A terrific mystery and a great novel! This book follows Falk to a festival where a woman disappeared a year previous, leaving her infant child unattended in her carriage. As Falk and the circle of friends who knew this woman gather, the mystery deepens, as does Falk’s connection to the place and its people.

I have not read any of the Aaron Falk books. I was pretty excited for this though. The premise sounded like something I would enjoy. I found this book to be very exhausting. I'm not sure how the other books were but this one felt as if it was dragging at times. I was struggling to get attached to the MC. It could be because this is the third book and I was starting out with it first. The plot was interesting.

Jane Harper is back. Exiles is everything that made me fall in love with Jane Harper as an author, back when I read The Dry. While other books have been fine, Exiles hits it back out of the park. Small Town, Relationships, and a slow folding mystery solved by a lead character you cannot help but love. The ending of this book didn't disappoint - 2 mysteries, one resolved way off where I had landed, one somewhat aligned with my guess, but NOT QUITE, which is what makes me always love a good Jane Harper tale.

Posting next week on Gram, so will update this with those links!

Aaron Falk is one of my favorite characters. Great character development and interactions. Two mysteries in this story.

The last in the Aaron Falk trilogy that began with Jane Harper’s explosively successful debut The Dry, Exiles will please her fans and hopefully win her new ones. As before, she deftly paints an evocative Australian landscape, this time setting the story in the southern Australian wine country and brings back some secondary characters from previous books to populate the narrative. There are actual two mysteries going on, a hit-and-run accident five years before that remains unsolved and the year-old disappearance of a young mother attending the local fair who seemingly took her own life by jumping into a nearby reservoir. Falk is there not in his official police officer capacity but as a friend of the family attended a baby’s christening and he gets caught up in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the deaths. As with Harper’s earlier books, this one is a slow burn. Facts are revealed in a subtle way rather than with hairpin twists and outlandish turns. Instead, it’s family dynamics, quiet observations, and long-buried secrets that hold the key to the reveals.
And for fans of Aaron Falk, he not only has a mystery to investigate but a burgeoning romance which causes him to think long and hard about the direction he wants his life to go. If you’re a fan of multi-layered mysteries with subtle plots, psychologically-sound character development, and moral dilemmas, Jane Harper is an author that belongs on your shelves and Exiles is a perfect place to start.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Another great addition to the Falk books - Harper never disappoints and there are invariably all these unexpected facets and true sucker punches in her stories. Contemporary, as always, believable, disturbing, well-crafted, with a depth of character and background that continues to surprise me.

Thank you, Flatiron for making this wonderful mystery available to me via Netgalley.
I was going to write that Jane Harper has a gift for dialogue, but it's more that she has a gift for conversation that brings you in as a silent participant. In this novel, you are as much a visitor to the small town of Maralee.
Another Goodreads reviewer described the mystery as a "slow burn", to which I would add "quiet" as a descriptor.
The author has already stated that Exiles is the last novel with Aaron Falk, and another mystery is, of course, what will happen with him.
The resolution is brilliant!

Book Title: Exiles
Series: Aaron Falk Book #3
Author: Jane Harper
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Pub Date: January 31, 2023
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟+ Stars!

This is my fifth Jane Harper novel. I call myself a fan. I read "The Dry, Book #1 and "The Force of Nature, Book #2 ~ I love both of these Aaron Falk books.🤩

In Book #3 both Books 1 & 2 are hinted., however, it is not necessary to have read them if you are new to Book #3 !!!
Story starts will an informative Prologue

The Prologue starts a year ago at the Marralee Valley Annual Food and Wine Festival’s designated stroller area. Kim Gillespie parks her six week old daughter’s bassinet stroller along with the others. She arranges the baby’s blanket in such a way that the baby cannot be seen and the stroller looks empty. At the end of the evening only the asst. electrical technician’s bike and the stroller are left. The name Zoe Gillespie is printed on the label of her onesie. Additionally Kim’s purse, ID, car keys, and phone are in the diaper bag. But where is Kim?
Chapter one ~.Aaron returns to South Australian wine country as he is the godfather for baby Henry’s christening. Henry’s dad is Greg Raco a friend and police sergeant. The christening was originally scheduled a year ago but was but cancelled when Kim Gillespie disappeared. Kim has remarried but she is Raco’s brother Charlie’s ex-wife.

