Eagerly anticipated, I wonder if this is why this book was just a bit underwhelming?

I felt it could have been set in any small coastal town, with a similar cast of characters. The plot was littered with many red herrings but when the book reaches the finale I found I wasn’t shocked or really cared very much at all.
The writing is very readable and I found it was easy to imagine all the locations etc but the actual plot was disappointing. I found the review comments about Harper recently having had her own child threw light on the unnecessary baby.

Kieran , along with his girlfriend Mia and new baby Audrey return to his hometown , Evelyn Bay in Tasmania , to help his parents pack up to move home . He had moved away after the death of his brother Finn and friend Toby in a boating accident during a storm 10 years earlier for which Kieran feels responsible . After the couple meet up at the local inn with his old friends Ash and Sean they walk home , but they are shocked to find that a student , Bronte, who is spending the summer there taking photographs as part of her Arts course and working in the Inn at nights , has been murdered on the beach . This appears very similar to the disappearance of a young girl Gabby on the night of the storm . Suspicions fall on a number of people and investigators are brought in from Hobart to help the local police . The investigation leads to a number of clues and links the 2 deaths . In the end it comes to a dramatic conclusion which explains an awful lot about the first accident and the two murders .

Jane Harper can always be relied upon for character-led crime that builds slowly but fascinatingly to the climax. Her ability to put you in that place and feel the sea or the sand or the heat never fails. Slow burning but that is how I like it. I probably didn't enjoy it as much as the dry heat of the outback but nevertheless, this is good writing for those who like their crime well written and thoughtful.

The Survivors by Jane Harper
Having read Jane Harper’s ‘The Dry’ I already know she is an extremely skillful crime writer who manages to make the location and setting of her books as powerful a feature as any of the characters that appear in her stories. Like ‘The Dry’, this new novel is set in a world of small-town secrets, but instead of the hot, dry interior, this time we are plunged into life in a beautiful but tired coastal town in Tasmania, where the sea both enriches and threatens the people who live there and visit.
The story centres around Kieran Elliott, a young man whose life was changed forever when a reckless mistake during a momentous storm led to devastating consequences that still haunt him, his family, and pretty much everyone else in this close knit community. The guilt Kieran carries resurfaces during a visit home with his young family to help his parents pack up and move house. When the body of a young woman is discovered on the beach, secrets are dredged up from the past which threaten to emerge in the ensuing murder investigation.
The Survivors is a chilling book about unresolved guilt and how easily just one mistake can impact on relationships and change everyone’s future. Harper shows us how the past influences the present when lurking just beneath the surface of ‘ordinary lives’ are stories of guilt, shame, doubt and fear.
Once again Harper manages to skillfully paint a convincing picture of small-town life, her characters are believable, and her sense of place is truly impressive. The tense atmosphere she creates and her well-crafted storytelling sweep you along and makes this book a real page-turner.
Like ‘The Dry’ this is a very visual book, Harper paints believable, beautiful, and yet menacing scenes which are so accurate you almost find yourself wanting to wrap up against the wind and rain of the storm she describes.
As a whodunnit, this book kept me guessing to the very end, and that’s always a treat. But The Survivors is so much more than a murder mystery. This is a book that will both chill and fascinate you with its unpicking of small-town life, skillful storytelling, and dramatic plot twists.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

After enchanting readers (and awards judges) around the world with a couple of outstanding, sweat-inducing mysteries set in Outback Australia (The Dry and The Lost Man), in her new novel Jane Harper takes us deep into the surging seas and swirling secrets of a Tasmanian beach town. It's another superb read.

Harper once again showcases her sublime storytelling skills with The Survivors. It’s an absorbing tale rich in character and setting that seems like a slow burn, but then like a campfire being slowly stoked by twigs then sticks then bigger branches, it builds to a powerful storytelling heat that reaches deep into you. This is not skin-deep storytelling, Harper digs beneath the surface of characters and place, with nuance and layers.

