I thoroughly enjoyed Harper's first three books, but The Survivors drags for at least the first two-thirds, and when finally some tension comes as we near the conclusion, it is a not-to-be believed and unprepared-for resolution. The clumps of side notes (white car rapidly leaving the beach, Liam and his moodiness, Ash's actions over the garden destruction at Wetherby, Brian's dementia) add nothing to the plot; rather, they just take up space and then they're dropped. Liam vanishes as a character in the story. This novel could have been much better had it been much shorter. The constant Surf and Turf scenes add nothing. The characters are wooden: Mia, Olivia, Ash, Sean, Kieran, and Verity have no depth and it's hard to care about them because they're so shallow. The only redeeming feature of this book was its Tasmanian setting.

This was my first book from Jane Harper, and while I was at first pulled into the story and the mystery surrounding Kiernan and his family, the story was just not great for me. The setting and atmosphere was spot on for a mystery. Boating and beach accidents seem to haunt the community. Not everyone is happy to see Kiernan return. The mystery of his brother’s death and the pain it caused has never been settled. Now again there is doubt swirling around and fingers pointing at Kiernan.
The narration was not a positive for me While Stephan Shanahan was an above average narrator, it was the accent that made it difficult for me. It is again something I need to be aware of in future audio galleys.

The mystery was set up well, but maybe it was the back and forth, the number of characters I kept getting confused or something else this book wasn’t a favorite for me. 3 stars.

A little different than Harper’s other novels, but actually a refreshing deviation from the outback. This had the makings of a murder mystery that might have a little too many characters, but I found that it walked that line perfectly and I think Jane Harper is an auto-buy author for me. She nails the atmosphere and builds the tension perfectly.

I couldn’t finish this book. Not sure if it was the narrator but it just didn’t capture me. It was slow and made me sleepy unfortunately. I really wish I could get into it but I couldn’t. I think a lot had to do with the narrator. Maybe if I were reading instead of listening it would have been better.

Another great one by Jane Harper. I always enjoy the atmosphere of her books and this was another great one. I had so many theories while reading and each and every one of them turned out to be wrong. Amazing.

Overall, this certainly wasn’t bad, just not one of my favorites. I was completely engrossed in The Dry but this one didn’t hold the same intrigue for me.

It was good. I originally wanted to read/listen to this because I'd seen the author's name before. The cover is really what caught my attention and made me notice the book in the first place. Would recommend.

When Kieran Elliott left Evelyn Bay twelve years previously, he hoped to leave behind the consequences of bad decisons. However, his father's health has declined and his mother is moving him to a home, so she needs Kieran's help in packing. Evelyn Bay brings bad memories for more than one reason. First of all a devastating storm occurred, lives were lost, and Kieran himself made a decision that cost two men their lives. When Kieran returns he quickly discovers that the townspeople have never forgiven him, and he faces more challenges that that concerning his family.

Even if the townsfolk didn't blame Kieran, he blamed himself, actually never forgiving himself, and has been racked with torture for years. Meanwhile, that long ago storm washed up a woman's body on the beach. That crime has never been solved and there are quite a few suspects. Rumors and gossip give way to fear, creating serious angst that affects many people.

I loved listening to The Survivors as an audiobook. This is one of my most enjoyable ways of reading. I felt a palpable connection to an already intense story, feeling like I was in that small village, among those people who had secrets, and felt like I was waiting right with them as events slowly unfolding, perhaps giving the truth finally a chance to reveal itself.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Occasionally I stumble across a well-known author I’ve never read. Ann Cleeves comes to mind. Until I received an ARC of the ninth Vera Stanhope book, I hadn’t bothered with a single novel of hers. I’ve since had the pleasure of going back to the beginning of the series and devouring the first few installments. The same goes for Jane Harper, whose latest book, The Survivors, is a well-plotted, character-driven story that places her among the best of contemporary mystery writers. I can’t wait to get hold of The Dry and begin working my way through her books.

The Survivors starts with an ending. After avoiding Evelyn Bay for years, Kieran Elliott returns home to help his mother move his father Brian to an assisted living facility. Well, make that two endings because within a day of his arrival a local waitress turns up dead. Not only was Bronte a gifted art student, but she also happened to be the roommate of Kieran’s old girlfriend.

