Jane Harper is a wonderful storyteller. Exiles involves a mystery and a detective, but it is primarily a story about a farming community outside of Melbourne, Australia. Harper’s characters are the meat of this story, and while the plot is intricate and compelling, the heart of her writing is in her people.
We are back together with Detective Aaron Falk who we first met in The Dry (now a first rate movie). As with The Dry, Falk once again is on a break from work to visit with friends. A serious love interest for Falk develops this time while he watches from the outside as the town people mourn the disappearance of a woman from a town festival a year ago. Can the hit and run death of another friend also be connected? I like it when the clues are all there for us to read. Yes, I saw the false assumptions well before Falk, but I enjoyed watching him figure it all out. And besides, the plot is secondary here.
Harper’s strength is in her characters and her setting. The reader can feel the hot winds and the tight community because of the great writing. The many character backstories set us up for failing to see what is in plain sight in the mystery. The story’s friendships and kindnesses between the town people pull us into Exiles, only to understand why Harper chose this title.
A father’s hit and run. A mother who disappeared in plain sight while leaving her baby behind. The anguish of losing a child to drugs. A career ruined by a weakness for alcohol. Compassion, fear, loyalty among friends. Harper pulls many of our human emotions and circumstances into this story and brings us to the end feeling upbeat and satisfied. Exiles is a great story, and another Harper book you don’t want to miss. 5 of 5 stars
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Exiles was published on January 31, 2023.
Pam Did It 
I loved The Dry. I’ll try Exiles when I get through a few more books
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