A Classic Non-Guessable Murder Mystery With Deep Secrets: A Review of The Dry by Jane Harper

The Dry by Jane Harper is one of those classic murder mysteries in which you cannot guess who is the killer until the very end. Once you reach the end, all your expectations and predictions are shattered as the much-awaited mystery untangles itself. But more than the mystery itself, the setting and the series of deep secrets keep you hooked till the last page. The story is set in Kiewarra, Australia, where the biggest drought of the century has hit. The book is a perfect treat to you if you love country landscapes, farms, farmhouses and riversides. You will also come to know what can times of misery do to people living in these beautiful places.

The story revolves around the murder of the Halder family that takes place in Kiewarra, wherein Luke Handler, his wife Karen Handler and their six-year-old son Billy Handler are brutally murdered. Luke is accused to having killed his family and then committing suicide himself. Policeman Aaron Falk, Luke’s childhood best friend, arrives in Kiewarra from Melbourne to attend his funeral but is reluctantly held to investigate the three killings. That is when you realise the town of Kiewarra holds more dark secrets than you had imagined. People have deep buried pasts, that are threatened to surface as the Falk’s investigation proceeds.

About halfway through the book, my opinion was that a lot of characters are introduced for a single book and I would definitely feel disappointed if that you result in messing up of the storyline or the climax at the end. But it didn’t. Everything fell into place quite well. I do think that keeping aside the main running plot of the Handlers murder case, certain side plots(related to the characters’ pasts) did do the job of substantiating the main plot, but did not have a lot to do with the much awaited climax. But they definitely help in getting to know the characters more closely, learning about their pasts, their relationship with each other and you developing a bond with them. The pain of farewell is strong throughout the book, but people got to face their pasts, especially Aaron. A lot is at stake.

With suspense, mystery, emotion, friendship and love blending in, the book is one hell of a thrilling read!

My rating – 4/5

Happy Reading!😇

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