This one was definitely a slow burn mystery. I think it'll be redeeming for people familiar with the other Falk books although I think it was fine as a standalone. I thought it was quite the immersive listen with a multilayered story and ended up enjoying it. The narration & audio were both great!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this one

We see what we expect to see.”

Jane Harper’s novel, Exiles, is set in the small town of Marralee, and it’s here that Federal Investigator (Financial Crimes) Aaron Falk returns for a christening. The christening is of the son of Aaron’s longtime friends Rita and Greg Raco, and it was originally supposed to take place a year earlier but was postponed. Last year, Kim Gillespie, a woman with deep roots to the Raco family, disappeared from the annual fair leaving her six week old daughter in a stroller. Kim’s shoe was found in the local reservoir but her body has not been discovered. Her disappearance and probable death is chalked up to suicide and post-natal depression. In some ways the theory fits; she was on medication for depression, but in other ways, it’s a narrative that doesn’t sit easily–especially with Zara, Kim’s teenage daughter from a decades long relationship with Charlie Raco, Greg’s brother. The christening was delayed due to Kim’s disappearance, so here we are a year later.

Falk finds himself sucked into the mystery of Kim’s disappearance. Zara hasn’t moved on, and she’s friends with another local teen, Joel who is mourning the death of his father, Dwayne a local accountant who was killed in a hit-and-run accident a few years before. While the adults in town accept that Kim committed suicide and that Dwayne was killed in a random hit-and-run accident, the two teens, Zara and Josh, are not satisfied. Falk initially dismisses Zara and Joel’s claims, but there are some uncomfortable coincidences and some things that just don’t add up. Both Kim and Dwayne died during festival time. Both Dwayne, and it’s assumed Kim ended up in the reservoir. It took 5 months to find Dwayne’s body, but Kim’s body has never been found. The teenagers are unhappy with how both investigations have been handled and so they discuss their concerns with Falk. Falk never knew Dwayne or Kim but he met Gemma, Dwayne’s widow (Joel’s stepmum) some time back, and while there were sparks, Gemma turned Falk down.

Maralee is a close-knit town where most of the residents grew up together. When Kim left Charlie Raco after several decades of an on-and-off again relationship, she moved to Adelaide and there married Rowan, another Marralee refugee. It’s not exactly that the residents of Marralee picked Charlie over Kim, but Kim drifted away, and all her former friends lost touch.

This is a superior crime novel which explores the aftermath of two different and yet possibly connected crimes. The author excels at conveying the ripple effects of crime–the vast space left by violent death. Many of Kim’s former friends feel guilty about the way they lost touch with Kim in light of what seems to be her suspected suicide, and perhaps that guilt allows them to accept the narrative of suicide. It’s festival time once again; there’s an appeal launched to the fair crowd for any additional information about Kim’s disappearance. The juxtaposition of the fun-seeking festival-goers is set against the daunting theory that Kim, depressed and unable to bear life any longer, abandoned her new baby, exited the festival grounds and leapt into the reservoir. It’s a sobering thought.
Jane Harper doesn’t write cheap thrills here. This is a thoughtful, slow-burn novel which avoids surprises, shock elements and plodding police work. Instead, there’s Falk slowly chewing away at the various possibilities regarding Kim’s disappearance which he aligns with known or hypothetical scenarios. Perhaps because he’s not related to the Racos and perhaps because he is not officially on the case, he is able to ruminate on the niggling doubts about Kim and Dwayne’s cases–doubts which gnaw away at the edges of his mind. There’s something wrong, but Falk can’t pinpoint this deeply embedded feeling that he’s missing something.

With the track ahead clear once more, they walked on, the lights from the rides throwing bright colors onto their faces. Falk turned back to Raco and had opened his mouth when the words simply disappeared. It happened without warning as, in a dormant part of his mind, something stirred. Whatever it was shifted, heavy and stubborn, only to resettle awkwardly. It left behind a mild but distinctly uncomfortable sensation, as though Falk had forgotten something he really needed to remember. He blinked in confusion. What had triggered that?

For those who have read other Harper novels, these are several repeat characters, but it not necessary to read the previous two Falk novels before reading Exiles. I listened to the audio version which was read by Stephen Shanahan.

