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3.5⭐️

In the third installment in Jane Harper’s Aaron Falk series, we travel with AFP Officer Aaron Falk to South Australian wine country, where he is to attend his friend Greg Raco’s son Henry’s christening. Aaron is Henry’s godfather. After his arrival, Aaron finds himself helping Raco investigate the disappearance of a local woman from a year ago. One year ago, thirty-nine-year-old Kim Gillespie, was reported missing, last seen at the Marralee Valley Annual Food and Wine Festival. Her baby daughter was found safe in her stroller. Kim was close to Raco’s family, having previously been in a long-term relationship with Raco’s brother Charlie and was the mother of his now seventeen-year-old daughter Zara. At the time of her disappearance, she was married to Rohan Gillespie. The discovery of her shoe near the local reservoir prompted conjecture that Kim had taken her own life. But her body was never found and her daughter is convinced that Kim would never commit suicide. Aaron finds himself involved in the search for Kim as well as trying to get to the truth behind a hit-and-run case from years ago that caused the death of a local man. As the narrative progresses, we follow the investigation into the lives and secrets of the local community.

The premise of Exiles by Jane Harper is interesting and I really like Aaron Falk’s characterization as well as the setting. I also liked the depiction of the community and the dynamics between the different characters. Had I picked up this book only to enjoy the story of a community with family drama and a surprise romance, I could have rated it higher. But, I picked up the book for a suspenseful mystery and while I did like how the story is built up, the final reveal was more than disappointing and very predictable. This is a slow-burn mystery and it did take a while to feel invested in the story. The pace did drag for the first half of the novel, picking up as the narrative progressed. I was hoping to be proved wrong but I was a tad disappointed with how the mystery plays out. I did, however, like how Aaron Falk’s story progressed in the course of this installment.

Though this novel is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. However, I would suggest reading the books to follow Aaron’s story.

Overall, while I did like Jane Harper’s Exiles, I wasn’t completely bowled over by it as other readers have been.

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