Kieran and his partner Mia return to their small seaside hometown in order to help his parents pack up and move. The small town he has avoided for ten years after his brother and his friend were drowned while trying to rescue Kieran during a terrible storm. Kieran still carries the guilt and blame from family and old friends. Small town gossip and rumour turns though as a young waitress is found dead on the beach the day after she met Kieran and Mia.

If you like a slow burn murder mystery set in a claustrophobic small town then this is great. For me it was a bit too slow paced

A very up and down story. Some parts are very intense whilst others don't seem to add much to the story. Overall an interesting read.

“At the very tip, the three life-size iron figures stood guard. The Survivors. Side by side, they gazed outward, unflinching against the elements, their sculpted faces turned forever to where the Mary Minerva lay sunk beneath the waves.”

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Survivors’ by Jane Harper in exchange for an honest review.

Evelyn Bay is a small Tasmanian coastal town. The Tasmanian waters are notorious and over the centuries has claimed over a thousand vessels, including the SS Mary Minerva. The Survivors of the title is a sculptural memorial sited on a rocky outcrop looking out towards its sunken wreckage.

Twelve years ago Kieran Elliott's life changed forever when a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. He is still haunted by guilt when he returns with his girlfriend and baby daughter to Evelyn Bay where he grew up.

Then a body is discovered on the beach and long-held secrets begin to emerge in the resulting murder investigation.

This was my first experience of Jane Harper’s writing. I found it quite slow to start but then Wham! I was totally hooked. She does introduce quite a few characters in its opening chapters, and I found it useful to make a few notes to keep track of who was who.

I found this a highly engaging, character-driven crime thriller with a strong plot and a very atmospheric setting. The relentless power of the sea was very evident throughout.

Following my experience of this outstanding novel, I am planning to seek out her earlier books.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I listened to the audio version of The Survivors. Excellent narration from Stephen Shanahan adds to the enjoyment of this suspenseful and atmospheric thriller set in Tasmania. Lots of lies and secrets from the past create twists and turns as we try to find the truth in order to solve this murder mystery. Yet another great book by this author. Thank you to Jane Harper, Net Galley and Hachette UK Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great read from Jane Harper. Incredibly atmospheric, you feel you know just what the caves would be like to explore. Strong story and great twists and turns which keep you guessing.

There's something different about the current group of Australian writers, I can't quite put my finger on. There seems to have been a rebirth of connection, an understanding of how the country is rather than the myth of it. Perhaps I've been away so long I can see my home without the cringe. Whatever the answer, I highly recommend Jane Harper & The Survivors.

Unfortunately I struggled with this book, I’ve read the authors previous books and loved them but I just couldn’t enjoy this one . However it will not prevent me from reading more by this talented author in the future.

An atmospheric crime mystery from the author of The Dry. Like her previous novels, Jane Harper describes a small town rocked by tragedy, this time set in the Tasmanian coast and as a reader felt I was transported there.

As a huge lover of Jane Harper's other books, you can only imagine how excited I was to be sent an eARC of The Survivors to review, but it sadly didn't manage to wow me, unlike the others!

Kieran's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit to his coastal hometown. When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge.
A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away.

I want to emphasise that I did enjoy this, but it didn't have its usual Jane Harper flair to it. It was very slow-paced and I honestly got a bit bored at some bits. The beach/coastal setting of Tasmania was a fantastic location for the story as it was described so well. It was atmospheric and I could picture it as I read. Due to slower pacing, I was excited for the end as I was expecting a big explosive finale, but it ended up being rather anti-climatic. It made me feel like "oh, was that it?!", which is never a good way to end a book.

Whilst I loved the descriptive writing and the atmospheric setting of a coastal town in Tasmania, the slower pacing just wasn't for me. Probably my least favourite Jane Harper so far.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Along with his partner, Mia, and Audrey, their baby daughter, Kieran Elliot returns to Evelyn Bay in Tasmania after a long absence. He is home to support his parents, Brian and Verity. Brian has dementia and will be moving to a care home, his wife is moving to be near him. It was always going to be a difficult time, not only because of Brian and Verity’s enforced move but because of the past. A wild storm had raged through the little town when Kieran was a teenager, leaving tragedy in its wake not just for the Elliot family but for others too. Tragedy and secrets have imprisoned many in their individual bubbles of guilt and grief. When a further death occurs in the quiet little beachside town, tensions mount and the past is blown open once again.

