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There are currently 36 member reviews
for The Lost Man
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Barry E. (Margate City, NJ)
Five star book
This was very different from Harper's first book which I realized received rave reviews despite my less than enthusiastic review. This book on the other hand was terrific, although I feel labeling it a mystery is not right. This in a true sense is a novel about a dysfunctional family, despite Harper's attempt to make it out to be a mystery by providing many twists and turns.
Writing again about Australia again, Harper gives us great insight to a large desolate area of the Outback region. Life was hard, the people were hard, and misery was around every corner.
Her prologue lead us on into the search for a reason why anybody would live there.
We meet the Bright family, an almost successful ranching family, and as their story unravels we cover many modern and varied issues from child abuse, spousal abuse, divorce, suicide and depression. Five stars from me, a must read.
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Ann B. (Kernville, CA)
Character-driven mystery braided into Outback family saga
This crime novel set in the Australian outback has elements of a typical mystery, but it's the conventions it lacks that make it so satisfying. Our protagonist, for example, is not a PI, cop, or otherwise typical gumshoe character. Rather, he is a member of the family. While The Lost Man is a slow-burning thriller, it is also an emotion- and character-driven family saga. I will be reading Jane Harper's The Dry ASAP.
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Sue P. (Albuquerque, NM)
The Lost Man
When I saw Jane Harper's third novel as a "First Impressions" choice, I was thrilled. Having just finished her 1st and 2nd novels, I knew I was in for a treat.
Ms. Harper has a talent for describing people and locations in such a way that one gets inside the heads of her flawed, and so very human, characters, and by the time I finished the book I actually felt dehydrated by the searing Australian heat.
Three brothers - the middle one dead - in circumstances that suggest suicide, but as family relations and secrets come to light, the suspicions and doubts begin to grow.
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Meara Conner
Lost Man by Jane Harper Review
Over the past several years, Jane Harper has made a name for herself in the crime fiction genre with her superb Aaron Falk series. I'm glad to say that Harper's third novel, Lost Man, does not disappoint! The plot was engaging, the locale provocative, and the characters memorable. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to see what she does next!
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Sheryl M. (Marietta, GA)
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
Like Harper’s first two books, The Lost Man seizes the reader’s interest and doesn’t let up until the final page. It is a fast read. Ms Harper’s pacing and red herrings keep one deeply involved in the story. Set in Australia’s outback, the landscape and desolate environment are equal characters with the human participants. Rather in keeping with the setting, Harper’s prose is straightforward and offers few visual pictures or eloquent language. She more than makes up for these deficiencies by being an imaginative and believable storyteller. I highly recommend this book.
Note: This is not part of the series begun in The Dry; it is a stand-alone novel.
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Betsy H. (LeRoy, NY)
Hard to put down
If you're familiar with Jane Harper's previous novels, this stand-alone is very similar in style and set up. The story starts with a dead body and leads us to a full cast of characters/suspects. As with The Dry and Forces of Nature, the Australian outback becomes a character itself. The descriptions of the landscape and climate bring an extra layer of bleakness and urgency to the story that keep the pages turning faster and faster.
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Mary O. (Boston, MA)
Engrossing
I loved this mystery as it embodies intense, powerful suspense set against the backdrop of remote Western Australia. It delves into how our childhoods define our family lives in the present. A page turner that you do not want to put down!!
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