The Dry: The Book

"Jane Harper was an amateur novelist dreaming of getting her first book into the world. But the response she got when she did – from readers, critics and even Reese Witherspoon – was one she never dared to predict It sparked a ferocious bidding war between international publishers, bagged a six-figure three-book deal, had its film rights snapped up by Reese Witherspoon and ended up topping bestseller lists here and around the world ... "

" ... I started writing the book because I always thought I wanted to write a novel but never did,” Harper said. “My main goal was just to get it finished. It seemed like a huge task — so many words! So I thought I’d treat it as a learning exercise, and maybe write a better one next time.” ... "

"Every now and then an Australian crime novel comes along to stop your breath and haunt your dreams. The Broken Shore by Peter Temple was one, Bitter Wash Road by Garry Disher another. Both are books that capture something profound about the Australian landscape and the people who inhabit it ... "

"Within the long history of Australian crime fiction, Jane Harper’s The Dry marks a significant moment in the emergence of what has been characterised as “outback” or “rural” noir. With its focus on the small regional community of Kiewarra, Harper’s narrative addresses a number of issues that impact rural communities, including climate change, domestic abuse and gambling. Weaving together a story set in the past and a story set in the present, Harper offers a compelling portrait of the moral and social impact of these issues on rural communities in ways that challenge simplistic assumptions about the limitations of genre fiction to engender empathy. While some have argued that only literary fiction can evoke the kind of empathy that enhances our experiences of the world, this article suggests this is not the case and that The Dry is a powerful and moving portrayal speaking to the effects of environmental catastrophe and domestic abuse within a genre that may appeal to a broad and receptive audience."

"What makes a small town mystery irresistible? The Dry by Jane Harper is set in the dry town of Kiewarra, where Aaron Falk returns to his hometown for a funeral where events take a turn. This story hooks readers with its treatment of secrets hidden beneath the dust of the drought-ravaged town."

"Jane Harper’s The Dry has won three of Australia’s most prestigious awards for crime writing – including those for Best First Fiction at the 2017 Ned Kelly Awards and Best Adult Crime Novel at the 17th Davitt Awards ... "

" ... The main town in The Dry, Kiewarra, is fictional, but it bears strong similarities to real-life communities in the Victoria region of Australia, where author Harper often traveled as a business journalist to report on the region’s difficult environmental and economic conditions ... "