Jane Harper has a gift for developing intense, small town mysteries set in Australia, where the setting becomes an integral and often hostile part of the story. In this one, set in a beach town in the state of Tasmania, Kieran Elliott returns home to Evelyn Bay to help his mother pack up the family home in anticipation of a move to the mainland for assistance with Kieran's father who is suffering from dementia. Being home is loaded with bad memories surrounding the death of Kieran's older brother Finn and Kieran's part in that accident, but it is tempered by his loving--and fairly new--relationship with Mia, also from Evelyn Bay, and their baby daughter Audrey.
The visit takes a sudden turn for the worse when the body of a young woman is found on the beach, and the death dredges up mysteries and ill feelings from the past. Stephen Shanahan's narration brings an emotional depth to the story in his wonderful Aussie accent. Highly recommended.

There are so many layers to Jane Harper's The Survivors. The first half of the book is slower, but it sets you up a for a faster and tenser second half. A character driven thriller that deals with guilt over a tragic accident and how that shapes Kieran and his parents in the ongoing years. I really enjoy Jane Harper's books and thought the Aussie narrator was terrific.

Thank you to Jane Harper and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to read and review.

What an incredible new novel from Jane Harper! Harper does a great job of setting the mood - off season on a tourist beach, a ship wreck, mysterious caves, a powerful storm. Kieran is home to help his mother pack up and move his father into a care home. While there, the roomate of his friend is murdered. As locals and police try to piece together enough clues to know who the murderer is, past mysteries and tragedies are brought up again. A fast-paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

I had the privilege of listening to this book and the Australian accent of the reader really added to the telling of the story. I must admit, however, that the prologue really made for a confusing introduction. That, along with the title of The Survivors, led me to think this was a murder mystery right from the beginning and it took me hours to acclimate to the actual story. The guilt, anguish, and turmoil felt by Kieran from an event 12 years in the last, as he returns home to help his mother deal with his father’s dementia, has an overture throughout the story. The death of a young student dredges up so many feelings for Kieran and the rest of the people in this small town. Overall a good story but there were some plot holes and unbelievable responses and deeds by some of the main characters.

Kieran, his girlfriend Mia, and their baby Audrey return to their hometown- a small, coastal town in Tasmania. Soon after their arrival, someone is murdered on the beach. The investigation quickly becomes entangled with another tragedy that happened twelve years ago, when two people died and another disappeared during a storm. Kieran discovers that the events from the past did not happen as he originally thought.

This is the second book by Jane Harper that I have read. Like The Lost Man, this starts off very slowly. The pace picks up and I finished the second half quickly. The reason for the three stars is the climax. It just was not very believable to me. <spoiler> I found it very juvenile and far-fetched. He hid the truth about Gabby's death to avoid embarrassment and then, as a full grown adult, murdered Bronte to keep the secret. Really?! </spoiler>

I listened to the audiobook version, read by Stephen Shanahan. For the most part, it was paced well. I found it easy to understand, even with the accent (which I love!!) I do have one complaint- the story would often move back and forth in time. This happened without pause, making it confusing for a minute or so. The only other thing I found difficult, which is no fault of anyone's, is that you are introduced to A LOT of characters at the very beginning. It was hard to keep them straight. This is where a print version would have made it much easier. It did become clear who was who after a while, but for the first few chapters, I found myself having to really think about which character was which.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Just the climax kept it from being great for me. That is more about me and my preferences than the book. I enjoyed the characters, the setting, the slow burn.

I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Jane Harper but won’t be the last. Beautifully written and contained a good amount of characters and suspense. It had me guessing to the end. The setting really added to the story. I listened to the audiobook by Macmillan Audio and found the narration very enjoyable. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

Jane Harper took me on another amazing journey through the Australian landscape -- this time, next to the beautiful, perilous waters of Evelyn Bay. The Survivors was very different from her other novels, mostly because of the character interaction. It moved at a slow, steady boil but eventually the pot boiled over with emotions, arguments, and shattered lives.

