I love Harper's work... generally.
For me this one had too much introspection and not enough movement forward

Eerie, Atmospheric, and Taut.

Out at Sea, “The Survivors” can be seen off the caves; three life-size statues, standing guard facing the Mary Minerva which sank over a century ago.

In the newest novel by Jane Harper, the past and the preside collide for Kieran Elliott upon returning home to Evelyn Bay, Tasmania, a place he once called home.

A place he hasn’t returned to in a long time. For good reason. Kieran Elliott isn’t exactly welcome you see. Ten years prior, during one of the worst storms in history, Kieran made a mistake - a detrimental mistake. One that resulted in the loss of lives that hit way too close to home. His brother and his brother’s best friend died and a young girl went missing.

Now, Kieran, his wife Mia, and their newborn Audrey have returned to Evelyn Bay to care for his ailing father Brian when tragedy strikes yet again after a woman’s body is washed up on the beach.

Questions abound as both mysteries, past and present slowly unfold.

An extremely slow burn, the character development is excellent, keeping me wholly intrigued, wondering what each character was hiding.

The weather, dark, dangerous, and edgy, plays a huge part in the storyline, unfurling secrets of its own.

What Jane Harper truly excels at in my opinion, is her vivid descriptions of the atmosphere and the land and making both characters in their own right, which is no easy feat.

While I liked this novel, I preferred “The Lost Man” as I just loved the characters of Nathan and Xander. That being said, Ms. Harper is becoming a favorite author of mine as I love character-driven fiction.

This was another fabulous buddy read with Ms. Kaceey.

Thank you to Flatiron Books, NetGalley, and MacMillion Audio for the alc.

Published on Goodreads on 12.27.20.

I was excited to see that The Survivors audiobook follows the tradition of being narrated by Stephen Shanahan, who does an excellent job capturing the tense atmosphere presented in each novel. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook!

Jane Harper is a master of weaving current day drama with buried secrets and small town gossip. Twelve years ago, there was a horrific storm in Evelyn Bay that left two guys dead and a young girl missing. Just when it seems that the town is getting past this event, there is another disappearance that brings old memories back up to the surface.

Maintaining Harper’s trademark atmospheric writing (she is able to transport readers to the setting of each novel like no one else), The Survivors also packs an emotional punch through exploring the bonds of family and friendship through grief, illness and uncertainty.

Content Warnings: Death & Grief; Dementia; Suicide

Mysteries don’t always have to be grim, but The Survivors definitely followed a heavy path. Harper’s atmospheric writing brought this small broken town to life within the first chapter. A town scarred by a devastating storm, deaths, and a missing girl, it really felt as thought the community had never recovered. Shanahan’s soothing narration truly elevated the haunting air that Harper managed to elicit. Coupled with each of the characters, no matter how small and unassuming, coming under suspicion at one point. Expertly layered past and present mysteries kept me reading even when the angst started to pile up.

As great as the setting and twists were, I struggled a little with the slow-burn of the mysteries. There was so much low-key drama and angst with each character. While this made the community feel authentic, I also found myself anxious to see if my hunch was right about Abigail’s disappearance, Bronte’s death, and all the little mysteries in-between. I just have to be in the right mood for a slow burn.

Ultimately, this wasn’t my favorite Harper novel but since I adored her entire backlist it was only a matter of time before a story didn’t resonate for me personally. I really struggled with the ending but it was poetic in a way. As always, Stephen Shanahan’s narration was lovely and relaxing. By the end, I felt mostly heartbroken for the entire town.

**I voluntarily read/listened and reviewed a advanced audio copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After thoroughly enjoying the in-depth characterizations and truly breathtaking atmosphere of both of Jane Harper's books, The Lost Man and The Dry, I jumped at the chance to read her next book, The Survivors, when Macmillan offered it on NetGalley.

The Survivors was hard to follow at first, with too many characters coming at me at once, and too much history of tragedy in a small coastal town merely peppered in -- not explained in detail -- for me to absorb properly. I'd say the first third of the book left me feeling like I was in a sequel and trying to catch up.

It was past that point that things started to gel, and I got a feel for what had happened, what was currently happening, and what might happen as a result. It was only then I felt engaged, like I really cared about the characters and could feel the sense of dread they might be feeling while the questions rose and tension built.

But I still had NO IDEA what the whole Survivors thing was about. That was frustrating. When I finally found out, it wasn't like it was a story that needed to be held back for the sake of suspense. It was just part of the slow burn, but for me was more like a "come on, already".

All in all, this was a solid crime mystery, but not a particularly noteworthy one. It's not one I'm going to run out and tell all my friends to pick up, but if they ask, I'll tell them sure, give it a go.
A special thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley who honored me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Ok so about 40% through this novel I found myself drifting off a bit; but am pleased I was able to snap back and finish this novel in its entirety.
The author takes its readers on a tale where both past and present intertwine with the death of another young woman; found in the water. For this small town it brought back a night from 12 years ago where there was a terrible storm and 3 lives were also lost to the waves.

