth in time. This happened without pause, making it confusing for a minute or so. The only other thing I found difficult, which is no fault of anyone's, is that you are introduced to A LOT of characters at the very beginning. It was hard to keep them straight. This is where a print version would have made it much easier. It did become clear who was who after a while, but for the first few chapters, I found myself having to really think about which character was which.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Just the climax kept it from being great for me. That is more about me and my preferences than the book. I enjoyed the characters, the setting, the slow burn.

I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Jane Harper but won’t be the last. Beautifully written and contained a good amount of characters and suspense. It had me guessing to the end. The setting really added to the story. I listened to the audiobook by Macmillan Audio and found the narration very enjoyable. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

Jane Harper took me on another amazing journey through the Australian landscape -- this time, next to the beautiful, perilous waters of Evelyn Bay. The Survivors was very different from her other novels, mostly because of the character interaction. It moved at a slow, steady boil but eventually the pot boiled over with emotions, arguments, and shattered lives.

This book had more dialogue than I remember in Harper's other books. In some ways, it drove me crazy. I listened via my Netgalley app which isn't very user friendly; I wasn't able to rewind to the parts where I needed to review a detail or a conversation. I would have preferred this in print, I think, but then I'd have missed out on the narrator's amazing voice and accent.

The Survivors by Jane Harper!!!

I almost wonder if I am giving this 3 stars instead of 4 or 5 because I read it via audiobook? It just felt that there were so many characters it was hard to keep straight.

I did enjoy the setting (coastal Australia) and trying to figure out what happened but in the end, it was a solid 3 for me. The first half was quite slow but I really appreciated the ending.

This was such an emotional story for me. I’ll start by saying it took me just a little bit to get started. I listened to the audiobook back and forth to work. Then I got hooked a little ways in. Being from America, I love the accents. But I expected so much more form this author as far as the story goes. I found the characters just bland. I didn’t really care about them like I would have liked. Except for Mia and Kieran. I despised Keirans mother and even Brian got on my nerves. The culprit could’ve been anyone really. As far as the perpetrator, I wasn’t impressed. It wasn’t shocking, no one would’ve been. All I could think of is I kept thinking is that it?! I can’t see someone doing that for the reasons given, unless they are a serial killer. It felt rushed and not thought out. The whole story. This could’ve been a four or five star read easily.

As far as narration, this was the best! The narrator is what kept me going. I loved what a great job was done.

This is my fourth time reading Jane Harper and I have loved every single one of her novels! This book was beautifully written and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what really happened all those years ago and how it was connected to the present-day murder. I have to say that my most favorite part of Harper's books is the atmosphere. She sets the scene so well that the setting almost feels like a character itself. She is also a master at painting the characters and problems that arise in a small-town environment. The Survivors was a slow-burning masterpiece with an ending that threw me for a loop!

I didn’t love this one—possibly I would have liked it better in written form rather than audio, but it’s essentially a murder mystery, about a small town that’s never truly recovered from the deaths of three of its people in a terrible storm ten years earlier. And then another young woman dies, and the original investigation is reopened. The mystery is solved in the last half hour, somewhat abruptly, after a looong drawn out reflection on the “survivors.” It was tough to stay engaged, but the book had a great sense of place and captured the tone of a town struggling with grief. Also excellent symbolism. But the plot fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook!

4.5 Stars

Set on the Tasmanian coast in a small town where nothing much ever happens, which means that when something unusual does happen, everyone knows - and very few forget.

It’s been twelve years since Kieran Elliot lived there, but he returns to his old home town when his father’s health diminishes and his mother could use some help. His old friends are still living, and while he’s happy to see them again, Kieran finds that, for everyone, it triggers old memories of a boating accident where Kieran’s brother Finn died, along with the brother of his friend Sean, along with the disappearance, on the same stormy night, of another friend’s sister, Gabby.

Like her other books, it is rich in atmosphere, and with a mystery that unravels very slowly, almost teasingly slowly, with a more ‘gentle’ level of intensity and suspense than her previous books that I’ve read, until the very end.

I’ve read, and loved or enjoyed all of her books, with The Dry being my favourite, but this is a very close second to that one, pulling me in from the start with such an atmospheric setting, a slightly ratcheting tension, and beautiful writing.

The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Stephen Shanahan, which made it even more of a pleasure to read.

Pub Date: 02 Feb 2021

Many thanks for the ARC Audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio / St. Martin’s Press

I saw Sally Hepworth recommend this one day on Instagram, so I knew I had to grab it. Is this an Instagram Made Me Do It, or an Author Made Me Do It?!

If you have a fear of water, or drowning, or it makes you really claustrophobic to read about deep bodies of water, this book isn’t for you. There are certain parts of this book that are in the ocean (obviously as it’s set in Australia) and I almost started hyperventilating when I was listening to it because of how close the water was in the story. It was so vivid and realistic. As a reader I could appreciate it, however, if it’s something that you are scared of it you will feel trapped.

This was a definitely atmospheric slow burn thriller. It’s beautifully written and the characters are very well developed. This the first book I’ve read by Jane Harper, and it definitely won’t be the last.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted audio copy. This is out in the US Feb. 23rd!!

This was a solid 3 star read for me. I enjoyed the story as it unfolded but it didn't leave a big impression. There was a lack of tension or action that I expect to find in a thriller, but I did enjoy the unravelling of the mystery and I thought the setting was great. Really my biggest issue was just the calm pace and quiet way the story was told.

The Survivors by Jane Harper was a good enough book to listen too while cleaning. The narrator was difficult to understand, and I kept having to pause and rewind. The characters were well developed but the story was a bit slow with a slightly dissatisfying ending. I did find myself picturing the town of Evelyn Bay because it was described in beautiful detail. Overall, a reader would need to dive in and judge for themselves about this book.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

Atmospheric, heavy, and full of character development, The Survivors is a story about carrying the weight and guilt of the past.
 