This book had more dialogue than I remember in Harper's other books. In some ways, it drove me crazy. I listened via my Netgalley app which isn't very user friendly; I wasn't able to rewind to the parts where I needed to review a detail or a conversation. I would have preferred this in print, I think, but then I'd have missed out on the narrator's amazing voice and accent.

The Survivors by Jane Harper!!!

I almost wonder if I am giving this 3 stars instead of 4 or 5 because I read it via audiobook? It just felt that there were so many characters it was hard to keep straight.

I did enjoy the setting (coastal Australia) and trying to figure out what happened but in the end, it was a solid 3 for me. The first half was quite slow but I really appreciated the ending.

This was such an emotional story for me. I’ll start by saying it took me just a little bit to get started. I listened to the audiobook back and forth to work. Then I got hooked a little ways in. Being from America, I love the accents. But I expected so much more form this author as far as the story goes. I found the characters just bland. I didn’t really care about them like I would have liked. Except for Mia and Kieran. I despised Keirans mother and even Brian got on my nerves. The culprit could’ve been anyone really. As far as the perpetrator, I wasn’t impressed. It wasn’t shocking, no one would’ve been. All I could think of is I kept thinking is that it?! I can’t see someone doing that for the reasons given, unless they are a serial killer. It felt rushed and not thought out. The whole story. This could’ve been a four or five star read easily.

As far as narration, this was the best! The narrator is what kept me going. I loved what a great job was done.

This is my fourth time reading Jane Harper and I have loved every single one of her novels! This book was beautifully written and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what really happened all those years ago and how it was connected to the present-day murder. I have to say that my most favorite part of Harper's books is the atmosphere. She sets the scene so well that the setting almost feels like a character itself. She is also a master at painting the characters and problems that arise in a small-town environment. The Survivors was a slow-burning masterpiece with an ending that threw me for a loop!

I didn’t love this one—possibly I would have liked it better in written form rather than audio, but it’s essentially a murder mystery, about a small town that’s never truly recovered from the deaths of three of its people in a terrible storm ten years earlier. And then another young woman dies, and the original investigation is reopened. The mystery is solved in the last half hour, somewhat abruptly, after a looong drawn out reflection on the “survivors.” It was tough to stay engaged, but the book had a great sense of place and captured the tone of a town struggling with grief. Also excellent symbolism. But the plot fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook!

4.5 Stars

Set on the Tasmanian coast in a small town where nothing much ever happens, which means that when something unusual does happen, everyone knows - and very few forget.

It’s been twelve years since Kieran Elliot lived there, but he returns to his old home town when his father’s health diminishes and his mother could use some help. His old friends are still living, and while he’s happy to see them again, Kieran finds that, for everyone, it triggers old memories of a boating accident where Kieran’s brother Finn died, along with the brother of his friend Sean, along with the disappearance, on the same stormy night, of another friend’s sister, Gabby.

Like her other books, it is rich in atmosphere, and with a mystery that unravels very slowly, almost teasingly slowly, with a more ‘gentle’ level of intensity and suspense than her previous books that I’ve read, until the very end.

I’ve read, and loved or enjoyed all of her books, with The Dry being my favourite, but this is a very close second to that one, pulling me in from the start with such an atmospheric setting, a slightly ratcheting tension, and beautiful writing.

The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Stephen Shanahan, which made it even more of a pleasure to read.

Pub Date: 02 Feb 2021

Many thanks for the ARC Audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio / St. Martin’s Press

I saw Sally Hepworth recommend this one day on Instagram, so I knew I had to grab it. Is this an Instagram Made Me Do It, or an Author Made Me Do It?!

If you have a fear of water, or drowning, or it makes you really claustrophobic to read about deep bodies of water, this book isn’t for you. There are certain parts of this book that are in the ocean (obviously as it’s set in Australia) and I almost started hyperventilating when I was listening to it because of how close the water was in the story. It was so vivid and realistic. As a reader I could appreciate it, however, if it’s something that you are scared of it you will feel trapped.

