Jane Harper has become a household name in Australian crime fiction largely due to the success of ‘The Dry’ and the movie adaptation staring Eric Bana as her detective Aaron Falk. The series demonstrates Harper’s skill to invoke and channel the nature of the Australian environment and create engaging characters. These strengths are clearly on display in her first stand-alone work ‘The Lost Man’ published in 2018 which means it is a great introduction to her writing for those who aren’t normally engaged in detective fiction.

A story of gradual discovery

This is primarily because ‘The Lost Man’ is not a detective story, in the traditional sense of a professional sloth investigating crime. Instead, the novel focuses on a family in a regional Queensland community trying to cope with the loss of a brother, husband, and father in unusual circumstances. This means that there is no formal investigation but more but rather the gradual discovery of family secrets. As a result, the characters responsible for pealing back the mystery have a clear personal stake and must overcome their own preconceptions and relationships to find the truth. In some ways this adds a layer of complexity that would not exist in a straightforward detective novel as the main protagonist Nathan must consider the implications of his investigation on those he careers about and deal with the repercussions of each new discover. As such it is very personal and character driven novel.

Feelings of isolation

Through the focus on the family, Harper mirrors the isolation of the landscape in the narrative itself. As most of the novel takes place on the family cattle station with extremely limited interaction with outsiders. In fact, the only time that Harper takes the reader out into the community are through a series of reflections to establish Nathan’s backstory and his own exile from the township. In this instance the connection to a larger community is in effect only to highlight the level of isolation experienced by the characters by creating a sense of loss. Besides this there are less than a handful of instances when the family have any interaction with anyone outside the station, be it the police or the townships attendance at the Cameron’s wake.  Overall, this isolation emphasises the insular nature of the investigation, the thematic importance of family and the loneliness of the rural Australia.

Focusing on relationships

The plot itself and the mystery narrative is not the most original concepts with numerous stories and films dealing with a similar concept. However, what makes Harper’s version different is as much this insular context as the focus on relationships which is the core of the novel.  Regularly the mystery takes a back seat to these relationships between Nathan and his family, including his brother’s widow which is more in keeping with literary fiction than mystery. This blending of genre is prominent in Harper’s writing style in general with her powerful description of the landscape as well as the layering of symbolism present in ‘The lost Man’ through the ever-present image of the stockman’s grave.

Final thoughts

Overall ‘The lost man’ is an excellent introduction to Harper’s work and an engaging slow burn with complex relationships that will help engage those not normally drawn to crime fiction. Personally, I have found audible to be the perfect way to enjoy all of Harper’s books as well narrated by Steve Shanahan makes the setting really come alive and transports you into the remote Queensland community.