Kiernan, the narrator, has returned to the beach town he grew up in with his partner and infant daughter after twelve years. A few locals aren’t happy to see him and let it be known that his return is not welcome. They blame him for two previous deaths, and they haven’t forgotten. Soon after his return, a young woman connected to Kiernan’s group of childhood friends is found murdered. This brings up the devastating events of so long ago.
 
Discovering the mystery of this story takes some paying attention. I listened to The Survivors on an almost 12-hour audiobook. I thought the narrator did well, although he could’ve had more emotion. I struggled to keep my mind from wandering.
 
This is my first book by this author, Jane Harper, who writes beautifully. There are so many layers to this story and it’s a slow burn. Perhaps this would have been better for me in the book format. I do love myself a moody, descriptive book!

Thank you NETGALLEY, Jane Harper and Macmillan Audio for this early preview in exchange for my honest review. ♥️

Jane Harper’s books have a “strong sense of place” to borrow the name of a podcast I enjoy listening to, and this one is no exception - set in a small coastal community in Australia. Twelve years after tragedy struck the community, local boy Kieran Elliott and his girlfriend Mia - also from the same town - return to the community with their young child in tow. A key player in that tragedy, Kieran is haunted by the events of that fateful day when lives were lost, including his older brother Finn. Unresolved questions about what really happened that day still hang in the air. Fast forward to the present day and we find Kieran and Mia reconnecting with family and friends, hanging out at the local restaurant, and dealing with the challenge of a parent fast going downhill with Alzheimer’s disease. Then tragedy strikes this coastal community again when a body is discovered on the beach. Can this be a coincidence or are the two tragedies 12 years apart ominously connected? Who are the perpetrators and why? I love the slow burn of Harper’s mysteries - she has a knack of building up a mystery, letting the reader into the up close and personal mental and emotional psyche of her characters, and carefully scattering her breadcrumb clues. This is my fourth Harper mystery and I’ve enjoyed them all. I found this mystery got to slow but didn’t get to the burn part, like her other mysteries did. However, the book is still a good read/listen and earned a solid three-star rating and I’ll be sure to watch out for Harper’s next title. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this book.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

The Survivors was so atmospheric!

Force of Nature was a bit of a disappointment for me, and while I liked the Lost Man, it didn't quite compare to the Dry - so I'm pleased to report that the Survivors is up there with the Dry for me. I think Harper excels at giving the reader a strong sense of place in all four of these, but the plot arcs of the Dry and the Survivors are her two best.

The transportive nature of the writing was especially a treat; I really enjoyed how easily the book "put me" on the Tasmanian Coast.

While there's a present-day murder to be investigated, there's also a girl who went missing from the small community of Evelyn Bay on the day of a terrible storm a decade ago (and is presumed dead). Two other people died in that storm - the town still has trauma regarding that day, and those losses. And now another death on the beach.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the production was well done. I was able to follow the story without the text, though I did listen to it at a slightly slower speed than usual. Would recommend.

The first book I've read by Jane Harper. I listened to the story on audiobook thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio. I look forward to reading or listening to her previous books. The narration was easy to listen to. I loved the description of the landscape as well as the story line. I definitely DID NOT anticipate the ending.

When Kieran Elliot returns to his hometown to help his mom and dad pack up their house, he finds that long-buried secrets resurface while he's there. One stormy night when he was young changed the town and Kieran's life forever and a new murder opens up all the old wounds. Jane Harper can be counted on to write a twisty, atmospheric mystery and the audiobook read with an Australian accent enhances the story perfectly.

Listening to an audiobook is a very different kind of experience for me. I prefer books but this audio added so much to the story, I'll have to declare a tie. As you listen to this man's pain, it's evident that his life has been so affected by his youthful actions that he's having a difficult time just surviving. The narrator has done an excellent job of conveying the emotions and internal conflicts. An excellent rendition of a favorite author's work.

DNF at 54%. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's previous three novels, so this one surprised me. I found the plot increidbly slow and couldn't ever get invested in the story. The timeline moves around, which was confusing because there wasn't anything to differentiate whether the narrator was in the past or present. Speaking of the narrator, I've listened to books of his before and didn't have the issues I did this time. His Austrailian accent is lovely, but the pacing was slow and there was a big percentage of the time when I could barely hear him due to his low tone of voice, regardless of how high the volume was. Not being able to hear him clearly, conbined with a slow paced story made for a dud of a listening experience. I was ready to quit much sooner but stayed with it as long as I could, hoping to finish but at over halfway, I just didn't care about the characters or story so I gave up. I'd recommend fans of Jane Harper to try this one in a physical format.

I really like Jane Harper’s books. The Lost Man was one of my favorite books of last year and I was very excited to have the chance to listen to this book.
Social isolation has been hard. Work has been crazy, crazy, amazing hard and it’s been difficult to focus on audiobooks – it took me almost six weeks to finish the last one (granted, it was almost 32 hours long), but I finished this one in only four days.
Harper, as in her previous books, does an amazing job of setting a sense of place and atmosphere and the characters are well-developed. This book started off slow (never tedious) as we are introduced to characters and their histories; the pace picked up about half way through as bits of information about the character’s past are revealed. There were a number of red herrings, and I found that I guessed wrong a couple times– I never did guess right and found the ending satisfying.
I thought the narrator was very good and would have no hesitation listening to another book read by him. That being said, I have both listened to and read Jane Harper books, and I think I will read a physical copy of her next book – there are lots of layers that might be easier (at least for me) to appreciate with the written word.