***I decided to both read and listen to this novel to see which I preferred. I was a bit worried that the Australian accent of the narrator would be difficult to understand but it wasn't. However I do feel that with the multitude of characters and moving from past to present, I got the best experience out of the physical book. I would still highly recommend the audiobook. The narration is good, it sets the atmosphere and setting well and it was easy to follow.
I received the audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley


***I am feeling both happy and sad. I’m happy that this new Jane Harper novel is every bit as good as her previous novels but sad that I will have to now wait for her next one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was a bit surprised that this book was set on the Tasmanian coast after reading The Dry and The Lost Man. I never knew I could see beauty in the Australian outback until I read those books. But Ms. Harper is a master of atmosphere and I quickly found myself caught up in the new setting.

Evelyn Bay is a small coastal town in Tasmania. Kieran and his young family have returned to the town to help Kieran’s mom pack up their house. They are moving his father to a home as his dementia has been increasing rapidly. His memory is very bad and he wanders a lot. It’s impossible to keep an eye on him at all times. So his mom will get a place close by so that she can visit often. Kieran hasn’t been back to the town since the fateful storm and tragedy that took place 12 years previously. Two people died that night, Kieran’s brother Finn and Toby, Liam’s dad. A young girl, Gabby, Olivia’s younger sister, just 14, also disappeared that night, and has never been found.

Kieran was just 18 years old when a raging storm trapped him and the girl he was with, Olivia, in the treacherous caves below lookout point. This area is notorious for shipwrecks and dangerous storms. There is a large bronze statue at the base of the cliffs, titled “The Survivors” that looks out to the sea. People can gauge how high the sea is cresting by looking at how high it reaches up the statue. On the day of the terrible storm, the crests were so high that the statue couldn’t be seen at all. When Olivia made it to dry land she sent a call for help and Finn and Toby’s boat, apparently in an attempt to rescue Kieran, hit the cliffs and toppled, killing the two men. Kieran has held the guilt inside him for all of this time. He feels it was his fault that they died trying to rescue him.

The night after Kieran is back in town, a young woman is found dead on the beach. She was here for the summer, working as a waitress but capturing lots of the coastal sights on camera for an art series she is working on at university. She is a talented young artist just beginning to discover her passion for photography.

Immediately all of the town has their own opinion on what happened, if a crime was committed and who the culprit could be.There is an online forum and it has people divulging secrets about everyone.

This is a wonderful example of Ms. Harper’s style of writing. The first half is a slow burn. She sets up the atmosphere and setting, then introduces us to the characters and their backstory.

The second half moves at a quicker and more tense pace as secrets are revealed and a detective from the mainland joins the local police in trying to uncover exactly what happened.

There are a multitude of characters but once you have them firmly set in your mind it’s pretty easy to keep track of them, both in the past and present. Everyone is a suspect until the ending and I certainly did not have this one figured out. Although I had some suspicions, they were only partly correct.

Jane Harper is a master storyteller. She builds and builds layer upon layer, to an explosive and satisfying end.

This novel is set to be published on February 22, 2021
Will post to Amazon upon publication

Family secrets, realistic characters and an almost palpable small coastal community for the setting, Jane Harper continues to keep me captivated and spellbound in her latest release.. I

Jane Harper's books never disappoint and this is no exception.

This is the story of Kieran Elliott who returns back home after a long time. He had moved away after a horrible accident caused him to flee a town that would not let his past rest. As he comes back, there is a murder in town and in the process of trying to solve it, the past is uncovered once more. And now everything that he thought was clear is no longer clear.

As with all Harper books, the atmosphere is a major part of this book. The town, the sea, the statues. And as with all her books, there's more character development and a slow burning unveiling vs a page turner, twisty thriller. Jane Harper likes to take her time and peel the story back layer by layer.

You get attached to her characters and you see how flawed they are and how so much harm can be done unintentionally and how people can live with remorse and regret for a long, long time and how it can destroy them from the inside out.

Another Jane Harper novel is always cause for celebration and this one is no exception.

