The Dry

Written by Jane Harper

Narrated by Stephen Shanahan

IN A TOWN WITHOUT RAIN, SOME SECRETS ARE NEVER WASHED AWAY

'One of the most stunning debuts I've ever read' David Baldacci

'A compulsive read' Kate Hamer, bestselling author of The Girl in the Red Coat

'A cracking good read' Laura McBride, author of We Are Called to Rise

I just can't understand how someone like him could do something like that.

Amid the worst drought to ravage Australia in a century, it hasn't rained in small country town Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are brutally murdered. Everyone thinks Luke Hadler, who committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son, is guilty.

Policeman Aaron Falk returns to the town of his youth for the funeral of his childhood best friend, and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. As questions mount and suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him twenty years earlier. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke's death threatens to unearth. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, secrets from his past and why he left home bubble to the surface as he questions the truth of his friend's crime.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Little, Brown (Hachette UK) Audio
• Release date: Jan 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9781405535151

Jane Harper

Jane Harper is the author of four internationally bestselling Australian mysteries, including The Dry. Her books are published in 40 territories and have sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. Jane has won numerous top awards including the CWA Gold Dagger, the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year and the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year. The 2021 movie adaptation of The Dry, starring Eric Bana, is one of the highest grossing Australian films of all time. Jane worked as a print journalist for 13 years in both Australia and the UK, and now lives in Melbourne with her husband, daughter and son.

Reviews for The Dry

[nancynova · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

During the worst drought in a century, Aaron's Falk's friend & family are killed. Tensions are high, the town believes Luke killed his family before committing suicide & still blames Luke and Falk for teen Ellie's drowning. Taking a leave from his police unit is Melbourne, he steps in to assist the local police with the case....and they find all is not what it seems.

[eas7788 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book I needed at that time. Well-constructed mystery if at times the beats felt predictable and the twists too manufactured. ("Here's another big reveal but wait there's more!") Will look for more by the author. Excellent sense of place and solid use of voice. The pov switches might have been clearer had I read it on the page.

[kalliegrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5, a good mystery with strong characters and an interesting setting. Even though there are many characters, it wasn't difficult to follow along with the plot beats and keep everyone straight.

[tuusannuuska-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3,8 stars

This was a good mystery. I think the characters were written well enough, I didn't guess the killer, I was invested in finding out who dunnit.

This wasn't my favorite for a couple of reasons.
1) I felt like the author used some pretty well worn plot points to create confusion. I especially dislike the overused misdirection of having a character not give a decent alibi because they're gay. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about Ellie's story line.
2) I don't feel like there were enough hints toward the actual killer before the reveal, which made it feel a little convenient.

I did like the descriptions of the oppressive small town mired in drought, though.

I'm interested in reading the second Aaron Falk book, as the plot description for that sound more up my alley than this one.

[castlelass · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Plot-driven contemporary murder mystery set in Australia. Protagonist Aaron Falk, a federal financial crimes investigator, has returned to his childhood hometown to attend the funeral of a friend who has apparently murdered his wife and six-year-old son, then killed himself. In a secondary storyline, the townspeople still harbor animosity toward Falk for his presumed role in the death of a teenage girl twenty years ago. He becomes involved in an unofficial capacity in the murder investigation in conjunction with the local police official, Sergeant Greg Raco.

The story moves along at a steady pace. The descriptions of the drought and the bushland are well crafted and provide a sense of atmosphere. The author writes in a direct manner. Aaron Falk is the focus, and his character is the most fleshed out. I enjoyed the camaraderie between Falk and Raco. The additional characters are less well-formed. Some are a bit flat while others are stereotypical bullies. The repetition was bothersome, especially regarding details around the horrific death of a small child. I think it is a decently written mystery, but it requires a significant suspension of disbelief and won’t stay with me for long.

[naggedman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good writing, clever plotting, lightweight - what's not to like?

[vivl_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ok, I read this five years ago so my review is based on my memories from then. This was a cracking read with a sadly pretty ludicrous ending. Endings are hard, I know, so I am pretty forgiving. I liked the main plotting, mystery, characterisation very much and looked forward to reading future novels by Jane Harper.

