Get inspired for a trip to Australia by reading The Dry by Jane Harper. This crime novel tries to uncover who committed the triple murder in a small Australian outback town. But is it the person you think? Check out my book review of The Dry by Jane Harper.
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Overview of The Dry by Jane Harper
The Dry by Jane Harper is set in Australia, and really transports you to the small town in the middle of the dry Australian outback, where it hasn’t rained for two years. It’s a crime novel, following a policeman as he tries to work out who was really responsible for Luke Hadler’s death, plus his wife and child. At first, they think it was Luke who killed his family before committing suicide. But the visiting policeman, Aaron Falk, has different ideas. But this book review of The Dry by Jane Harper isn’t going to give you any spoilers of who did it!
Falk used to live in the small town of Kiewarra, and was best friends with Luke Hadler as a child before he moved away. As Falk tries to uncover whether Luke really did kill his family, we also learn that this isn’t the first murder mystery this town has been involved in. One of their other childhood best friends, Ellie, drowned in a river back when they were teenagers. And it was never fully discovered what happened. Falk was seen as a possible suspect back then, and his return to Kiewarra doesn’t bring joy from Ellie’s remaining family. So as well as trying to work out the truth about Luke Hadler and his family, we’re also trying to work out the truth about what happened to Ellie as well.
If you’d like to read this book to find out who did it, you can buy it from Amazon here (affiliate).
The best parts of this book
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I found it gripping throughout. I really liked how this book included the backstory of what really happened to Ellie, as well as the current murder mystery of Luke Hadler. In many ways, I think I found the Ellie story more interesting. I liked the dynamic of the four teenage friends – Falk, Luke, Ellie, and another girl called Gretchen. I found it difficult to think that Falk could have killed Ellie. But with the rumours that Luke had potentially killed his wife and child, it suddenly made it seem possible that maybe Luke had been responsible for Ellie’s death as well.
The book has some great descriptions of the small country town of Kiewarra and the Australian desert. You really get a sense of the close community of the town, where many residents have lived their whole life. Friendships and tensions can go back for generations between these families and their farms. The book also gives a great indication of how difficult life is for the residents of this town. Most people rely on farming for their income, but with no rain for two years, money is tight for most residents. It sounds a difficult life, and makes you wonder if it had all got too much for Luke to deal with.
What I wasn’t so sure about
There wasn’t much of this book that I didn’t like – I really did enjoy it. I guess the main thing for me was that there weren’t many strong female characters that I got attached to. The main female character in the book is Gretchen, who was a childhood friend of Falk. But somehow I didn’t warm to her character. I liked Ellie’s character, but obviously that was just based on past descriptions and she wasn’t a current character. A lot of the book seemed focussed on interactions between Falk and two men who were related to Ellie and hated Falk. There was a lot of conflict, and some bar fights as well. I think for me, I’d have preferred a bit more time spent on developing more female characters rather than men shouting abuse at each other. But apart from that, I really did enjoy the book.
Would I recommend The Dry by Jane Harper?
I’d definitely recommend this book. Even if you’re not usually into crime novels or murder mysteries, I’d still recommend trying this one. There’s plenty of interesting characters and suspense throughout, and an exciting ending as well (but no spoilers!). If you’re planning a trip to Australia, definitely check out this book to get inspired for your trip.
If you like the sound of this book, buy yourself a copy for this weekend here! (affiliate).
If this book has inspired you to think about travel, it’s time to start planning your next trip! The UK is a beautiful place to travel, with beautiful scenery in Wales and Scotland. Or you could visit some of the amazing cities in Europe, such as Prague, Berlin or Vienna. The USA is full of amazing places as well, like the Florida Keys, San Francisco and the Olympic Mountains. Start planning your travels and live life with no regrets!