I started this audiobook and the narration was very difficult to understand. Was not able to finish.

Book 3 in the Aaron Falk series centers around two crimes that remain unsolved. The narrator can be a little difficult to understand, but enjoyable otherwise.

This Aaron Falk mystery was well-paced with a thin consistent layer of tension. Lovely atmospheric writing sets the scene, introduces the characters, and explains the details of Kim’s disappearance a year ago. A second cold case rises to the surface and adds to the mystery. Through a blend of real-time unfolding action and flashback, we see inconsistencies in the timeline, explore regrets, and struggle to trust witness testimony.

I was emotionally invested in Aaron’s romantic subplot too—it’s sweet and complex as he reflects on his past life choices and potential future path.

I had a hard time pausing this audiobook when reality beckoned! The narrator’s range of voices and varying pace brought the conversations to life. I definitely wanted to keep going chapter after chapter.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

(The first two books in the Aaron Falk series were also 4-star reads for me. I read physical copies.)

This was my second DNF of 2023. This book was entirely too slow, drawn out and boring for me. I couldn't get into it at all, and it wasn't for lack of trying. I enjoy a slow burn mystery as much as the next guy, but nothing was happening and I just couldn't bring myself to care enough to continue. I don't think the narrator did it any favors either. I found his voice very monotone and lacking of any and all emotion. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC of this book.

A rich, layered and rewarding conclusion to a brilliant trilogy.

Aaron Falk, an investigator with the Australian Federal Police, travelled to a small town in Australia’s wine country a year ago for the christening of his good friend Greg Raco’s son, and while in the area went to the annual wine and cheese festival. That same night, a local woman named Kim went missing from the festival, leaving her baby daughter Zoe in a stroller near the Ferris wheel. As Kim had connections to Raco’s family (she was the former partner of Greg’s brother, Charlie, and was the mother of their now teenaged daughter Zara), the christening was postponed. Searches of the area yield nothing, though eventually one of Kim’s shoes turns up in a nearby reservoir. Now, a year later, Henry’s christening has been rescheduled and Falk comes back for the celebration. As he reconnects with Raco and his wife RIta, and is introduced to their friends and family, Falk also is drawn into the continuing mystery of Kim’s disappearance. Was it a case, as many have come to believe, of a woman suffering from postpartum depression deciding to end her pain with a jump into the reservoir? Her elder daughter Zara swears that Kim would never have left baby Zoe like that, and that there must be another explanation. On the one year anniversary of the disappearance, an appeal is made for any new information. The more Falk talks with this circle of friends, and discovers the bonds that tie them together, the more questions he has. Nor is this the first tragedy attached to the reservoir. A local man, Dean, was presumably the victim of a hit and run on its shore a few years earlier, leaving behind his wife Gemma and his son from an earlier relationship…and it just so happens that Gemma is someone whom Falk met a while back with whom he feels a deep connection. While Dean’s body was eventually found, could there be a connection between his death and Kim’s disappearance and presumed death? What about Kim’s husband Rohan, now raising Zoe as a single dad? And Kim’s first love, Raco’s brother Charlie? There’s even a former soccer star with a checkered past amongst the childhood friends. Slowly, Falk and Raco unwind the many threads, hoping to find the truth for all who have been left behind. Even as a veteran reader of mysteries, I will admit that I couldn’t predict where the story would lead, nor what the search for answers would uncover.

As with Jane Harper’s earlier novels, this is not a mystery novel with a lot of flash; no chase scenes, no evil arch villains. The reader is introduced to a group of very likeable, regular people, each with their fair share of secrets, flaws, and charms. As the story unfolds, so do the stories of each of these people, and of the small town itself. No one is free from suspicion, not even the local police sergeant. The reservoir and the surrounding bush are characters in the narrative themselves, and like the human characters are described in wonderful detail. The writing is, as it has been in Ms Harper’s previous novels, absolutely beautiful. Listening to the novel in its unabridged audio form was a real treat as well. Narrated by the talented Stephen Shanahan, i was fully immersed in the Australian locale; it didn’t take me long to adapt my hearing to Mr. Shanahan’s accent and it added to my enjoyment of the story.

