The Lost Man by Jane Harper

***WARNING! This review contains themes of domestic violence***

 

This book sees Harper’s return to form in the beautifully written book, ‘The Lost Man’. We meet the Bright family, a hardworking farming family, and their land throughout the novel. Cameron Bright has been found dead in the outback, far away from everyone and everything that could have kept him alive. His brothers are left to pick up the pieces and find that they don’t add up.

The characters mirror the tough and hard to understand landscape of the Australian Outback. Each member of the family is complex with many layers to their story. The title ‘The Lost Man’ could apply to every single character in this story as they are lost in the complex labyrinth that humans intertwine with another. The distance and size of the outback is a great metaphor for the distance between each family member and the secrets they hold.

The fate of Cameron Bright isn’t as important as his life and how he chose to lead it. Harper shows us that our actions have greater impacts on people that we can ever know. And how we can imprison people with the intent and result of those actions. This novel by Harper also highlights the horrific effects of domestic violence on a whole family, not just the intended victim. However, this novel also shows the power of redemption for some of the Bright family through the actions of some or by letting the time pass and gaining perspective.

An intriguing and enjoyable read with each family member’s plight detailed with empathy. Harper is excellent at creating suspense and delivers a great novel right to the final page.

A wonderful read 9/10