Having loved Harper's previous novels, I was delighted to be approved for this one! Knowing next to nothing about the Australian Outback, I was a little worried that I too would be "lost" but Harper does not disappoint! It is simply an incredible story of a family separated by time, secrets, lies, loyalties, and landscapes. I loved how Harper begins with the mysterious death and then leaks the details slowly and deliberately as the two brothers and other family members try to unravel the odd circumstances of Cam's untimely demise. Heightening the suspense is the tale of the Stockman's Grave (where Cam was found) which is steeped in local folklore and adds to the fear and shock of the discovery of the dead body. I adore family dramas and this one was so unique and well-written that I couldn't tear myself away until I'd finished it. This is one that will resonate with me for a long time. Bravo, Ms. Harper!

Having LOVED Harper's previous two novels, I was looking forward to this one yet didn't want to get my expectations too high. The descriptions on Goodreads list this as mystery/thriller/crime but those are true in a loose sense. Well, there's quite a bit of mystery but the story is disjointed and there are lots of offshoots, so it was tough to figure out what the actual mystery was supposed to be.

I would describe this novel more as a family drama. It's a look into the complexities of family and loyalty, and specifically how they are affected by the harsh environment of the desolate Australian Outback.

Harper's vivid descriptions of the landscape add a great deal to the story and even to why the characters behave as they do.

Jane Harper keeps knocking it out of the ballpark for me! I have loved her Aaron Falk books and was only slightly disappointed this novel doesn't fall into that series. I shouldn't have worried, everything I loved about the Aaron Falk series is here: the crisp writing style, the slow burning mystery, the use of the terrain as a character all it's own. I am fascinated with how Harper uses where the characters live to explain so much of their personalities. The isolation and forced independence these people face drives so much of the plot.

Nathan, the oldest brother, is struggling with mistakes from his past that are still impacting his every day life. When one of his younger brothers is found dead in the, literal, middle of nowhere, the tragedy cracks open the family. Why was Cam there, nowhere near his car filled with live sustaining and saving equipment? Was there more to the story? Harper does an amazing job of teasing out the details and weaving the past into the current mystery. I devoured this novel and was completely engrossed the entire time. A definite must read!

This was my first Jane Harper book and not my last. Her sense of place was top notch. I felt like I had been transported to the Outback. The red dust was in the pages of the book. The characters were authentic and I cared about them despite their failings. I have not been to Australia or experienced the harshness of the Outback, but Jane Harper transported me there and evoked empathy for the inhabitants.
The mystery was compelling and revealed itself with perfect timing.

I loved The Dry, I loved Force of Nature and was a bit disappointed that this was not another Aaron Falk book. However, this stand-alone shows what a talent Jane Harper is. This is possibly her best book yet. I loved everything about it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️— The Lost Man by Jane Harper (Out 2/5/19)
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Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron books for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
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By an old grave with many haunting origins, two brothers meet. At their feet lays the middle brother— dead. With enough supplies in his car and no signs of violence, how did their brother end up in the middle of nowhere dead?
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I swear Jane Harper gets better every book. I liked The Dry. I loved Force of Nature. But this, her third novel? This was pure magic. We know Cam is dead and we know who could’ve done it. Yet who made it happen in the end?
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As the book moves, Nathan who is the oldest and our main character, takes us through the history of the family. How the past shaped the family and the affects it had on all of them. Secrets are revealed about each family member bringing us to who wanted Cam dead.
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Jane Harper is an auto buy for life. Her writing is perfect— a slow burn, but the payoff is big. The characters are well developed and how she describes Australia is a work of art. Where this family lives would be tough and is not for the faint of heart. And Harper writes that well. Highly recommend for anyone!

“ Oh I've come back to plead and dance
To forgive us both all in advance”
-- Every Sorrow, Joe Henry, Songwriters: Joe Henry & John Smith

“The circle in the dust fell just short of one full revolution. Just short of twenty-four hours. And then, at last, the stockman finally had company, as the earth turned and the shadow moved on alone, and the man lay still in the center of a dusty grave under a monstrous sky.”

It was there that the two brothers met, still in shock with so many questions running through their minds. How they came to be standing next to a tarp covered body of their brother is something they are all grappling with. Even though it seems to be intentional, they have a hard time coming to terms with the idea of their brother taking his own life. Still, it seems the only rational answer, their brother knew survival in this land depended on having supplies and protection from the heat. But what would drive him to this?