[tinwara · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Jane Harper (1980) is a British-Australian journalist and writer, who has by now published 4 thrillers. The Dry is the first of these, and was a huge success immediately after publication. The edition I read was filled with lyrical quotes from reviews and recommendations from well-known thriller authors such as Ian Rankin and Val McDermid. So my expectations were high. But were they fulfilled?The Dry is set in Kiewarra, a small town in the Australian outback. Things are not going very well out there: it hasn't rained for a couple of years, cattle dies, crops fail and people sink into financial misery. That a man would be so desperate that he kills his family and then himself is not very surprising in that context and above all very sad. However, there are a few things wrong with this reading of the facts. That's what the new local police officer thinks, and so does Aaron Falk, a Melbourne detective who grew up in Kiewarra and has now returned there for the first time in 20 years for his childhood friend's funeral.Aaron Falk is the main character of this story. He left Kiewarra years ago. The story of why he had to leave is a story that you gradually discover over the course of the book. It is this background that hinders Falk's research quite a bit. I won't say much more about it, because I don't want to reveal any plot twists, because there are quite a few of them.The Dry is the kind of book that you can hardly put down, thanks to the many cliffhangers. At the same time it is a rather conventional thriller, with the usual ingredients: a murder, that seems clear, but that is is increasingly questioned, a detective with secrets from his past, several suspects, a romance and an ending where all the puzzle pieces fall neatly into place. The writing style is not very surprising or original. The surprising ingredient was the background: the Australian outback, the drought, the despair. I think that will stay with me the most when I think back to this book. But I'm not lyrical about it.

[katkealy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a very well written mystery. I found the characters interesting and will definitely read more of Jane Harper's books. I'm glad this was selected for book club!

[ridgewaygirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Aaron Falk returns to the town he left as a teenager to attend a funeral. That part of Australia is enduring its second year of severe drought and everyone is suffering financially. As he gets drawn into looking into recent murders that involved a childhood friend, Falk also has to come to terms with events that caused him to move away. This is a fairly standard crime novel/thriller that is elevated by the vivid setting and solid writing. I was in need of an entertaining and yet not too challenging read and this book was perfect.

[clue_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my second reading of The Dry but apparently I didn't post reading it a couple of years ago. Taking place in a small town in Australia, the focus is on the affects of a muder or possible suicide, of a teenage girl twenty years after her death. A good plot and well written chracters maake it good reading. On a second reading my originnal 4 star rating still stands.

[indygo88 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(3.5 stars) Aaron Falk, Federal Police investigator working in finance investigation in Melbourne, returns to his small hometown in rural Australia to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, who, along with his family, were found murdered in their home. Though the deaths are assumed to be murder/suicide, family members suspect something else may be at play, and Falk teams up with the local police detective to further investigate. There are two story lines going on here: the present investigation as well as a previous death of a close friend of Falk's (Ellie) which occurred when they were teenagers. Because of continued suspicions surrounding Ellie's death and Falk's possible involvement, the townsfolk don't particularly feel warmly toward Falk's return. The story fluctuates between the present investigation and flashbacks to the events leading up to Ellie's death. I enjoyed this story. It kept me guessing as to the whodunnit in both story lines, and it did a good job of describing the sad, somewhat depressing life of a rural community suffering a significant drought. However, given the huge hype over this book, I think I was expecting more, and though I enjoyed it, I wasn't blown away as I was maybe expecting to be. But still, I do plan on reading more by this author.

[blnq-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Did not live up to the considerable hype. Well written with decently drawn characters but a mostly suspenseless story. She never really developed the sleight of hand and misdirection that a good mystery must have. The denouement simply did not deliver on the promises made by the author. I am missing entirely all of the hype for this book.

[jrlibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Felt like this was two stories in one book. Aaron Falk goes back to his hometown for the funeral of a friend whose entire family has been murdered. The evidence points to Luke Hadler having killed his wife and son and then himself, but Luke’s parents don’t believe that for a second and want Falk to use his Federal Agent skills to investigate. Meanwhile, the town is NOT glad to see him back because a girl, Ellen Deacon, died when he was a young man and the town has always suspected him or Luke since they were friends with Ellen. Trying to get answers in a town where everyone views you with hostility and suspicion isn’t easy, but that’s what Falk is going to do. I enjoyed the slow reveal of clues, the believable explanation for everything and the way the two stories were shared through multiple perspectives.

