Genre Fiction
![Jane Harper - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_jane_harper.jpg)
The Lost Man
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Two brothers meet in the remote Australian outback when the third brother is found dead, in this stunning new standalone novel from Jane Harper
Brothers Nathan and Bub Bright meet for the first time in months at the remote fence line separating their cattle ranches in the lonely outback.
Their third brother, Cameron, lies dead at their feet.
In an isolated belt of Australia, their homes a three-hour drive apart, the brothers were one another's nearest neighbors. Cameron was the middle child, the one who ran the family homestead. But something made him head out alone under the unrelenting sun.
Nathan, Bub and Nathan's son return to Cameron's ranch and to those left behind by his passing: his wife, his daughters, and his mother, as well as their long-time employee and two recently hired seasonal workers.
While they grieve Cameron's loss, suspicion starts to take hold, and Nathan is forced to examine secrets the family would rather leave in the past. Because if someone forced Cameron to his death, the isolation of the outback leaves few suspects.
A powerful and brutal story of suspense set against a formidable landscape, The Lost Man confirms Jane Harper, author of The Dry and Force of Nature, is one of the best new voices in writing today.
Two brothers meet in the remote Australian outback when the third brother is found dead, in this stunning new standalone novel from Jane Harper
Brothers Nathan and Bub Bright meet for the first time in months at the remote fence line separating their cattle ranches in the lonely outback.
Their third brother, Cameron, lies dead at their feet.
In an isolated belt of Australia, their homes a three-hour drive apart, the brothers were one another's nearest neighbors. Cameron was the middle child, the one who ran the family homestead. But something made him head out alone under the unrelenting sun.
Nathan, Bub and Nathan's son return to Cameron's ranch and to those left behind by his passing: his wife, his daughters, and his mother, as well as their long-time employee and two recently hired seasonal workers.
While they grieve Cameron's loss, suspicion starts to take hold, and Nathan is forced to examine secrets the family would rather leave in the past. Because if someone forced Cameron to his death, the isolation of the outback leaves few suspects.
A powerful and brutal story of suspense set against a formidable landscape, The Lost Man confirms Jane Harper, author of The Dry and Force of Nature, is one of the best new voices in writing today.
Editorial Reviews
"[A] crime masterpiece. The landscape and culture of this remote Australian territory are magnificently evoked as a story of family secrets unfolds. Rarely does a puzzle so complicated fit together perfectly―you'll be shaking your head in amazement."
―People
"All at once enthralling...Book by book, [Harper is] creating her own vivid and complex account of the outback."
―New York Times Book Review
"A nuanced but pulse-pounding thriller set in the heart of the Australian Outback, where two brothers find their sibling dead."
―Entertainment Weekly
"Engrossing…Storytelling at its finest."
―Associated Press
"A timely and riveting family drama set in a desolate area of Queensland that will keep you guessing until the final pages."
―BookPage, starred review, "Top Pick of the Month"
"Harper's masterful narrative places readers right in the middle of a desolate landscape that's almost as alien as the moon's surface, where the effects of long-term isolation are always a concern. The mystery of Cam's death is at the dark heart of an unfolding family drama that will leave readers reeling, and the final reveal is a heartbreaker. A twisty slow burner by an author at the top of her game."
―Kirkus, starred review
"I absolutely loved The Lost Man. I devoured it in a day. Her best yet!"
―Liane Moriarty
"The atmosphere is so thick you can taste the red-clay dust, and the folklore surrounding the mysterious stockman adds an additional edge to an already dark and intense narrative. The truth is revealed in a surprising ending that reveals how far someone will go to preserve a life worth living in a place at once loathed and loved."
―Booklist
"The Lost Man is a compulsive, gri...
―People
"All at once enthralling...Book by book, [Harper is] creating her own vivid and complex account of the outback."
―New York Times Book Review
"A nuanced but pulse-pounding thriller set in the heart of the Australian Outback, where two brothers find their sibling dead."
―Entertainment Weekly
"Engrossing…Storytelling at its finest."
―Associated Press
"A timely and riveting family drama set in a desolate area of Queensland that will keep you guessing until the final pages."
―BookPage, starred review, "Top Pick of the Month"
"Harper's masterful narrative places readers right in the middle of a desolate landscape that's almost as alien as the moon's surface, where the effects of long-term isolation are always a concern. The mystery of Cam's death is at the dark heart of an unfolding family drama that will leave readers reeling, and the final reveal is a heartbreaker. A twisty slow burner by an author at the top of her game."
