Didn't realize this was part of a series, but didn't feel lost treating this as a standalone. Great character development. And finally, a thriller without wildly unrealistically twists!

From my blog: Always With a Book

This is the third book in Jane Harper’s Aaron Falk series and I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed this series. There is rumor that this is the final book in this series, and while I haven’t seen confirmation of that, I do feel that if that is the case, Jane definitely gave this series a proper send-off so to speak.

This is yet another atmospheric and compelling mystery that totally pulls you in right from the start. While you don’t necessarily have to have read the previous two books in order to enjoy this one, I think you will have a better appreciation for Aaron Falk himself if you do. But that’s just my opinion, plus they are incredibly good books!

As in the previous two books, we have a slow-burn of the mystery that meanders it’s way to the end but I loved it. Falk is down at wine country just visiting friends and it just so happens to be the year anniversary of Kim’s disappearance. He quietly starts asking questions in his own way and of course finds out more than he expected, including the fact that a hit and run accident that happened five years before the disappearance might somehow be connected.

This book is plotted so brilliantly, as are all Jane Harper’s books. By carefully delving into all the characters and taking the time to flush out who they are, we find that they are not quite who they initially present as and that just about everyone has secrets of their own. The story effortlessly moves back and forth in time, allowing us to see how all the pieces fit together and even though it is a slow-burn, it becomes an incredibly addictive story, as all her stories usually are. I had no idea where it was headed and that’s what I love about these types of books – they really keep me on my toes.

I have loved this entire series and cannot wait to see what comes next from this talented author. Whatever it is, I know for sure I will be picking it up!



Audio thoughts: As I did with the previous two books, I listened to this one and it was fantastic on audio. I was happy to see that Stephen Shanahan was the narrator, as he did the narration for the other two books, and I am always a fan of consistency with series, if at all possible. He did a great job with the voices and the pacing. His accent – to me what seemed an authentic Australian accent – was just perfect for this book!

Exiles is the third book in the Aaron Falk series. There is some hinting at shared history in the story, but it can easily be read as a standalone. I would recommend the whole series, however, just because it is good.

I enjoyed this third installment as much as the previous two. Harper tends to meander through her stories giving a sense of location and character. If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller, this is not it. This is more of a realistic investigation type of story. It moves slowly as you get to know the characters and their relationships. If you like a story that drops tidbits and hints along the way that, then this one is worth the read.

I loved that the book incorporates very real situations. Characters get interrupted before they are able to complete a thought or ask a question, they struggle with accounting, and there are times where there is that niggling almost there thought that they just can't grab on to. I love those aspects of reality that are included. There are also many relationships in this one that are not neat and clean, which makes them interesting and more relatable on some level.

I listened to the audio of this one, which was narrated by Stephen Shanahan. I think the narrator does an excellent job, but I also think the physical copy may be better in some ways. There are a lot of characters to sort out in the beginning and some time jumps in a sort of before and after way. Those were difficult to keep track of initially. Once you have it sorted, the audio is great, but it can be confusing. So if you struggle with keeping characters or timelines straight when they aren't always clearly separated, then go for the physical copy.

Kim was a devoted wife and mother, and mysteriously disappeared at a festival leaving her infant behind. Her disappearance left the small town confounded and beffuddled. Aaron Falk is in town a year later for a Christening, and begins to slowly piece together what happened to her. And when I say slowly, I mean slowly. I forgot just how slow burn Jane Harper's novels are and this one just about did me in. As the last book in the trilogy, it's clear that the author not only wanted to tell a compelling mystery, but also tie up loose ends about the protagonist. Aaron rekindles an old flame, which derailed the already glacial pacing. When Kim's fate is finally revealed, it's to little fanfare in spite of being quite brutal. So much of Harper's appeal is her vivid description of the Australian outback and how its harsh environment shapes behaviors and crimes. Set in Australian wine country, Exiles lacks that gripping backdrop. I'm glad that Aaron finds inner peace and love but I really picked up this book for a clever mystery and was left fairly disappointed.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Whatever happened to Kim? Supposedly she left her child in a stroller, at a festival, and walked away not to be seen again. The story starts a year later as Aaron Falk comes back to the area where Kim had gone missing. Aaron is back for his role as a godfather to Greg and Rita Raco's son, Henry, a job he had to give up last year after the disappearance.

Falk seems to be a workaholic as a financial federal investigator, but now he's back for a happy occasion, Henry's christening. Although sadness is present as Falk witnesses many posters announcing Kim's disappearance. Kim has a teenage daughter who along with many others wants answers.