[kyurenka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Heavy-duty story with a great ending!

[tobinelliott · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not much to say about this, other than it's an absolutely solid murder mystery. Similar to, but not the same as, John Hart. Think: John Hart takes an Australian vacation.

Seriously, thought. I'll absolutely read the next Jane Harper publication. Really enjoyed this one.

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Atmospheric murder mystery set in a small (minded) Australian town during a drought. Federal agent Aaron Falk returns home after a tragic triple murder involving an old friend, but could there be a connection to a dark secret from his own past?The plot seemed strangely familiar - the death of a school friend told in flashback and a troubled reunion bringing up old memories and animosities - but the claustrophobic setting was scarily convincing! I think I hated every character in this book and suspected half of them of being the killer(s). The 'evidence' implicating Aaron in Ellie's death seemed a bit flimsy - a name on a scrap of paper - and the reaction of the town to his return was over the top but both added to the volatile undercurrent of the story. Falk and town cop Raco make a great detective pairing and the mystery kept me guessing but I think Jane Harper's writing is definitely stronger in The Lost Man, despite the similarities in themes and character relationships.Now I can watch the recent adaptation. which is how I discovered the book in the first place!

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

fiction - murder mystery set in drought-ridden rural Australian town. Apparently living in rural Australia is no fun for anyone, and ongoing drought conditions make the struggle that much worse.

[mbmackay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent first novel by an Australian author - crime fiction very close to its best.I had a couple of very minor quibbles with the plot development, but loved the journey.Set in an unfashionable rural backwater, the characters are real, and the by-plays authentic.

[didireallyreadthat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Set in Kiewarra, Australia, a farming community not far from Melbourne and in the middle of 2 year drought. Aaron Falk comes to town to attend the funeral of his former best friend who has appeared to kill his wife, son and himself but left his daughter alive. The last time Luke was in town was 20 years ago when he was accused of killing, but not convicted of, killing his almost-girlfriend, Ellie. It soon becomes apparent to Aaron that Luke did not kill his family but was killed himself. Luke hangs around to help solve the mystery.I loved the prose of this book: almost sparse but descriptive enough that you could feel the heat from the drought and could empathize with the emotions of the characters. Harper followed a logical sequence of events and threw in enough extra tidbits that kept me guessing who did it until nearly the end of the book. The characters and the town dynamics added to the plot. She also resolved the murder from twenty years ago which made for a satisfying ending. Highly recommended.

[sandyamcpherson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm breaking my rule: there may be spoilers here, but the review panel would be one large blank if I used spoiler tags, so you've been warned ~ having read my caution now.Here are a few comments in which I draw a parallel between two novels written by Jane Harper, both books follow what I perceive as a recipe:I read the The Survivors before The Dry back to back, as it were. I simply didn't feel drawn into the narrative nor feel that there was really any depth and reason to care about the characters.The books are standalone novels but the storylines are near identical in their plotting and the setting: characters "returning home" under duress and obligation, murders complicated by family dysfunctions, a community with secrets and animosities rooted in the past history of the main character, and a very unsatisfying dénouement: unresolved loose ends. In the story-format sense: the historical pieces in italics, disrupted the story flow and made the pace jerky, especially ruining the suspense that was building.An additional problem in these novels were the uncontrollable physical elements, The Survivors features the Ocean/Seashore; The Dry has drought and fire. I suppose these devices are inserted to heighten the suspense, but both natural environmental circumstance affected the storyline improbably reliant on stupid, out-of-character behaviour by the main players. Complexities in people's lives was a good theme to explore but I think Harper ran roughshod over setting up these situations. Talk about spoilers, I do have one from The Dry, the concept of one bad-ass-misery-guts family head (Mal) holding the town in thrall was unrealistic in the extreme.

