While I am glad that Harper chose to do one more installment on this series, I am still bummed it’s the end of Aaron’s storyline. I like Aaron and I’ve enjoyed this series and it was nice to see Greg back in Aaron’s story; Greg is a cop from Aaron’s hometown and was in the first book, The Dry. Harper is a good writer and a wonderful storyteller.

The book summary is kind of vague and I actually kind of like that for this series. This is unusual for me because for any other type of book, I want as much info as possible in order to determine if a book will interest me. Basically, the book summary just lays out the storyline the first half of the book: Aaron visiting his buddy, Greg, and staying at the vineyard of Greg’s brother (Charlie) for the Marralee wine festival and the christening of Greg’s baby son, who is Aaron’s godson.

There are also secondary storylines; one about the budding romantic interest between Aaron and a woman (Gemma), who lives in Marralee, that he met one night, 16 months earlier when she was in Melbourne for business. Then there is the also the renewed interest in a six-year-old car accident that killed Gemma’s husband, Dean, and that Dean’s 18yr old son is obsessed with. It’s also the one-year anniversary of a missing woman, Kim, who is the mother of Charlie’s 17yr old daughter, Zara, who organizes a tribute to her mother at the wine festival.

As the outsider, and an AFP investigator, Aaron finds himself seeking out info to organize what he knows and doesn’t know about Kim, and her disappearance, and the townspeople who he thought they knew her best. The story flips back and forth between present day and a year ago along with a few passages of some of the childhood memories of Kim from various people who knew her.

In the second half of the story, an off-the-cuff, Freudian slip from a relative has several people second guessing what they actually knew about Kim and how she had changed over the years. It also begins to send Aaron and Greg in another direction in their own personal investigation into Kim’s disappearance. The final part of the story brings in two new narrators with a major reveal that results in a shocking ending for the primary storyline. Aaron wraps up the other storylines, including his own HEA and a satisfying ending to the series.

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator’s voice. Some narrators are awful to listen to, some to the point where I turn off the audiobook and just read the ebook. Fortunately, I can do that with my Kindle Unlimited subscription. However, Stephen Shanahan, and his lovely Aussie accent, were very pleasant to listen to when I worked out in the mornings.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

@NetGalley @MacmillanAudio @Exiles

Jane Harper has a hit on her hands. Her novel was a slow burn that built subtly and quietly. You are drawn in and before you know it, you cannot but this book down (or stop listening in my case). I found this story to be irresistible.

Aaron Falk is on holiday visiting friends in an Australian wine region. His trip coincides with the one year anniversary of Kim Gillespie’s disappearance. Aaron slowly gets pulled into investigating by Kim’s 17 year old daughter, Zara.

Things I loved about this book:

Characters - This is a character driven novel and I am here for it. Harper is so skilled at etching out the essence of a personality. As the story continues, they become very vivid and very distinct like old friends (or like friends you wish you had).

Sense of place - How I wish I was in the Marralee valley! You can see the grapes hanging off the the vines, see the rolling hills, hear the tractor out in the field behind the house and you can taste the wine. Harper has created a beautiful wine town we all want to visit.

Story structure - This novel is really the tale of two mysteries. They are both crafted so well. Yes, there are some traditional tropes used, but with such a deft hand that it doesn’t feel trite. You are misdirected so many times and it is a delight to be lead astray.

I have not read the first two Aaron Falk books. The “mystery” was a standalone, so no issue with picking this up out of sequence. But, I am sure I missed out on character development that carried over from earlier books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the advanced copy.

Very clever! Loved the characters and the unexpectedness of the storyline. I listened to the audiobook in 2 days, could not put it down.

Jane Harper is the queen of atmospheric slow-burn mysteries. In true Harper fashion, EXILES boasts a strong sense of place with well-drawn characters. The story is set not only in a small Australian town, but a vineyard, which makes for an amazingly atmospheric locale.

Aaron Falk is drawn to Southern Australia wine country to investigate a year-old case of a missing woman who left her baby alone at a festival. With more than one mystery to solve, Falk seeks to unearth long buried small-town secrets.

EXILES is the third book in the Aaron Falk series, but just because this mystery can stand alone doesn’t mean you should sleep on the opportunity to read book #1, THE DRY. Take this as a personal challenge: read the first chapter and tell me you aren’t immediately sucked into the story. Knowing Falk’s history does enhance the third installment as we see him become vulnerable in ways we haven’t before.

