Author: Jane Harper
ISBN: 9781743549100
RRP: $32.99
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Copy: Courtesy of the Publisher
The Lost Man is the third book by talented Australian author Jane Harper and it’s another 5 star read for me.
The Lost Man is set in the vast outback of Queensland. Two brothers meet at the border of their neighbouring cattle properties, at the legendary landmark that is the stockman’s grave. A landmark that has been a part of the landscape for so many generations that no-one remembers the truth of the site.
The stockman’s grave casts a shadow that offered little hope for the middle Bright brother Cameron when he found himself under the relentless outback sun.
Cameron’s death raises many questions and through the anguish of saying goodbye the family is left to try and unravel the mystery. Cameron had been troubled in recent months, did he lose hope and walk into the unforgiving sun because if not the isolation leaves few suspects.
The Lost Man is a slow burning suspense that is completely character driven. The cast of characters is quite small because the Bright cattle properties are so large, and so far out of town, that the only real interactions are the family and the staff. Town is a number of hours away and there is only a single police officer, who happens to be hours in the other direction when Cameron is found.
Nathan is the older Bright brother, living on an adjoining property to the rest of the family and still about a 3hr drive away. He is living a life more isolated, and is deemed a much greater risk. He often leaves his radio off and is completely uncontactable, which concerns everyone who cares about him. He had issues in town a couple of years ago and has been shut out and shunned, completely unwelcome in his hometown. Nathan has grown accustomed to the isolation and now can go months without hearing another voice or seeing another person.
Cameron seemed to have it all together; lovely wife, two gorgeous daughters, a successful cattle property and the respect of the town. What is it that was troubling him? No-one seems to know.
Harper has woven a captivating tale of the hardships of life on the massive cattle properties in outback Queensland, the isolation, the stress, the risks associated with supplies if there are floods. It really is almost unimaginable to me to try and picture what life would be like. Add to all of that distance and isolation the prospect of mental health issues or medical issues and how do you ensure everyone’s wellness. More to the point how do you recognise the signs of someone being at risk?
Cameron’s death looks pretty cut and dried but there are things that just don’t quite add up. Nathan and his teen son Xander continue investigating on their own because it’s too hard to just accept that things are as they seem with so many inconsistencies. The question is how do you move forward when you don’t like what you uncover?
The Lost Man was a captivating story that I should have read in a short matter of days but just lately my books are almost gathering dust, much to my dismay. I was invested in these characters, their heartaches, their grief and their decisions. We uncover a lot of the past and the way that it shapes our present.
A slow burning suspense of endurance, of courage and of finding the strength to change the shape of the future.
Jane Harper can be found on her Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Lost Man is book #46 for the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 2018.
Thanks to Pan MacMillan 50 of our Beauty and Lace club members will be reading and reviewing The Lost Man so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments.
The Lost Man is available now through Pan MacMillan, Booktopia, Angus & Robertson and where all good books are sold.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
A man, isolated in the Australian outback is found dead within range of his fully working car stocked with food and water. No one else appears to have been near the scene and no other foul play appears evident. Whilst unravelling the mystery surrounding the man’s death, the complete isolation and vastness of the Australian outback becomes apparent. The story took a while for me to engage with but I warmed up and really enjoyed the nice tight ending. An enjoyable read and I will continue to read & enjoy Jane Harper’s work.
Thanks to the publisher and Beauty & Lace for the read.
Farming in the outback Australia is often a lonely existence with many stresses. The miles between plots means farmers are isolated. Is that why Cameron was found dead? But why on the grave site of an historic Stockman? His car was 9km away, fully stocked so why would an experienced farmer leave himself to the summer elements? So many questions in this story and Jane Harper keeps you wondering right to the end.
Cameron’s brother Nathan can’t figure out how this came about. The family, wife, children and workers are all unsure why or how but confirm things weren’t quite right with Cameron. The police find no evidence.
Can Nathan solve the mystery and does he realise the impact of what he is about to uncover? I loved the way I was drawn in, the mystery, the history and the way it played out. An amazing read, thanks for the opportunity.
The Lost Man by Jane Harper was an absolutely terrific read. The story is about one of 3 brothers (Cameron) who is mysteriously found dead at what locals call The Stockmans Grave. Is it suicide or something more sinister? So many secrets are revealed along the way which help keep the story moving along nicely plus, there are a host of wonderful characters that keep you intrigued. The Aussie outback is both harsh and beautiful and this book delves into the dangers and pleasures of it perfectly. It also touches on some deep and sadly current issues in a delicate and sensitive way.
Jane Harper, you have done it again. Another top read that I couldn’t put down and I can’t thank you enough!
I would also like to thank Beauty & Lace and Pan Macmillan for the fabulous opportunity you provided in reading this book. I loved it!
I really enjoyed Jane Harpers’ s first 2 books, so i had quite high expectations for “The Lost Man” and was a bit weary when I heard that Aaaron Falk was not part of the story. I was certainly not disappointed. The story was captivating – an mysterious death in the harsh Australian outback. The characters are beautifully developed and I felt a lot of empathy and compassion towards them.
The story is set in Queensland outback on a family farm and Nathan Bright tries to understand what happened to his brother Cameron. Did he kill himself? Was he killed?
The story is revealed at a good pace, the past and the present leading to Cameron’s and his family destiny. I did not predict the ending and enjoyed how all the pieces of the puzzle fits together.
