The Survivors by Jane Harper

The Survivors by Jane Harper 

Little, Brown

Publication date - 21 Jan 2021

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Thanks to @netgalley and @littlebrown for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased view.

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I am a big fan of Jane Harper and have read all of her other books and when I got approved for this I think I did a wee squeal! Once again she has not disappointed as this book was just a small town mystery mastered. There was tension, all the local intrigue that goes with this genre but all done to a level above the norm.

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Kieran has returned home with his girlfriend and new baby in order to help pack up his parents lives, as his father is moving into a home for dementia and his mother is leaving the family home to live in a flat nearby. Coming home though is always tinged with sadness and regret as Kieran’s brother died when they were teenagers and Kieran feels as if he was responsible.

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This is all brought back to the forefront of his mind when a young tourist who was staying in the town for the summer is found dead on the beach. All of Kieran’s social circle is involved or associated in some way both in this tragedy and also on the day Kieran’s brother died. Harper leads us through all these relationships with aplomb, especially when showing how people change and evolve and also how our self-perceptions change over time. 

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There are a lot of scenes which were highly evocative, especially those in that are set in the local caves. They showed us innocence basically, as well as claustrophobia to scale where I was feeling mentally threatened. Always the sign of a good writer (in a good way)! 

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I really enjoyed this book. It’s themes have resonated with me and I’m still thinking of it a couple of weeks later. Jane hasn’t another hit on her hands!