I listened to this on audio and the authentic Australian accent really adds to her stories tremendously.

with gratitude to Macmillan Audio and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Survivors by Jane Harper encompassed all the elements reminiscent in a suspenseful mystery story. I could not have hoped for more. Jane Harper transported me to Evelyn Bay, a quaint beach town, located off the southern coast of Tasmania. It was the kind of town where everyone knew one another. Both tourists and the locals were drawn to the survivors, three imposing, life size statues erected as a tribute to the survivors of the SS Minerva. They stood guard outside the many caves carved from the rocks by the mouth of the sea. Jane Harper’s vivid descriptions of the sea, mysterious caves and brilliantly developed characters kept me immersed and guessing from start to finish.

Long time residents of Evelyn Bay, Kieran Elliott and his partner, Mia and their baby had returned to the seaside town for the first time since that fateful storm twelve years ago. Kieran had come to help his mother pack up his childhood home. His father was suffering from dementia and his care was becoming too much for his mother to handle on her own. Twelve years ago, a dangerous and very powerful storm found its way to Evelyn Bay. Kieran fled from the town but could not leave his memories or guilt from that day behind. Two people lost their lives that day and one local girl went missing as a result of that storm. One of those that lost their lives that day was Kieran’s older brother, Finn. Kieran always blamed himself for his brother’s death. He had been living with that guilt for the past twelve years.

One day after Kieran and Mia and their baby arrived in Evelyn Bay, a very suspicious murder occurred. A woman’s dead body was discovered on the beach behind the house where she lived. A full fledged investigation was started. The murder of that poor woman dragged up lots of old suspicions from that fateful day that occurred twelve years ago. Old secrets and feelings of jealously and resentment began to reveal themselves. It had all the townspeople speculating on how and why this crime happened and who could have committed it.. It brought back so many memories of that fateful day that occurred twelve years prior. Kieran and his friends found themselves revisiting that day and questioning the events of that day and how it went down. Even Kieran found himself questioning everything he thought he remembered from that horrific day. Could his memories be mistaken?

Jane Harper’s Book, The Survivors, was a very well written mystery with an element of suspense. Her descriptions of the sea, weather, landscape and characters were beautifully developed and easily imagined. The themes of family, friendship, trust, peer pressure, vicious rumors and gossip, discovery, forgiveness and long time held misconceptions were imbedded within the story. I loved every moment of The Survivor. This was the first book of Jane Harper’s that I had the opportunity to read. I am excited now to go back and read her prior books.

I received a complimentary audiobook of The Survivors read by Stephen Shanahan from Macmillan Audio through Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book is set to be published in February of 2021.

This is the story of a man, Kieran, and his young family as they visit his parents in the coastal town they grew up in. Set in picturesque Tasmania, the setting descriptions make the reader feel as though they are right there along with the characters. When Kieran, Mia, and their daughter Audrey show up in Evelyn Bay, Kieran is forced to deal with the guilt of a tragedy that took his brother and Mia’s best friend 10 years ago. A murder and the small community trying to grapple with the fact that someone among them may be a danger leads to long buried feeling surfacing from past tragedies.

While the author certainly kept me guessing about who done it and I enjoyed this read, it did seem to drag a bit in the middle. I also felt some interesting characters were introduced, but never quite evolved throughout the story. Overall, it is a read I’d definitely recommend for some lovely setting descriptions and some good entertainment.

***A huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The survivors is a fairly generic thriller, but in Australia... which is fun. In this story, the mystery of two missing girls from a small town is solved. There is a girl who went missing years ago during a terrible storm that two men from the town drowned during, and a girl who goes missing in this story. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but this story is single POV, with a couple of flashbacks to the past.

I listened to this as an audiobook, which I wouldn't recommend if you typically listen to audiobooks while driving or doing loud housework because the audiobook was super quiet. The narrator does have an Australian accent, and a nice voice, but the volume made it hard to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for providing an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sounds like a great book so far! Unfortunately, I only got to Chapter 6 before the app kept giving me issues. I re-downloaded the app a few times but just wouldn't let me play go past Chapter 6.

The Survivors audiobook, by Jane Harper, narrated by Stephen Shanahan

Thirty year old Kieran Elliott and his girlfriend, Mia, have returned to their coastal hometown, Evelyn Bay, to help Kieran's mother pack so that his father can be moved to a long term dementia residence. Twelve years ago, Evelyn Bay was the site of a sudden devastating storm that took lives, destroyed property, and caused untold psychological damage to numerous residents. Now, on the heels of Keiran and Mia's return to the town, a young woman's body is found on the beach. Twelve years ago, a young girl went missing from this beach and was never found. At about the same time, eighteen year old Kieran almost lost his life because of an unwise decision, several unwise decisions, decisions that led to the death of two men. 