This death sets the scene and the tension for all that follows, this family with these three brothers all working the land their father had once worked. Their mother still living there among her sons, those sons now grown, and one now gone. There are grandchildren, as well, one visiting his father, and the two daughters of the one now gone, and his wife, now a widow. Christmas is not far off, and now there is a funeral to plan.

Little by little we get to know more about this brother, his relationships with his family members, and how he was seen by each of them. How many secrets will be revealed as the days pass in simple conversations. And then the stories of the brothers, their secrets come to light. Unfair treatment, anger at the injustices of the past, everything feels strained, and the stress builds slowly.

I had read Jane Harper’s debut, The Dry, which pulled me in right from the start, and then Force of Nature which I also enjoyed. I’ve been impressed by her writing in all three books, spellbinding and atmospheric, conveyed through her spare prose. I also love that her stories are always a bit more of a mix of genres. A thrilling novel more than a thriller, a family drama, as well as an ode to the outback, the wild nature of a life lived there.


Pub Date: 05 FEB 2019

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Flatiron Books

5 spectacular Outback stars for this newest book from Jane Harper. She continues to be a fantastic writer, one of my favorites. This is a stand-alone book and I'm stunned by the ending. Makes perfect sense, but I never saw it coming.

This book is the complicated story of a family of three brothers and slowly the truth emerges. The story opens with one of the brothers dying alone under the scorching sun out in his vast cattle property in Australia. Jane Harper brings alive the environment like no other author that I know. I can almost see and feel the vast territory --beautiful, yet deadly -- that this book portrays.

The book delves into the lives of all three Bright brothers – Cameron, Nathan, and Bub-- and their relationship with each other and their parents. At first, they seem like a regular ranching family, but the secrets have been bottled up for a long time. Was Cameron’s death suicide or murder? Nathan is the main narrator of the story and he works away at the problem with little help from the tightly-stretched police in this part of the world. I really connected with his character and thought he was well developed.

There’s revenge, ostracism, bullying, isolation, love – a whole mix of combustible ingredients here that simmer to a stunning conclusion. This is one of the books that I finished and just said “Wow” aloud. Somehow Jane Harper’s writing gets stronger and stronger. One of my favorite books of the year.

*I will update my Goodreads review closer to the publication date

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

A remote cattle station in Queensland, worked by three brothers.  The land is sere, and the heat is relentless, dangerous.  The wind is full of red dust and grit that lodges into everything.  The story begins with the discovery of the body of one of the brothers.  The questions are just beginning.  With no sign of foul play, is it a suicide or just a terrible error in judgment?    
    
Oh, it's good to be back in the Outback with Jane Harper.  This is a story of family, first and foremost.  These characters are fully baked, the story line is intriguing, and the resolution of the mystery is a slam dunk.

Wow! I absolutely loved Jane Harper’s first two books, The Dry and Force of Nature. But with The Lost Man she has taken a huge step forward. I probably should be mad at Harper for keeping me up all night to finish this most wonderful novel, but instead I am so grateful to have had the privilege of reading this advanced reader’s copy. As with all great stories, the tale is a simple one on the surface but complex underneath; the ending is both predictable and a surprise. By pacing the story to let it unfold Harper takes advantage of the spaces she creates to develop her characters deeply and intimately., including her descriptions of the setting, which itself is an important character that is critical to the book’s success. Harper’s most impressive achievement, however, is the way in which she has blended plot, character and setting.. Categorizing this novel as a mystery is as much an injustice to it as would be categorizing To Kill A Mockingbird as a legal thriller. I can’t wait to see what she has in store next for her eager readers.

Another brilliant book with a vivid Australian setting. Harper has previously taken a detective home to a place that is hot, suffering from drought, and about to burst into flame. Her second book was in a chilly, damp, spooky forest. In her third novel, we spend our time in the flat desert outback of a remote cattle station in Queensland, far from any city life, far from anything. A man has been found in grim circumstances beside the grave marker of a long-ago stockman. Nobody seems quite sure who he was, but there are plenty of stories. But nobody can figure out why Cameron Bright would have left his truck and gone there to die under the unrelenting sun. One of his brothers lives as an outcast - his wife left him long ago, and he was ostracized from town after passing his detested ex-father-in-law who'd pulled off the road, apparently in distress. This is an unforgiving place, and those who fail to stop and help aren't forgiven. As he, his younger brother, and the dead man's wife try to come to terms with the the death, we begin to understand the family dynamics that set it all in motion. Even more interesting to me is coming to understand that brutal remote landscape. I'm not sure where Harper will take us next, but I'm signing up for wherever it is.

