The Survivors by Jane Harper

Thirty year old Kieran Elliott and his girlfriend, Mia, have returned to their coastal hometown, Evelyn Bay, to help Kieran's mother pack so that his father can be moved to a long term dementia residence. Twelve years ago, Evelyn Bay was the site of a sudden devastating storm that took lives, destroyed property, and caused untold psychological damage to numerous residents. Now, on the heels of Keiran and Mia's return to the town, a young woman's body is found on the beach. Twelve years ago, a young girl went missing from this beach and was never found. At about the same time, eighteen year old Kieran almost lost his life because of an unwise decision, several unwise decisions, decisions that led to the death of two men. 

The townspeople, his parents, and Kieran, will never forget the role he played during that horrible storm so many years ago. Visiting his hometown is a kind of torture for Kieran but one he thinks he deserves. No one can blame Kieran more than he blames himself for the deadly events of that day. Now, twelve years later, with the dead woman found on the beach, many of the same people of long ago become suspects and/or accusers, as the town rumors run rampant, in person and on Evelyn Bay's social media. People will say things, behind a screen, that they would never say to a person's face. 

This is a very slow story, full of atmosphere, a quiet sense of dread (some of my dread came from Kieran's three month baby being towed along everywhere, in her little baby pouch, scaring the daylights out of me and taking my mind off the story, at times...it wasn't the baby that scared me, it was how Kieran packed the baby around like she was a gym bag). I haven't spent much time at the coast but Jane Harper allowed me to really feel the location, the ocean, the waves, the caves, the beach, the mood of the only bar, the mood of the people, she made me feel like I was right there, in the story. Jane Harper, after just two of her books, The Lost Man and The Survivors, ranks up there with my favorite authors. Now I'm on to audios of The Dry and Force of Nature. I'm looking forward to the next book that Jane Harper writes and hope it's not too far into the future. 

Thank you to Macmillan Publishers/Flatiron Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Twelve years ago, in the small town of Evelyn Bay, Tasmania, two young men, Finn and Toby, lost their lives when their boat overturned in a violent storm.

On the same day, 14 year old Gabby disappeared.
Her purple backpack filled with waterlogged library books will wash up on the shore two days later.

It had been the worst storm in eighty years.

At the very tip of the furthest rocks, jutting out from the caves to the sea, stood “The Survivors”-three life sized iron figures, which stood guard, side by side, their faces gazing toward where the “Mary Minerva” had sunk, years prior taking 54 souls that day.

Townsfolk would gauge the weather by how much of the statues could be seen above the water.
THAT day, they completely vanished for the first time.

Much of that day remains shrouded in mystery.

Kieran, his partner Mia, and young daughter Audrey have returned to Evelyn Bay, to help his mother pack up the family home and move as his father has dementia.

He had been widely blamed for his brother Finn’s death years prior, and he is not sure how welcomed he will be.
The night of his arrival, a waitress from the Surf and Turf restaurant and bar is found murdered on the beach.

Could her death be related to the deaths of Finn, Toby and Gabby years prior?

If I had to describe this book in one word, I would choose MOODY.

From the townsfolk who turn on each other, to the screeching gulls, the angry sea, and the pelting rain -this book OOZES atmosphere and melancholy.

This story is labeled as crime/mystery so the pace is not as fast as a thriller, but instead it reveals its clues at a steady clip while offering up plenty of suspects and misdirection to keep you guessing.

It was my first read of a Jane Harper book, and I devoured it in just two sittings.

I received a free ARC from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.
Thank You for the introduction to Ms. Harper’s work.

Available Feb. 2, 2021

Dark, Heavy, and Tragic

“She could-almost-have been one of The Survivors.”

The Survivors is a character study centered around a murder linked to a mystery of the past.

Evelyn Bay, a small coastal town in Tasmania, has seen its fair share of tragedy. 12 years ago, two young men were lost during a tragic accident at sea during a tumultuous storm, while at the same time, a teenage girl went missing never to be seen again. In the present, the man who is to blame for the accident at sea returns home to deal with his ailing father. His presence brings out a lot of ill will, and when a murder occurs, he is in the thick of the list of suspects.

