What readers think of The Lost Man, plus links to write your own review.

After reading Ms Harper's "The Dry", I looked forward to reading "The Lost Man"... and I wasn't disappointed. I love the way the author writes! There are no loose ends. The story and the characters are sharply honed. The story took me in so I finished the book in 2 days. It's an easy but intelligent read.

From the very first page, the suspense created in The Lost Man by Jane Harper, drew me in, and carefully crafted clues dropped like breadcrumbs kept me turning the pages. Harper is a great storyteller, so I also enjoyed her other two books, but somehow this one resonated more with me. The story is about a dead man, his family, and secrets well-kept. Told from the POV of Nathan, the titular lost man, the storyline flows just right, the characters, including the Australian Outback, are realistic, and the ending is believable and very satisfying. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a suspenseful tale, well told.

That the book would benefit from a good editor is my only caveat. Thankfully, sentences like, "It was pitch black out there now. Above, Nathan could already make out the first few stars," are few: stars do not "come out" – they are there to see when it is dark enough. Perhaps that is also true of family secrets.

I think the book was well written but it took me a while to finish. The descriptions of people and the area were good. But the book was not usually the kind I read.

I know there is a story in this book, but you really have to have patience to find it. The storyline moves so slowly and didn't really get interesting until page 237. If the purpose of the book was to explain how exciting life could be in Australia, it failed. Still, one will cheer on the protagonist...every so slowly...

I felt like I was slogging thru the mud for the first 50 pages. Nonetheless the pages were crucial to the book.

The mystery was well written with false and true clues along the way.

Xander, Isle, Mum and Harry stood out as developed and likeable characters. Brandon with 10 years alone in the outback less so---but then what else could you expect.


The outback living conditions were vivid and realistic.


The artwork of the grave site seemed "overworked".