[john_warner-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kiewarra, an agrarian community south of Melbourne, has received essentially no rain for the last two years. Tempers are short as farmers helplessly watch their properties poorly weather the oppressive heat. The local citizens blame this climate for the alleged homicide/suicide when Luke Hadler killed his wife and son and then turned the shotgun on himself. When Luke's father asks Aaron Falk, Federal agent from Melbourne and Luke's childhood friend to come to the funeral, he reluctantly agrees having left the town and his memories in his adolescence vowing never to return. Luke's parents entreat him to investigate the crime not believing their son could not commit such an heinous act. Discussions with local law enforcement reveal troubling clues that appear to support the parents' belief. Aaron's reappearance in town is not welcomed by all dredging up memories of his and Luke's involvement with Ellie Deacon, an adolescent who drowned. Several believe that the drowning wasn't accidental but blaming one or both of the adolescent boys of murder.This mystery/murder is well crafted with a few red herrings to keep the reader guessing. The drought conditions is so well described in this book that one almost feels the heat coming off its pages and myself parched. There is nothing particularly unique about this mystery; it is simply a good read.

[datrappert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There is little to fault in this riveting tale of two tragedies, set twenty years apart, in a town in the Australian bush a few hours from Melbourne. A reader is always waiting for the author to go wrong in such a complex story with so many characters, but Harper delivers a satisfying ending--or I should say two endings, one for each event. The only jarring element for me are the switches between the past and present, which in some cases leave the reader knowing more than the characters--such as the truth behind the drowning that has haunted the protagonist, Aaron Falk, for the past twenty years. The hatred many of the town's people still have for him so many years later also seems a bit exaggerated. And one could ask why a particular character keeps accusing him of...when he already knows...well, no spoilers from me.What sets the book apart is the depiction of the town, its setting, and its people. Memorable, complex characters abound--at least complex for a novel that is still basically a mystery, though a very literate, serious one. The interactions between the characters are memorable, and while one is aching to get to the resolution to know what happened, it is also sad to leave so many individual stories behind. One wonders what happens to some of these characters afterwards.I listened to the audiobook, which is superbly read by Stephen Shanahan. It simply wouldn't work without an Australian narrator, and he is brilliant. I have become accustomed to just how good audiobook narrators can be over the past 3-4 years, but Shanahan is so perfect for this book that he may be the best of them all.

[purple_pisces22 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It took a bit for me to get into this book. I started it and quit it a few times in the beginning. I know it had really great reviews, so I wanted to try one more time. Once the story get moving pretty good I was hooked. I’m glad I gave it another chance I can see why it’s done so well, but it just wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.

[booklovers2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My new favorite author & narrarator! A real page turner murder mystery. It started off a little slow, moving from past to present and not always catching on - and had to rewind a few times until I got the flow. Great story, Fed agent Falk comes home for a funeral after 10 years when he and his father were chased out of town, suspected of being involved in a teenagers disappearance and drowning. His alibi and childhood friend is dead, in an apparent murder suicide killing his wife and son and then turning the gun on himself, unless he didn't - the secrets from the past come to light and no one in town has forgotten and some have not forgiven him for what he and his father were suspected of doing all those years ago. Good murder mystery! loved it - Aaron Falk - Book 1 - heading to download Book2 in the series

[motorbike_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great murder mystery in the "Inspector Plod" tradition. No fooling the reader, just a steady accumulation of facts and enough divergent paths and red herrings to keep you guessing through to the end.

[laytonwoman3rd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A grand whodunit set in a small Australian village in the midst of a terrible drought that isn't bringing out the best in anyone, but is bringing back old tensions and suspicions in the wake of the ghastly murder of the Hadler family. Aaron Falk comes home for the funeral of his old friend Luke Hadler, Luke's wife and six-year-old son, after an absence of over 20 years. He still has questions about the drowning death of one of their close companions back in their teen years. Was it suicide, as it appeared? Why did Luke insist on giving Aaron an alibi for the day of Ellie Deacon's death, even though it seems there were several people who knew he wasn't telling the truth? Was he protecting Aaron, or himself? Did Luke shoot his wife and little boy, and then kill himself? This makes no more sense to Aaron than accepting that Ellie filled her pockets with stones and jumped into the river, and he cannot let either question rest. This was a good solid read, with just a tad too many misdirections. As a first novel, very impressive, and worthy of a look at the second in the Aaron Falk series.Reviewed December 2019