This was my first book by Jane Harper and I had high expectations. For a while I wondered what all the fuss was about with her books. I soon found out. This is a slow burn and others who have read more of Harper’s work have said that this book is not one of her best. If they are right, then I can say with certainly that I will be reading some of her earlier books very soon, because the final third of The Survivors had me gripped.

Throughout the book there is a strong sense of place. The inner turmoil that Kieran suffers is acute. We are also shown the conflicting emotions felt by many other characters and the complex undercurrents not just in the treacherous seas but barely beneath the surface of the various relationships between families and friends. The resolution of both the present and the past come together slowly, suffused with a strong sense of foreboding. I was kept guessing to the end.

An excellent read. Bring on the rest of Jane’s books!

If you favour creepy crime mystery tales then The Survivors by Jane Harper could be for you.

The novel is set in the coastal town of Evelyn Bay, in Tasmania. The reader follows sports physiotherapist Kieron Elliot, who returns home bringing with him his partner, Mia, and Audrey, his baby daughter, to help his mother, Verity as she packs up their home in preparation for his dementia suffering father, Brian to move into a care home. Kieron has kept away, ever since a devastating storm twelve years ago took the lives of his brother, Finn and Toby, the father of Liam. They were trying to save Kieron who was eighteen at the time. That same day, Gabby Birch, age 14 went missing, her rucksack later recovered from the sea. Kieron meets up with a friend, Ash who encourages him to catch up with Sean, another childhood friend. At the Surf and Turf, a local bar, he runs into Liam who still blames him for Toby's death. When Bronte Laidler, a young artist and waitress is found murdered, the events from years ago haunt the Evelyn Bay community and gossip, malice, rumour, jealousies and resentments take hold.

Jane Harper is definitely a very adept storyteller. Her rich descriptions make this location come to vibrant life. In this character-driven tale, every page is filled with menacing, creepy and eerie narrative, and I was beguiled and engrossed.

I alternated between reading and listening to this book, and the narrator of the audiobook, Stephen Shanahan really brought the characters to life effectively. The different voice intonations were noticeable and the ranges of emotion in the voices were great.

I loved that Jane Harper included a clever, unguessable (to me anyway) ending. I was convinced I had the conclusion all worked out early on, but I was so wrong!

I received complimentary copies of this novel at my own request from Hachette Audio and Little, Brown Book Group via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I've not read anything by Jane Harper before but this was a really enjoyable and compelling read. It pulled me in unexpectedly. Great sense of place, too. Would definitely recommend this book as a holiday or book club read.

I've loved all of Jane Harper's books, and this one was no different. I'm aware of the fact that some serious fans just didn't love this book and they didn't find the tension quite on point, but luckily for me, I was just as riveted by this one as many of her others.

Personally, I loved the setting of this book and the seaside town that the events take place in. I also really liked some of the characters and there was definite character development through the story. The story also unfolded at just the right pace, and I found myself wanting more and wanting to know what happened to both the girls, the one who went missing in the past as well as the one that was murdered in the current day.

I thought that the author did a great job of transporting me right into the story and making me feel as if I was physically present through some of the events. Jane Harper just has such a natural and easy writing style and I always feel that her scenes are so well described that one is instantly transported to that specific place and time. And he books are easy to read, and the tension mounts so slowly that it's hardly noticeable, but yet you'll often find yourself sitting on the edge of your chair.

As far as I'm concerned, this is another successful book by this author, and I can't wait to read what she comes out with next.

Having read some of Harper’s previous books, The Survivors wasn’t quite what I expected, and it took me a while to get into it. I was expecting a crime/murder/thriller, which it sort of is, but a very slow burning one, despite the death happening quite early on.

