A debut novel from Australian author S.D. Hinton. I always get excited when I see an Australian novel being released.

Jake Harlow a Special Forces veteran is returning to his hometown of Lorne to bury his brother who tragically died while diving.

He soon starts to discover threatening notes being left for him and realises that maybe his brother's accident was in fact murder.

Together with his brother's best friend Stocky and ex-girlfriend Lucy, they start digging to find who might be targeting him and his family. Long ago secrets are unearthed as they move closer to the truth.

Meanwhile Jake is battling his own physical and mental scars from his time in captivity with the Taliban. The author did such an amazing job in writing about Jake’s PTSD. I really enjoyed his character throughout the book.

I will admit I did struggle but through the middle of the story. I was waiting for more action not just threatening notes but about 50-60 pages from the end it starts to come together and you want to race to finish the book.

Still, such a great read and I look forward to seeing what the author does in the future.

3.5 stars.

Jake Harlow returned to Lorne, his coastal hometown in Victoria, to attend his younger brother Tom’s funeral. There, someone started leaving sinister notes for him that made him suspicious of his brother’s ‘accident’.

My initial reaction was that this book was very blokey. Jake’s military background, the way he talked and responded to things were very masculine, which I guess was appropriate given the aptly named title.

The start of this book was quite intriguing. I wanted to know more about Jake’s relationship (or lack thereof) with Tom and the circumstances surrounding Tom’s death. Throughout the book, I also really enjoyed Jake’s journey in processing his past trauma and building relationships with other well-meaning people in his life.

My only complaint was that somewhere around the middle, the story felt a bit dragging; conversations were often repeated, and the mystery seemed to be going in circle for a while.

Having said that, the ending made up for it. It was nicely twisty and action-packed. Sure, I think the book would pack more punch had it been a bit shorter, but overall it was still a good read.

Welcome home, Jake ...

When Special Forces veteran Jake Harlow returns to the hamlet of Lorne on the Victorian south-west coast for his younger brother Tom's funeral, he finds a sinister series of notes that suggest Tom's death was no accident.

With Tom's best friend Stocky, and ex-girlfriend Lucy, Jake starts to dig into secrets old and new. Who might be targeting the Harlow family, and why?

As they get closer to the truth, the danger becomes very real. But can Jake, burdened by scars both physical and mental, still protect anyone - including himself?

What a fantastic debut novel. Totally absorbing and atmospheric and interesting plot and characters. I am in love with this book. Thank you netgalley and harper Collins Australia for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. #netgalley #thebrothers

The Brothers by J. D. Hinton is an excellent debut novel. Set on the south coast of Victoria this story oozes atmosphere.

Jake has returned from an horrendous tour of duty in Afghanistan with Special Forces of the Australian Defence Force where he was captured and tortured. Having recovered in West Australia he returns to Lorne for the funeral of his brother Tom. When Jake starts finding unnerving provocative notes left inside his locked house he starts to investigate his brothers death which no longer seems like an accident.

Jake’s investigation brings in Tom’s best mate Stocky and ex-girl friend Lucy who become embroiled into the dangerous situation. Great character development and contrasting personalities.

Written in a relaxed Australian style with a plot that had many twists and turns, it also explores family connections and the impact of secrets.

A highly recommended read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from HarperCollins Publisher Australia via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.