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The Dry

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The Dry

By: Jane Harper
Narrated by: Stephen Shanahan
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About this listen

I just can't understand how someone like him could do something like that. Amid the worst drought to ravage Australia in a century, it hasn't rained in small country town Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are brutally murdered.

Everyone thinks Luke Hadler, who committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son, is guilty. Policeman Aaron Falk returns to the town of his youth for the funeral of his childhood best friend, and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation.

As questions mount and suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him 20 years earlier. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke's death threatens to unearth. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, secrets from his past and why he left home bubble to the surface as he questions the truth of his friend's crime.

©2016 Jane Harper (P)2016 Hachette Audio UK
Crime Fiction Literature & Fiction Fiction Suspense Exciting Scary
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Critic reviews

Harper's debut novel is The Dry, a crime thriller making its way up The Sunday Times Bestsellers charts as steadily as the mercury rises each day in the stricken agricultural town of Kiewarra, in which it is set...It feels like an Ur-Australian novel, a whodunit that evokes the punishing landscape and searing aridity so convincingly, you expect a heat haze to shimmer above the page (Patricia Nichol)

An award-winner in its native Australia, in this first book from journalist Harper a local cop investigates the murder of a family in a small town enduring the worst drought in 100 years. This could be the start of an Antipodean wave that will overtake Scandi noir (Nick Curtis)

Praise for this book has been 'resounding', and rightly so: it's truly 'remarkable'. Exploring the tensions of small-town life and 'the limits of human endurance', The Dry is a 'chilling murder mystery', said The Mail on Sunday

What listeners say about The Dry

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

What a great story, well worth a listen, so very good and the twists and turns add more suspence 😊👍

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good read. Kept you guessing

Engaging characters. Good read. Terrible Scottish accent but otherwise good narration.
Hopped between the past and present a lot so was glad this was distinguished by using the names Aaron and Falk...although took me a little while to work this out!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Superb

Atmospheric and enjoyable thriller that's well paced and believable. Through a combination of flashbacks and storytelling, a picture emerges of what happens in two events. This is well written with some punchy dialogue
Thoroughly recommended.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Keeps you in suspense the whole way through

Fantastic book, listened along with my mum. We both had many theories but none were right.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Read

Thoroughly entertaining read, can't wait until the next book from Jane Harper. Highly recommended. Great narration by Stephen Shanahan.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping to the end!

The mysterious plot unfolds slowly and yet grippingly in this tale of going home to old memories. Really enjoyed and listened in 2 sittings!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Book of the Year

What made the experience of listening to The Dry the most enjoyable?

Classic small piece town mystery, with well drawn characters and plenty of intrigue and twists.

What did you like best about this story?

There is a real claustrophobic feel about the town and the author manages the convey the boredom and helplessness of the locals. The mystery is well told and the denouement well concealed. Great use of false leads and misdirection.

Have you listened to any of Stephen Shanahan’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This is the first book I've listened to of his and I thought he was excellent.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I had general sympathy for most of the characters as the author really conveyed the sense that they were buried in the middle of nowhere. There is great sadness particularly some graphic scenes at the end.

Any additional comments?

Thoroughly recommend this book. It is the classic summer read/ listen

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great who done it !

Excellent book, well written and narrated, enjoyed every chapter, kept guessing till the end, highly recommend

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

highly recommend this book

The narration and story were very well delivered.

The sense of returning reluctantly to your past is brilliantly shared and expressed in this story. The main character and his story engaged me from the beginning and I didn.t want to stop listening I binged over two nights!!!

I immediately looked to see if there were any other books by this author, looking forward to reading more of Jane Harpers work,

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Really excellent atmospheric book...

I listen to a lot of books on Audible but rarely write a review. This book was excellent so I felt I needed to let others know....it really conveyed the oppressive atmosphere of the location and situation. It was harrowing at times but a really great listen.

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