The author dives into some social issues, sometimes confronting to read but I felt it was made without judgment. The book finished on a positive note but I could not move past the events that had lead to Cameron’s fate.
Thank you to Beauty & Lace and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The lost man
Firstly I would like to thank Pan MacMillan and Beauty and Lace book club for the opportunity to review The Lost Man.
I had previously read Jane Harper’s first novel, The Dry, and enjoyed her portrayal of outback Australian life. I was looking forward to seeing whether The Lost Man ran along a similar vein, and I was not disappointed. I grew up on a cattle station in outback Queensland and found her depictions of every day life accurate, and I enjoyed the reminiscing her book brought on. Thankfully my life did not have quite the mystery and tragedy of the Bright family featured in the novel!
The story opens with the discovery of the body of the middle Bright son, Cameron, and goes on the explore the circumstances relating to his death, as well as uncovering the various secrets and resentments of all the Bright family members, along with the others that live on the station. In a book where no one is quite what they seem from first impressions, the question of what exactly led to Cameron’s untimely death – an unfortunate accident, a calculated and purposeful self destruction or something more sinister – will keep you guessing right until the very end.
I couldn’t put down The Lost Man and thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries with well developed characters and a little bit of insight into the lives of those living in outback Australia.
The Lost Man. By Jane Harper
This story is set in the outback of Queensland where the farms cover thousands of acres, neighbours are hours apart, and the days are hot, dry and dusty.
In this barren landscape is a lone marker called The Stockmans grave. It has been there for so many generations that the locals do not remember the truth about the stockman who lies there.
But at the beginning of the story, we find another stockman who has perished at this same spot, lying beside the marker. Cameron is a local, who farms with his Mother and brother Bub close by, his nearest neighbour being his other brother Nathan, who’s farm adjoins theirs, but is a 3 hour drive away.
Cameron has a wife and two young daughters. His cattle property is successful, and he knows how to survive in the hot rugged outback. On the day he is found dead, he was to meet with his brother to check fencing. He did not keep that schedule. What has happened? Why did he leave his air conditioned vehicle, which was stocked with food and water, to die in the scorching sun beside The Stockman’s Grave?
As the story unfolds, we learn that Cameron had issues that he managed to keep hidden. Until they began to unravel…..
A great tale telling of how one’s life may not be what it seems to be to others.
I loved this book by Jane Harper, and will now track down her others to read.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace Book Club, and to PanMacmillan Books for the chance to discover another great Australian writer.
The latest book from Jane Harper, The Lost Man, continues her amazing use of the Australian landscape as a pivotal part of the story. Harper’s third book, it doesn’t feature the main character from her first two books, Aaron Falk. However the protagonist of The Lost Man, Nathan Bright, has his own secrets, along with all the other characters in the book. Along with her first two books, Harper manages to utilise only a few main characters in her story, which gives the Harper the opportunity to develop and engage the readers with these characters.
The isolation of the Queensland outback is the setting for The Lost Man, with the Bright family dealing with the loss of Cameron, a husband, father, brother and son. While those involved in Cameron’s life are dealing with this sudden loss, they are also coming to terms with the impact of Cameron’s death on their lives and trying to understand how and why he died. After Harper takes the reader on some twists and turns, the story comes to a thrilling and unexpected end.
Having read Jane Harper’s first two books, I was very excited to hear she was releasing a third book, and even more excited to be given the opportunity to read and review it. Thanks Pan MacMillan and Beauty and Lace! Highly recommend!!!!!!!!!!!!!`
I was looking forward to reading The Lost Man as I really enjoyed reading ‘The Dry’ by Jane Harper in a previous book club a couple of years ago. I enjoyed reading this book just as much, it was very well written with a captivating story.
The book was set around the main character Nathan, whose brother Cameron has been found dead in the middle of no-where surrounding each of their rural country properties. We learn that Nathan is a social outcast in their small town, but he has to face the locals again after his brother’s death. As the story progresses we learn that not everything is as it seems, and everyone has their secrets. The book follows the mystery of Cameron’s death, and the main question is was this a suicide or murder? There is no evidence to suggest either as a plausible option, but it has to be one.
The book was easy to read and hard to put down. The story is only told from Nathan’s perspective but as he interacts, we learn information from all the main characters which will continually sway your verdict. When I was on the second last chapter only a few pages from the end, I was getting anxious as the answer still hadn’t been revealed and I was concerned the ending would be rushed or left open ended, but somehow it did wrap up quite nicely in a concise couple of pages and it was not at all what I expected. The only thing I was slightly disappointed about for the ending was that there was not an epilogue… it would have been interesting to read about what was going on six or twelve months later.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it especially if you are looking for an easy read in the mystery genre.
Set in Australia and full of the wonderful people and language, this book of brothers, love and loss is interesting, and engaging from start to finish. Bub and Nathan felt like real characters and were real “characters” if you know what I mean, trying to find out how and why their brother died as he did. The tension from the land and the people in it carry through the mystery, and you do want to know why Cam left the wife and kids, how he ended up where he did and what happened. 3/5
What a read! The Lost Man is the story about 3 brothers, 1 of which is found deceased on the stockman’s grave. Why is he dead? Why did he leave his car? Why on the stockman’s grave?
Nathan is looking to find out the truth, not only about his brother but about Ilse, the love that he let go and the family.
The Lost Man touches on some domestic voilence issues and mental health but all around I found it to be a great story with a happy ending!