Federal Agent Aaron Falk is back, this time with a new partner, Carmen Cooper, and a new case taking them deep into the bush of the Giralang Ranges in Australia. Five women went into those ranges as part of a corporate retreat but only four emerged. As the search for missing Alice Russell intensifies, each of the other women come under scrutiny as Falk and Cooper try to determine what happened out there.
The story transitions from the present moment investigation and search to the narratives of each woman (except Alice) from the moment they arrived for the retreat. It was an interesting and effective way to learn about them and their histories as we keep pace with the search and findings. Aaron also has an opportunity to explore his own complicated relationship with his late father through conversations with his partner during downtime. It was an interesting contrast, following the case and experiencing his slow transformation out of the constraints created from his past. It added so much texture to the story, a nice and slow awakening.
Trying to figure out what might have happened and by whom was fascinating, eclipsed only by the question of whether or not Alice was still alive. There are other factors to complicate the suppositions that I’ll leave for others’ discoveries but they do offer alternate theories. I ended up completely flat footed but very appreciative of the outcome. While this is a very different story from the first in this series, the setting again is an integral and vibrant part of the overall narrative. Stephen Shanahan delivers another authentic performance, capturing the theme of the story and specifically the main character, Aaron Falk. This is still an auto read series for me.
Book Info
- Release Day: February 6, 2018
- Narrator: Stephen Shanahan
- Audio Length: 9 hours, 3 minutes
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Blue Mood Café 
Great review, I enjoyed this too and I’m looking forward to Jane Harper’s next book.
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Thank you! I understand her next book won’t be in this series but she will return to it.
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Oh, that’s good news. I thought it was the last in series. Lots of others did too, according to the reviews.
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Great review!
I kept wondering about Alice too… maybe she just did a runner.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series 😀
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Thanks, Norrie! Kept me guessing until the end.
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Great review, Jonetta! Thank you for discussing this one with me. I really enjoy our discussion!
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Thank you, Brenda! I was so happy when this was selected for discussion. It makes a huge difference when multiple perspectives are shared. I enjoyed everything about the experience.
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I can’t wait to read this series, Jonetta! I have them both here just waiting! Lovely review, as always. Love that phrase, flat footed. 😊
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Thank you, Jennifer! You won’t be disappointed when you begin this series. And flat footed was an understatement 😏
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oh this sounds very good. Thanks for sharing Jonetta! Anne – Books of My Heart
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Oh, it is, Anne! I think you’d appreciate the setting.
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For some reason, I just did not like the first of the series, but I appreciate others who did and am glad you enjoyed this one, Jonetta.
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Marialyce, I don’t think this series is for everyone. There’s sort of a desolation that can leave you feeling a bit disconnected. The strong sense of place is what captured me and it didn’t hurt that I’d recently visited Australia. That was a big draw for me.
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