Force of Nature by Jane Harper
Five women walk into the wilderness on a corporate retreat. Three days later, four women walk out. Where Alice Russell is and what happened to her is the mystery. It turns out Alice is an informant working with the Federal Agent Aaron Falk to bring down the company for which she works. Did that have something to do with her disappearance? Falk and his partner Carmen Cooper are headed to the wilderness to find answers as well as an important piece of evidence Alice was supposed to turn over to them.
Harper is a master at setting mood and placing you in the setting of her novels. “Isolated terrain, where trees grew thick and dense on land that was reluctant to let anything escape.” Her descriptions convey both the wonder and the danger of the landscape which is as much a character in this book as any of the people.
Harper’s characters are sharply drawn and complex. The narrative jumps back and forth between the start of the hike on a Thursday and the following Sunday when the four women emerge from the woods. Spending time with the women and their complicated relationships alternates with Falk trying to unravel what happened after the fact because each woman has a slightly different version of events. Once the women become lost, tensions and disagreements escalate. Was Alice’s whistleblowing discovered? Or was there a more personal reason for her disappearance. Falk encounters many possible motives in his investigation, but will he be able to figure out what really happened to Alice?
Force of Nature is one of the most suspenseful novels you will find and destined to be one of the best books of 2018. Harper has cemented herself as must read on a par with Tana French and Karin Slaughter. Her writing pulls you so deeply into the setting and the story that it will haunt you long after you reach the final page. Last year I said I was going to put The Dry in the hands of everyone I ran into and make them read it. This year I’m going Clockwork Orange on them and strapping them into a chair while I read it to them. It’s great and no one who reads it will be disappointed. Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to receive a copy of this book from the publisher.
Harper’s characters are sharply drawn and complex. The narrative jumps back and forth between the start of the hike on a Thursday and the following Sunday when the four women emerge from the woods. Spending time with the women and their complicated relationships alternates with Falk trying to unravel what happened after the fact because each woman has a slightly different version of events. Once the women become lost, tensions and disagreements escalate. Was Alice’s whistleblowing discovered? Or was there a more personal reason for her disappearance. Falk encounters many possible motives in his investigation, but will he be able to figure out what really happened to Alice?
Force of Nature is one of the most suspenseful novels you will find and destined to be one of the best books of 2018. Harper has cemented herself as must read on a par with Tana French and Karin Slaughter. Her writing pulls you so deeply into the setting and the story that it will haunt you long after you reach the final page. Last year I said I was going to put The Dry in the hands of everyone I ran into and make them read it. This year I’m going Clockwork Orange on them and strapping them into a chair while I read it to them. It’s great and no one who reads it will be disappointed. Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to receive a copy of this book from the publisher.
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