We are taken back seven years where Kim and her friends have suffered the hit and run accident of their friend, Dean, and after that occurrence Kim seems to seclude herself from her friends.

How does all of this tie together and where is Kim? Even if she is dead, people want to know.

Jane Harper has made a compelling story with friends drifting and lives moving forward from each other. The elements of drinking and its often repercussions is brought forward. We do get to know Falk, a protagonist from Harper's previous books, and his troubled background and he does seem to meet someone he starts to care for. Can Falk find out the mysteries behind the deaths and can he possible finally find a place he can call home?

Thank you to Jane Harper, Macmillan Audio with a fine narration by Stephen Shananhan, and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this story, which published on January 31, 2023.

This was a fantastic mystery that has an outsider solving the mystery of a missing woman and a tight knit group of friends with secrets.

I enjoyed the setting of an Australian wine festival and the fact there is an additional mystery of a few years old hit and run.

All mysteries are explained and I appreciate the closure.

Exiles is the third Aaron Falk book, Jane Harper has done it again. Aaron is on his way to the christening of his good friend Raco's baby. While there he becomes intrigued by the mystery of a mother whole vanished a year before. He and Raco can't help but investigate and eventually uncover the answers to two missing people. Jane Harper is one of my favorite authors and Stephen Shanahan is a great narrator.

Jane Harper's writing can only be described as atmospheric. I feel the heat radiate off the page, I smell the brine of the ocean. There's something magical about it. Lyrically written crime novels are one of the best literary trends of the last couple of decades, beautifully descriptive but compulsively readable. Fans of S.A. Crosby, Tana French, and of course Jane Harper will love Exiles, the latest installment in the Aaron Falk line of books.

Loved this latest in the Aaron Falk series! Harper writes such amazing family dynamics and the landscape is always intricately involved in the story, often vital to the plot. I feel like I learn about Australia every time I read her books!

I first discovered this author years and years ago with her debut novel, The Dry, a powerfully written Australian mystery that first introduced detective Aaron Falk. I've enjoyed all of her other books too but I was so excited to read this new book featuring Aaron Falk again. While this is technically listed as a "series", it completely stands alone, in my opinion, even though the main character is in earlier books. The setting and side characters were new to me and I remembered very little of Aaron Falk's previous books and had no difficulty really loving this one.

The audiobook was very well narrated and I just really admire Jane Harper's ability to weave a great setting and a small town situation into a captivating mystery story. The pace of this book was gripping, and the plot line was intriguing and if you enjoy the types of mysteries that aren't quite a cozy mystery but aren't a psychological mess-with-your-mind thriller, this author is definitely one to check out. I do believe fans of my beloved Louise Penny would enjoy it. I absolutely loved some of the interpersonal aspects of the ending!!!

What a twisting story from start to finish.
A small town had a lot going on.
Whu would a mother leave her infant behind was not a question I was ready to hear answered.

It's ultra difficult for me to rate Mystery/Thrillers at 5 stars, mainly due to the glut in the industry and similar plots, tropes, and generally muddy execution. And I'm NOT saying this is a perfect story.

It is, however, original, and close.

I loved this from start to finish... the character introduction, the portrayal of relationships... the twists. Yes, some of the climax was telegraphed earlier on... but I think that makes for a greater sense of catharsis when ultimately the reader is proven right.

Very satisfying, I'd recommend this to anyone at any adult reading level.

As I listened to the audio, I think the narrator did a great job of portraying local dialect without going over the top and taking away from the ability to follow the story.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This had a superb twist at the end! I do feel like some of the storyline lingered on a little too long. It could have been shorter in certain parts. But the whodunnit portion of this story was fantastic. I had zero idea even though I was for sure I had it right!

Kim went missing at a festival a year ago and when Aaron Falk joins their community, he starts to search for answers to bring peace to Kim’s loved ones.
This was such a fun mystery! Some small things I guessed, but other twists were revealed and I was shook. The Exiles had a bit of a different feel than the first 2 Aaron Falk novels, but not in a bad way. I will say that it took me a bit to get my bearings on who was who and what was happening, but once I got oriented, I really enjoyed it.
I also love the narrator Stephen Shanahan so I’d definitely recommend reading the audiobook. It was the same voice as the rest of the series and he IS Aaron Falk to me. It transported me back. I loved him so much that I tried to look for more audiobooks in his catalogue and Jane Harper is it. I’m cheering for him to read more audiobooks in the future.

