4.5 stars!

This is my third Jane Harper book so I knew a little bit about what to expect as far as her writing - which is incredible.

This is Aaron Falk book #3 (I somehow missed the second book, Force of Nature) but they do not need to be read in order and can all be stand-alone books.

Talk about slow burn!! This book felt kind of slow but also fast moving with everything that you’re learning. It’s 95% all from Falk’s perspective, which I very much liked. The second half of the book was so good.

There are kind of two mysteries to be solved throughout this book and I really love the way Falk makes his discoveries.

Jane is an incredible author, she makes the settings in her stories seem so real and vivid. I felt like I could picture this festival, the reservoir and the bushlands. I felt super invested in many of the characters storylines as well!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Exiles, is another winner for Jane Harper. It kept me wondering until the very end. I loved the family dynamics in this book as well as in all of her other novels.

I was so excited to get an ARC of this as I am a big fan of The Dry and The Survivors. I read this but I feel like this one (and all of her books) would be a fun audio book. She is a great story teller and writer of suspense and this one doesn't disappoint. This book is the third of a series featuring Aaron Falk, but to me, they can be read as stand alone novels as well.

thank you Netgalley for the oppurtunity to read this one early. These opinions are all my own.

Jane Harper is a master at telling a story. I was so drawn in, listening to each clue, not wanting to miss a thing. Aaron Falk almost feels real to me at this point. I look forward to any more Aaron stories you have. Thank you for this amazing book!

Another great thriller featuring Aaron Falk! the suspense keeps you guessing and the characters are great. I enjoyed the first 2 in the series and this one might be my favorite so far. Looking forward to more in the series!

The third in the series Aaron Falk series and my favorite so far. Enjoyed multiply mysteries in one book and the budding romance(s).

From page one, Exiles is full of speculation and suspicion. Where is Kim, the mother of a six week old baby who is found in his stroller at a southern Australia wine festival at the end of the evening? Kim's teenage daughter is off with friends and her husband is dining at a local restaurant when she disappears or, possible walks away. The plot centers on the one year anniversary of Kim's disappearance, with an appeal presented to the attendees to help locate Kim whose history of depression and her relationships with high school friends are brought into the investigation. Recommended for readers who like detailed suspense novels where many characters may have an hand in the possible crime.

This is my first Jane Harper read, and now I'm hooked!

I love a great suspense novel, and this one did NOT disappoint!

At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her pram, her mother vanishing into the crowds.

A year on, Kim Gillespie’s absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country to welcome a new addition to the family.

Joining the celebrations is federal investigator Aaron Falk. But as he soaks up life in the lush valley, he begins to suspect this tight-knit group may be more fractured than it seems.

Between Falk’s closest friend, a missing mother, and a woman he’s drawn to, dark questions linger as long-ago truths begin to emerge.

I went into this one not realizing that it was part of a series. I’ve seen wonderful reviews for the previous two books in the series, and had no trouble following along with this one.

I found this one to be slow paced. I was expecting more of a dark thriller, but it never really picked up for me. It was an interesting mystery and had almost a story within the story with the missing woman and an unsolved murder. I think what got to me what the relationship Kim had with her “friends”. Without giving anything away, that just frustrated me.

I’ve read great reviews for books one and two and hopefully will get the chance to pick those up in the future!

Jane Harper fans have always been able to count on the author to deliver mysteries that will keep them anxious to turn the page like The Dry, Force of Nature and now, Exiles.

Jane Harper is a master of suspense and had me gasping out loud and jumping at the sounds of my own house . Without a doubt, Exiles, has easily become my favorite book by Harper .

You don’t want to miss this one

Teaser :

Federal Investigator Aaron Falk is on his way to a small town deep in Southern Australian wine country for the christening of an old friend's baby. But mystery follows him, even on vacation.

This weekend marks the one-year anniversary of Kim Gillespie's disappearance. One year ago, at a busy town festival on a warm spring night, Kim safely tucked her sleeping baby into her stroller, then vanished into the crowd. No one has seen her since. When Kim's older daughter makes a plea for anyone with information about her missing mom to come forward, Falk and his old buddy Raco can't leave the case alone.

As Falk soaks up life in the lush valley, he is welcomed into the tight-knit circle of Kim’s friends and loved ones. But the group may be more fractured than it seems. Between Falk’s closest friend, the missing mother, and a woman he’s drawn to, dark questions linger as long-ago truths begin to emerge. What would make a mother abandon her child? What happened to Kim Gillespie?

Once again Jane Harper has stolen my life! Yes, I went to work but beyond that I moved to South Australia and spent hours with Aaron Falk, my favorite Federal Investigator and his circle of friends and colleagues. Not sharing any details - you will just have to read it for yourself and you will not regret those stolen moments, One of her best.

