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!

I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher via NetGalley.

Perhaps because I was listening to the audiobook and couldn't go at my own speed, I found this extremely slow. The prologue was fantastic and really drew me in, but then nothing happened for two thirds of the book. The romance between Gemma and Aaron was sweet, but not exactly what I go to crime fiction for. The resolution of the two mysteries made sense and had been clued fairly, but the story sort of meandered its way there.

I've loved Jane Harper's books since I read The Dry and Aaron Falk has become a much loved character. While it is sad that his crime solving days are over, Harper has given him a great send-off.

In this book Falk has travelled to Marralee Valley—in the heart of South Australia's wine country--for the baptism of his friend Greg and Rita Reco's baby. A year earlier, the baptism had been postponed when Kim Gillespie, Greg's former sister-in-law went missing, leaving her baby unattended at the town's annual festival. A devoted mother, this behaviour was out of character and Kim's teenage daughter is desperate to discover what happened to her mother.

As he tries to help with the investigation, Aaron learns about a hit and run that killed another local resident and about a sexual assault from many years ago that may have an impact on the disappearance.

This is a good book for any patron who enjoys a mystery set in a unique location. I will definitely recommend it.

Exiles by Jane Harper started off promising for me. However, it lost a bit of its allure throughout the middle of the book. I usually enjoy a slow burn, but it may have been a bit too slow and I started to lose interest. Thankfully, the ending picked up again.

Loved the book! I did figure out the end quite early on at the bathroom recounting but it was fun to read. I like how in-depth the characters were.

The narrator was good, I continue to find audio books a little slow going; they read at a much slower pace than I read or talk.

I am joining the Jane Harper fan club late, with Exiles my first, but not my last, read by the well-known author. A lighter crime novel in my opinion, Exiles was a fantastic (standalone) novel in the Aaron Falk series. Falk is a Federal Investigator in Australia and in this third novel readers follow him to Southern Australia to his friend's wine estate for their annual festival and his Godson's christening. Of course, it wouldn't be a crime novel if that was all there was to it. You see, one year prior one of the friends in the group had their wife go missing and they're using this time to continue to get answers. Falk doesn't ever take his investigator hat off, so while he's falling for a woman, spending time with his friends, and exploring changing his life, he also becomes sucked into the events that led up to everything.

Again, it's not a true standalone, but I successfully read it as such and truly enjoyed it. Plus, Harper's storytelling skills helped me keep up, with beautiful scenery descriptions and extensive character development. From Falk's perspective we get a little bit of everyone's stories, their connections weaving together from childhood to today. From evening barbecues to the festival grounds, Falk uncovers unique histories that keep the friends close, albeit often tense around one another. We see two investigations intertwine, feel the tense pulls of friends holding secrets, and the spark of lust as Falk truly sets aside work to relax, even while putting the pieces together.

On audio this was just incredible, Stephen Shananhan has an excellent voice for a Federal Investigator and tackled the changing settings and moods perfectly. His accent really helped me feel immersed in the Southern Australian wine country, plus I am terrible with pronunciation of cities! I truly loved the mix of mystery and investigation with relaxed Falk and his friends. It wasn't the amped up crime novel I am used to and I found myself able to relax with the pacing. This one was a hit for me and I'm truly looking forward to going back to the first Aaron Falk novel.

Ok, wow! This audiobook was fantastic. I loved the setting. I loved how this story slowly cracked open. It was paced so nicely. I loved the narrator. It was so perfectly told. I love when I am listening to a story and everything else fades away! That is precisely what happened with this story! I found that some stories stay with you after you finish and this is one of those stories! A must read/listen!!

Dear Exiles,
For being the third book in a series, I did not feel lost at all, despite not having read the previous books. I did not feel like I was missing much back story or character building, but was able to drop into this chapter of Falk's life. I was a bit confused at time, simply because the cast of characters is vast, and a few of them have similar names, but your story was so interesting to me. I loved that Falk was not a traditional investigator or police man, but had his own unique lens to look at the situation. But I do feel like you could have played up the bad guy a bit more. It felt out of left field at first, because he was so peripheral to your main story. But I enjoyed Harper's writing a lot and my have to check out the other two books with Falk as the main character, knowing that I know how his story ends up.

Exiles is a wonderful book with great character development. It draws you in immediately and keeps you in limbo till the very end.

There are actually two mysteries in this story... both take place in a small town where everybody seems to have grown up together and known each other for many years. The first mystery is a missing new mom who hasn't been seen now in a year. She abandoned her 6 wk old daughter at a stroller parking area in a busy festival and disappeared into thin air. While there are suspicions of family members or the spouse being involved, everyone has a good alibi and the case goes unsolved.

The second mystery is what seems to be the accidental hit and run of another member in the town a few years earlier and they still haven't located the driver of the vehicle. There have been no leads. Are the two connected? Or separate?

This book was a great listen as the narrator had a great voice, great accent so he made you feel as if you were there, and overall just really enjoyed it.

If I had one criticism, it would be that there were so many characters with "R" names. It was very hard for me to keep it straight at the beginning. This was my fault however because I chose the audiobook over a print copy and therefore wasn't able to flip back and forth between pages.

I would recommend this book for a good summer read, vacation book, or any time you want to just relax and get your mind off of your regular day. This book kept me thinking throughout my days at work and had me looking forward to listening to it in the evenings.