I requested a copy of this to read because of the popularity of the 'The Dry' and because I'm always keen to read material set in Oz, having lived there myself for a while. I'm also a big fan of crime fiction!

Overall, I thought it was cleverly crafted and that the changing viewpoints and flashbacks were an effective way to create tension and keep the reader guessing. The characters were convincing and there was a strong sense of place.

I'll definitely be getting hold of a copy of 'The Dry' and will be keen to read whatever Harper produces next.

Difficult to follow a great book like The Dry, but Force of Nature more than lived up to that, for me. Pacey, gripping thriller set in (fictional) Australian wilds. Five women head out on a team building trek, but only four make it back to the rendezvous point. Matching the story of the women chapter for chapter, the story of the two investigators from the police fraud office, who are working with the woman who disappeared. Having spent more than my fair share of time lost with a map somewhere a lot less difficult to navigate than Australia, for me Harper perfectly captured the panicky quality of a group trying to navigate unfamiliar terrain, both in terms of map and characters.
I also loved the black humour she found in a relatively dark story.
"Jill watched the backs of their heads and shifted her pack. She could feel the straps rubbing on her shoulders. The man in the shop had told her that they were made from special breathable material for added comfort. The memory of that conversation infused Jill with a sense of deep and lasting betrayal."
Recommended.

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review, thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and the author, Jane Harper.
I really enjoyed this gripping, unsettling thriller from Jane Harper, and didn't feel like I missed any crucial details having not read her first novel in the series 'The Dry', although I gather that by reading them in order, you get a bit of a clearer picture of the main character's history.
The tension, paranoia, and distrust that Harper cleverly portrays in the women lost in the Australian bushland is almost palpable, and despite there being no gory denouement, the ending and resolution is still shocking and thrilling.
A solid detective story, and a satisfying read. Although I don't feel like I can give it more than three stars as it did not leave me with any profound feeling or lasting impression.

This was a fantastic—and chilling—mystery novel, but I didn't find the twist quite as shocking as The Dry, and there were a couple of loose threads left hanging. Despite that, I'll be reading Harper's next title as soon as it's out. She doesn't re-invent the wheel when it comes to crime novels, but her plots are so cleverly done, with pin-sharp prose and unrelenting pace.

For some reason I find the idea of being lost in the wilderness particularly terrifying—a combination of reading Stephen King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon at a formative age and growing up in a nice safe city with people around always rather than the anything-can-happen countryside—and in Force of Nature it was incredibly well done, the tension racking up as they strayed further and further off track. (I read The River at Night a few years ago, which is based on a similar idea, and that started well but then got very silly.)

And, to be fair, the conclusion was extremely chilling, but [the fact it was one of the four other women who killed Alice and not for a particularly suprising motive was a little bit disappointing. The bait-and-switch, misdirection was just done so cleverly in The Dry, and I was very confident Force of Nature was heading the same way. But the murder scene, and Bree's discovery of the body, were so well-written and chilling, especially with Lauren not even being sure that Alice was dead. I'm recoiling inwardly now, just thinking of it. (hide spoiler)]

Now I'm writing this maybe three stars is too low. Let's say 3.5, because The Dry is definitely a 4.

Having read, loved and recommended Harper's first novel 'The Dry' to all and sundry I was anxious that her second novel would live up to it - I needn't have worried. 'Force of nature' is every bit as compelling and readable as 'The dry' with the added creepiness of an Australian bush setting and historic murder site to boot. As a detective Falk is likeable as ever, although I did find the semi- romantic relationship with his colleague Carmen unconvincing and half-hearted. However, this did not detract from the overall plot and I was gripped until the very last page. Excellent.

3.5 stars
This was a quick and interesting read. Great atmosphere, intriguing plot, realistic (although not particularly likeable) characters and engaging writing style. I didn't enjoy this as much as The Dry but will definitely read more books by Jane Harper.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This is an enjoyable thriller with a satisfying ending. I must admit I didn't really recognise Aaron Falk from The Dry but he and his partner Carmen make a good duo and its a nice twist for them to be investigating financial crimes and be drawn into a missing person hunt. As in The Dry, I love the Australian outback setting which gives a great different feel to the story. All the characters are really well drawn and I enjoyed the development of character of Falk. A great read as a stand=alone novel but even better as a further story in a series. Bring on the next one.

Jane Harper’s first novel, The Dry, was widely acclaimed, but unfortunately I haven’t yet read it, so Force of Nature is my first exposure to her work. Having heard great things about the previous book I expected it to be good, and it was.