[nivramkoorb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a crime mystery that takes place in Australia in a town about a 5 hour drive from Melbourne. The town is going through a major drought. Aaron Faulk, a federal fraud investigator, returns to the town where he grew up because an old friend Luke Handler killed his wife and son and then himself in an apparent murder-suicide. Of course there is more to it than that. The book is basically 2 stories. The present and then the flashbacks to the death of Ellie Deacon(17) a friend of Luke, Aaron, and (Gretchen another character in the present). Harper does a good job of using the flashback technique to link the stories. Showing actual dialogue allows the reader to know more about the situation than the present characters. Aaron deals with the town's memory of his connection to Ellie and Luke and he has to deal with that plus being pulled "unofficially" into the case. This was a solid crime mystery novel that dragged a little in the middle but had enough twists and turns to keep my interest. With all crime mysteries, a reader can nitpick issues like the real cause of death that should have been found by decent police work. That aside, it is always good to read novels that take place in other countries. If you like crime mysteries, then give this a try. Harper has a follow up to this book which has Aaron Faulk in it and I am going to give that a try.

[carriewuj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great murder mystery with intelligent writing and strong character development along the lines of Julia Keller and Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling). Set in Kiewarra Australia, an inland farm town 5 hours from Melbourne, the story is driven my Aaron Falk’s homecoming for the funeral of his high school mate, Luke Hadler. It is a tragic death – apparent suicide with the murder of his wife Karen and 5 year old son, Billy besides. But baby Charlotte was not harmed, which is part of the mystery. Kiewarra is plagued by drought and it has driven most of the town to the end of its rope, which is why people are ready to accept the suicide story. “It’s lack of water here. Makes the whole town crazy.” (271) But Luke’s parents can’t accept the fate of their charismatic, popular son and ask Falk to stay on and investigate since he is with the Federal police. Though he doesn’t see much point and is not very welcome in town, out of respect for the Handlers, he offers to stay on a few days. Past and present collide with more fury than Falk could’ve guessed. He and his father were run out of town 20 some years earlier after the mysterious disappearance and death of Ellie Deacon, a friend/wishful girlfriend of Falk’s. Her death officially remains unsolved, though was ruled a suicide due to her location in the then-thriving river with her pockets full of rocks. A note with his name and the date was found in her room. At the time, Falk had a shaky alibi bolstered only by Luke, though others in town seem to know more than they were willing to share back then. That’s my one criticism of the book – the police seem a bit incompetent at solving cases that involve a dead body. Especially when everyone else there seems to have more knowledge than the cops. Falk works unofficially with Raco, the local newbie officer and ends up solving both the past and the present cases. There are some great red herrings and more town secrets are uncovered than Falk was prepared to face, but most of all, he finds some peace and can close that chapter in his life.

[rbeffa_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A word of warning: There is not any 'happy' in this book. It is sad and dark.This was probably the last book I purchased in February before the world shut down. It was strongly recommended to me by two friends of the library friends as an impressive Australian debut mystery novel, and I have to agree that it is a very good book. I had heard of the author and glanced at her most recent book, but I am glad I got the push to give this one a try. I'll put it in my top ten of the year so far list.The story grabs your interest from the first two pages, and for me, I never lost my desire to figure out what Billy Joe McAllister threw off the Talla ... wait, wrong mystery. This mystery has a lot more to figure out. It is actually a two in one mystery.The story is told in a somewhat unconventional manner. The story begins with the discovery of the death of a family in a small rural town in Australia in the midst of a severe drought. (Hence the title, 'The Dry'). Was it a murder/suicide or was it a revenge murder or something else? If not a murder/suicide, someone has gone to an awful lot of trouble to make it appear so. But there is just enough doubt among a few people to leave the reader wondering also.People in the story have various reasons for not telling the truth, or not telling all of the truth. It is a small dying town with a lot of secrets and some not so nice people and we begin to realize it as we read along and the author inserts extensive flashbacks and flashback-like reveals somewhat piecemeal, and sometimes repeated as we look into the lives of people now and 20 years before.I'm a little bothered by the pace of the story and the dual storylines of the present and twenty years ago running concurrently. I think most readers of murder mysteries will find a lot to think about when reading this. This book gets many rave reviews. I can't quite rave. I think I was bothered more than I should have been by the omniscient narrator reveals towards the end. Also numerous reviews I have just browsed say they could feel the heat, feel the drought or variations of that. I didn't feel it. Telling me and showing me things somehow didn't translate to me feeling a years on drought. And I have lived through extended droughts, tho none like the Australian outback has seen.I'm not sure the author has played entirely fair with the reader but I won't spoil the story by saying why I think that.