Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

Spoilers welcome on this topic. Discussion for Exiles by Jane Harper.
Please note how far in the book before your posts.

Prologue - Chapter 2

I just started. I do hope to read about 10 chapters a day. But I had to stop in to say I’m happy to be reading another Aaron Falk book. I really enjoy this series. And just like the other books, I am drawn in right away with the story.

Kim is missing. The fact that her shoe was found tells me there was foul play. Or she wants everyone to believe it’s foul play. And things are getting complicated with her previous relationship to Charlie. Interesting! 🙂

Chapter 3 - 10

I still have no idea who done it. One thing I like about Harper’s books.

I did catch that Kim suffered from postpartum depression. Not sure that has anything to do with her disappearance.

And Joel, the teen stationed at the other exit, was focused on quite a bit in this section. Did he see anything? He may have more of a relationship with Zara than we know yet. That’s my hypothesis.

And of course, Joel is Gemma’s step son. There’s a definite attraction between Falk and Gemma. It will be interesting to see that develop.

Geri: I just started it too! I put the Dean Koontz I was listening to aside and have read up to chapter 4 I think.
I also was drawn right into the book. The same narrator, Stephen Shanahan does a great job. I can’t help but think something other than running away happened to Kim.
I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to listen until the weekend.

Yes. The narrator is good! Harper does a great job at giving us small tidbits to chew on. LOL Just enough to hook us.

I’ll slow down today. I hope to finish next week since I know there are others waiting for my copy.

Chapter 11-20

So the big question for me is, does Kim’s possible assault have anything to do with her disappearance? This was brought up for a reason. And does Kim’s disappearance have anything to do with Dean’s death?

I do believe Joel that he did not see Kim leave through the back exit. And I agree that Kim just leaving her baby by herself does sound like foul play. Along with finding her shoe. I am thinking there must be another way out of the park.

I really hope that Gemma doesn’t have anything to do with this. It would be nice for Falk if the book ends with him in a romantic relationship with Gemma. I like their chemistry. Definitely the romantic in me talking. LOL

Ch 21-30

I read this on Friday. I still have no idea what happened. LOL

I do find it too coincidental that Kim and Dean had offices next to each other. Everyone doesn’t seem to believe that this had anything to with what happened to them. I’m not so sure. And I’m not so sure I agree that Kim possibly walking off and leaving her daughter at the festival was ‘safe’ in any context of the word. I found that conversation ludicrous.

Could Dean be the one that assaulted Kim? Did Kim have anything to do with Dean’s death? Falk seems to think something is not quite right with Dean’s accident scene. Possibly it was cleaned up? So much still to consider…

I know I’m flying through. I was #1 on my library’s waitlist. Because I requested it months ago. LOL But I’ll be ready to discuss when everyone begins to read!

Geri: I finished it and look forward to discussing. I will only comment with spoilers on this post up through chapter 30
(there are 40 chapters in the book)
spoilers:
I also was completely unsure what had happened to Kim, and with Aaron's questions we must be suspicious that something wasn't right with Gemma's husband's death either, but how could it be connected to Kim. Was Dean doing something shady, was someone in town jealous of him? With his body finally turning up it lowers the chatter on something other than a terrible accident.
Back to Kim, it seems unlikely that one of the friends, Charlie, Shane, and Raco would have been involved, but how can we not wonder. A new mother is so very unlikely to walk away from a six-week-old baby in normal circumstances.
Like you I am hopeful for Aaron and Gemma, romantic, yes, but they do seem perfect for each other. (with normal conflicts of job and lives in different places, long distance is hard.

Ch 31 - 40

I also finished, Ann. When everything was revealed, I can say I did not figure things out at alll! LOL

I did start getting suspicious of Kim’s husband toward the end. I knew Kim’s possible assault would be part of the resolution to her disappearance. As well as the baby not really looking like her father. But I kept suspecting Dean or someone else. But they do say that most of the time it is the spouse. I was so surprised that Kim never made it to the festival. That was the twist I did not see coming!

Dean’s death being totally separate from Kim’s disappearance also surprised me. But Falk figured it out, of course. And gave Gemma and her son some closure. I did like the ending for Falk with Gemma. I’m not happy the series is over. But I’ll be interested to see what Harper writes next!

Ann, did you like how everything ended? We’re you able to figure things out before the reveals?

Ann wrote: "Spoilers welcome on this topic. Discussion for Exiles by Jane Harper.
Please note how far in the book before your posts."

I finally finished reading- this one took me over a week which is really unusual for me. for me, not sure if it was my mood or not, but the book dragged until the last quarter. off to read everyone's comments

Ann wrote: "Geri: I finished it and look forward to discussing. I will only comment with spoilers on this post up through chapter 30
(there are 40 chapters in the book)
spoilers:
I also was completely unsure..."

throughout I was unsure about what happened to kim and dean, also. was something in the past related? kim's possible assault? were kim and dean having an affair? at that point, who knew?

Geri wrote: "Ch 31 - 40

I also finished, Ann. When everything was revealed, I can say I did not figure things out at alll! LOL

I did start getting suspicious of Kim’s husband toward the end. I knew Kim’s poss..."