I thought this book was a bit slow to start, but I don't always mind that if what I'm reading positively gives to the book and story line. I do like a good slow burn book every now and again but something I would want to know about beforehand.

This is the third and last book in the Aaron Falk series. I really enjoy his character and wouldn't have minded reading more books featuring him, but at the same time, I respect that the author kept this at just three books. As much as I enjoy the characters in some of the long series I've read, I do sometimes wish the series weren't seemingly endless. This trilogy ended in a really nice way, and I'm happy that Falk gets to be where he is in the end.

As for the mystery, I enjoyed the slow pace of the story. Slow paced mysteries don't always work for me, but for some reason they do with this author. There end up being two mysteries in this book, and for a good portion of the story I was wondering if they were somehow connected. I had a pretty good idea who was involved in one of the mysteries (the hit and run one), but not why. The disappearance kept me guessing a lot more. Although I did suspect the person that did it, that wasn't the only person I suspected. Once the mystery was unraveled and the culprit was revealed, I couldn't help but wonder if I know anyone just like these people, and I just don't see it. I really hope not. I wish I could say more on that subject, but it would be a major spoiler for me to elaborate.

Overall, I like this author a lot. I like the writing style, and that, although things can get a bit dark, it's never too dark. At least not for me. I think I'm going to try reading one of her standalones.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I really enjoy Jane Harper's writing style. She is not a quick read but her stories are so well written. She paints vivid descriptions of Australia and the settings of her books. Her Aaron Falk trilogy has been a joy and this third installment is a grand mystery. I almost don't want to finish her books because I don't want to be done! Read this now! Thanks to NetGalley, Jane Harper and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jane Harper should get funding from the Australian tourism board for her novels. It doesn't matter what she writes about, I still want to go there, even when the environment is trying to kill us (The Dry).

Even though this is the third in the Aaron Falk series, this can be read as a stand-alone, slow burn detective mystery. A large cast of characters makes this novel a little hard to follow while listening to the audiobook, although the narrator is excellent. Fans of Harper will not be disappointed.

I won this ARC and was so excited, until realized it was book 3 of Arron Falk. He first made his appearance in The Dry and I loved it so I was so happy to see him back. Unfortunately I kept pushing this book trying to make time to read book 2. I finally jumped in and am so upset at the time I waisted to read this book. Will I go back and read book 2, absolutely! This Detective is like no other, I really enjoy how he processes things and the author continues to touch on things lightly that bother him and keeps refreshing the ideas until he figures it out, I love that it helps you uncover the true story all on your own.

I have read all of Jane Harper’s books since her very first novel introduced us to Aaron Falk. In The Dry. All of them have been superb. I admit I will miss Falk since I believe this is his swan song, but I’m sure I won’t be disappointed in anything Harper has to offer. And who knows, he could be back somewhere in the future.
Set in Australia like all of her books, The Exiles is as atmospheric as her other novels. You can feel the sense of remoteness in landscape and characters in Harper’s writing. I have never been to Australia, but I can enjoy experiencing it second hand.. She paints the picture of the land and it’s people with such. a fine brush that you can believe you are present in their world.
The novel brings Falk to the wine country for the christening of his friend’s child which had been postponed as the result of a previous tragedy. Not specifically tasked with solving an unsolved murder, Falk get tangled up with the lives and secrets of the locals. This plot has many layers and the denouement was not an obvious one.. But in retrospect you could ask yourself, huh. How did I miss that?
This is exactly the kind of mystery I like to read, character driven, no evil geniuses, lots of intriguing layers. It was a truly satisfying read and I will wait for the next of Harper’s book.

This is the third book in the Aaron Falk series. This time he in looking into the case of a missing mother whose young baby was left at a festival in stroller parking. The baby’s mother never returned and now the mystery of her disappearance is afoot. This book was slower paced in the first half and felt more character driven than plot driven but it really picks up towards the last half of the book. I’ve enjoyed the author’s previous works as well. Thank you to @NetGalley and @Flatiron_books for the advanced copy. Exiles is available now.

3.5 stars
This was a good conclusion to the Aaron Falk series. I have enjoyed all of the books but The Dry was my favorite. This book seemed to struggle with pacing, the beginning was extremely slow and then the conclusion almost seemed rushed.

This ran on 1/31/23

At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her stroller, her mother vanishing into the crowds.A year on, Kim Gillespie’s absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country to welcome a new addition to the family.

Joining the celebrations is federal investigator Aaron Falk. But as he soaks up life in the lush valley, he begins to suspect this tight-knit group may be more fractured than it seems. Between Falk’s closest friend, a missing mother, and a woman he’s drawn to, dark questions linger as long-ago truths begin to emerge.

Dabney and Maggie read Jane Harper’s Exiles, then (virtually) got together to discuss the novel. and are here to share their thoughts.