The townspeople, his parents, and Kieran, will never forget the role he played during that horrible storm so many years ago. Visiting his hometown is a kind of torture for Kieran but one he thinks he deserves. No one can blame Kieran more than he blames himself for the deadly events of that day. Now, twelve years later, with the dead woman found on the beach, many of the same people of long ago become suspects and/or accusers, as the town rumors run rampant, in person and on Evelyn Bay's social media. People will say things, behind a screen, that they would never say to a person's face. 

This is a very slow story, full of atmosphere, a quiet sense of dread (some of my dread came from Kieran's three month baby being towed along everywhere, in her little baby pouch, scaring the daylights out of me and taking my mind off the story, at times...it wasn't the baby that scared me, it was how Kieran packed the baby around like she was a gym bag). I haven't spent much time at the coast but Jane Harper allowed me to really feel the location, the ocean, the waves, the caves, the beach, the mood of the only bar, the mood of the people, she made me feel like I was right there, in the story. Stephen Shanahan did a fantastic job of narrating the story and I plan to listen to two more of his narrations next (Jane Harper books). I did have to adjust to the timeline changing back and forth between present day and twelve years ago, without anything to denote the time change but I quickly got used to the story doing so. 

Jane Harper, after just two of her books, The Lost Man and The Survivors, ranks up there with my favorite authors. Now I'm on to audios of The Dry and Force of Nature. I'm looking forward to the next book that Jane Harper writes and hope it's not too far into the future. 

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

Good narrator with an Australian accent. The story follows a group of friends who were all affected by a tragedy that left two local men dead and a girls missing after a great storm. When another girl is found dead on the same beach, old wounds are reopened. Jane Harper tackles the subject undramatically and with care. I really liked this audiobook and will be looking for other titles by the same author

This was a audiobook for me and the narrator was good. Its telling mystery full of questions about what happened during one of the worse storms ever. Death, secrets and regrets. It’s seemed like the whole town had a lot of secrets. The author did a great job keeping me guessing until the very end.
Very entertaining and near the end I doubted everyone’s innocence. Well done and enjoyable.
I would definitely recommend this.

Thank you NETGALLEY and the publisher for this audiobook ARC, in exchange for my honest review. ♥️

I love Jane Harper mysteries. I've read all of her books. When she puts a new one out, I'm always a little nervous that it won't hold up to my high standards. This one did- and it's even stronger than the last few. It is set in a beach side town in Tasmania, with a current murder with ties to a cold case. Families and friendships are tested, dark secrets are revealed.

Harper is an Australian writer and her audiobook was read by Stephen Shanahan. Harper's books are perfect for audio- the Australian narrator really helps her prose stand out and makes we want to visit Australia. This book's writing is very economical- it felt like every word was purposeful. She builds characters and a story that build and let off, then repeat. They're not too suspenseful, yet really stand out as modern mysteries. This one is not bloody or gory- which I can certainly appreciate and which I think would make it suitable for younger ages as well (YA aged readers would be fine with this).
This book, using a defining trait of all of Harper's writing- makes the setting so vivid and different that it becomes one of the standouts of the book. Her characters are well written and explored.
I am so glad to see that Harper has still got it and I really enjoyed this audiobook of The Survivors. If you can't visit Australia right now (or in this case, Tasmania), this is a great substitute.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance audiobook for review.

The Survivors takes place in the small coastal town of Evelyn Bay in Australia. Kiernan has brought his girlfriend and newborn daughter to visit his parents and catch up with friends from the past. (Though he seems really reluctant to do so). We soon learn that Kiernan's father has dementia and because he doesn't visit often, Kiernan was unaware of how much or how quickly his father was succumbing to the disease.

It seems Kiernan doesn't visit his hometown often and doesn't speak with his friends much either. Soon we learn the reason for that: guilt. Kiernan feels guilty that his brother died trying to save him. When a young art student is found dead and secrets about that day come to light, will Kiernan still feel the same? Was he to blame for his brother's death?

Overall, this story was decent. I loved the setting, the author describes it very well. The characters were much harder to connect with, along with a lack of major events the story didn't have much going on for quite awhile. I didn't have a hard time understanding the narrators accent but it wasn't the most exciting narrator either. I think labeling this as a thriller was it's downfall as I automatically expected more tension between the characters, more suspicion. Instead I think the bigger mystery surrounded the events from 20 years earlier, and his brother's death.

