Exiles

By: Jane Harper

Narrated by: Steve Shanahan

Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FOR 2023

At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her pram, her mother having vanished into the crowds.

A year on, Kim Gillespie's absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country to welcome a new addition to the family.

Aaron Falk, federal investigator, is joining the celebrations. But as he soaks up life in the lush valley, he begins to suspect this tight-knit group may be more fractured than it seems. As hidden truths slowly emerge, Falk faces the darkest of questions.

WINNER OF THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST CRIME FICTION 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DANGER AWARD FOR FICTION 2023
LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKPEOPLE ADULT FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023

©2022 Jane Harper (P)2022 Macmillan Australia Audio

Critic reviews

'A beautifully observed crime novel' Sydney Morning Herald

'Jane Harper knows how to write an undulating, riddling tale to keep you on your toes. Exiles is no different.' Russh

'You'll find yourself immediately hooked' The Age

I started to read this but switched to audio about Ch 3.

I genuinely think it best to hear Grace’s words in her own voice. There are parts when the authors lack of narration skills make the brain ok a bit stilted, the counter to this is the very real passion that you hear when necessary. This is an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone of any gender from about early teens to old age. Teens should read it with parents as it can be quite confronting in places. This only adds value to the book.

Soooooo damn good

It took me a little bit to get in to, lots of characters straight away but once I had a handle on what was what, I couldn’t stop listening.. I was so invested in finding the answers. Fantastic story telling.

The Return of Aussie Rural Noir

I loved "The Dry", the first book in the Aaron Falk series; both the book, and the film come to that. I loved the twists and turns of the plot which came to an unexpected but believable conclusion, I loved the background stories of (mostly) likeable but flawed characters with a lot of depth to them. You could even feel a degree of sympathy for the unlikeable ones. Sometimes. Sort of.

The second book, "Forces of Nature", I… enjoyed... but it's a stretch to say that I loved it. Falk was a more peripheral figure in that book. The main characters were flawed but not, on the whole, particularly likeable, and there really wasn't much of a twisting and turning plot. (Though there was still an "aha!" moment when all was revealed.) It was interesting, and I'll doubtless go and see the film which is now in production (thankfully with Eric Bana back wearing his badge), but it's not one that I expect to stay with me.

"Exiles" returns to the style of "The Dry". The characterisation is deep, complex and interesting, the parallel stories weave around in ways that keep you thinking and looking for clues, and the setting is relatable even for people who have never lived in small country towns. I also enjoyed the segments which involved characters reflecting on their life choices; what matters, what doesn't. I think that most people beyond the age of 35 will be given something to chew over there.

I found myself listening to it as often as possible, being pulled in by the story and hungry for more.

I did not, however, care much for the ending. No, not the ending to the twin central plots, which were in my view believable and tied up all of the threads neatly, but the ending to the book itself. I'm not sure that certain characters would make certain choices quite as readily, albeit with options being left open. Without giving too much away, it will make it difficult (not impossible, but difficult), for there to be a fourth Aaron Falk book. To me that's a pity because we've barely scratched the surface of where the character could go. On the other hand it's possible that the author has painted herself into a corner; after all, her preferred genre is small town noir, and there's a limit to how many times a city based Federal Police officer who specialises in financial crimes can plausibly get involved in small town crime and mystery. Still, no bridges were completely burnt in the making of the ending, and perhaps Harper is just teasing us.

The audiobook was narrated by Steve Shanahan, who did both of the previous Falk books as well. He speaks clearly, is easy to listen to, and has a pitch and accent which fits perfectly with this style of book. There were a few glitches in the recording's editing, such as a few paragraphs that were repeated, or gaps of silence which run on a little too long and make you wonder whether the recording has stopped, but nothing that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the recording.
This is the longest of the Falk books to date by a significant margin (The Dry being 9hrs 37, Forces of Nature being 8hrs and 57, and Exiles being 12hrs and 28) but in my view it wasn't "padded"; it didn't feel to me to be excessively long.

I don't know that I'll be listening to it again any time soon, but I enjoyed it (except for the one bit that I didn't) and would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well put together story with interesting characters.

Another tour de force !

Not only have I recently discovered this marvellous writer, but have also discovered that everyone I know discovered her before me ! For an only half-Aussie, Jane Harper sure knows how to write Australian.