I'm with you on that geri- I had no idea that rohan was behind kim's death! a twist that totally shocked me. and leave it to fall, to figure out what happened to dean- didn't see that one coming either. i love a good twist that I haven't figured out before it happens- in this case, 2 of them!
i did like the ending with falk being with gemma and working at the vineyard. now, will he still be doing that in the next book or running the police department? hmm.
this wasn't one of my favorite reads of harper's but I look forward to the next one

Geri: I was not able to figure things out before the reveals, and like Sherry said - both of them! Quite unusual.

spoilers to the end below

as I read along - I was thinking Falk would not stay so that made me happy when he and Gemma connected and what was obvious to everyone else became obvious to her as well. Working at the vineyard seemed something he would not enjoy (what a change) and I was afraid it was going to be one of them who was responsible for Kim - or even Dean (though it seemed very unlikely to be Charlie or Shane, but thought that was where it was heading)
I did start to see the assault from the past was a factor in Kim's death, and found that extremely sad, and her last days also extremely sad. She was so alone, and so hurt and then so very scared. Her abusive husband was able to stay below the radar scarily well.
The denouement for what happened to Dean when his accident happened was also sad, no one got out of that unscathed. Tragic.

Geri wrote: "Ch 31 - 40 I also finished, Ann. When everything was revealed, I can say I did not figure things out at alll! LOL ......
Ann, did you like how everything ended? We’re you able to figure things out before the reveals?."

Ann wrote: "Geri: I was not able to figure things out before the reveals, and like Sherry said - both of them! Quite unusual.

spoilers to the end below

as I read along - I was thinking Falk would not stay ..."

I was thinking along the same lines, ann regarding falk and staying. I'm glad he did and it will be interesting to see what happens with him and gemma going forward.
i also was hoping it wasn't one of "them" responsible for kim's murder and was glad it wasn't. i wonder if there were any red flags about rohan that we all missed when we were reading since it came as such a surprise to the three of us that he was abusive and was the one who killed her!

Sherry - I can’t think of anything that would have made us suspicious of Kim’s husband. I don’t think Harper gave us a clue. Probably why we never suspected.

This is the last book in the Aaron Falk series. I get the feeling the publisher encouraged Harper to continue the Falk story because of the success of the first book. I think she wants to move on now to another story.

Geri wrote: "Prologue - Chapter 2

I just started. I do hope to read about 10 chapters a day. But I had to stop in to say I’m happy to be reading another Aaron Falk book. I really enjoy this series. And just li..."

I've finished. They never really did explain the shoe, did they? Guess Rohan transplanted it throw everyone off?

Ann wrote: "Geri: I finished it and look forward to discussing. I will only comment with spoilers on this post up through chapter 30
(there are 40 chapters in the book)
spoilers:
I also was completely unsure..."

Shane was my #1 suspect. With his past drinking problem, and with him being first on the scene where Dean died, I assumed that Shane struck Dean. Seemed like he had some tabloid-type interactions with women when he played soccer, I figured he could have assaulted Kim too. Plus he just seemed too chummy with Falk too fast which I found suspicious.

I just finished this as well. I had no clue about either of the crime resolutions. Like others I was glad it wasn't Shane or Raco involved. At one point I even suspected Naomi, as she seemed the jealous sort, although I wasn't sure of why she would be jealous of Kim. The slow reveal of Rohan as the abusive, passive agressive villain came out of nowhere. So creepy. He was a little insane even, thinking that Zoe was Charlie's child. Btw, I think I missed what happened to him. Did he get arrested? I'm really trying to remember but I can't! Now THAT'S creepy.
Like everyone else I was glad that Gemma and Falk worked out. I wasn't sure he'd be happy working the books when what he loved about his previous job eas solving puzzles, but I'll take it.

I just read a nice review of the series in the Washington Post. I had forgotten that Falk met Raco as a cop in The Dry, and Rita was pregnant then with their first child. I was wondering throughout Exiles when he'd had time to develop such a close friendship, and that answered it, I'm sorry to see the series end but glad it ended on such a nice note.

I'm also wondering about Exiles as the name for this book. Was Kim the exile? Rohan? Both of them maybe?

I totally agree about the title, Carol. I was wondering who the exiles were.

Sherry and Carol: the plural form of Exiles gives me pause, but one exile I think was

SPOILER



Kim. She was “barred from her native country” by her controlling husband when he isolated her from her family and friends.
Another…. Aaron? This time by choice?

Oh good thought,Ann! ( about exiles)

Russ wrote: "Geri wrote: "Prologue - Chapter 2

I've finished. They never really did explain the shoe, did they? Guess Rohan transplanted it throw everyone off?
."
The shoe is eventually explained as the murderer and method are revealed.

Barry wrote: "Russ wrote: "Geri wrote: "Prologue - Chapter 2

I've finished. They never really did explain the shoe, did they? Guess Rohan transplanted it throw everyone off?
."
The shoe is eventually explained ..."

D'oh! I must have overlooked it.

Sherry wrote: "

I finally finished reading- this one took me over a week which is really unusual for me. for me, not sure if it was my mood or not, but the book dragged until the last quarter."

This was my reaction too. I started reading this back in February and finally switched over to the audio. I did think all the plot points had satisfying endings and was happy with how Aaron's personal life played out.

Sandi, I listened to the audio as well, looks like across several days, Feb 2-8 , for me - though that could be because I do more listening on weekends than weekdays. There were so many suspects it was a bit disturbing, potentially another factor. Glad you got to it.