The complex web of relationships - family, friends and romantic, was really well drawn, as in Harper’s other novels, so that I felt like I was there, in a small Tasmanian town. I did get increasingly drawn in to the story, but it didn’t quite hook me in the same way The Dry did.

This is Jane Harper's fourth book and hugely atmospheric, shot through with grief, regret and a sense of childhoods that haunt and stalk young adults. Set in a small town on the beautiful Tasmanian coast, when a body is found on the beach it sets in chain an investigation and re-opens old wounds. I recommend it to readers who enjoy taut and edgy thrillers, with a great sense of setting.

Jane Harper's latest book is set in Evelyn Bay, on the Tasmanian coast, where Kieran Elliot has returned to after twelve years. He left under strained circumstances following a major storm in which his older brother died along with the brother of his friend. Some people still blame Kieran for their deaths. The sister of another friend also disappeared that night and is presumed dead. When Kieran returns to his childhood home along with his wife Mia and young daughter, old tensions are unearthed.

When Bronte, a young waitress, is found dead on the beach following Kieran's return, rumours of a serial killer spread through the community and everyone seems to have something to hide. As Kieran looks to the past to figure out what happened on the night of the storm, he uncovers some revelations that might be linked with the recent murder.

Like Harper's previous novels, The Survivors features masterful and evocative descriptions of the sea and the cave system where Kieran explored with his friends when they were younger. The Survivors isn't as fast paced as her previous books but it builds slowly to create a stifling atmosphere within a small town. The title of the book refers to a metal statue in the sea to commemorate a shipwreck a century ago. It serves as a reminder of the tragic past but it also watches over the town as a ghostly spectre. The title also refers to the people who survived the storm years before and the burden they carry with them afterwards.

I’m late to the mark with this thriller from Jane Harper, so I’ve brought it on holiday and spent 24 hours truly enjoying it. This is another in a great run of thrillers set in Australia, that establishes Harper as one of my go - to authors, for twisty, but classic thrillers with a unique backdrop. This time we’re on the coast of Tasmania - the only thing I actually know is that it’s the birthplace of Errol Flynn so this is like a holiday to me! Harper is brilliant at creating a truly atmospheric setting, and here she absolutely glories in the sea’s roiling and relentless percussive rhythm against the coastline. The characters are so real, I could imagine flying out there, going to this beach and finding Kieron Elliot standing there watching the sea - taking respite from dealing with his parents.

Just as the sea seems to be boiling and fizzing, so do the people, narrated to us through Kieron. For some people, there’s a deep emotional resonance in visiting the place of your childhood. It brings you full circle and allows you to evaluate where you are in life, what did you achieve? For Kieron there’s a tragic incident in his past that will weigh on him. The author gives us that sense of emotions - depression. regret. loss and a sense of failure - battering like waves on the shoreline of his mind. The story begins slowly, establishes itself then reaches its crescendo - a tidal wave of emotion from the trauma of two children killed during a storm in Kieron’s childhood. Guilt and grief take centre stage, not just from the past either. Kieron and his mother will be packing up the family home since his Dad is being taken into a nursing home due to dementia. Then a waitress is found dead on the same beach where those boys met their death years before. Old suspicions and new secrets combine as the locals become suspicious of each other and secrets start to be revealed. This was an excellent thriller, full of twists and turns to keep you guessing and an ending you’ll be thinking about three days later.

The shadow of an old tragedy still hangs over this small town. Gradually the events of the past are revealed in this atmospheric novel. The author has managed to convey a stifling claustrophobia in a geographically wide open area which is extremely effective.

Once again, Jane Harper improves on her previous books with her latest. A slow ravelling mystery heightened by another atmospheric setting, combined with secrets and lies from the past, all combined with beautiful writing! Can't wait for her next!

Another nuanced and gripping read from Jane Harper. The neglected seaside town setting was well evoked and the switches in time were well handled. The main characters were sympathetically presented, understandable despite their obvious flaws and we were left with hope for the future despite the at times devastating events.