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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Murder investigation involving the deaths of a family; violence is described but not graphically
Language
Some
Some strong language in the Australian crime fiction register
Sexual Content
Barely any
Minimal sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The psychological weight of returning to a place you were forced to leave — and the long damage of an unresolved accusation — drives the novel
What this book is about
Jane Harper's debut thriller follows Aaron Falk, a federal agent who returns to the drought-stricken Australian town of Kiewarra for a childhood friend's funeral — the friend is suspected of killing his wife and son before dying himself. But Falk also left this town under a cloud, connected to a death twenty years earlier. Harper's Australian crime fiction captures the oppressive heat and insularity of rural communities with unusual precision. A strong debut that launched one of crime fiction's best ongoing series.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Family murder including children
Cold case from protagonist's past
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