―Kirkus, starred review
"I absolutely loved The Lost Man. I devoured it in a day. Her best yet!"
―Liane Moriarty
"The atmosphere is so thick you can taste the red-clay dust, and the folklore surrounding the mysterious stockman adds an additional edge to an already dark and intense narrative. The truth is revealed in a surprising ending that reveals how far someone will go to preserve a life worth living in a place at once loathed and loved."
―Booklist
"The Lost Man is a compulsive, gri...
Readers Top Reviews
saucey sueBluecas
3 novels & each got marginally better, if not brilliant by this last one. 2 days reading, couldn’t put it down & with so many twists & turns & distractions I never saw it coming until it smacked me in the face at the end. And so it should be. Read the other 2 stand alone books, but definitely take this one on be blown away by all that fills the pages....the Australian outback, the visuals, the folk who do it tough but never back down in the face of so many hardships that nature throws at these people, families with secrets from each other, differing personalities.....this book has it all. Enjoy.
Kindle saucey su
Since i loved " The Dry" i was really excited to read this book. Took me a bit to get into this, started out slow, almost stopped reading, I'm very glad I pushed on. definitely recommend
BluebellKindle s
After a promising debut with The Dry and an OK follow-up with Force of Nature, Jane Harper has got everything right in her third book, The Lost Man. From the first I've had a strong feeling that this was a great writer in the making, and as it turned out I was right. This is nothing short of a masterpiece, and I really cannot find anything to put my finger on. It reminds me of my all time favourite, Margaret Millar's book Beyond this Place is Monsters, if not in geography then very much in atmosphere. We are in Queensland, Australia, the land of vast cattle farms with the next door neighbours three hours away, where the brutal sun makes it fatal to wander off in the desert without water and means of transport. Cameron, the middle brother in the Blight family, knows this as well as anybody, having lived there all his live. Still, he's found dead from exposure by the Stockman's Grave, a nearby landmark surrounded by myths. At first it look like a suicide, and it is confirmed by family members that he had been depressed lately. But Cameron also had a lot to live for - a wife, two daughters and a prosperous property. He was also respected and well liked within the comunity. Could it be murder then? And if so, who would want him dead? His older brother Nathan, who is a loner and a recluse due to a messy divorce and a long custody battle, sets out to find the truth, however painful. The youngest brother Bub has troubles of his own, and it turns out that so has the other habitants on the property. In the process of finding out what happend to Cameron, family secrets of both past and present are revealed little by little, and so is the throubled relationship between the three Blight brothers. They are men of few words, and the unsaid is just as important as what is actually said. It takes time - at least it did so for me - to understand what this book is really about, and I don't want to give away too much here. All I can say about the ending is that I didn't see it coming. The book is so well written that I could easily feel the heat and the dust and imagine myself sitting down in the Blight family's kitchen eating meat and rice or drinking beer on their back porch. The Lost Man is not another Aaron Falk mystery but a stand-alone, which I think was a wise choice by the author. It's a story set at a slow pace, based on characters rather than action. The ending is not nearly as dramatic or violent as in the two prior books. I think that was a good choice too.
ElizabethBluebell
I like her books because they are engaging, keep me interested, and bring me to a place that I couldn't have dreamt of. Jane Harper definitely evokes the feeling of the land, and its impact on the characters. It's actually almost a main character in her books, giving context for everything that takes place. The people in this book have a unique perspective and life experience compared to me, a NY born and raised woman, and yet, as with her other books, they are familiar, human; I can imagine them, put myself in their shoes Recommended.
Maria V.Elizabeth
4.75 stars - Wow … what can I say about this book? It completely enthralled me from the first page and held me tight in its grip until the very last page (and beyond). This is a story that will stay with me for quite a while. I could see this being a very good book club pick just for the conversation alone that it would trigger. You know how in some books the setting is like one of the characters? This novel is a prime example of that. It takes place in the Australian Outback and the land is so harsh, and dangerous, and unforgiving, and yet compelling at the same time. This description also perfectly fits the Bright family that lives there and which this book focuses on. The characters are all so well-written, it’s like they’re sitting beside you breathing in your ear as you read it. The writing is tense, taut and so brilliant. You can feel the sun on the back of your neck and the dust in your eyes. There are so many things unsaid here, so many secrets; the kind we keep from others and the kind we keep from ourselves. It’s the best kind of family drama/mystery. This would translate so well into a limited TV series. This is my first novel by this author and now I’m itching to read more. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up! 👍 👍
