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A sleepy vineyard in the lush Australian wine country; a mysterious disappearance; a tight-knit community with more than a few secrets ready to come to light. “Exiles” by Jane Harper lays out an enticing scene for a mystery novel, set in the fictional Maralee Valley of the author’s native Australia. The story begins with a sleeping baby found alone in a pram at the village’s annual festival. The child’s mother, Kim Gillipsie, vanishes into the night. The novel’s protagonist, federal investigator Aaron Falk, returns to the valley a year later to uncover the mystery, but as he learns more about the community that Kim was a part of, he discovers a web of family ties and generational secrets. “Exiles” is a trilogy finale following Harper’s highly acclaimed first and second novels “Dry” and “Force of Nature,” but readers can jump into this novel with ease — it effectively serves as a standalone narrative, with occasional allusions to the events of past books.
“Exiles” takes time to lay out its large cast of characters, notable among them the protagonist Falk, a shrewd and reserved policeman and an outsider welcomed into their close-knit community; Kim Gillespie, the missing woman who was once an entrenched member in the Maralee community but had since grown distant; and Gemma Tozer, festival organizer and Falk’s love interest.
Most of the characters are not particularly memorable or interesting, perhaps because of the sheer number of people Harper introduces; the only characters who feel compelling are the narrator Falk himself and the missing woman Kim, whose psychological and emotional states are developed and dissected throughout the novel. Her absence is tantalizing, and the various clues and dead ends dropped throughout the novel raise question after question, leaving expectations high for the mystery to be revealed.
While mystery abounds in this sleepy village, most of the plot leaves the reader with more questions than answers, and the novel’s slow pace and vague conclusion yield a sense of faint dissatisfaction. The story centers around the mystery of Kim Gillespie’s disappearance, but the suspense drags on unnecessarily at times rather than propelling the story forward. While the pace picks up around the middle, the final twist is revealed so late into the story that it feels anticlimactic, especially since there is little to no significant foreshadowing of the eventual reveal.
In addition, the twist is partially revealed through chapters told from the perspective of Kim and her husband, who was involved in her disappearance, which sheds light on the story but also feels lazy on the author’s part. A mystery novel satisfies readers when the resolution is unexpected but could have been predicted with the clues given. The twist in “Exiles” comes after a string of disconnected and random clues that do not quite make sense once the final reveal is known.
The setting of the novel is one of the only places where “Exiles” really shines. The deep bushland, lush vineyard, and reservoir lake serve as significant locations in the plot, and the writing excels at immersing the reader in the surroundings of Maralee Valley and elevating the novel above the rest of its mediocre elements.
The novel’s subplot is frankly more compelling than the mystery of the main plot. Falk has a romantic interlude with the festival organizer Gemma Tozer, while simultaneously solving the mystery of her late husband’s death six years prior. This narrative is more compelling than the mystery of Kim’s disappearance since its resolution actually makes sense. The love plot is utterly predictable but altogether sweet, especially the scenes where Falk bonded with Gemma’s son and helped him through his grief.
The writing, while often corny, does its job to move the story forward. The book is relatively painless to get through, especially once the pacing picks up in the middle of the novel. “Exiles” is a fairly light read, skimming the surface of anything too dark and unpleasant for readers’ tastes, but in the end provides a simple but genuine lesson on the importance of keeping community ties alive. The most compelling characters — Falk and the missing woman Kim – are “exiles” in their own ways, underscoring the importance of having a strong network of friends and family. While the resolution of the mystery was disappointing, the ending for Falk’s character provides what surely is a satisfying conclusion for fans of the Falk trilogy, although leaving the story open for another sequel.
Overall, “Exiles” is an underwhelming mystery novel with a disappointing twist and a conclusion that is barely satisfactory. The novel is sufficiently interesting if the reader has nothing else to do, perhaps on a long flight or train ride, but not nearly good enough to truly entertain.
—Staff writer Arielle C. Frommer can be reached at arielle.frommer@thecrimson.com.