Maggie: This is the third of the Aaron Falk novels, and while I would argue that you don’t need to read the first two books to enjoy Exiles, I would certainly encourage readers to do so. I feel that Aaron has changed since the events of The Dry and I enjoyed seeing that and knowing the cause for his growth. Would you agree with that assessment?

Dabney: Look, I love Aaron Falk and I think Harper is a gifted novelist. AND it made me crazy that whole pieces of this book assume you recall what happened to Aaron and his co-worker Raco in The Dry. The Dry was published SIX YEARS AGO. I struggle to remember what I did last week! I loved this book, I really did, but I found it frustrating that Harper writes as though knowledge of Aaron’s past was assumed.

Maggie: Fair enough. I *cheated* by watching the movie with Eric Bana a couple of years ago, so I felt comfortably familiar with everything, but I’m glad you’re able to advise readers they might need to read the first volumes to keep up. Anyway….

One of the things that I love about Harper as a writer is that there are no big ‘evils’ in her stories. Bad things happen but it’s not due to flaming psychosis or super villains but flawed people making bad choices. She delivers a clear mystery – a puzzle to be solved and a smart, capable person to do that, which certainly happens here. What are your thoughts on how she handles suspense?

Dabney: Labels are interesting – I tend to use them very specifically. I’d say that Harper writes psychological mysteries. She builds tension in her books by beginning with a crime – here, a woman’s presumed death a year ago – and then, slowly, through conversations, shows what really happened. Her books aren’t scary or gory – they’re the reading version of a slow motion crash you can’t look away from.

Her villains and her heroes – and this book has more than one of each – are regular people whose actions are believable and rather low key. And, as you say, really no one is evil – although the person responsible for Kim’s death did an excellent job of hiding their true personality.

Were you surprised at the story’s resolution?

Maggie: Yes and no. Certainly, in the first few chapters I would not have suspected the perpetrator, but as the story went on, I began to feel uncomfortable with the information we were getting about Kim. I’d say that by the 50% mark this person was pinging my radar and by the 75% mark I was fairly confident they had something to do with what happened. I appreciated how Ms. Harper used the onion approach to her revelation – at the start, the little things that bothered me were easily explained but with each additional layer those small issues became more problematic. I also felt like it mirrored beautifully how this problem – and the people who cause it – hide in plain sight in real life.

Something I loved here was the opposite of what would be considered healthy in reality, and that is how Joel and Zara continue to fight for justice long after the people around them are embracing acceptance and resignation. I thought both these characters were marvelous – a bit too perfect for teenagers but otherwise really enjoyable. All of the secondary characters are likable (they are meant to be) but along with Gemma, these are my favorites. What did you think of those three?

Dabney: I was sure I’d identified the baddie at the beginning and then lost that conviction for much of the novel. I love that about this book – Harper uses those small revelations to constantly change our sense of what happens. This book, to me, is really about how tight communities often create a shared reality which can prevent them from seeing, you know, actual reality. A shared world view is a joy – we all gravitate towards being known and understood – and its to Harper’s credit that even at the book’s end, you understand – and don’t judge – why Kim’s friends and family saw things the way they did.

I too loved Joel, his mom Gemma, and Zara, Kim’s daughter. Their characters play beautifully with Aaron’s – he is a hero who listens intently to what others say, and their views are key to making sense of the story. They also made Aaron more human – his past and present with Gemma are very well done and give the novel a sexy sweetness that worked for me. Did that part of the book work for you?

Maggie: I thoroughly liked Gemma and the romance she has with Aaron. Even though some dark things happened to her, she seemed to live in the light – to just enjoy all the good around her and stay focused on that. And I loved her down-to-earth nature – her ‘practical’ romance and her sound advice about making life choices. I also thought the author did a nice job of balancing making this an Aaron Falk novel – showing us his character growth, letting us see him fit into a community of friends (something he was essentially incapable of in The Dry), watching him fall in love – while still delivering her trademark low-key but riveting mystery. I didn’t lock all the doors after reading this – I felt no sense of menace, and until the very end we see no one killed on page – but I was still fascinated by the questions of what happened to Kim and Dean and the bigger question of if there is really anything sinister going on or if I was just looking at two of life’s inexplicable tragedies. For me, the charming characters, stellar writing and interesting enigmas added up to an A- read. I would recommend the series as a whole to any fan of detective stories and argue it’s among the best in that genre. What did you think of it overall?

Dabney: It’s a strong B+ for me. It didn’t quite have the I HAVE TO KEEP READING THIS TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS that I truly love – Lisa Jewel’s books as well as those of Karin Slaughter are often like that for me – but Exiles is a compelling, fascinating, well told story. I’m very curious to see what Aaron does next – that’s an interesting ending for him, isn’t it? Here’s hoping Harper has more Falk tales to tell!

Maggie: Me, too! I look forward to seeing where (if) it goes next, although I love her standalone tales, too.