This was a definitely atmospheric slow burn thriller. It’s beautifully written and the characters are very well developed. This the first book I’ve read by Jane Harper, and it definitely won’t be the last.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted audio copy. This is out in the US Feb. 23rd!!

This was a solid 3 star read for me. I enjoyed the story as it unfolded but it didn't leave a big impression. There was a lack of tension or action that I expect to find in a thriller, but I did enjoy the unravelling of the mystery and I thought the setting was great. Really my biggest issue was just the calm pace and quiet way the story was told.

The Survivors by Jane Harper was a good enough book to listen too while cleaning. The narrator was difficult to understand, and I kept having to pause and rewind. The characters were well developed but the story was a bit slow with a slightly dissatisfying ending. I did find myself picturing the town of Evelyn Bay because it was described in beautiful detail. Overall, a reader would need to dive in and judge for themselves about this book.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

Atmospheric, heavy, and full of character development, The Survivors is a story about carrying the weight and guilt of the past.
 
Kiernan, the narrator, has returned to the beach town he grew up in with his partner and infant daughter after twelve years. A few locals aren’t happy to see him and let it be known that his return is not welcome. They blame him for two previous deaths, and they haven’t forgotten. Soon after his return, a young woman connected to Kiernan’s group of childhood friends is found murdered. This brings up the devastating events of so long ago.
 
Discovering the mystery of this story takes some paying attention. I listened to The Survivors on an almost 12-hour audiobook. I thought the narrator did well, although he could’ve had more emotion. I struggled to keep my mind from wandering.
 
This is my first book by this author, Jane Harper, who writes beautifully. There are so many layers to this story and it’s a slow burn. Perhaps this would have been better for me in the book format. I do love myself a moody, descriptive book!

Thank you NETGALLEY, Jane Harper and Macmillan Audio for this early preview in exchange for my honest review. ♥️

Jane Harper’s books have a “strong sense of place” to borrow the name of a podcast I enjoy listening to, and this one is no exception - set in a small coastal community in Australia. Twelve years after tragedy struck the community, local boy Kieran Elliott and his girlfriend Mia - also from the same town - return to the community with their young child in tow. A key player in that tragedy, Kieran is haunted by the events of that fateful day when lives were lost, including his older brother Finn. Unresolved questions about what really happened that day still hang in the air. Fast forward to the present day and we find Kieran and Mia reconnecting with family and friends, hanging out at the local restaurant, and dealing with the challenge of a parent fast going downhill with Alzheimer’s disease. Then tragedy strikes this coastal community again when a body is discovered on the beach. Can this be a coincidence or are the two tragedies 12 years apart ominously connected? Who are the perpetrators and why? I love the slow burn of Harper’s mysteries - she has a knack of building up a mystery, letting the reader into the up close and personal mental and emotional psyche of her characters, and carefully scattering her breadcrumb clues. This is my fourth Harper mystery and I’ve enjoyed them all. I found this mystery got to slow but didn’t get to the burn part, like her other mysteries did. However, the book is still a good read/listen and earned a solid three-star rating and I’ll be sure to watch out for Harper’s next title. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this book.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

The Survivors was so atmospheric!

Force of Nature was a bit of a disappointment for me, and while I liked the Lost Man, it didn't quite compare to the Dry - so I'm pleased to report that the Survivors is up there with the Dry for me. I think Harper excels at giving the reader a strong sense of place in all four of these, but the plot arcs of the Dry and the Survivors are her two best.

The transportive nature of the writing was especially a treat; I really enjoyed how easily the book "put me" on the Tasmanian Coast.

While there's a present-day murder to be investigated, there's also a girl who went missing from the small community of Evelyn Bay on the day of a terrible storm a decade ago (and is presumed dead). Two other people died in that storm - the town still has trauma regarding that day, and those losses. And now another death on the beach.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the production was well done. I was able to follow the story without the text, though I did listen to it at a slightly slower speed than usual. Would recommend.

The first book I've read by Jane Harper. I listened to the story on audiobook thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio. I look forward to reading or listening to her previous books. The narration was easy to listen to. I loved the description of the landscape as well as the story line. I definitely DID NOT anticipate the ending.