Seeing as mysteries are what made me fall in love with reading in the first place, I don't know why I don't read them more often as an adult! Though many of the books I read have mysterious elements to them, I don't read a lot of straight up detective/police stories. The Dry by Jane Harper was on Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2017 Summer Reading List and I was hearing/reading rave reviews all over the internet and book podcasts. I'm so glad I picked it up! My love with mysteries has been rekindled!
The Dry is about FBI agent Aaron Falk and his return to his hometown, Kiewarra (Australia). His visit is due to the tragic death of his childhood friend Luke and Luke's wife and young son. The small town is reeling from the tragedy for more reasons than one. All of the evidence shows that Luke killed his wife and son before taking his own life. What Aaron thinks is going to be a quick trip home, soon becomes a lot more complicated when his past catches up with him.
You can probably tell from my summary that this book isn't exactly heartwarming, but it is oh so satisfying. Just like the main character, I was constantly trying to figure out who I could trust throughout the story; nothing and no one were quite as they seemed. I love books that switch between past and present story lines, and this one did a really good job of that all the way to the very end. The title of the book plays a really interesting and important role both in the setting and the climax. I definitely recommend this to anyone who's looking for a page-turner. I'll admit it has some heavy themes, but it had me on the edge of my seat!
5/5 Stars