Five women from the BaileyTennant accountancy firm set off, reluctantly, on a corporate “Executive Adventures” outward bound type hike through the Australian bush. None of them really want to be there. Jill, one of the owners of the company, has to show willing. Lauren and Alice, senior members of staff, both have problems at home and would rather not be attending. Then there’s the twins, Breanna - ambitious and keen, deeply conflicted about her relationship with her troubled sister - and Bethany, who’s really, really trying to get her life back together after some very difficult times - and rebuild her relationship with Bree.

Five women set off, but only four will return.

What has happened to Alice?

The plot follows two strands: one following the group of women as they take a wrong turn and battle both hostile conditions and, increasingly, each other. The second, commencing when the four women return, follows Aaron Falk - a federal agent with the financial crimes unit - and his colleague Carmen. They really need Alice - who’s a key informant in an ongoing investigation (if not actually very nice a person).

Meanwhile, the historic crimes of a serial killer cast a long shadow.

Force of Nature is a very well constructed and engrossing story which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The plot is tense and unpredictable but the story really shines in the depiction of both the characters and the terrain. I’m going to seek out Jane Harper’s first book now and look forward to reading it - and her future work.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I felt I really got to know e characters in this book. Just wish I'd read The Dry before starting on this one. I will certainly be looking out for any future books by this author.

Having enjoyed The Dry I was hoping that this would be just as good. Whilst I did enjoy it, I also found it slightly confusing trying to remember the stories of the different characters (and there was only 5!). I also was a bit disappointed with the ending as I was hoping for a bigger ‘twist ‘ similar to The Dry.
Maybe it’s just me?

I loved The Dry and once again Jane Harper has given us a top notch mystery to unravel. Fantastic suspense, twists and well crafted characters, I devoured this and cannot wait to meet Aaron Falk again.

Rejected after 15% finished. Very irritating, stupid book.

Prose is good. All the characters speak with the same voice. None of them are sympathetic or particularly interesting. The detective is generic and dull.

But... Crazy idiotic story. Fantasy. No way these people are remotely ready for a hike like this. Completely absurd. Only one map? Twisted ankles, broken bones, falls? No emergency vehicle, flares, radio or phone? No progress checks? Bull shite.

The adventure company should be prosecuted for criminal negligence, at least.

I hate this stupid book already.

At least The Dry was plausible if dull and repetitive.

Five women take part in a teambuilding exercise in the remote Australian bush. They have a route to follow, campsites set up and a meeting point three days later but when they arrive, late, only four of them are there. What has happened to Alice? Aaron Falk is drafted in from the financial investigations unit as Alice was a mole in the organisation and there is an investigation of underhand dealings. However each of the women has an issue with the others and no-one seems to be telling the truth. Add into the mix the fact that the area was the haunt of a notorious serial killer and there are many reasons why Alice has disappeared.

Jane Harper burst onto the scene with her novel 'The Dry' which gave a hugely different perspective on the detective genre with its examination of small town mores and prejudices. With this novel she has proved that was not a one-off. Force of Nature is wonderfully plotted with twists and turns aplenty, it is only towards the very end that the truth comes out. The writing is tight and spare, the characters fleshed out just enough to make the reader want to know more but not so much that everything is obvious, Bree and Beth are particularly well-created. Harper is developing into an astonishingly good writer.

Having recently enjoyed "The Dry", I was excited to get approved for this one. We make a return trip to spend time with Aaron Falk, and are thrown straight in at the deep end in rural Australia, when a corporate away day take a turn for the worse.

Loved the premise - the office politics taken away into a different setting, cracks starting to show in the masks some of them wear around the office, rivalries playing out in a difficult and possibly dangerous setting. Falk is an easy pair of shoes to slip back on, with shadows of previous events still following him from "The Dry".

Overall a very good follow up, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

So, is this book as fabulous The Dry? Definitely! Honestly, I found this book to be perhaps even better. There is just something tantalizing thrilling about this story, to follow the investigation led by Aaron Falk as he probes the remaining four women's stories while they search for the missing woman. Interwoven with Falk's story are the women's stories from day one when they are off to hiking as a team-building exercise. Only the five women are hardly friends, and there is tension from start.

Force of Nature is a thrilling page-turner. As always with thrillers is it hard to write a review since the less you know is the best. However, I will say this that both storylines are equally good. You know that something bad will happen during the hike since it's already been established in the beginning of the book that one of the women, Alice, is missing. But, why and where is she? What happened during the hike? What are the women hiding? You can really feel the tension rising among the women as the story progresses and you definitely feel that they are hiding something as Falk interrogates them.