Aaron is on this! Actually is helping to solve two cases ~ in addition to Kim Gillespie’s disappearance Aaron has a special friend in his life and he is a trying to solve the hit-and-run death of Dean Tozer who was her husband.
Aaron, of course, solves both cases. I was a bit of suspicion regarding Kim’s disappearance but was totally surprised by the hit-and-run accident.

Story is told "then and now' by the POV of several characters.

Awww Jane Harper never disappoints!


Want to thank NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 31, 2023

Third book in the Aaron Falk series and as always Harper has a knack for writing well developed characters and descriptions of the Australian scenery. In this story, Falk is visiting the South Australian wine country to attend the christening of the son of his friend Raco. It took me a long time to get into this book as there are many characters including the three Raco sons and their wives and children, various people involved with a local festival and law enforcement personnel among others There is a couple of mysteries but one is the focus; a woman named Kim who was previously married to Charlie Raco and the mother of his seventeen year old daughter, has disappeared from the festival leaving behind her small baby in a carriage. It has been a year since her disappearance and the town is still talking about it, especially her daughter, Zara. There is also a mystery which happened several years before that and involved the disappearance and death of a local accountant. Falk becomes involved in looking into these mysteries as he is getting to know Gemma, the festival director who becomes a romantic interest for Aaron.

The novel is long and most of it is spent on long, lazy days drinking wine and talking about the residents of the small town they are in and how those people are related or involved in the mysteries. It is more of a book about characters moving on in their lives with the mysteries in the background. I found myself putting the book down a lot and didn't become really engaged until the last few chapters where the excitement factor that I expect from Harper rises back up. No real surprises but it had a fitting ending and I did enjoy the setting and Aaron himself who is a great character. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

“We see what we expect to see.”

4. 25 stars

Exiles is a quiet mystery that centers on two unsolved crimes in a small town in Southern Australia.

While visiting a friend to attend a christening, AFP Officer Aaron Falk finds himself caught up in the case of a woman who went missing a year ago during a town festival and in an unsolved murder from years ago.

Falk is at a crossroads in his life. He works nonstop and, as a result, has lost almost all of his close relationships. However, he now must choose between his career and a chance at finding love.

The narrative is almost all Falk, which I appreciated. I love seeing how he thinks. Not needing to be the center of attention, Falk is an observer. His brain hones on the details that others don’t see. His abilities aren't magical or Sherlockian-- he continuously mulls over the minute details and doesn’t stop.

“The little things you could have done differently, that was the stuff that haunted you.”

As ever, Falk is introspective. With the dynamics of the cases and his romantic life combined with the constant push and pull of memories, including those of his relationship with his father, Harper highlights Falk's vulnerable side.

Bits and pieces from the two previous Falk novels are mentioned. One doesn’t need to read them to read this book--Exiles can be read as a standalone; however, the earlier books add to the layers and dynamics of Falk’s character.

Harper always wows me with her vivid depictions of the settings of her stories, and this book was no exception. She drew me into the Marralee Valley, the reservoir, and the winery-- it all felt real. The spaces hold different meanings in terms of both mysteries, as they are quiet and calm spaces, yet they are the backdrop for sinister events.

The one minor gripe that I have involves two chapters told from the point of view of two additional characters. I wish Harper didn't include them--they explain what happened to one character and add insight into another, but because their chapters come near the very end, they pulled me out of the narrative and disrupted the flow of events.

This novel is as much a mystery as a character study of Falk. The pacing is slow but, at the same time, moves quickly. The mysteries held my interest, and while the reveals weren't all that surprising, Harper's writing elevated both. The ending leaves things open for another Falk novel, which I am crossing my fingers for. I am not ready to say goodbye to his character.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Flatiron books in exchange for an honest review.

