Exiles

Much to the delight of just about every crime reader in Australia and overseas, The Dry’s Aaron Falk returns in Jane Harper’s latest small-town investigation. Falk’s not in his hometown this time, he’s in the South Australian wine town of Marralee, attending a christening at the same time as the famed local food and wine festival. It’s also the anniversary of the disappearance of Kim Gillespie: the woman who left her baby parked in the pram bay for hours at the festival, and then vanished, presumed drowned, in the town’s vast reservoir. But Kim’s teenage daughter doesn’t believe that’s what happened and a witness at the only plausible exit maintains Kim never left the festival grounds; Falk senses there’s too much unknown about that last day of Kim’s life. All signs point to Kim taking her own life, but without a body, there’s no closure, and those who loved Kim can’t move on.

As the warm beauty of Marralee beckons to Falk, he begins to reflect on his own life and career, one that looks successful and vibrant on the outside, but is in fact lonely and exhausting, with no time for anything – or anyone – else. Trouble is, when you embrace a town like this, you’re also embracing the history of the people within, and not all of it is so sunny. As Falk moves closer to what really happened that day, he realises that the truth can be right in front of you – and so can the lies. Harper is a natural at her craft, and this is another masterful rural crime that makes you want to go on a country holiday and never leave your house at the same time.