A baby lies alone in her stroller in the middle of a festival with no signs of her mother. What happened to the mother is a question investigator Aaron Falk tries to discover. As he goes further into the mystery, long ago truths begin to emerge.

This is a somewhat slow story that focuses on one day at a festival where a depressed mother goes missing and leaves her baby behind unharmed. There is also a lot of focus on the relationships of her family and friends, past and present, in good times and bad. I like the well-developed characters and particularly liked Falk and his new relationship with Gemma. However, I didn’t think this story was as interesting as some of Harper’s others. But I do enjoy her writing and still plan to read more. ( )

A character driven procedural with plenty of backstory among the characters. There is also a bit of romance and a strong sense of place. Well written and paced with plenty of surprises. ( )

(24) I love her mysteries. This one is part of her recurring character Aaron Falk's series. He is an FBI agent of sorts who has his own past which was explored in one of her other books. In this one he visits policeman friend Greg Raco, (from 'The Dry,' I believe) and gets entangled into small town life in another Australian rural community. By the end of this novel - Falk's life is on a completely different trajectory. The scene is set as they are returning on the one year anniversary of a Raco family friends disappearance. Falk is actually there for a different reason, but he and Raco begin to discuss things about the disappearance and reflect -- and of course eventually figure out what happened.

Harper is getting better at red herrings. I thought I had figured out some things that turned out to be untrue. I don't want to spoil so I will say no more. It centers around a wine festival, a Ferris wheel, an abandoned newborn, a related or unrelated hit and run 6 years earlier, and an annual teenage party in the woods. Harper is great with dramatic tension. Her characterizations are nowhere near as good as Tana French, my current favorite literary mystery writer (If there is such a thing?) but still intriguing. I did not love the romance aspect in this book though. It felt too perfect. But overall I enjoyed the story. I, once again, was wrong about everything. Ha!

I think these novels are all about the same caliber. I can't say which I have really liked the best or the least. According to my ratings it was 'The Survovirs,' the one set in Tasmania with the girl's death and the caves; the storm. Remembering back, perhaps this one was a bit quieter than some of the others. But overall - I am a fan. Keep writing Ms Casey! ( )

Jane Harper’s at the top of her game with this third entry in the Aaron Falk series. Honestly, it’s so good I’d rate it 5 stars even without the mystery element of the story. ( )

If Exiles is indeed the last Aaron Falk book from Jane Harper, then she's thrown him a hell of a going away party.
Falk returns to Marralee at the invitation of Greg Raco, a close friend of his. Maralee is the site of a popular food and wine festival. Falk is to be the godfather to Raco's child. Falk had been there a year earlier when 39-year-old Kim Gillespie disappeared, leaving behind her infant daughter in a stroller. No trace of Kim was ever found except for her shoe which was discovered in a nearby reservoir, leading some to believe she killed herself.

Falk agrees to look into Kim's case at the urging of her teenage daughter, Zara, who hopes to use the festival to turn up new clues to her mother's disappearance. Falk learns that the festival and reservoir site is also the location of an unsolved hit-and-run six years earlier that resulted in the death of Dean Tozer.

Falk's investigation reveals the relationships between Kim and her friends who grew up in Maralee, as well as some things that have bubbled beneath the surface for a long time. Falk also reconnects with a woman from Maralee whom he met and shared a strong attraction with when she visited Melbourne. Falk's methodical examination takes him deeper into these people's lives. His investigation will open old wounds as well as create new ones if the truth about what happened to Kim is to be discovered.

Harper excels at evoking a strong sense of place that makes you feel not only that you've seen this part of Australia, but that you know it. She creates a sense of foreboding as characters you grow to like are living with grief and guilt. As the truth is slowly uncovered you experience the tragedy and its inevitability. Nobody evokes pathos better than her.

Jane Harper is Australia's version of Cormac McCarthy. Her novels greatly evoke time and place and her characters are so real that you ache with them. If this is truly where we leave Aaron Falk, then I am filled with both melancholy and happiness for him. Exiles is one of the best books of the year and another in a string of great books from Harper.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. ( )