Although this is the third installment in the trilogy featuring Aaron Falk, the novel can be read and fully enjoyed without having read the two preceding novels, The Dry and Force of Nature.. I would wholeheartedly recommend that you do pick those up as well and add them to your “to be read” pile, though! Certainly any lover of mysteries will enjoy Exiles, as will those who appreciate writers like Kent Haruf IEvensong) and P. D. James (the Adam Dagliesh mysteries). Fans of Jane Harper don’t need to be encouraged to read this…they have been patiently waiting for its release (or, as in my case, not-so-patiently). Ms Harper is a gifted storyteller, and it was a pleasure to succumb to the spell of her writing. Many thanks to her and to Mr. Shanahan for the wonderful hours I spent enjoying the fruits of their labor, and to NetGalley and Drew Kilman at Macmillan Audio for providing me with the audio ARC.

“A million decisions paved the road to a single act, and a single act could be derailed in any one of one of a million ways. But choices had been made–some conscious and considered, some less so–and all of the million paths that had lain ahead, this was the one they found themselves on.” “A decision warped by love.”

“For all sorts of reasons…we have connections through this place, through our lives and work and family” But when one mother makes a choice that defies that community’s unspoken expectations, she experiences “what it’s like to suddenly feel exiled from your own community by people you trusted…So a couple of years later, when Kim’s struggling” is it any surprise “she didn’t come to any of us?”

“To control one person, a whole lot of other people have to be manipulated…Family, friends, strangers, all of us. We all bought into it.” A baby left in a stroller at the base of a Ferris Wheel. A mother gone missing. A shoe turned up in the water. “A grieving husband and father, taking a break to care for his young daughter and stare at the view? A controlling and violent man, composing himself at the scene of his worst act, before pulling down his mask?”

“That moment when you’ve been untangling something for ages–years sometimes–and it can feel like it’s all going nowhere, but then suddenly one thing changes and…the world makes sense. Everything fits together and it’s so clear. I love that bit… ‘cracking the case’...restored the balance a bit. Set something right.” But when the culprit turns out to be unexpected, “Sunk costs are gone…you can’t get them back…They still cost you something.”

But those you care about forgive you. “And now that a bit of time’s passed, would any of these normal, decent people have a huge problem with you forgiving yourself?”

“All you can do is try to focus on what’s ahead. Try not to let it hold you back from all the good stuff waiting for you. Because, honestly…there’s a lot of good stuff ahead for you.” How far would you go for the people you love? Jane Harper’s Exiles is sure to keep you awake at night!

Exiles is the fourth installment of the Aaron Falk series. In this latest novel, Aaron travels to a small Australian town to celebrate the christening of a close friends son, however, mystery seems to follow Aaron and he is soon wrapped up in the case of a missing woman. The beginning of this book really captured my attention, however, the pace slowed after that. There wasn’t much action and I didn’t get back into the story until about 3/4 of the way through. There is a strong element of suspense and the resolution was surprising and interesting but the pace was just too slow for me. I enjoyed the narrator, I felt like he really embodied the main character. This story has a satisfying ending and there are some big life changes for Aaron that fans of this series will enjoy!

I loved this story but wish I would have read the physical copy rather than the audiobook. I found the narrator's voice to be monotone and I kept drifting off, and having to go back and listen again because I realized I stopped listening for a few minutes. However, the writing was great. I loved getting inside Falk's head, he is a very likeable character and I want to read more of his stories.I loved the vivid descriptions of Australia, too. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

Exiles is the third installment in the Aaron Falk series. A year ago Kim went missing while at a county fair leaving her baby in a stroller. Now Falk is in town visiting friends. I found the book too long and slow for me.

Solid narration by Stephen Shanahan.

I enjoyed this book but I just felt like it dragged on longer than it needed to. I liked the characters and the word they were in so I enjoyed reading their stories. I just felt like we needed to solve these mysteries sooner than it actually happened. The ending felt abrupt once it actually happened.
I didn't realize until I started that this was book 3 in the Aaron Falk series. It definitely can be read as a stand alone but I'm curious to go back and now read the first two books.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of the audiobook!

