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The Dry cover art

The Dry

By: Jane Harper
Narrated by: Steve Shanahan
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Publisher's Summary

Now a major motion picture starring Eric Bana as Aaron Falk.

It hasn't rained in Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the farming community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are discovered shot to death on their property. Everyone assumes Luke Hadler committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son. Federal police investigator Aaron Falk returns to his hometown for the funerals and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. As suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him 20 years earlier. Because Falk and his childhood friend Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke's death threatens to unearth....

©2016 Jane Harper (P)2016 W F Howes Ltd

Critic Reviews

"You will feel the heat, taste the dust and blink into the glare. The Dry is a wonderful crime novel that shines a light into the darkest corner of a sunburnt country." (Michael Robotham)

"A suspenseful tale of sound and fury as riveting as it is horrific.” (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The Dry

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    5,924
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    1,916
  • 3 Stars
    376
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Performance
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Story
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Really good book.

Great setting, great main character and supporting characters, great story, well written and great double mystery.
Crime mysteries are not my usual first choice, but I liked the sound of the setting for this one so gave it a go.
Thoroughly enjoyed listening to every minute of it. Very few of the usual "oh come on, you've got to be kidding" clumsy co-incidences, unanswered questions or predictable formula characters and red herrings.
When both mysteries were finally answered, I hadn't seen either of them coming and found them very plausible, well thought through and totally worth waiting for.
And best thing of all - even though the main event was a violent murder, there was an absolute minimum of gratuitous gruesomeness which I really appreciated. Quite rare in these de-sensitised days.
It was all about the story and didn't try to wring out any more shock/horror than was necessary.
Hints of a sequel towards the end - or was that just wishful thinking?
If so, I'll definitely be getting it.

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44 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Aussie Read

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Never knowing where it would lead but leaving nothing hanging in the end. Great to have an Aussie to listen to!

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Australian words for an Australian book

Disappointed that a book set in such an Australian landscape used words which are obviously American/English.........barn should be SHED, field should be PADDOCK, truck ? when obviously not a truck in Australian usage but American! Go to a country Aussie pub and use these words and they’ll laugh at you.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping Aussie crime thriller

Loved everything about this book - the story, it's setting and narration. The author is brilliant in her description of Australian country town life, the plot has a few unexpected and yet plausible twists - a must for me when reading crime novels. Can't wait for more books by this author.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Intriguing story but ...

I didn't like the amount of swearing and chose to not finish listening. It may be typical Australian but the story wouldn't have been diminished if there had been less language and it certainly didn't add anything.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful narration capturing the Australian essence of The Dry

Gripping storyline told with a wonderful voice telling us the story of an old country town in the aftermath of two two tragedies, one recent and one historical.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great debut novel

A great debut novel interesting characters and you can really feel the heat of the sun and the dust from the drought by her wonderful use of language. If I have a criticism it's that things are tied up too neatly at the end if I say why it with spoil it suffice to say don't let it put you off its an excellent read.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great debut

Jane Harper, please continue to write books as brilliant as The Dry - hard to stop listening because of the story plot twists and turns. Typical Australian outback background with characters perfectly chosen to fit kept the suspense right to the last pages.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

beautiful and gripping

a great companion to my road trip....make sure you don't also have human companions as you'll be sure to ignore them

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Mae
  • 11-02-2017

Loved this story!

I couldn't stop listening. It had me hooked from the beginning with a fast paced and mysterious storyline. Enjoyed the narrator as well!

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5 people found this helpful

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.