Write your own review!
Maureen R. (Alamo, CA)
Forces at work in Force of Nature
Force of Nature, by Jane Harper, is an intelligent, suspenseful, and tension filled novel. As with The Dry, Harper uses Australia's challenging physical environment as yet another character to consider in solving a crime. While five women begin a harrowing corporate team building adventure in the Australian bush, only four return. Agent Aaron Falk, once again, must solve a crime that originates as corporate misconduct and ends with possible murder. Family plays an important role in finding answers, family business and family dynamics, but there are many other forces at work here. Both Mother Nature and human nature are participants, and in this page turning thriller, we experience the cruel and contentious side of both. By nature, we are a curious lot and Force of Nature keeps us on the edge of our seats and guessing until the very end!
Laure R. (Fresno, CA)
Author's 2nd Novel Doesn't Disappoint
Set in the rugged Australian Bush, a corporate retreat designed for "team building" goes horribly wrong.
The terrain and climate are described beautifully as are the five women participating with complicated back stories and interesting ties to one another. I was left with a very clear vision of the land and the physical challenges her characters experienced.
The author in her debut novel "The Dry" introduced Aaron Falk, a federal police officer, and I was most happy to find him returning as a strong character in this book as well. I sincerely hope to find him again in her next book.
I found this book filled with suspense and surprise. It was extremely hard to put down. I recommend it to all.
Deborah C. (Seattle, WA)
Force of Nature
Having read Jane Harper's first novel, The Dry, I was really looking forward to Force of Nature, and I was not disappointed! In both novels, location plays a central role in the story, and the author does an excellent job of making you feel like you are right there with the characters. Force of Nature tells the story of an unexplained disappearance during a corporate team-building exercise in the wilderness, moving back and forth in time, which heightens the tension and makes the book a real page-turner. It's a quick read, and very enjoyable. Highly recommend!
Dona N. (San Rafael, CA)
Australian Mystery with Tangled Secrets
In her new book, Jane Harper places protagonist Australian Federal Agent Aaron Falk in a very different setting than she did in "The Dry", her first novel – this time it is wet – the rainy Giralang Ranges. A woman in whom Falk and his partner have an (undisclosed) interest has gone missing during a wilderness corporate team building experience. The author gives the story line from the perspective of several different narrators in a mystery as compelling as "The Dry". The book passes my test –the reader COULD have solved the mystery with the information provided – although perhaps unlikely. There are a few references to Falk's experience in "The Dry". They are cleverly written so that reading the previous book is not a prerequisite to reading the present one, but enough to make a reader of "The Dry" feel closer to our protagonist. I enjoyed this book very much; it's another page turner that transports the reader to Australia and keeps us guessing until the end.
Cheryl K. (Naples, FL)
Force of Nature
Having thoroughly enjoyed Jane Harper's The Dry, I was equally impressed with Force of Nature. An author who can make a reader "feel the cold of the wilderness" through her characters is an excellent writer.
Police Agent Aaron Falk returns from The Dry and is a continuing force of strength and determination. Ms. Harper's characters are by far the strongest forces driving the mystery to its unsettling, yet satisfying end.
So many surprises along the way keep the reader guessing, and wanting to continue the journey. It was a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.
DeAnn A. (Denver, CO)
Mystery in Australian Mountains
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the return of Aaron Falk. I feel like this character is so complex and we learn a bit more about him in each book. Harper does a great job of putting the reader into the setting of each book. This time, it's in rugged mountain terrain, the Giralang Ranges, with an old unsolved murder case in the mix. A team-building retreat gone wrong ends with one of the women missing in the mountainous terrain. There is an interesting mix of characters in this book and I enjoyed speculating what happened to the missing woman. Needless to say, I was way off in my guess! It was easy for me to give this one five stars, I struggled to find a flaw. Another marvelous book in the Aaron Falk series!
Nancy H. (Lisle, IL)
Master of the atmospheric novel
Remember how you were constantly thirsty while reading Jane Harper's debut novel "The Dry"? For her latest read, grab a warm drink and a heavy blanket before you settle in, because once again Harper has made the weather a full-ledged character of her story. In an equally thrilling story of flawed detectives and their search for clues, Harper leads us through darkness, cold and wet to a complex conclusion involving the breakdown of relationships among five women undergoing an adventure style team-building exercise. The women are finally undone by the elements and the venom of their mutual distrust.
Lauren T. (Orlando, FL)
Force of nature by Jane Harper
Two separate groups of hikers embark on a corporate retreat in the Giralang Ranges in Australia. They all return except for one. What happened to Alice? Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk and his partner Carmen Cooper are already working with Alice on another matter, and they become involved in trying to find her. This atmospheric tale builds slowly to a climax, as we alternately live through the events of the retreat with the hikers and investigate with Falk and Cooper. My test for a good read is that it must make me want to read the author's other work. I'll be reading Ms. Harper's first book, The Dry, soon.