This is my first Falk (Jane Harper). I really wanted to like this one! I did. But I acknowledge that maybe I wasn’t as invested in the characters because I hadn’t been there the whole time; there were 2 before. But this book was hard to get hooked in to. It was clever and I really didn’t know “whodunnit” until the last 10% of the audiobook. The narrator was excellent and his voice was neutral.

Exiles by Jane Harper was a 4.5⭐️. Someone’s missing and probably dead. What happened to her and who did it?? The novel had a great pace and was mysteriously told with several twists. I really enjoyed it. JH is a favorite for me audiobook mystery listening. This one was narrated by Stephen Shanahan and I thought he was excellent. I highly recommend this one and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

In Aaron Falk, Jane Harper has created a great character that unearths situations no matter where he finds himself in Australia, providing those of us unable to see that country for ourselves a vivid portrait of its beauty and diversity. Although Falk is based in Melbourne, none of his three installments have taken place ubanly, and here we find ourselves enjoying the southern wine country, with Falk facing two (possibly interwoven) mysteries. The subliminary characters are distinct, the motives slippery, the resolution, satisfactory. Other reviews have classified this as the finale of a trilogy, Say it isn't so! More Falk, please.

Upgraded from 3.5 stars.

This book is a nice wrap up to the last 3 books. It is a slow meandering dual mystery, I was very much into it at the beginning but as the book goes on, it is harder and harder to stay with it, Th resolution is not really a surprise, its all about the journey. The narrator is amazing and adds to the Australian authenticity but it did need all my attention to keep track of everyone.
Thanks to NetygAlley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you so much to @NetGalley and @Macmillan.Audio for the chance to preview the audio of Exiles, Jane Harper’s third installment in the Aaron Falk Series. It is out January 31st!

I wish I could remember more about the Aaron Falk series, but I do recall that I have enjoyed them. Reading a quick summary of the previous two novels helped me get reacquainted with our federal investigator protagonist. Falk returns to Australian wine country one year after a local woman goes missing, leaving her infant daughter in her stroller alone at a wine festival. Falk is in town for personal reasons, but of course those reasons quickly become intertwined with the missing person case.

As with Harper’s last novel, The Survivors, I had difficulty keeping the characters and their relationships aligned. Female siblings with Z names, brothers with the same surname (which one is called by in addition to his first name) and a second mystery with its own set of characters was just a lot. However, it was worth the effort to sort it all out. I believe this problem could have also been alleviated in print. Overall, I really enjoyed this mystery, and the in depth look at women and their relationships sets it apart from others. There was enough suspense and I also found it chillingly realistic. Recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley I was given the opportunity to listen to Jane Harper’s “Exiles.” I had read the previous Aaron Falk mysteries and had enjoyed both the mystery as well as the wonderful writing by Ms. Harper. I’m here to tell you that Ms. Harper can still write beautifully and can tell a great story. I also can report that she can create mysterious plots. We will spend many hours hoping to uncover the puzzle of a missing wife who walked away from her child never to be seen again. We also don’t know what circumstances surrounded an accident several years before. Aaron Falk once again gets involved ( in more than one way) and seeks to solve these mysteries.
The plot is slow moving (which I normally like) but this story emphasizes the romantic storyline over the mystery. I found myself skipping paragraphs so I could return to the mystery story. I recommend “Exiles” but will give it only about…3.71 stars.

I dnf the audio of The Exiles by Jane Harper. I never read a book by the author so I was excited to receive a copy of Jane Harper’s new book. I was sick for a week so I had the perfect opportunity. I feel asleep during my first try. The story could’ve been a 5 star read but the narrator was so bad. He was dry and monotone. I gave it another shot. Forget it. Strike 2. That’s all I needed to dnf it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the e-audio book in exchange for an honest revies.

Aaron Falk is a police investigator trying to solve the mystery of a mom who disappeared a year ago. There is another crime that was committed 6 years earlier that may be related. A lot of the setting is during a food and wine festival.

I am not sure if its me, the audio book or just the story but this one fell flat for me. I found myself bored and losing interest in the story. The audio was narrated by Stephen Shanahan, with an Australian accent. However, there were so many characters that I had a hard time following. Also, story is a very slow burn that just failed to hold my interest.

2.5 stars rounded up.