The Dry - Jane Harper

The Dry by Jane Harper

Published January 2017 by Flatiron Books

Read by Stephan Shanahan 

10 hours

Publisher's Summary: 

After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke's steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn't tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead.

Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there's more to Luke's death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets.

My Thoughts: 

People have been talking to me about Jane Harper's books for a while; but they aren't, as a general rule, the kind of books that I usually pick up. Still, someone (my aunt?) recommended this one to me as the place to start; and, as I'm finding myself more drawn lately to books out of my usual comfort zone, I decided to pick it up. 

This is one of those books that I'm sure I would have enjoyed had I read it in print. But I'm glad that I listened to it instead. Shanahan does a terrific job as reader, handling both male and female voices well, and adding a layer of tension to a book that is already tension filled. 

Falk has returned for Luke's funeral because of a note he received from Luke's father, which said that he knows that Luke and Aaron lied about what happened 20 years ago. What exactly does Luke's father want from Falk? Is he threatening to reveal something that will ruin Falk? Does he not buy the theory that his son killed his own family and himself because of financial worries caused by the extreme drought and need Falk to find the truth? Or is he afraid that the truth about what really happened twenty years ago explained what Luke did? Falk soon finds himself wonder the same thing. He knows that the alibi Luke provided him was a lie but wonders if Luke was actually trying to cover up something he did. 

As with most small towns, many of the people Falk knew twenty years ago still live in Kiewarra and they have not forgotten what happened to the young girl, Ellie, whose death Falk was accused of having caused. With few people he can trust, Falk must use all of his investigative skills to solve the death of his friend's family as quickly as he can. 

Harper keeps things moving along at a rapid pace and fills the book with plenty of leads that have those trying to solve the case (and readers) chasing off in entirely new directions. There's not a lot of time to delve deeply into the characters; except, perhaps, the biggest character in the book, the land. Harper does a terrific job of painting the isolation, the desperation, and the incredible dryness of the area. The setting is vivid. I raced through this book, finding any time I could to listen to a few more minutes. I'm certain that I'll be reading more of the Aaron Falk series. And I'll be looking forward to seeing the movie adaptation, starring Eric Bana, which is available on Amazon Prime.