Exiles

In Exiles by Jane Harper, Aaron Falk is visiting friends in the wine region of South Australia where he has agreed to be godfather to their young son. The baptism had been postponed for twelve months when Kim, a family member, disappeared leaving her young baby in her pram in a car park. Kim was still missing a year later.

Six years earlier Dean Tozer had been killed in a hit and run accident while walking his dog near a reservoir. His body was found six months later but the case was never solved.

Aaron is a member of the Australian Federal Police investigating financial crime. Two of the guests at the house are also policemen so the inability for the local police to solve the disappearance of one person and the death of another in a small rural community is a topic of discussion. 

The Marralee Valley Food and Wine Festival is being held providing the opportunity to canvass whether anyone has new evidence, particularly regarding Kim's disappearance. Kim's daughter, Zara, and Dean's son, Joel, have joined forces to try and discover what happened to their parents and why.

As family members arrive for the baptism, Aaron tries to analyse who may be withholding relevant information. He and another policeman, Greg Raco, go over what is known in an attempt to discover new information. They come to the conclusion - We see what we expect to see. Someone knows what happened and has misdirected police. What is the true story and what really happened to Kim?

Jane Harper has provided a slow moving description of a family living in a small rural community. The novel explores family dynamics and the unease that can exist in family relationships. The environment also has a powerful influence in the novel.

In Marralee Aaron renews his frienship with Gemma Tozer and is faced with a life changing decision. Another Australian novel well worth reading.

Shortlisted for the 2023 Australian Book Industry Awards - General Fiction