More good reading from Jane Harper. Her story and characters are so real and believable that you care about them. I usually have a good idea at who is at the bottom of all the troubles or crimes well before the end of a book, but not this one. The answer came slowly and quietly and was unexpected. A book well worth staying up late to read. I recommend this book and all Jane Harper novels.

Jane Harper has established herself as an author who isn’t afraid to take her time building her characters and settings, reading one of her books requires thought and time. If you are willing to let her, Harper will sweep you away to the Australian Outback. In this book, on one of the most brutally days of the years, a rancher, one of three brothers, has been found dead far from help without any of the supplies he should have been carrying, supplies that would have saved his life. The death seems inexplicable, the only reasonable answer would be suicide as the departed knew better than to be out in such brutal heat without his kit. The location of his body, near an old stockman’s grave, only gives credence to the suicide theory. But the death is only a small part of this story that dives deep into the workings of a family and the secrets that they hide. A standalone, unlike Harper’s first two novels, this may be her best work yet, and that’s saying something. One of the best books of the year

Jane Harper has again created characters who are rife with flaws. Some unforgivable, but all very real and pervasive in the world. The characters are so engaging you will find yourself hoping for a certain outcome in the plot. Don't kid yourself, you will never guess where this plot is headed. The pictures painted of the remote cattle ranches in Australia gave me chills. The isolation between the brothers is so extreme, you can fool yourself into thinking it is all geographic. The legacy of abuse in families is addressed baldly and honestly. Nathan's voice tells the story in the manner of an artist layering paint. Each layer reveals more of the story and the small actions that brought the family to this point. I loved every page of this book.

Wow! When someone goes out alone in the Australian Outback there are survival rules in place - you never have your radio off, you always have more than you need of water and food and you always tell someone where you are going. Even when you follow these rules, bad things can happen and they do for Cam, the middle brother of a second generation ranching family. Just a few days before Christmas, one of the warmest times of the year, Cam goes off to fix something and is found dead sometime later away from his truck with no supplies and in an area with no shelter from the blistering sun. The whole family gathers for a somber funeral and wants answers. Why was he out there alone and was it suicide? There are more questions than answers in much of the story as you are pulled deeper and deeper into this complex family saga with its many tangled relationships. Jane Harper is a master of suspense and creating tension. This book reels you in from page one - unputdownable!

The Lost Man is a thoughtful mystery that takes its time revealing itself. Set in the harsh Australian outback, the story and main character, Nathan, are a metaphor for the loneliness and emptiness of the land where it is set. The pace is slow but enjoyable, with no sense of wanting the story to hurry up and get moving. The descriptions of the land are haunting, and there is just enough of a creepy, look over your shoulder factor to the mystery. I liked the characters. The end may have solved a few too many problems a little too neatly, but honestly that's not a complaint. It was a satisfying ending to an enjoyable read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

"He couldn't simply leave, for a lot of reasons. Financial. Practical. And not least because sometimes, quite a lot of the time, he felt connected to the outback in a way that he loved. There was something about the brutal heat, when the sun was high in the sky and he was watching the slow meandering movement of the herds. Looking out over the wide-open plains and seeing the changing colors. It was the only time he felt something close to happiness."

I rarely start my reviews with a quote, but I wanted to share this description. It is descriptions like that one that pulled me into the story, let me feel as if I were truly there instead of simply reading and observing. This takes true talent, a talent that based on the three novels of hers I have read, this author has in spades. A stand alone, a story of a family who own a large cattle ststion in the outback. Three grown sons and various other family members as well as workers. When the middle brother is found dead by the stockman's grave, a suicide is suspected as he week knew never to go far away from his supplies, the heat a definite killer. The stockman's grave out in the middle of nowhere, a grave that has many urban legends attached. So we enter the life of this family, their secrets, past acts and grievances, things seen but not apparent nor questionable at the time. There is much tension simmering under the surface, and this death will bring all to the surface.

The death is only the background, the family and their relationships, past misdeeds and abuses, at the forefront. A story that even those who do not read mysteries will enjoy. A setting that is beautifully described and prose where not a word is wasted. A family that has suffered much but still remain together. Although different from her previous two novels, I think this one is my favorite, it is so realistically portrayed. Now I have to wait impatiently for her next.

ARC from Netgalley.