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The Dry (Aaron Falk#1) by Jane Harper

Synopsis /

In the grip of the worst drought in a century, the farming community of Kiewarra is facing life and death choices daily when three members of a local family are found brutally slain.

Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk reluctantly returns to his hometown for the funeral of his childhood friend, loath to face the townsfolk who turned their backs on him twenty years earlier.

But as questions mount, Falk is forced to probe deeper into the deaths of the Hadler family. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret. A secret Falk thought was long buried. A secret Luke's death now threatens to bring to the surface in this small Australian town, as old wounds bleed into new ones.

My Thoughts /

The Dry is written by Australian Author, Jane Harper.

Let’s learn things:-

The year is 2019. A movie is being filmed. A Newspaper Headline reads: “The Dry brings new life to Victorian town Beulah after drought, fire and a difficult two years.��

In that time, the town has seen its general store burn down, and a local drought break, received treated drinkable tap water for the first time and made international headlines when occupants of a house in the town flew a flag with Nazi symbolism on it. But it seems a new Australian film will give the town of 300 people, located four hours north-west of Melbourne, a lasting reason to smile. Not long before the rain and drinking water arrived, Beulah was one of 17 regional Victorian locations in which The Dry was filmed in early 2019, to create the fictional town of Kiewarra.

The film, directed by Robert Connolly, stars Melbourne-based actor Eric Bana, most recently seen in podcast-turned TV series Dirty John. Bana plays Federal Agent Aaron Falk in the gripping crime thriller �� his first Australian role in over a decade, alongside a cast of familiar Australian actors, including Jon Polson (Scott Whitlam), Julia Blake (Barb Hadler) and Bruce Spence (Gerry Hadler).

The Book:-

I realise I must be the only Aussie that didn’t know this book had been turned into a movie. Starring Eric Bana no less! Gah! This is going to be rectified right away.

Over twenty years ago, Aaron Falk and his father were run out of their home town, Kiewarra, over rumours that Aaron had a hand in the mysterious death of his friend, Ellie Deacon. Ellie had been found dead (presumed drowned) in the local river, together with a note (from Ellie) addressed to Aaron. Eventually, Ellie’s death was ruled a suicide - Aaron had an alibi, his best friend Luke.

Fast-forward to the present day, and, now a big city Detective, Aaron Falk returns home for the funeral of Luke Hadler, a childhood friend. This funeral is not your run-of-the-mill sad affair �� it’s been espoused that Luke shot his wife Karen and their small son, before turning the gun and shooting himself. Aaron's return to town stirs up memories of the scandal from 20 years ago - when Ellie drowned under mysterious circumstances. Both boys were then suspects in her death, and, what we learn now is that they lied to the police to cover their tracks.

Aaron's return is greeted with hostility by most of the towns folk, particularly Ellie's father, who blames Aaron for his daughter's death. Luke's parents, however, convince Aaron to stay on to look into the closed case as they believe their son could never have done such a thing. They think there might have been foul play. Against his better judgment and, struggling with guilt and ambivalence, Aaron stays. He teams up with Greg Raco, the local police sergeant, who is inexperienced at investigating violent crimes and is quite traumatized from discovering the bodies. Greg is an excellent cop, and has strong sense that there was something very "off" about that crime scene.

As the story progresses, we are presented with intriguing flashbacks of happenings from twenty years ago. The author has done an artful job creating a collage of moments between the group of four friends �� Ellie; Luke; Aaron and Gretchen. These ‘flashbacks�� never reveal too much. As you keep reading you are rewarded with a little more background each time. All of these people are harbouring secrets �� but do these secrets have anything to do with the current crime? The Dry is filled with some wonderful characters from the small-town doctor; to the harried school principal, Scott Whitlam. I would go so far as to say that all the character developments are well done and Aaron Falk is a wonderful protagonist.

In the end, we are gifted with the “whodunits�� to the two separate crimes.

All said and done, this is a pretty awesome debut mystery from Australian Author, Jane Harper.