Another highly enjoyable atmospheric mystery from Jane Harper! Something I love about her writing style is her ability to develop such a beautiful setting around dynamic characters. We're immersed in Australian wine country this time, with Aaron Falk at a baby's christening event which coincides with the local annual festival. While Falk becomes involved in the search for a missing mother whose newborn baby was found alone in a stroller at the festival, he becomes aware of a second unsolved case from the area. I was engaged from start to finish as Falk is niggled by the details of these mysteries. Jane Harper is an automatic must-read for me!

DNF @ 30% - the language and writing style is just not my thing. I think if you’re into true crime documentaries and the way that the old school ones are formatted, I’d definitely give this one a shot! I’m a big fan of jane harper’s stand alone novels, so I might just be biased and stick to those. I’m going to dial this one in the not right now category.

In 2016, Jane Harper's debut novel The Dry was published, introducing readers to Federal Investigator Aaron Falk and the harsh, dry landscape of rural Australia. The story touched a chord with readers, going on to win several awards worldwide and is now being adapted to film with the lead played by actor Eric Bana. Exiles is the third and final book in the Aaron Falk trilogy. While it saddens me to say goodbye to this series and hero, I must say Exiles is my favorite of the three books in this trilogy by far. Harper has rendered an intricately woven, character driven mystery worthy of the finale spot. I believe readers will be singing the praises of this small town drama for years to come.

On the day Kim Gillespie vanished from the Marralee Food and Wine Festival, leaving her baby behind hidden under blankets in her pram, Aaron Falk was in attendance - there to perform his duties as a godparent to friends Greg and Rita Raco's new baby son. Due to the Kim's disappearance and the ensuing search, the christening was called off. Now, a year later, Falk returns to Marralee to take part in the previously postponed ceremony. While he's there in a personal capacity, the unsolved disappearance of Kim haunts him as the events he recalls of that night run repeatedly through his head. He had waved at her on the ferris wheel at one point in time . . . hadn't he?

Once again, all the players from a year ago are in attendance, and Falk finds himself dissecting the intriguing dynamics playing out among this group of family and friends. Kim's husband and the now year old baby Zoe are in attendance as is Zara, Kim's older daughter from an on again, off again relationship with Charlie Raco. During this time, Falk is reintroduced to Gemma, a woman he met once before, and he finds himself conflicted by the powerful attraction sparking between them. Five years prior, Gemma's husband died in an apparent hit and run, and the driver's identity remains unknown . . . another tragic mystery for Falk to ponder.

Exiles is an intricate, character driven mystery that's brilliantly rendered via dual timelines by Author Jane Harper. The tone is increasingly dark and ominous as convoluted, seemingly unconnected clues slowly surface. Throughout it all, readers are in Falk's headspace as he meticulously sifts through bits of information, looking to figure out why he can't fine tune the picture he's getting. It's not until the end when words spoken by a small child bring him his Ah Ha moment that he knows.

Of all three books in the Aaron Falk Series, Exiles is hands down my favorite, a masterpiece, rich in small town drama and family dynamics. Unlike previous books, Exiles doesn't lean as heavily on setting to deliver this mystery although it certainly plays a role. This story is more of a study in characterizations and local culture that evolves slowly as Harper weaves a dark tale of hidden, illusive secrets. The representation of Falk in an unofficial capacity is a brilliant move by Harper as readers finally get to know the man and his vulnerabilities vs. the official discharging his duties. Exiles creeps up on you in accumulative increments as Falk unofficially investigates several potential candidates for the role of villain. I have no doubt this book will join The Dry and Force of Nature on the big screen in the future. Harper has rendered one of the best written, cleverly plotted mysteries I've read in some time. Highly recommended to fans of this series and anyone who loves a good mystery.

This is another volume in Jane Harper's excellent series featuring Australian federal Investigator Aaron Falk. In this story Falk goes to a small town in South Australia for the christening of friends' baby. He had been there a year before where the disappearance of formerly local woman at a festival put the town into an uproar, including canceling the original christening. This year the woman is still missing, and Falk is drawn into the drama and investigation. It's a great story, and Falk himself is reviewing his life while looking at the crime. Highly recommended.

Federal investigator Aaron Falk is supposed to be visiting a friend for a baby's christening in South Australia. However, the mother of a teen and of a young baby disappears without a trace at a festival being held there, and Aaron is drawn into this mystery involving the family of his friend.

