I honestly couldn't get into this book. The narrator was great but the book just did not hold my attention.

Title: Gripping Australian Thriller - 5/5 Stars

"Exiles" by Jane Harper is a masterpiece that once again showcases the author's unparalleled talent for crafting immersive Australian mysteries. Harper has proven herself as the Aussie queen of suspense, and this book further cements her reputation.

The protagonist, Faulk, is a standout character, multi-dimensional and relatable. His journey through the story is filled with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. You'll find yourself emotionally invested in his struggles and triumphs.

The plot is nothing short of extraordinary. Harper weaves a gripping narrative that had me questioning everything from start to finish. Her storytelling is impeccable, gradually unveiling the mysteries of the past and present in a way that keeps you guessing until the very end.

"Exiles" is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a suspenseful, character-driven thriller set against the backdrop of the Australian landscape. With its compelling characters and masterful storytelling, it's a solid 5/5 stars from me. Jane Harper has delivered another literary gem that will linger in your mind long after you've turned the final page.

I love Aaron Falk novels. I enjoyed this one, but it got a little slow for me in the middle. There were lots of details about the layout of the festival and the location of the accidents that got a bit tedious and hard to visualize. I enjoyed the small community setting and the progression of Aaron's storyline. It was fun to revisit a few old friends from previous books.

Just when I thought she could improve upon her last, Jane Harper blows it out of the water with Exiles! Seldom do I ever award dive stars, but with this on it was without reservation. Very few authors have Harper's ability to for both pacing and detail. It is a delicate dance. In Exiles, we get to explore yet another region of Australia, wine country. Atmospheric without defaulting to the myriad cliche adjectives, Exiles invites you to coexist with the characters. You share their memories as well as their loss.You struggle with their lack of closure as you join their search for answers. Exiles will certainly keep you guessing until the final satisfying page!

Jane Harper and her go-to narrator are a team that can't be beat. These books are always gripping, easy to listen to, and plot driven without feeling contrived. Another winner!

A year after Kim Gillespie's disappearance no one is closer to discovering the truth behind her disappearance. A year later the family is planning to return to the site of her disappearance for the annual festival in hopes of learning new information. Joining the family is Aaron Falk, long time friend and federal investigator. Falk is still haunted by her disappearance and dedicated to finding answers. What Falk learns during his visit is that secrets are deeply rooted in this group and not everything is as it seems. As truth's begin to reveal themselves they Falk starts to reveal the truth.

This is a great read with plenty of twists and turns. I listed to Exiles on Audiobook and absolutely loved the story and narration. Would definitely recommend.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read.

I love this author's writings. While the story can be, at times. a slower pace, the development of character is top notch and the story moves along at a nice pace. I have enjoyed all of Ms. Harper's work and will continue to read anything she publishes.

Exiles is a slow burn at times. I have said it before that most thrillers can be. I listened to this but I think it might work better as a book. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and given how interrelated they are, I sometimes struggled to keep everything straight (especially since the story also goes back and forth between several time periods and there are multiple POVs. The narrator was really good. I would recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC for my honest opinion.

It was hard for me to put this one down, but unfortunately I fell asleep when I was almost done. Nevertheless, Harper delivered a satisfying ending to both mysteries and to Falk's love life!

I feel like I definitely should have read this series in order because I feel like I might have been missing a lot.

When a baby was found at a festival, the mom nowhere to be found, Aaron Falk is one the case. He seems to know what eh's doing but there were a lot of past references I didn't understand and there was a lot fo "talking about the case" rather than actual "doing things to solve the case"

I always find her books very atmospheric and she is so good at putting you in a mood that fits the story - but I feel like everyone was pretty blah, nothing really exciting happened and it was a struggle for me to get through the audio. Sooooo slow. And that combined with so many characters and backstories and connected families was a chore to wade through when I kind of didn't really care all that much about any of them unfortunately.

Great writing and narration of the audio - I just think I was missing out having not read the first two books and it was a just a bit too much of a slow burn for me.

I rarely jump into reading a series out of order, and I hesitated to do so with this one. I'd heard great things about The Dry, and it's been on my TBR list forever, but somehow something shiny always drew my attention elsewhere. I had read one of Harper's standalone books, The Survivors, and really liked it, and I've seen the movie version of The Dry (I know, I know!). Happily, this was an instance where jumping in at book 3 worked out for me. I really enjoyed listening to this book - there was overlap of characters and the movie did, in fact, help with that. The story is compelling - the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of a wife and mother in a town that Aaron Falk is visiting becomes the central mystery, with a hit & run accident several years prior becoming a secondary one. It took a bit to get characters cemented in my mind, but the characters were interesting and Harper's writing is descriptive and atmospheric without being overly wordy. The narration of the audiobook by Stephen Shanahan was excellent. Overall it was very enjoyable - and definitely moved The Dry and Force of Nature up on my TBR list.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

While this is a book in a series, I didn't read the pervious books and still enjoyed this one. I definitely feel like it can be read as a standalone. This is a slow burn thriller with a few twists along the way. It is very well written, and I found the character to be well fleshed out. Although a slow burn there was enough happening to keep me engaged throughout. I will check out the other books in this series.
3.5 stars

I’ve enjoyed this series so much, and this is the third book in the Aaron Falk series.

It was so fun to be transported to the Australian wine country, which I would love to see one day. Not only was this a mystery, but I loved that it also featured potential romance.

The audiobook was great, and I highly recommend.

*many thanks to Flatiron and Macmillan Audio/Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

I find Jane Harper to be a skilled author and "Exiles" is filled with suspense and twists and turns, I do recommend you read other books of hers first to understand the plot better,

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
The story covers the investigation of a missing woman. The way it played out felt a bit slow which made things boring at times. I have not read the previous books in the series, so I have no connection to the main character, which I think would have made the story more interesting. I thought that the mystery could have been better, but it was not bad.

♥ Thoughts ♥
I haven’t read the other books in this series but I do not think you need to in order to understand the plot. All the characters were well developed and the plot had me intrigued! This is a slow burn thriller that really focuses on the atmospheric setting (which I am a fan of). The action really happens in the last 30% and it is worth the wait.

The narration of the conclusion to this trilogy is excellent. The ups, downs, and sinister moments are mirrored by Shanahan’s pace and volume. Harper weaves not one or two, but three mysteries into the finale. The bounds of relationships established and “those to be” are explored. Romance for Faulk is a close second to the crimes. This installment can be read/listened to by those new to the series, as it gives readers background into his career and upbringing.

5/5 narration
3.75/5 story

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC.

My ratings and reviews are my own.

This was an excellent thriller but there was more to the story than just the two crimes/disappearances that are trying to be solved. The character development was excellent and the town so charmingly described it made me envision it perfectly. I’ve read and enjoyed other Harper books and this is my favorite so far. Definitely a fan and will keep reading her for sure!

Another fantastic book from Jane Harper. I don't usually enjoy slow burns, but her writing is so fantastic. Harper really gets your invested in the characters and does a great job setting the scene.

Well, I really enjoyed this mystery set in the Australian wine country. I didn't even know Australia had a wine country until I read this book. This was the first Aaron Falk novel I read and I really liked his character. He is an unassuming MC and was really good at judging human character and catching little nuances to help him bring the murderer to justice. I also think the narration was spot on. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this audiobook, in return for an honest review.