Author : Jane Harper
Genre : Mystery
Publisher : Macmillan
Pages : 363
Rating : 4.5/5
This is my first book by Jane Harper and I’d been expecting a murder mystery. But The Lost Man is not a traditional murder mystery – there is no detective, no case, no legal wrangles. The book goes in quite a different direction, but I am happy to say, it is a most entertaining one.
Cameron Bright has been found dead in the middle of the Australian outback. It is clear he died of heat-stroke, parched for water and trying to escape the relentless sun, but it is not clear why, Cameron, an experienced cattle rancher would stray so far from cover or put himself in such a precarious position. Did he want to die?
The family is bereft – he leaves behind a grief-stricken mother, a stunned wife and two daughters and two brothers, who were also his closest neighbors. The small community mourns Cameron since he was well-liked and respected. As the news breaks, local law enforcement gets involved, but it is Cameron’s older brother Nathan who tries his best to find the person responsible.
The Lost Man is a slow burn. It starts off with Cameron’s death and builds the characters slowly through anecdotes and nostalgic references. The story is well-layered and new facts are revealed as the book goes along. Harper draws her characters very well and makes their actions believable. The prose is not overly complicated, but it is descriptive and gives you a good feel for the people, the unforgiving land and the family dynamics.
I loved that every chapter ends with a little twist, so I could not stop reading. Also the book is very unpredictable – and you can’t really guess where it is going! Highly recommend this page-turner – Harper sure knows what she is doing; I look forward to reading more of her work.