At 73% I thought I had this book figured out; boy was I wrong. The author kept the readers in the dark about what was really the tale of what happened both with the recent girls death- and that involving those all those years.

I have read all Jane Harper's books, and this is my favorite so far. It is my first as an audio book. I loved the reader, who has a wonderful Australian accent; I could understand every word, and I sometimes miss things in audio books. The tone of his reading fit with the story he was reading.

Kieran comes back to the small town of Evelyn Bay on the shore in Tasmania with his girl friend, Mia, and their new baby, Audrey to help his parents move (his father has dementia). He reconnects with his pals Ashe, Olivia, and Sean. Memories of the things that happened long ago are gradually woven into the current times. Keiran left town ten years earlier after a terrible storm in which Kieran was with his former girlfriend, Olivia, in a shoreline cave and suddenly realized the tide was coming in and the storm has gotten very bad. He managed to help Olivia onto the trail going up the cliff and she called for help. He sees his older brother Finn and his friend Toby come in their diving boat, and then watches it flipped by the waves. Both men drown, and Kieran still feels responsible (and his parents and Toby's son Liam also still seem to blame him). During the same storm, Mia's best friend (also Olivia's younger sister), Gabby disappeared, and her backpack washed ashore a few days later. Her mother is still pining and no one seems to know where she went, why, and how she disappeared.

When a young waitress, Bronte, is found dead on the beach early one morning, many old secrets, guilts, and memories come back. Bronte was a talented artist and a popular waitress. Her laptop and camera are missing. The same policeman who tried to solve the case of Gabby is investigating along with Pendleby, a policewoman from a larger town. Pendleby begins to believe that the new death is somehow connected to the storm of ten years before. We gradually learn much more about what happened long ago as well as what happened recently. The story ends with a few loose ends, but we know all we need to know!

Jane Harper is one of my favorite authors. However, this is probably my least favorite book I’ve read of hers. I did enjoy the narrator’s Australian accent, and this was the first audiobook of Harper‘s that I’ve listened to. I normally read her books, and I always fly through them. So I don’t know if it was the narrator or the actual story, but this particular book just dragged on for me. It was nowhere near as suspenseful as some of her other novels.

I love Jane Harper. I've read all of her books at least twice. However, unfortunately, this one just wasn't as good. I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by someone with an Australian accent, which I enjoyed, but the book was slow and just kind of dragged.

My first Jane Harper novel. It was enjoyable and I loved the Australian accent of the reader. It just seemed like a very basic, standard premise. Small town, dude comes back to help his parents move, he has a troubled past, etc. Then a girl ends up murdered on the beach and it drags up all the past trouble and heartache the main character was trying to put behind him. And the ending was pretty abrupt. I need my endings tied nicely together w/ lots of,closure to the story. All in all, I’d say enjoyable but basic.

Kieran decides to visit the small town he grew up in and is quickly reminded of the tragedy that took place just over a decade before when a body is discovered along the beach. Kieran still carries the guilt of what happened to his brother and his friends and it doesn't help that the body they've found on the beach is reminiscent of the young girl who went missing on the same day as their deaths.

As the investigation unravels Kieran realizes there is more to what happened that day than he remembers and that the person responsible for the deaths of both girls may be closer than he ever imagined.

I really enjoyed this adult mystery. I honestly did not see the ending coming and the person responsible was a surprise to me. There were twists and turns and I often found myself flipping between suspects. I liked that all three cases were woven together through flashbacks of what happened in the past and what was happening in the present. I would recommend this to anyone looking for their next mystery read.

What’s not to like about a Jane Harper? She takes her writings from the hot and dry lands to the sea coast which plays a large role throughout this tale. When Kieran comes back to town after a tragedy years ago where his brother and friend Liam’s father perished trying to save Kieran from the caves that flooded in the bad storm. At the same time Gabby Birch went missing and her bag turned up shortly, washed ashore.
Kieran is back in town with Mia and their infant daughter to help his mother move away with his father who had dementia.
While in town, another young girl, Bronte, is found murder under strange circumstances. As the crime was being investigated by the authorities, old hurts,suspicions, and guilt resurface.
The characters are all well developed as the story slowly works it way through the story.
Jane Harper is now 4-0 with wonderful works.
The audio version is well done and the narrator well chosen.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Arc in audio format.

I almost gave up on this book in the beginning. It starts off so slow that I was getting bored, but then it finally picks up pace and I enjoyed it from then on. The narrator also did an amazing job bringing this story to life.

The Survivors started a bit slow for me. However, as the story progressed I was pulled into this atmospheric mystery-thriller. A small town by the sea harbors secrets from way back. As a body turns up on the beach, those intriguing secrets begin to float to the surface. The Survivors is steeped in an ominous mood. Jane Harper brings to her readers an evocative and suspenseful story.

