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4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
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jane harper evelyn bay years ago previous books small town great read twelve years good read highly recommended mia and baby went missing small tasmanian kept me guessing coastal town lost man baby daughter daughter audrey another great wait for her next kieran elliott
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Jann58
2.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as others
Reviewed in Australia on 30 September 2020
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I found this book very hard to keep interested in, and at times it is downright boring. The characters aren’t appealing and maybe this is because they come across as quite shallow. I expected much more from this book as the topic is interesting, unfortunately the book left me feeling indifferent.
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Yug
4.0 out of 5 stars Small Town conflicts
Reviewed in Australia on 20 October 2020
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The story of Kieran, who due to his thoughtlessness as an eighteen year old is blamed for the death of his brother, who supposedly came to rescue him, but drowned before he could do that. Kieran on his return to the small outpost of Evelyn Bay in Tasmania, eventually finds out that his brother wasn't actually on a mission to rescue him, which is a relief to Kieran.
The story is well written and the endless small town rivalries and conflicts are well drawn.
The book certainly keeps the readers attention right to the end, although I found the eventual outcome somewhat unlikely and not very satisfactory from the readers point of view
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Clark Forbes
4.0 out of 5 stars Survival of the fittest
Reviewed in Australia on 12 October 2020
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The author, one of the brighter recent stars in the crime writing firmament, continues her passion for stripping bare the secrets and lies of small rural communities. This time a small Tasmanian coastal hamlet bears the brunt of her forensic exhumation of the tortured minds - and darker deeds - of its denizens. Again the author displays her ability to get under the skin of her characters and reveal how the past has so often informed their actions. Where she stumbles, slightly, is the ending which as in a couple of her previous books leaves the reader vaguely dissatisfied.
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ZD
4.0 out of 5 stars A good story and loving research
Reviewed in Australia on 16 February 2021
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I think I read that this is the first novel of Melbourne librarian Catherine Meyrick. Its heroine is an interesting character with whom the reader can become involved. and there are sufficient interconnected minor plots to keep the tension taut. The research that underlies the Elizabethan story seems faultless - my only quibble is that it occasionally distracts the reader from the narrative. However, I enjoyed the book so much that I have since paid for, downloaded and read Meyrick's second Elizabethan offering, 'Forsaking All Others' which is clearly just as experienced in the research and more experienced in the telling. I will keep an eye on this author.
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Kay E
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
3.0 out of 5 stars A beginning, middle and end. Only the middle is good
Reviewed in Australia on 26 January 2021
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The first few chapters read like a mediocre YA novel with superficial character development. It is not until a body is discovered on the beach that the story becomes interesting and the writing improves. The ending is a complete let down with pages and pages of detail about what actually happened, that could have been described in one or two pages.

I enjoyed the author’s previous novels but this one is a disappointment.
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deirdre o.
2.0 out of 5 stars Sort of Blah
Reviewed in Australia on 31 January 2021
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This is the first time I've read the author. Id be hard pressed to do it again. The story seemed to be going up and down on the spot with occasional forward moves that didn't excite me at all. With few exceptions the characters didn't, grow, change or even reveal themselves. There were passing references to other side to their lives but these weren't developed. A bit of a yawn that I only finished because I'd bought the book. A disappointing debut for me.
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Andrew Jennings
5.0 out of 5 stars Steady pace, very strong writing.
Reviewed in Australia on 21 November 2020
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I really like her books. She has a way of conveying atmosphere and situation in a quite subtle manner. The fascination of small town life to the city dweller is at the centre, and once again this book explores a very small town. There are absolutely no rough edges here, just very high quality writing that holds you right from the start. I expect I will buy and read everything she writes. Well done.
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RJH
3.0 out of 5 stars RJHamilton
Reviewed in Australia on 1 October 2020
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Easy to read with a rather average but nonetheless fair engaging plot. It misses the mark on being a criminal thriller because the investigation is not detailed or forensic. I would say overall, it is a superficial read about shallow characters.
It is not of the same caliber as The Dry.
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Johannes Bathelt
5.0 out of 5 stars Full of suspense and atmosphere
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 October 2020
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I read Jane Harper’s other books and really like her style. She has a knack creating vivid characters, ramping up the suspense, and delivering plot twists that do not insult the reader's intelligence. I also enjoy the settings that depict different landscapes in Australia and lend the stories heaps of atmosphere. The Survivors is no exception in that regard. The book is set on the rough shore of Tasmania. The protagonist is returning to his hometown that he left behind after a fateful storm that killed his brother and left a local girl missing. The tight-knit community begins to unravel when a young woman is found dead and hidden secrets are about to be dragged up. I massively enjoyed reading the book. In fact, I had to force myself to stop reading and not miss out on sleep. If you’re looking for a narrative escape, I’d highly recommend this book.
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Mrs C V Pearce
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 October 2020
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I have really enjoyed reading Jane Hrper's previous books and was looking firward to this,her latest. What a let down........the characters had no depth to them, and I got irritated by the "waffly"padding to the story. i got halfway through the book and found I just didn't care about any of the characters, or what happened to them. Very disappointing.
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Sarah-Lou
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Jane Harper triumph
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 December 2020
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Another triumph from Jane Harper, who has fast become one of my favourite authors. Her description of the Australian landscape is hard to surpass. She is detailed, sympathetic and genuinely makes you feel you are there.
This thriller follows Keiran Elliot, who returns to his hometown with his wife and new baby to visit his parents, as his mother gets set to pack up her home as his father is taken into full time care for his dementia. The small town has not forgotten Keiran's part in the death of his brother and brother's best friend in a great storm when he was a teenager. Set around a notoriously dangerous cave system, called The Survivors, the story centres around a young waitress found dead on the beach. Suspicion falls on practically everyone within the community and secrets thoughts to have been buried in the storm of years ago resurface.
Harper is genius as portraying relationships and their complexity. A satisfying ending, which leaves you thinking.
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JaquiP
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a classy writer - absolutely absorbing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 September 2020
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This is a writer who knows how to write well and keep readers guessing and their senses keen and their hearts both chilled and filled with wonder. I loved her first book The Dry for the tension and sense of place and she has done this again with this book with its focus on a small seaside town in Tasmania and it's links to the sea. The descriptions of the sea from its quiet moments to the terror of waves and the possibilities of drowning, and ever present sense of the rhythms, the roiling, the colours is so clever. "To the north, the rolling waves fizzed against the sand. To the south - Keiran froze.". It is about characters and love and family and guilt and secrets and left me guessing right up to the last page what the outcome would be. "The truth hurts a lot of people. That was the case then and it's the case now.". Each strand of the story skillfully weaved. It started slowly, the characters introduced and built to a crescendo the one night twelve years ago that broke so many people unravelled with a murder twelve years later as Kieran returns to cautiously re-engage and rebuild his past and present if they can ever be reconciled. A wonderful story told by a wonderful story teller. I look forward to her next novel.
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Mrs Anne C Corrigan
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great page-turner from Jane Harper
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 September 2020
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I have read and enjoyed all of Jane Harper’s books and ‘The Survivors’ does not disappoint. I couldn’t put it down and read it in one day!
The characters are well-rounded and believable and the descriptions brought the caves and beaches in Tasmania to life. I really felt as if I was there in every scene.
As expected with a Jane Harper novel, there were many twists and turns in the plot with a few red herrings thrown in. I had no idea who dunnit until the final reveal. With other books I have usually worked out the plot well before the end but with this one, I really couldn’t guess.
A great page-turner, beautifully written with a great plot. I feel sad to have finished it.
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