I enjoyed reading about the various characters in the novel until I began to feel that the story was very slow moving and I had to flip to the back chapters quickly. In this way, I was still able to get the gist of the story and to find out whodunnit in the death of one man, and the subsequent disappearance of the mother.

I felt that there was too much padding in the first half of the book, and as interesting as some of the characters were, that was not enough for me to stay fully engaged.

The ending chapters revealed an excellent mystery plot, but the reader has to persist in order to get to that point.

YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN, JANE HARPER. Look, if there's a new Jane Harper book out, I'm reading it. IMMEDIATELY. And an Aaron Falk book? Amazing. This was the typical Jane Harper novel, which means a lot of twists and turns, a huge list of suspects who could be innocent or guilty, (and since they could be innocent or guilty, am I allowed to like them??), some romance, and a sly little ending that I didn't see coming. 5/5 love these books.

I love a book set in the Outback. The setting here truly shines...the wide open space contrasted with the claustrophobia of a small town disappearance of a beloved life and mom, and a stunning commentary on how women disappear. Seriously, the ending of this one was an absolute gut punch - and that's all I can say without giving away a bunch of spoilers. Like Harper's others, read this.

Exiles by Jane Harper earned a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for me. The first 60-70% was slow, I was far more interested in the love story than I was the actual mysteries the plot line was about. However, after the slow burn the first part of the book was - it really caught fire the last 40-30% of the book and I couldn't put the book down. If you have started the Aaron Falk series I highly recommend finishing it out, and reading Exiles!

Aaron Falk is a Federal Investigator, known for cracking cases. However, his latest assignment is to head to a small town in Southern Australia to be the Godfather for an old friends baby. Mysteries never seem to leave Aaron alone though, and he find himself wrapped up in not just one but two cases.

The first surrounding the disappearance of Kim Gillespie, who vanished exactly one year ago. Kim seemingly tucked her 6 week old baby into her stroller, left her at a busy festival and then disappeared into the night never to be seen or heard from again. Some believe she just had enough, and left - but her oldest daughter knows her mom would never just leave her kids behind and is still hunting for the truth.

The second mystery takes place about seven years earlier, where a man was a victim of a hit and run while out walking the dog (don't worry- dog is fine) but no one knows who the personal responsible is - and with each passing year it's feeling less likely they will ever know.

Falk cannot just be on vacation, he finds himself working with his buddy cop who lives in town to try and take an outsiders look into the cases, but maybe he should have just let well enough be - who knows what else he will dig up as he searches for answers.

Exiles is the 3rd in a series featuring detective Aaron Falk. If you've read her prior novels, this will feel like going home. You could read this book as a stand alone mystery, but there are a few references to book #1, 'The Dry', which play a key part in this plotline as well.

All of her books are set in Australia and this one is no exception as you slowly get lured into the atmospheric sunsets and beautiful countryside of Melbourne. There is lots to talk about here; great character development, multiple plot lines, and redemption. It starts out as Aaron arrives at a family christening 1 year after the disappearance of Kim Gillespie, who abandoned her daughter at a wine festival. There is some evidence that it might have been suicide, but Aaron is determined to find out the truth. This is a slow burn, but take of your shoes, recline your chair, and relax into the Australian countryside with a good Malbec and allow yourself to be sucked into Jane's world. You won't regret it.

Exiles is a mystery set in Australia, the third book in the Aaron Falk series. A child abandoned at a local festival, a missing mother, and a cold case hit-and-run make up the meat of the mystery.
I enjoyed the characters very much, the small town setting, and the relationships among the family members and their friends. In particular, protagonist Aaron Falk, a member of Australia's national police force, is a character I hope to see again; this is the third of Harper's books in which he stars.
I haven’t read the previous books, but I didn’t feel like it mattered. I wasn’t missing any information. The complexity and skill of the writing of Harper was top notch. The story was engaging from beginning to end, and my attention was held throughout.
I would say, Exiles is a slow burn and this did not feel like a thriller. The book is more of a mystery with atmospheric writing woven in about the countryside, family, and overall culture of the Australian way of life.
Thank you to Jane Harper, publisher, and NetGalley for my eARC of this book in exchange for my review