I’ve been on an easy-reading mystery kick. Mysteries are always my jam, and they are perfect to read on the train commuting to and from work. Unless, that is, they get extremely gripping, and then I am always sad when I reach my destination and have to put down my book.
About Exiles
At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her pram, her mother vanishing into the crowds.
A year on, Kim Gillespie’s absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country to welcome a new addition to the family.
Joining the celebrations is federal investigator Aaron Falk. But as he soaks up life in the lush valley, he begins to suspect this tight-knit group may be more fractured than it seems.
Between Falk’s closest friend, a missing mother, and a woman he’s drawn to, dark questions linger as long-ago truths begin to emerge.
~ Synopsis from GoodReads
My Thoughts
I made the mistake of reading a series book from the middle. This is book #3 in the Aaron Falk series, and I rarely enjoy books if I read them out of turn – even if they are technically standalone novels.
That said, I still liked this one. Harper has a wonderful way of setting the scene. I loved the lush descriptions of the landscape and the slow, leisurely way the story unravels. She drew me into the Marralee Valley, the reservoir, and the winery – I could imagine them very easily in my mind.
The mystery, however, was quite predictable, and I was easily able to guess the killer and method of murder within the first few pages. The plot twist is very Agatha Christie in style, and since I’ve read all the Christies, this book was not as suspenseful as I would have liked it to be. However, Harper’s writing elevates this book from a simple murder mystery into something more atmospheric.
I suspect I would have enjoyed this book and appreciated it a lot more if I had read the first two books. Without that context, I felt I didn’t care too much about the romance or the other relationships in this story.
So, if my review sounds a little lukewarm, it’s just because I am on the fence about it. Love the writing, the atmosphere, the pacing, but was a bit bored by Aaron Falk himself.
Still, I am going to be a bit generous with the rating as I think most of the flaws I had with this book were based on the fact that I read them out of order. If you have read this series, let me know what you think of it.