Jane Harper is a fantastic writer and I'm thrilled to have given a chance to read this book. One thing I especially like is the setting of Australia. It's so refreshing to read books set down under. I can't wait to find out what's next for Aaron Falk. This is a series that keep on getting stronger and I'm really looking forward to the next book!

Jane Harper’s The Dry was a book which I devoured in a couple of days and having come to the party a bit late I’m thrilled to find a follow up so soon.

Aaron Falk is now focusing on financial crimes. One morning he wakes up to a garbled voice message from a key informant, delving deeper he is disturbed to learn that she’s gone missing while on a work hiking retreat so he sets off with his partner to investigate.

It’s no exaggeration to say there’s a lot going on in the opening chapters of this book. Alice Russell, Falk’s informant, was part of a group of five women who had split from their male colleagues as part of the hike. There’s a lot of names dumped on the reader quite quickly, each character having their own issues and history with the others. Thankfully as the story goes on, they all get pulled into focus rather than being a big blur and the story starts to unfold. Falk’s search for the truth is alternated with the women desperately trying to find their way out of the bush and the truth reveals itself nicely. The cold described in this book is in sharp contrast to the blistering heat of The Dry and it’s a refreshing change to read a story set in Australia where the characters complain about being cold!

A couple of my favourite crime series have either finished or are coming to an end so it’s exciting to see a new writer continue with such a layered series of novels. While events in this book aren’t as traumatic for Falk as in the previous novel there’s still plenty of history to be dug up and pressure to be felt. There’s a lot more to come from Jane Harper and I can’t wait read it.

I received a ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I enjoyed The Dry so I was looking forward to reading this, the second in Jane Harper's series of books featuring Aaron Falk. Although I didn't think it was quite as good as the first book I still enjoyed it immensely. Five women enter the Australian bush on a teambuilding exercise, only four come back out - so what happened to Alice? Aaron Falk becomes involved in the search because Alice was helping him in a financial investigation, acting as a mole within her company to uncover irregular practices. It is a role that may have put her into danger, and Aaron feels that he may have been in some way responsible for her disappearance. As the search continues, and we discover more about what happened during the women's time in the bush, will Alice be found alive? This was well plotted with a satisfying conclusion, and I am becoming quite fond of Falk who is an engaging character. I look forward to reading his next adventure!

I was very much looking forward to reading this novel from Jane Harper as her first novel 'The Dry' has had such great reviews.
The story is set in Australia and five women are sent into the forest by their corporate employers for a team building expedition where they will learn to live in the wild and support each other for a few days and nights. They encounter problems almost immediately and finally one of the women gets lost and a search party is sent out to look for her.
The synopsis had promise but unfortunately the story rambled and the three women characters were so unlikable and bitchy that i began to not care what happened to any of them.
The federal agent Aaron Falk who is sent out to investigate the woman's disappearance seemed wimpy and his character stilted, which again stopped me feeling any empathy with him.
It is a shame as i feel this book could have been great if a little more work was put into the characters, the feel of the forest and the actual plot.
Thank you to . #NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this for my honest opinion.

I was gripped from start to finish with this thriller. The pace is just right; Harper knows both how to build suspense and to keep it believable so that the reader is kept on edge throughout. The fact that the denouement was understated rather than melodramatic also added to the experience. I’d highly recommend this book to any crime/thriller fan.

This is how you do modern crime without the vicious twist. Harper plots like an Agatha, lures you in with the vivid imagery of the location and keeps you dangling on a string for the solution. It’s well-plotted, has a steady pace and the solution isn’t predictable.

Although Aaron Falk is the lead detective and main character Harper doesn’t let him overpower the plot, which is a good thing. Sometimes the personal problems and attitude of a main character can completely consume an intelligent and captivating plot.

Five women go on a hike into the Australian bush, but only four come back out. What seems like an innocent exercise in team-building becomes a battle to survive the elements, and not to knock the living daylights out of each other.

Team-building is neither here nor there when you can’t stand the people you are supposed to work together with as a team. So when difficulties arise you are more likely to turn on each other instead of helping each other to achieve a common goal.

Alice isn’t really very popular with her colleagues. She looks out for herself in life and her career. She is the grown-up version of a mean girl. There are plenty of reasons to dislike Alice in general, there are plenty of reasons for the other four women to dislike Alice, so when they come back and she doesn’t the suspicion falls on all of them equally.

Harper is adept at giving the reader the sense of being right there in the bush with those women. Every tree looks the same, every path looks like the one before, and it is easy to feel as if you’re being swallowed alive by nature. This is an excellent example of how dangerous the Australian bush is, despite civilisation only being a spit away in this case.

The author writes a captivating read, and it certainly keeps the reader riveted until the end.