Jane Harper does it again. This story is a wonderful slow burn, a great build up and such a rewarding ending. I really enjoyed the characters and the situation. I found it hard to put down because I needed to know what happened.

Sadly, I found The Survivors to be just okay. Several years ago I read The Dry by Jane Harper, which I really enjoyed. But this one, not so much. I think Harper does an excellent job developing the main character, Kieran, but there are too many other characters on such a small island to keep up with. I got the couples, brothers, friends and families very mixed up in the beginning. Plus there are multiple police officers, parents, and a random author who didn't add much to the story. I also thought there was very little action. I felt the whole story could've been several chapters shorter, as there was not much build up or anticipation. I'd say this is more of a slow burn character perspective on residents of the Tasmanian coast rather than a gripping mystery thriller. Well written, and perhaps a meaningful statement on family relationships, just not enough excitement for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for an ARC of this audiobook!

This was a huge disappointment. It feels like Harper is writing the same book over and over.

Some of the main issues are pacing, too many characters, and length. The book is about 100 pages too long, and the pace is extremely slow. It is really more literary fiction focused on family drama with a sprinkling of mystery. The mass of characters and names causes confusion and does not allow readers to connect with them, and Harper's jumping around the same day adds to this. I have been a huge fan of her other books and was really looking forward to reading this.

I had a hard time getting through this book due to a combination of a difficult to understand narration and slow pacing of the story. The first part of the book felt monotone in its rhythm and the narration matched that monotony. That, in addition to requiring effort to concentrate on the book because of the accent made for a book that I could only listen to while doing nothing else, even in the car I found it hard to stay tuned in to it. I should say the accent is absolutely appropriate and authentic for the story, but it's all the elements combined that created the issue for me. Another issue (just for the ARC version) is that with no labeled chapters it was very difficult for me go back and repeat sections where I got lost. I would give this book another try in print or e-format.

I received an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.

PUB DATE 2.2.21 Thank you to @macmillian and @netgalley for an early, free copy of this book on audio. 

I have read and enjoyed all of Jane Harper's books and THE SURVIVORS is no exception.

A small coastal town on the Austrailian island of Tasmania serves as a beautiful, yet deadly backdrop for this atmospheric murder mystery.  The death a young woman  causes  memories to resurface  from a devastating storm from 12 years prior. Long held secrets start to bubble to the surface that brings long held truths into question. Truths that could change lives.

This novel was a well-paced literary thriller with great characters. I enjoyed how Harper wove the  characters back story into the present day mystery. I had a tension that kept me invested in the resolution until the very end. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I've read two novels lately, this and THE EXILES by Christina Baker Kline, that have ties to Tasmania where my dear friend Ingrid hails from. I'm taking it as a sign that I should visit sooner than later. I'm packing my bags. 

NOTE to NETGALLEY: While I thoroughly enjoyed the narration on audio, the NetGalley audiobook user experience leaves a lot to be desired. No chapter numbers. Skipping issues. I know- it's a free book. But the lack of functionality of the app could impact early readers reviews at no fault of the book. Something to be aware of..

This is a story about guilt, and how easy it is to drowned in it.

I love a good mystery, and this was a captivating read. The slow burn build up left me increasingly anticipating what I knew was coming, and I appreciated the character dynamics & exploration of the adaptive & maladaptive ways family systems cope with loss. My one significant complaint, is that there was a lot of side character development that was left unresolved- I wanted to know how the twist impacted them!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 rounded to 5.

Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener’s copy!

Oh, how I Looooooove Jane Harper’s fiercely dramatic landscapes in her stories. Like Bill Bryson’s books, she makes me want to visit and smell and feel her faraway Australian settings., this one coastal. This story was such a slowly-building burn. I just adore how Harper develops her characters, brick-by-brick, never in a hurry, knowing the reader will walk the path with her. She’s great. This book is great! I’m such a fan.. This one was dreamy and creepy and super cool.

I loved The Dry, but this book was way too slow. Unlike The Dry, the story never seemed to build, but just plodded on and on. The mystery was there, but it just didn’t capture me. The best part of this audio was the Aussie accent, but even that couldn’t keep this one afloat.