Force of Nature

A Novel

By: Jane Harper

Narrated by: Stephen Shanahan

Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

"Narrator Stephen Shanahan...makes it sizzle to the very end. Both story and narrator are not to be missed." (AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner)

From Jane Harper, New York Times best-selling author of The Dry, comes a riveting new audiobook featuring Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk.

Five women go on a hike. Only four return. Force of Nature begs the question: How well do you really know the people you work with?

When five colleagues are forced to go on a corporate retreat in the wilderness, they reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking down the muddy path.

But one of the women doesn't come out of the woods. And each of her companions tells a slightly different story about what happened.

Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing hiker. In an investigation that takes him deep into isolated forest, Falk discovers secrets lurking in the mountains and a tangled web of personal and professional friendship, suspicion, and betrayal among the hikers. But did that lead to murder?

Praise for Force of Nature:

"All the novel's characters have been drawn with exceptional complexity, and none more so than Aaron Falk.... So much more than a conventional detective, the reflective and compassionate Falk provides the book's moral compass." (New York Times Book Review)

"Harper yet again delivers a very satisfying mystery from beginning to end, perfect to curl up with.... Stephen Shanahan does an excellent narration with his calm, deep, Australian accented voice." (BookRiot)

“Force of Nature bristles with wit; it crackles with suspense; it radiates atmosphere. An astonishing book from an astonishing writer.” (A.J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window)

"Set against the fascinating backdrop of a wild, rural location in south Australia, Harper's sequel to her acclaimed Ned Kelly Award-winning debut, The Dry, presents an intriguing crime that might not actually exist and potential suspects with realistically complex and possible motives." (Library Journal)

©2018 Jane Harper (P)2018 W.F. Howes Ltd

Another great story from Jane Harper

I enjoyed The Dry immensely when it came out, and was excited to listen to another story about Detective Aaron Falk. Although this mystery lacks the personal connection Falk had to the town and the victims in the first book (to its minor detriment), I was still drawn into the story and eager to learn about this group of ladies whose hike took a disastrous turn. This was definitely a book I was sad to have to turn off every day after my commute was over; I wanted to keep listening to the end! I telegraphed the ending quite a bit before it happened, but there were still some great surprises thrown in that I didn't anticipate.

You don't have to read The Dry first, although I recommend you do. There are some minor callbacks to that novel in this story, but they are either briefly explained or don't really affect the clarity of the plot. It does help deepen the story of Falk though, and helps explain his strained connection with his late father - something that is referred to a lot but not elaborated on.

Can't wait for the next one in the series!

Good story, but wanted more evolution

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would have liked to see more evolution in Aaron. He did go through some change in the end, he was linear throughout the story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Force of Nature?

The part where Margo went to stay at Lauren’s house and we found out what had happened to Rebecca.

Which scene was your favorite?

The fight scene among the women in the Canin.

Did Force of Nature inspire you to do anything?

No

Any additional comments?

I would like to see more books with Aaron’s character if he can develope more. Excellent choice in the gentleman performing the audio. The describing of the environment was well done.

Another great book in the series

I might have enjoyed this book a little more than the first. It did start off a little slow and it took a bit to get used to the characters, but once it got going it was really good. I hope a third book is in the works.

A Little Disappointing After The Dry

“It seemed very far away and long ago now. Like it had happened to someone else.”
― Jane Harper, Force of Nature
It is always a challenge, I think, for an author of a huge debut success to write a follow-up. The pressure to please must be intense, and I certainly sympathize and wanted to try not to compare this book to Harper's previous novel, The Dry, which I very much enjoyed. However, it is a difficult task not to compare, especially since this is a series. That being said, Force of Nature is a solid novel. I will just go ahead and say it, this book is not quite as strong as The Dry, but taken as a mystery on its own, it is pretty good. Falk is an excellent character and though I felt he was not given enough of a role in this book (chapters switch POVs and more are in the women's voice than Falk's), I do look forward to reading more about him in future additions to this series. I did find the beginning - or quite honestly, the first half - a little boring and was feeling a bit disappointed when suddenly the story really picked up its pace. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator is really very good, so I would recommend that format, though I read The Dry as a hardback. I feel as if I'm rambling a bit, but to be honest, I don't really know what to say about the plot of this book. It was good, nothing spectacular or terribly unpredictable, but well developed and written all the same. If you've been reading my reviews for a while, you'll know that I am a fan of character-driven books, so the somewhat unspectacular plot didn't bother me that much since Falk is a really good character.
I'll end this rambling review by saying I have certainly read much, much worse sophomore novels (ahem . . . Artemis) and I have read better ones, too, yet all in all, this was a solid book and I am intrigued to see what Jane Harper comes up with next for Aaron Falk.

Suspense and cattiness in the outback...

If you enjoyed Harper’s “The Dry”, you’ll be sure to like her next Aaron Falk installment. I liked this Audible book with its excellent Aussie narrator and the richly woven tale of female coworkers on a corporate adventure challenge gone wrong. With lives that are entangled and braided together in more ways than at first apparent, the women’s stories are as much “unraveled” as told by Harper with good pacing and frequent jumps from the action as it happens in the past to Falk and new partner Carmen in the present investigating and searching.

Kept me listening

Listened to and enjoyed The Dry. This was just as good of a story. Look forward to Harper’s next book. Narrator gave excellent performance.

Well written but densely female subject matter

A murder story with a fudged-in confusing solution. Two plots that don’t really tie in well and two dogged cops for whom we root. It’s a dense bush land of bitchiness and backbiting on an Executive Adventure retreat. The narrator’s wonderful Australian voice however, makes it a great listen!

Wow! Must listen!

I visited Australia a while ago and I hadn’t gotten a chance to look into the literature there but this book is really amazing. I was able to picture based on the descriptions what was going on the really great depth of writing was not too overwhelming so it was a really good balance between detail and pace. I loved this book and I couldn’t stop listening. it’s been a long time since I’ve sat trying to figure out what was going to happen next in a book and not guessed right. I highly recommend listening to a force of nature and keep an eye Jane Harper because she writes incredibly well. Also I can’t wait to listen to more by the narrator he’s really good. My only critique is that the volume on this story has been really weird and sometimes even on it’s loudest it’s been hard to hear but it might just be my side.

never let's go of your attention

I really like how the author tells a story and fills it with engaging characters. and how she always delivers with a climax.

Excellent Mystery

Well thought out story. The characters are well filled out. The story makes sense and is compelling.