5 Stars for the story, 3 stars for the narration. This was my first Jane Harper story and I will definitely be looking to read her backlist. She knows how to write an atmospheric story. The setting of this one is small town Evelyn Bay - Tasmania. Everyone seems to know one another, yet, there are mysteries and secrets. A missing girl from ten years before and now a dead girl on the beach. Kieran has returned with his family to help his mother pack up the house and move his father, suffering from dementia, into care. What he did not expect was to be right in the middle of a crime, that has niggles of his father's possible involvement. The story moves at an unhurried pace. There is gossip, innuendo, secrets surfacing, accusations and suspicions. We learn about the past as it has some implications on this new death, the murder of a local visitor, artist and waitress, Bronte. There are plenty of suspects, but not a lot of clues. The story is not just about this murder, but about the Kieran's family and friends and how their past has affected their present. There were times, I thought I had figured out what happened to both girls, but then changed my mind. The ending was a surprise but I loved it. This story has themes of survivor guilt, family estrangement, jealousy, loneliness and more. Jane Harper weaves all this into a story that took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked. I wanted to know all about these characters and what was next for them. The mystery, while important, became secondary to me as I learned about the life of the residents of Evelyn Bay. The tragedies some of these characters suffered had my emotions all over the place from sorrow, pity and even anger at times. A well-written, character driven mystery with so much more. I listened to the audiobook of this story and although the narrator, Stephen Shanahan, gave a solid performance, I felt his voice was a bit too monotone and added to my difficulty to become engaged with the story until partway through it.

The Survivors is the second book that I have read by Jane Harper, and I listened to this one narrated by Stephen Shanahan. I did like this story better than The Dry, which is the only other book that I have read by this author. She is extremely gifted at transporting the reader to the setting, and I could actually feel what it would be like to be in this small Tasmanian seaport town. Her characters are very believable and interesting as well as the relationships between them. I was so happy that Kieran had Mia, since she seemed to be the only supportive person in this book, and he was a sad, yet likeable character. I particularly enjoy listening to a narrator with the correct accent for the book, and Stephen Shanahan was definitely the right man for the job. It is such a treat to be transported to the setting of the book that I am listening to. As with The Dry, however, I felt that the protagonist kind of came out of nowhere. A character that the reader had not heard too much about. In conclusion, I have decided that I would be interested in reading a book by Jane Harper that was not a murder mystery. Had I not been trying to solve this mystery throughout the book, it would have definitely earned 5 stars. Thank you Netgalley and McMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a really hard time listening to this audiobook because there were issues. As such I really couldn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to and couldn't get into it, unfortunately.

Atmospheric and thrilling. I could not stop listening to this book. This was my first Jane Harper, but it won't be my last.

I'd heard that Jane Harper was fantastic as settings, but I had no idea how immersed I would be in this town, how claustrophobic I would feel in the caves (or while scuba diving), how I could almost taste the salty air while they stand at the shore, watching the waves crash over The Survivors. I thought I'd guessed the ending right from the beginning, but I was very wrong. There were several twists in this one that I didn't see coming, and so many secrets from the past that washed up from chapter to chapter. Kiernan was an interesting and likeable--though certainly flawed-- character, which is often missing from these thrillers, and I was glad to be in his head.

I also love that Harper makes this story about more than the mystery, but the characters and their lives, exploring themes of forgiveness and redemption. A really great read that makes me look forward to picking up my next Jane Harper.

For the narrator... Fantastic reading! I loved the Australian accent, and I felt like Kiernan was sitting across from me, telling me his story.

I loved this haunting story about how the past and future can be connected. Really enjoyed the narrator of this one!

This is Jane Harper's fourth novel and like the others it is a compelling story of tragedy and the long reaching consequences of errors in judgement and grief.

Evelyn Bay is a small community in Tasmania, still reeling from a tragedy 12 years earlier-- a freak storm that claimed the lives of 2 people. A third person is assumed to have died during the storm but her body has never been recovered.

Kieran Elliott has returned to Evelyn Bay with his girlfriend and baby to help his parents move. He blames himself for the deaths of his brother and friend during the storm and the town also holds him responsible. Kieran had gone to the seaside caves and lost track of time, meanwhile a sudden storm has blown up and he's trapped. Although he was saved, the rescuers were not so lucky.

Kieran has had to live with his parents' grief as well as his own guilt. He's rebuilt his life in Sydney with Mia, another Evelyn Bay resident whose best friend disappeared in the storm. Shortly after they arrive in town, a young waitress is murdered. As the investigation into her death proceeds, connections to the storm begin to surface.

This is a great book. I've recommended Jane Harper's books to everyone I can since The Dry and I'll continue to do that.

This is my first audiobook through NetGalley and though I'm not a great audiobook listener, it kept me entertained while I was walking to work. Narrator Stephen Shanahan is excellent. I hope to listen to more of his work.