It doesn’t take long for the ghosts to appear—and for police to consider Kieran a suspect. Decades earlier he caused the deaths of his brother and a friend, at least according to local legend. Even Kieran’s own father blames him for the rescue attempt that caused both men to drown. And the girl who went missing the same day was never seen again.

Two young women connected with Kieran is more than enough to resurrect the old rumors, plus a whole set of new ones. But did Kieran really cause four deaths?

The mystery kept me reading—and guessing—until the end but what makes this book compelling is the character development. The novel is a study in how grief ripples ever outward, altering lives, places, relationships. Kieran is not the same person he was in high school nor is his current girlfriend Mia, the former best friend of the missing girl. In fact, loss irrevocably changes the course of every character’s life. Even Brian—who refuses to forgive his surviving child for unintentionally killing his favorite son—has complex, nuanced emotions. Oh, and the coastal setting in Tasmania, with its fierce shoreline and endless caves, is beautifully haunting.

Often when I read mysteries the ending doesn’t match the build-up. The Survivors gets it exactly right. The resolution is heartbreaking yet absolutely, terribly plausible. It shifts everything into such sharp perspective that the glare is nearly blinding. Harper tells the truth about what it means to survive—and what it means not to. And she doesn’t tell it slant.

Much thanks to Macmillan and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ive heard so much about Jane Harper and thought I would finally read a book of hers. But it just wasn’t for me.

I liked the narrator of the audiobook, and I wanted to like the book, but I just could not connect. I do not know if I do not have the background knowledge to truly appreciate this book.

I enjoyed this book. It had a fabulous setting that matched the story line perfectly. There were so many complex characters in this book and Jane Harper portrayed them all and their emotions perfectly.
The middle of this book was kind of a slow burn, the story didn't get boring it was wasnt developing as quickly throughout this section of the book.
Overall an enjoyable read.

I tried several times to listen this book and I just couldn't ever get through it. I don't know if the accent was distracting or just that the story jut never really grabbed my attention. I made it about halfway through both times and it just never snagged me in enough to finish it out.

This was OK! It was not my favorite of this author. What I do like about Jane’s work is that the setting feels like a character. This fact makes the story come to life, even when you’re not familiar with the location. The characters were OK, however nothing about this was very memorable.

This was one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a while. I adored the sense of atmosphere, tension and intrigue. As this was my first Jane Harper I am extremely interested in reading more in the future. I think if you enjoy elevated but accessible writing, you’ll enjoy this even if thrillers aren’t your first choice.

Jane Harper continues to outdo herself with each novel written. THE SURVIVORS is a story that weaves the guilt of long-held secrets and the fear of them coming out in the present perfection. And, let's be honest, there is nothing like a a body is discovered on the beach to get the suspense kicked up a few notches.

This is my first novel by Jane Harper. I thought the narrator did a fantastic job with the audio. Initially, I thought the story was a little too slow-paced for me but this slow-burn of a novel paid off in the end. Would highly recommend to my fellow thriller/slow-burn book lovers!

I was very excited to start this audio book, I've seen many great reviews on Jane Harper's books.

Sadly, this book didn't work for me. There was too much shifting of past to present and I had to re-listen quite a few different times to get the story straight. It was very slow moving and felt like there was so much backstory. I made it over half way and had to stop, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for the advanced audio copy.

This was my first Jane Harper book. I thought the premise was interesting, the plot was intricately woven, and the characters were complex and captivating, but in the end it was a slow read. I think the book would be more appealing to millennial readers (which is not me). I'll give the author another try with "The Dry."

I loved the narrators voice for the audiobook. It really gave the book an authentic feel hearing the story being read by someone with an Australian accent.

I wanted to really love this book, but in all honesty, I found it quite boring. I thought it was very atmospheric, which I overall enjoyed. But, I didn't find myself connecting with any of the characters and that's one thing I really look for in a book.

I think readers who enjoy an atmospheric, slow murder mystery will enjoy this book.