Jane Harper is one of the most gifted suspense writers on the scene these days. Wonderfully complex characters and a rich sense of place illuminate every one of her novels--and THE SURVIVOR is no exception. This one takes a little longer to get started, perhaps, than her previous work--but be patient: the payoff is there!

I listened to the audiobook version of this book for 3/4 of the story. I really like Jane Harper's The Dry but this story had a hard time keeping me interested. I felt the story was really slow and it never got very exciting. If this is going to be considered a thriller I want to be on the edge of my seat at the exciting parts and it didn't happen with this book until very end. The narrator's accent was very good but after a while I got a little tired of it. Also, my audiobook would stop several times at the end of several chapters and I would have to scroll through the Table of Contents and click on the next chapter so it would start. I finished this title on my Kindle as an ebook and I enjoyed reading this story more than listening to it.

It was going to be hard for this book to live up to The Lost Man, and while I did really like the character and setting development, it ended a little abruptly. I would have liked a little denouement, just to wrap some things up. I would have also really loved to hear more from the Mia character.

Harper does an amazing job at making you feel like you're really there, and this book delivers on that end.

Maybe 3.5 /5. I wanted to be immersed in this more than I actually was. It was intriguing to try and figure out what happened and why. You could feel the guilt that the main character, Kieren was carrying around after his brother and another boy were lost at sea many years before, and he blamed himself. There was a bit of mystery and suspense when the same type of incident happened when he moved back to his small hometown. I was really interested to see how the girl that went missing at the same time as the boys were somehow connected. I didn't really see that ending coming, but it wasn't as shocking as I wanted it to be somehow. I thought there were a lot more characters to keep up with than I wanted to keep up with. Jane Harper will definitely remain a favorite author even though this one was not my favorite by her. Thank you so much much to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. #netgalley #thesurvivors

I’m a fan of Jane Harpers books this like her other mysteries drew me right in,A family returns to their childhood home a murder occurs questions are asked old family involvements come to life,Read this late into the night highly recommend.#netgalley #flatironbooks

Ever since I read The Dry, I’ve been a big fan of Jane Harper. Haven’t been able to decide which of her novels has been my favorite, but with The Survivors, there is definitely another contender for that title!

The narrator of The Survivors is a young man named Kieran Elliott. He and his girlfriend Mia return to the small coastal town of Evelyn Bay on the Tasmania Coast for a visit with a purpose: to help Kieran’s parents, Brian and Verity, as they pack up and complete the move from the family home, necessitated by Brian’s worsening dementia.

Kieran and Mia reconnect with old friends Ash, Sean, and Olivia, and things soon turn ugly when Olivia’s roommate Bronte is found murdered. The old friends have a complicated history: for twelve years, Kieran has suffered from guilt and depression due to his part in the drowning deaths of two young men (including Kieran’s brother) and Mia’s best friend, 14-year-old Gabby.

Kieran realizes how far his father’s health has deteriorated and how hard things are for his mother. Seeing them so broken and in pain makes him feel even more sadness and also resentment as he sees his parents’ ongoing focus on his brother. Old memories and new demons begin to haunt him as the mystery surrounding Bronte’s murder begins to unfold.

The characters’ stories unfold gradually, and those who have stayed in their small town seem stuck with their regrets and sadness. Redemption, forgiveness, family, guilt, and secrets all play a part in the story and, as usual, Ms. Harper’s exquisite presentation of the setting makes it another character in this complex yet straightforward story. I love the way the red herrings were presented – all had a place in the plot and none were just tossed in to advance the intrigue. Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this five-star review!

I really enjoyed Harper's book "The Dry", and this one was even better! That could be my own preference for a seaside/cave setting, but in both books Harper does an excellent job at weaving threads through time to tell a compelling story.

She is masterful at keeping the pace moving in the present storyline, while adding information from the past that gives new context to both storylines. This book hooked me more quickly than her previous book, and will be enjoyable to anyone who is a fan of small town thrillers.

Another satisfying mystery by Jane Harper! It did feel a little slower to me than her previous books, but that might be because I am now used to her man-with-tragic-past-returns-to-hometown-where-people-shun-him-but-wait-there's-more storyline. One of my favorite aspects of Harper's Australian mysteries is their strong sense of place, and this one (set in a small Tasmanian coastal town) delivered. I also thought THE SURVIVORS made excellent use of red herrings, which can tank a mystery (IMHO) if done poorly. It isn't my favorite Harper (I still can't decide between THE LOST MAN and THE DRY), but fans will not be disappointed.

What happens when you and your new family return home to help your elderly parents and secrets from your past re-surface? I have loved everything Jane Harper writes. Setting-wise, she makes Australia come to life and the setting is always central to the story. In The Survivors, the ocean and the caves surrounding the inlet are key. The multiple characters and their varied agendas kept the story moving and the "suspect" kept changing as I read. Highly recommended.

I have enjoyed several of Jane Harpers novels and was looking forward to reading this. While I enjoyed it, it didn’t live up to what I’ve come to expect from her. JH is a master when it comes to creating believable settings that completely immerse you and she does that again in this. There was something with the characters interactions with each other just felt off. The baby’s involvement was weird too. She was written/treated like an accessory. Pick up... put down... leave on beach... leave at home. Didn’t really see the need for it.