There’s a subtle power to Harper’s prose, and her evocation of the small beach town and its citizens. Magnificent.

This book started well; it piqued my interest and I was sure I was going to love it as much as I have her other books. But then... I found myself loosing interest and even gave up less than halfway through. I can't put my finger on exactly why, other than it felt a little too slow-burning for me. I actually think I might give this book another go, however, as I have seen the other reviews and maybe it just wasn't the right time for me to read it.

4.5 stars. I’m left feeling this book was excellent. It really put me through the wringer emotionally and it was evident how a small community were all individually affected by tragedy, in the past and the present. The reason it’s not the full 5 stars is that it took me longer to get into this than her other books have. Psychologically Harper really portrays well the complexities of the characters’ mindsets. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I should've trusted the process a lot more far more than I did. I found myself exasperated at the speed of the book. Of course, towards the end I found out it's just as strong as Jane Harper's earlier books and the build-up is definitely necessary.

The Survivors takes place in a small town in Tasmania, Australia. Kieran, Mia and their baby Audrey travel back to their hometown to visit their parents and friends 12 years after a horrific storm killed people close to them and left the town in tatters.

What follows is the story of Kieran's story of back then. The guilt he carries with him now since the death of his brother is due to his negligence during the storm. And a story about how a town managed to move past all these events. Until a girl is found murdered and old stones might have to be turned again.

What you read here is exactly what you get. Kieran's back story is heart breaking, his return to slightly nerve-wrecking, the reunion with his friends and parents at times painful, but it's all necessary for the final reveal to sink in and well and truly hit home.

The way Harper continues to interweave the environment into the plot to make it part of the main storyline is really impressive. She did this for The Lost Man and The Dry and she does it again.

It's a not a five star read, because of the fact that I did think it was a bit too slow and I felt It took a bit too much effort to follow the story along. However, let's not beat around the bush. Jane Harper's novels are fantastic and worth a read and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next year!

3 1/2 stars really.. I enjoyed ‘The Dry’ but this did not quite equal that for me. Assumed the Survivors statues were real until I read the end blurb. That was disappointing, they definitely should be. Didn’t really feel that connected with characters but love the descriptive and evocative writing - felt like I was at the beach. Thanks to Netgalley.

A complex mystery and atmospheric drama, The Survivors is a magnificently written book that lures you in with stunning imagery, warm characters, and a crime that you want to solve for the sake of the characters it is affecting the most.

Harper describes the setting beautifully, so much so that it almost felt alive. I could hear the rush of waves and feel the sand in my toes, and now I'm eager to escape to somewhere hot with blue seas and hopefully less drama. But because I felt the setting so authentically, this was a book that I wanted to stay with. I looked forward to picking it back up again and felt so comfy with the characters that I was sad to turn the final page.

The intriguing mystery is brilliantly written and weaved delicately into the story. It wasn't too heavy, although it was cleverly intricate, and the character-driven narrative kept me constantly engaged. I questioned many characters and theories, all of which are discussed as some point in the narrative, but I did not question the person it turned out to be. The mystery aspect of the book is a slow-burner, but the book doesn't feel the weight of the slow pace. Instead, you take your time to piece things together with the characters and hope that they can all find peace in uncovering the truth.

This is the first book that I have read by Jane Harper but I already have intentions to read more of her work soon. I can see her quickly become a new favourite author of mine.

The Survivors by Jane Harper has been described as “Outback Noir”. It’s set in a small beachside resort in Tasmania which is haunted by the impact of a massive storm that hit over a decade previously in which 3 locals lost their lives.

Kieran who lost his brother in the storm returns home with his wife and young baby to visit his parents carrying a lot of guilt. On his first night a young waitress is found murdered on the beach with some similarities to a young girl who died in the storm. As the murder enquiry progresses Kieran starts to discover more about the fateful day when his brother died in the storm and that inevitably is intertwined with the more recent murder.

This is dark, quite readable and has a good finish but it didn’t blow me away and I won’t be eagerly anticipating Harper’s next book.

