sarah reviewed Exiles by Jane Harper
Australian wine and community
4 stars
I'm generally a Jane Harper fan, and this is no exception.
English language
Published Dec. 21, 2023 by Flatiron Books.
4 stars
(6 reviews)
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.
barbara fister reviewed Exiles by Jane Harper
Review of 'Exiles' on 'LibraryThing'
Aaron Falk joins his law enforcement pal Greg Raco in a lush vinyard-filled valley to become a godparent to his child - for a second time. When the christening was originally scheduled, also during an annual food and wine festival, the event was canceled after Raco's brother's ex-wife disappeared, leaving an infant behind in a stroller parked beside the fair entrance. A year later, authorities suspect she drowned herself, a victim of post-natal depression. But her teenage daughter from her first relationship isn't convinced and has prepared an appeal for more information to be held at the festival. Did anyone see anything last year when the woman abandoned her child and vanished? Aaron, a federal police officer, can't help being drawn in. returnreturnAs usual, Jane Harper weaves a dense story rich in character development. relying on interpersonal relationships and small-town intrigue to carry the plot rather than dramatic action. I …
Aaron Falk joins his law enforcement pal Greg Raco in a lush vinyard-filled valley to become a godparent to his child - for a second time. When the christening was originally scheduled, also during an annual food and wine festival, the event was canceled after Raco's brother's ex-wife disappeared, leaving an infant behind in a stroller parked beside the fair entrance. A year later, authorities suspect she drowned herself, a victim of post-natal depression. But her teenage daughter from her first relationship isn't convinced and has prepared an appeal for more information to be held at the festival. Did anyone see anything last year when the woman abandoned her child and vanished? Aaron, a federal police officer, can't help being drawn in. returnreturnAs usual, Jane Harper weaves a dense story rich in character development. relying on interpersonal relationships and small-town intrigue to carry the plot rather than dramatic action. I found the first chapters confusing as they introduced a number of characters and switched between the events of the previous year and the current situation, but once I sorted out who was who and what happened when it was smooth sailing, though frankly rather slow, at least in the first half of the book. The trick with Harper is to relax, slow down, and let the story surround you. returnreturnThose looking for a thriller should look elsewhere, but if character development is your thing, this slow burn of a mystery, one that introduces the armchair traveler to yet another side of Australia's geography, will fit the bill.