EXILES makes for a fantastic audiobook. Who can pass up an Australian narrator? Stephen Shanahan has narrated many of Harper’s books and really does them justice. Readers who enjoy a slow burn mystery with well-crafted characters won’t want to miss EXILES.

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: January 31, 2023

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review. Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date.

Interesting mystery. Love the Australian setting. Nice to the see the main characters end up in a happier place this time.

I requested this book after reading a previous Jane Harper book that I really enjoyed. I have not read any Aaron Faulk books before but this was not an issue as it was a stand alone book. I may have liked this book more if I read it instead of listening to the audio. I found myself tuning it out because I was not interested in it very much. It was more so background noise than anything else. I found I kept getting two of the characters confused which hurt the story for me and made it harder to follow.

I was intrigued to find out what happened to Kim but was let down at the reveal. This was just a meh book for me in audio, but I've seen a LOT of great reviews for this so don't let my opinion hinder you picking this one up.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the audio copy.

Aaron Falk joins his friends in a small town to celebrate the christening of their young son, but a tragedy casts a shadow on the entire proceedings. Aaron becomes swept up in the one year anniversary of a local missing woman as well as a hit an run accident from many years before. Meanwhile, he starts to examine the relationships he has with his friends in this small town and whether he could strengthen the roots he has with them.

Exiles is written in a straightforward, no-nonsense writing style, which is perfect for this type of story. The clues kept coming, but I kept feeling like I was missing something, like all the pieces were there but I couldn’t figure out how they all went together. Harper is exceptional at weaving in stories that happened years before into the current narrative. Memories flowed naturally in and out as the characters went about their lives.

I haven’t actually read the previous books in this series, so I wasn’t sure how I would feel jumping into the third installment, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don’t think Harper gave anything away from the first two books, and I look forward to reading them to learn more about Falk’s background.

The audiobook was well-narrated, and I enjoyed Stephen Shanahan’s voice and accent. He was engaging and easy to follow, and I loved his accent.

I had a hard time with this book. While I enjoyed the twist and did not guess the killer I felt like the writing was a bit disjointed. I also had a bit of a hard time with the narrator. I think I would have enjoyed this better in print form.

Exiles by Jane Harper
Narration by Stephen Shanahan
Book 3 in the Aaron Falk series.
This was a very enjoyable addition to the series which I have enjoyed from the beginning. This one brings a major change in the life of the main character and I really liked it. I hope to see this series continue for a long time.
Narration was excellent.

Pub day: 1-31-22

If you’re a Harper fan I have no doubt you’ll enjoy this one too. This one started slower for me than the previous books of hers I’ve read and I didnt really feel the need to binge it until the final quarter of the book. Great twists though, both that I didn’t quite see coming but, thanks to the writing, had moments where my antennae went up and when it was revealed all pieces fit together nicely.

The narration was really great and completely transported me to this small town in Australia.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the alc in exchange for an honest review!

I always look forward to Jane Harper’s novels and Exiles was no exception. Exiles picks up in the Aaron Falk series (The Dry and Force of Nature), but it isn’t essential to read those two books to enjoy Exiles. The books picks up a year post the disappearance of a local woman, with almost no more answers than there were when she disappeared. With Falk in town to lend his detective cap, will they finally be able to figure out what happened to Kim Gillespie?

Falk is a great main character for Harper’s writing style - he’s pensive and an observer, carefully taking in clues around him. Exiles also has the same atmospheric feel as Harper’s other novels; this time set in Australian wine country. Read this one if you like a mystery that unfolds on the slower side, but keeps you engaged with substantial characters.

Out January 31. I received an ALC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've always enjoyed Jane Harpers writing. This is book 3 in the Aaron Falk series (which I wasn't aware of ) but can be read as a standalone. A baby is found alone, in her stroller, at a festival. The mother has vanished without a trace. A year later, her family and friends are having a get together in the southern wine country of Australia. Federal Investigator Aaron Falk is also there and trying to figure out what happened to this mother. He starts to notice that these people might have some hidden secrets. This was a really good mystery, and I was pulled in right from the beginning.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this audiobook

Jane Harper has become an author I trust. I feel a certain safety when I pick up one of her books. I know that by the end of her books, I'll be given an ending to a mystery that is satisfying and which I didn't see coming. Receiving an advanced listener copy of this book was a treat, and I am happy to provide an honest review.

