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Release date: February 5, 2019

Publisher: Flatiron

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Two brothers meet at the border of their vast cattle properties under the unrelenting sun of outback Queensland, in this stunning new standalone novel from New York Times bestseller Jane Harper

They are at the stockman’s grave, a landmark so old, no one can remember who is buried there. But today, the scant shadow it casts was the last hope for their middle brother, Cameron. The Bright family’s quiet existence is thrown into grief and anguish. Something had been troubling Cameron. Did he lose hope and walk to his death? Because if he didn’t, the isolation of the outback leaves few suspects…

Dark, suspenseful, and deeply atmospheric, The Lost Man is the highly anticipated next book from the bestselling and award-winning Jane Harper, author of The Dry and Force of Nature. 

Review:

I’m officially a Jane Harper fangirl at this point, I loved both of her previous books and was super excited about this one and also curious because it’s not a part of the Aaron Falk series, it’s a stand-alone. Series or stand-alone I’ll read anything she writes, there is something about her style that mesmerizes me and also gets under my skin at the same time.

I have to admit that it did take some time for me to really get into this one, it’s definitely slow to start but when I did get wholly invested I was all in. There was quite a bit of character development and background to start, but it was really well done and pertinent to the plot. The cast of characters is fairly small so you get a strong sense of who they are and what drives them each which only added to my investment in the story as a whole.

To me, what makes Harper stand out from the crowd is her ability to create such a vivid, strong sense of place. All three of her books have such intense, rich atmospheres they become a character all on their own. This takes place in the outback where the weather is brutally unforgiving and the small town where The Bright family lives is completely isolated. I swear she’s so good at bringing a scene to life that I found myself thirsty and parched just reading about this desolate place.

You may have noticed I really didn’t touch on the plot at all and that’s deliberate because you should just read it for yourself. Trust me, whatever I can tell you won’t hold a candle to Harper’s writing. Recommended for fans of character driven family based dramas set in a fantastic place.

The Lost Man in three words: Atmospheric, Mesmerizing and Cunning.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.