3/5

When a violent storm hits a coastal village, Kieran Elliott's life will change forever. There are several casualties and Kieran feels responsible.
He still feels guilty years later when he returns with his wife and baby daughter to help his parents pack up and move.
Then a young girl is found murdered and everything comes back to haunt him. As the Police try to solve the murder, questions will be asked but will the answers give final peace to Kieran and his family?

Each book by Jane Harper delivers something different but is equally compelling.

Secrets are unearthed in a close-knit community when the body of a young woman is discovered on the beach in Australia. Gripping.

Each book by Jane Harper delivers something different but is equally compelling.

This time we're in a coastal resort in Tasmania. It's a close knit community, with summer visitors and seasonal staff.

One evening a young woman is found dead on the beach. Suspicion abounds and everyone's uneasy. They all hope the perpetrator is an incomer, someone they don't know, not one of them.

Her murder opens up old wounds, renewing memories of another tragedy several years ago. A stormy day had seen two men lose their lives at sea and a young girl go missing, and blame is shared around.

Everyone is carrying a feeling of grief and guilt from those terrible events, but how could there be any link to this present death?

Wonderfully atmospheric of small town life, sapping summer weather and the power and unpredictability of the sea, with compelling characters and a gripping, perfectly paced narrative.

This was the second novel by Jane Harper I have read and it did not disappoint. Set in Tasmania, full of twists and suspense with a satisfying ending, this is a real page-turner!

The Survivors is the fourth novel by award-winning Australian author, Jane Harper. When Keiran Elliott returns to his small Tasmanian hometown of Evelyn Bay to help his parents pack up their house. Hours after he and Mia and their baby arrive, a young woman is dead on the beach. The town is shocked at the loss of this sweet young woman. Over the next few days, as police from Hobart arrive to investigate, Keiran is not the only one whose thoughts go back to that awful time when his own brother and his best friend’s brother lost their lives. As well as the stress of his wandering, dementia-affected father and his frazzled mother, Keiran is being coerced by a friend into something he’s not quite comfortable with. Harper once again produces a brilliantly-plotted piece of Australian crime fiction

Another great book by Jane Harper, she always manages to transport you to the scene of the book, I loved this setting and all the characters, this is a real page turner, full of intrigue and suspense.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an unbiased, honest review.
I'll try to be unbiased but I must admit to being a fan of Ms Harper's books, having previously enjoyed Force of Nature, The Lost Man & The Dry.
Set in a small costal town the story focuses upon events of twelve years ago where two friends were killed in a storm at sea and a young girl disappeared.
A real page turner as we gather the background to the main characters and their involvement in events of twelve years previously.
Didn't see the twist coming
Another winner and highly recommended.

I’m not sure how she does it, but Jane Harper always has me totally gripped by her novels. I was so drawn into the lives of the characters I almost felt part of the community in which the book is set.. As the story developed I was convinced I knew what had happened but with another gentle twist I was sent in a different direction. Outstanding.

Wow!!! This is utterly beautiful, atmospheric, brilliant, haunting and chilling and at the same time heartwarming. There is a community hurting due to the first awful tragic deaths that occurred before the recent death.... you have families still in grief and trying to cope with who and what is left behind. This is a story not just on grieving and the guilt of survival but Surviving life itself and how you cope with that fact. This has left me breathless and filled with deep thoughts. The writing is so beautiful and powerful I can visualise both the scenes and the characters it’s like I can smell that briny sea smell and feel the majestic power of the waves... just spellbinding.

Set in Tasmania, this boom gives a taste of seaside living that is both simple in the warm sunshine and complex as only people can be.
Following a rare home visit of Kieran and Mia to their home town to catch up with family,the story line quickly involves the old school gang.
As the story develops a devastating murder occurs and, as the Police become involved, an old tragedy is pulled back up.
A totally absorbing, and believable plot line that is at times surprising this story carries a taste of Jane Harper’s excellent first book.
Highly recommended
#netgally # Jane Harper.