The Dry: Short & Sweet (Adult)

The Dry by Jane Harper

A good start to my reading year! This mystery is a slow-moving one -- the murder has happened at the start of the novel, and the rest is spent with the police as they follow leads and uncover clues -- but I liked the sense of place Harper establishes (the hot, dry small-town feel of Kiewarra) as well as the characters and their relationships and history. Falk was an enjoyable protagonist to follow, as he has a good heart and really cares about others, but at the same time, seems to find it difficult to open up to them. I did find the reveal of the current-day storyline to be a little unsatisfying, but I found the past storyline to be gut-wrenching and horrifying (spoiler, highlight to read: the abuse that Ellie endures from her father is sickening, and I wish the end of the book had delivered justice for her. However, sometimes justice doesn't happen in real life, so I guess I can't expect it every time in fiction either.). I will definitely look into what else Jane Harper has published!

4 shooting stars.