This is an atmospheric and weighty story about a man who survived a tragedy attempting to come to terms with his past. The pacing is slow, and it is much more of a character study than a mystery. While Kieran serves as the narrator, other characters are slowly developed, and all transform by the end.

Narrated by Kieran, the tone is gloomy and carries the weight of his guilt. He is a quiet character, but nuanced and has a compelling voice.

As always, Harper’s writing is exquisite. She has the ability to bring the atmosphere to life, and the seaside town of Evelyn Bay is no exception. Harper links the tension in the town to the tumultuous nature of the ocean.

I didn’t love The Survivors as much as The Lost Man, but it is very much worth reading, especially if you enjoy slow-building character studies. It is a quiet story with a lot of tragedy to wade through. There is a resolution and a slow transformation that culminates into a moment of hope.

I received a free ARC of The Survivors from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

This book was beautifully written and I was dying to find out what really happened that stormy night 12 years ago.

The pacing was a little slow but it was worth it when the answers finally rolled in.

Thank you to Flat Iron Books for gifting me a copy of this book. It was my pleasure to write an honest review.

My fourth waltz with the author! She did it again! She did so much better this time! Rocked my world, broke my heart, made me fell in love with her beautiful writing and meticulously crafted characters one more time!

A murder of young art student threatened the cocooned safety of coastal town by bringing out buried secrets, lies, guilt, injustice, wrong punishments, regrets of the past related with the big storm which took away three people’s lives and traumatized their families’ lives forever!

Welcome to Evelyn Bay in Tasmania Coast. (fictional place) Kieran Elliott is our narrator, coming back to family house after building a new life with his girlfriend Mia in Sydney, raising their baby girl.

They came back to help Kieran’s mother Verity and his father Brian who suffers from dementia to pack their belongings for moving out from the place.

But this journey opens so many can of worms of the tragic events related with disastrous storm who took two boys’ ( one of them is his own brother) and 14 years old Gabby’s ( who was also Mia’s best friend) lives because he just wanted to make out with a girl in the caves and it was too late he realized the tide was getting higher. And his brother got a suicide mission to drive the boat to rescue him. In the meantime Gabby Birch has drowned and her backpack was found by the authorities.

After 12 years fighting with his guilt feelings, depression, Kieran evolved into more caring, understanding, mature man with the help of Mia and his daughter’s support but seeing his broken parents who are still grieving his brother bring out the resentment, sadness he has been bottling up for years.

And as soon as he meets with his mates Ash, Sean, Olivia at Surf& Turf, the very same place Olivia and her new roommate art student Bronte works, the old memories start to come out, inner demons start to torture him.

He also eavesdrops the conversation between Bronte and Liam(his brother’s best friend’s son ) about he was the one to be blamed because of the deaths of three people.

On the very next day, poor Bronte’s dead body is found on the shore feeds the town’s people with more questions and gossips because Liam was the last person saw her alive.

The authorities bring out big guns: Detective Pendlebury starts working with local police and as an outsider she can get more objective and fresher look to the things occurring in this small coastal town which help her connect with Bronte’s murder with three deaths from the past.

The layered character development, the realistic approach of a family’s struggling with grief, losing their memories of their once upon a time happy lives and broken Kieran’s never ending fight between punishing himself with guilt and forgiving himself to start his own family were realistically and genuinely written.

All of the characters are flawed like Kieran: they stuck in the small town, facing with their failures, regrets, sadnesses. They are just slowly drowning like people they’d lost. Every one of them were relatable, honest and it was impossible not to feel for them.

And the heartbroken ending made me numb. It was the most emotional story of this author and one of my favorite books of her. ( I liked the other three but I guess this one will have a special place in my heart!)

Of course I’m giving my Tasmanian monster, heartbreaking, unique, perfectly written five stars!

Special thanks to Macmillan Reading Insiders Club and NetGalley for sharing this incredible digital copy of one of my favorite author’s upcoming book in exchange my honest review.