Exiles is the third book in the Aaron Falk series by Jane Harper, and my favorite of the series thus far. I found this book to be absolutely engrossing, encompassing various aspects in one novel. It has elements of romance, friendship, community and self-reflection, as well as an intriguing and layered mystery.

I admittedly enjoy series more as they progress and I get to know the characters better, spend time with them, and find out more about their lives. In Exiles, Aaron felt more personable and relatable than in past stories. The relationship dynamics within this story were heart-felt and nicely intertwined with the plot, making the mystery that much more interesting. The story is atmospheric, as well as emotionally impactful and realistic.

Exiles is a captivating and moving story. Not only does it carry the overall story arc to the next level, but it includes a complex, multiple murder mystery over two timeframes. The writing is engaging and the mystery is well-plotted, but easy to follow. I eagerly anticipate the next installment of this series.



I had the privilege of listening to the audiobook of Exiles, narrated by Stephen Shanahan. Not only does he epitomize Aaron Falk for me, and truly bring the story to life, but he absolutely encapsulates the character and the tone of the book. I highly recommend listening to the audio-version of this entire series!

Kim, the Mom of a one-year-old, disappears from the fairgrounds in a small South Australian wine country town, with her baby discovered alive and well in the baby stroller parking area under a Ferris wheel. Despite a year of investigating and blue car paint found in a railing overlooking a reservoir where Kim apparently got hit by a car near the festival, no body or substantial leads have turned up except for a sediment laden sneaker.

Falk, a seasoned Australian federal investigator, comes to town a year later for the christening of his best friend’s son, and gets drawn into the unsolved mystery of Kim’s disappearance the year prior. The festival, back on, serves as the backdrop both for Falk’s investigation as well as the playing out of complex interpersonal dynamics between Kim’s first and second husbands, her teen daughter Zara from her first marriage, and their close-knit and tight-lipped circle of family friends and community members.

Falk as a town outsider puzzles over the lack of shared information about Kim’s whereabouts during the festival before she disappeared. He questions the local police’s conclusion of suicide, sensing an undercurrent of darkness. He also wonders at a strangely coincidental and also unsolved hit-and-run death of a Dad at the same spot at which Kim supposedly jumped into the reservoir to kill herself.

To solve the crime, Falk has to venture into the community’s psychological heart of darkness and well-kept secrets.

Stephen Shanahan, narrates brilliantly, with his resonant Australian accent and subtle audio clues bringing Falk and his investigation to life!

Thanks to MacMillion Audio and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s audio version of the book.

Fantastic audiobook that neatly tied up the Falk series. Can definitely be listened to as a stand alone but if you have listened to or read the first two it adds to the story greatly. A young mother has gone missing without a trace at a festival, leaving her young baby behind. While the community, family and police try to find out what happened secrets start coming out. Taught mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. Narration was perfect with the highs and lows of the story. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and McMillian Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

Yes Aaron Falk again! This was a great thriller. I found the characters likable.
Falk in not formally investigating this crime. Slow burn but enjoyable.
Exiles is able to be read as a stand-alone. You don't need to read the others.- but I recommend them as they are great.

This book started out great and then it sort of fizzled out for me. I tried to continue with the story but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

"Exiles" publishing date 1/31/2023.
This book is a third book by a mystery writer Jane Harper's Aaron Falk series.
I didn't realize this was a part of a series, and I have never read/listened to Harper's books in the past.
I, for one, didn't feel as though we needed to read previous works - I felt the author did a great job pulling readers in, and I didn't feel confused or some items were unexplained.

An Australian Federal Investigator Aaron Falk was requested to help in a missing person's case, when his close friend's family member goes missing at a local festival leaving an infant behind. An year pass, and still no clue found - in this small town of winemaking, everyone knows each other and secrets are kept tight. It is atmospheric and readers would discover each character development slowly. There is a lot of character building, and if one wants to understand how one event might lead to next rather than sudden violent events happening to a person, this book might be one for you. The book is well written and kept me interested, especially the last 40% kept it going and I had hard time putting it down. The first half though, I felt could have been edited much tighter to my taste. At 12.5 hours of an audiobook, this is longer than the most and I am not sure if this book benefited from being longer.

This book is narrated by Stephen Shanahan who does a good job. Personally I am not very used to Australian English and took me a while to get used to his accent. By the end though, I wanted to go to Australia!

A copy of ARC audiobook was provided courtesy of NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. My opinions are my own.
Thank you so much!