Overall, this certainly wasn’t bad, just not one of my favorites. 3.5 stars.

In Jane Harper’s latest book The Survivors, Kieran Elliott heads home with his wife and infant daughter to help his mother pack up their family home. His father who is rapidly declining from dementia is moving into a healthcare facility and his mother is downsizing to an apartment nearby. Kieran’s visit is shadowed by a tragedy that occurred twelve years ago that still haunts him, his family, his friends, and his hometown. One morning, a body is discovered on the beach. Questions that have remained submerged for twelve years begin to strive for the light. No one will remain unscathed.

As with all of Harper’s books, the setting becomes its own character. The Survivors takes place in a small coastal town in Tasmania. The caves, the cold sea, and the tide come to life. Nature takes no prisoners.

Jane Harper creates so many suspects. At various points in the book I had convinced myself this person was the guilty party and this was why or how they did it. Then I was certain it was someone else. Then I went back to my original suspect. I was wrong throughout.

When I got to the end and learned the truth, the first thing I wanted to do was reread parts of the book through this new lens.

The slow release of secrets and the layering of today and the past, adds to the suspense and doubt that compels you to keep reading.

While reading you can sense the small town claustrophobia. How grief and guilt can suffocate and paralyze you. How actions in the past affect the present. The rippling effects of tragedy. The Survivors as a title has many connotations and ramifications for the characters in this compelling book.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC

When a student is found dead on the beach, old wounds are reopened in a small coastal town in Tasmania. Amidst the puzzle of the death, readers get to know each of the players very well indeed. The suspense builds ominously to the shocking conclusion in this excellent mystery.

A return visit to a boyhood home starts this riveting drama. Kieran, his girlfriend and baby return to visit his parents who are facing special needs. Both Kieran and Mia meet up with old friends as well as old enemies. Feelings about what happened in the past are now revolving around Kieran’s mistakes, which he thought some people have forgiven him for, and is finding out that some have not. The past and present start to collide when a body of a women is found on the beach. This is where the story starts to pick up, and I found that Jane Harper has written another gem. This story kept my interest, and I will be recommending this. book to my book clubs who I think will have fun discussing this well written novel. I will also be buying several copies for my library system. Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Jane Harper for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy of this great book for an honest review,

I am a Jane Harper fan, so I was very excited to get this ARC from NetGalley, and I was not disappointed.

Set on the coast in a very small town in Tasmania, The Survivors follows Kieran as he returns home with his girlfriend and new baby to help his struggling parents. A dead body washes up on shore, which turns out to be that of a young woman briefly living in the town, and it's discovered it was murder. Past crimes and secrets from the small town are slowly revealed as the police and Kieran try to piece together what happened to the young woman, and what exactly happened 12 years earlier during a terrible storm when several catastrophic events occurred - just not the way people thought they did.

I really enjoyed the character exploration here along with the plot and the mystery. Kieran is portrayed as a good guy, but past stories and revelations show that being a "good guy" isn't a characterization that is as simple as it may seem. He and his friends were a bit questionable in their moral choices at a younger age. Redemption is a definite theme, and the book makes you think about youth, and the stupid choices people make during their formative years.

There are a lot of red herrings in this book. I liked how they were employed and felt the author did a nice job of keeping me guessing without being too distracting or throwing out pointless plot threads. This was a great read!

The Survivors by Jane Harper was slow paced, felt no real connection with the characters. Secrets that were revealed didn't seem to flow into solving the mystery. All was revealed in the end however it was slow in getting there. Unique, vivid depictions of the landscapes.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I had almost given up on Jane Harper. Everyone adored The Dry and I found it so snoozy. The Lost Man was a bit better. Liked it ok. But I just didn’t get the crazed appeal. .

I’m so glad I didn’t give up on her. This one sounded like an interesting plot so I gave it a go. So happy to find that I really enjoyed most of it. I loved picturing the close knit town, beach and community. Poor Kieran broke my heart most of the time and his family situation just made for such an empathetic character.

The ending....gosh it was great up til the very last few pages. Booooo.. I was not happy with the ending but I can forgive it because I enjoyed the rest. I will add to my recommendation list!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Another successful mystery from Jane Harper. Many many red herrings. I was so sure that I knew the killer and how everything played out but no once again Harper wove an intricate web. She paints the landscape in a most infatuating way, she chronicles well the ways complicated ways families interact. A solid and enjoyable read

The people in our library love books like The Survivors. I was especially impressed with how, once again, Jane Harper developed intriguing, real characters. I loved the dual storyline and puzzled over what could have happened. Can’t wait to recommend this title. Thank you for giving me access at this time.

Are people forgiven for mistakes made in their youth, especially if the mistakes are fatal? Kieran goes home to help his parents pack for an upcoming move. There are still some, including himself, who haven't forgiven his for a wreckless mistake. Emotions shift into high gear when a young woman washes onto shore where another young disappeared several years ago. Are they connected? A nice addition to Jane Harper's novels.

Jane Harper has done it again: this is a great mystery, and a perfect Sunday afternoon read. Set against the harsh yet beautiful backdrop of Tasmania, Harper takes us into a small town mystery (her specialty) in the present and the past. This is a great pick for readers who aren't into gratuitous violence, and are interested in character development and understanding the human psyche. It's a satisfying and captivating read, but one you can enjoy after dark.