This book serves as both a mystery, but as well as a study of Falk. Do you have to read the first two books featuring him to enjoy this one? No, but it does help to enrich the understanding of his character and how his mind works. Falk is thoughtful, and unlike other detectives who seem to share their findings with a flourish, he is merely a humbly observer who lingers on details until things come together. Mostly told through his perspective, we see this story unfold slowly while Falk also ponders his own personal life.

Harper creates a setting rich with detail, clear and distinct. Her characters are strong with depth who grow and change throughout her books. My only critique is that two chapters are written from the perspective of other characters. I think I understand why she chose to do this, and although they were well-written and interesting, they did pull me from the overall narrative.

The melodic voice of the narrator, with his lovely Aussie accent kept me listening to this book even though I struggled with it. The pace was slow and while I appreciate the intricacy of the plot, at times I felt like it became mired in too much extraneous detail. I found myself wondering often about the title and how it tied in to the story--the answer was provided eventually, but the connection was tenuous in my opinion. I wanted to love this book because of the beautiful setting and the cold case mystery, but it was just okay for me. Perhaps if I had read the first two novels I would have felt more invested in Falk's character.

Completely enjoyed the latest installment of Jane Harper’s Aaron Falk books. Procedural mysteries are my favorite and I love how many characters (read: potential suspects) Harper fleshes out. Hope she keeps em coming in this series. Narration was great, too.

First and foremost, I would like to thank Jane Harper, Flatiron Books, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars (rounded up to four)

*This book is part of a three book series but can be read as a standalone.*

While in town for a christening, Aaron Falk finds himself swept up in a year-old local mystery involving a young mother who had vanished during an annual festival leaving her baby alone by itself in a stroller, and a group of close friends who aren’t as close as they initially seem to be. Aaron Falk spends his time in Southern Australia piecing together what really happened the night the young mother, Kim Gillespie, went missing as well as diving into an unsolved mystery involving a hit and run accident that occurred years earlier.

This was a slow burn novel. A little too slow for my liking. I felt like the story dragged on without any real evidence of the crime being collected. It didn’t begin to pick up pace until about 70% in to the novel and by then my interest had already dwindled. I felt like there was also a lack of suspense leading up to the big reveal, leaving me wanting so much more.

I will say I absolutely loved the emotion and life the narrator put into this book (Stephen Shanahan). He made the characters come to life and really helped me maintain some interest in the storyline. I also really enjoyed the side romance that was included between Aaron and Gemma; it was super sweet and added a lightness to the read. Furthermore, I felt as though the character development was spot on, making me quickly relate/like those who were apart of the novel. The author also does a fantastic job of describing each scene as though you were actually there.

Overall, I enjoyed the concept of this story but felt as though something were missing. If you enjoy a (really) slow burn, small town mystery with a beautiful setting, however, pick this up!

Really only needed to hear the first and last 10% of this book.. the middle was way too much. It just dragged and did not need to be so long to get the story across. I would not recommend it.

Kim Gillespie vanishes and her baby is found in a pram.

A year goes by and her family and friends attend a celebration for a new addition to the family. Detective Aaron Falk is also attending the celebration.

Will this gathering cast doubts into what really happened to Kim? Could someone be hiding something? Her husband Rohan has been left to raise their child. Kim also has an older daughter Zara who is trying to find her Mother! Is either of them a suspect? Is Kim not wanting to raise her children?

This is the third book in series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Thank you @macmillianaudio, @netgalley and author @janeharper for this advanced book which is available January 31, 2023. I also had a copy from @flatironbooks.

I was so excited when I heard Jane Harper wrote another Falk book! I absolutely loved the first 2 and this wasn't too far off either. The descriptions are amazing, the audio narrator did a fantastic job as well and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the story! I hope to hear more from him in the future! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the audio copy. All opinions are my own.

Jane Harper does it again! This time Federal Investigator, Aaron Falk, heads south to Australia’s wine country to celebrate his new Godson and visit with family and friends. While there, his interest is peaked by two deaths that occurred a year earlier during the annual wine festival. One, an unsolved hit and run and another, the disappearance and suspected suicide of a local mother who left her baby unattended at the fair.

This book is the third featuring the handsome investigator, but it could easily be a standalone. It was slow burn, for sure, but the wonderful narration by Stephen Shanahan held my interest right up to the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC.