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Dark, Heavy, and Tragic

“She could-almost-have been one of The Survivors.��

The Survivors is a character study centered around a murder linked to a mystery of the past.

Evelyn Bay, a small coastal town in Tasmania, has seen its fair share of tragedy. 12 years ago, two young men were lost during a tragic accident at sea during a tumultuous storm, while at the same time, a teenage girl went missing never to be seen again. In the present, the man who is to blame for the accident at sea returns home to deal with his ailing father. His presence brings out a lot of ill will, and when a murder occurs, he is in the thick of the list of suspects.

This is an atmospheric and weighty story about a man who survived a tragedy attempting to come to terms with his past. The pacing is slow, and it is much more of a character study than a mystery. While Kieran serves as the narrator, other characters are slowly developed, and all transform by the end.

Narrated by Kieran, the tone is gloomy and carries the weight of his guilt. He is a quiet character, but nuanced and has a compelling voice.

As always, Harper’s writing is exquisite. She has the ability to bring the atmosphere to life, and the seaside town of Evelyn Bay is no exception. Harper links the tension in the town to the tumultuous nature of the ocean.

I didn’t love The Survivors as much as The Lost Man, but it is very much worth reading, especially if you enjoy slow-building character studies. It is a quiet story with a lot of tragedy to wade through. There is a resolution and a slow transformation that culminates into a moment of hope.

I received a free ARC of The Survivors from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.