I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Kept me thinking and wondering the whole time. I would highly recommend this book, the author has presented a fantastic story.

If you have ever been on a team building exercise day ….you’re going to nod in agreement with much in this book. If you have managed to get out of one, breathe a sigh of relief. If you’re about to go on one….maybe keep this book for when you get back

Received a gorgeous signed proof by the author and because of the love I have for The Dry, I shut out the world and tucked in. WHOAH! What a reading experience that was! Read some in the park beside the trees….haha there’s a top tip right there. Ok so it was on a park bench but in my head I was lost, with a backpack and torch and wandering in the forest late at night.

If you’re worried this second outing won’t pack a punch then you’re wrong. It’s set in the Australian bush and the way Jane weaves and evokes this in the novel is simply stunning. She appreciates and loves nature, if you’ve never been to the bush, every snap of a branch, the rustle of the leaves will make your hair stand on end.

Full review to follow nearer the time – but this is raw, brutal and utterly compelling. Characters well rounded and developed, none of whom I’d like to go on trek with mind and I could feel the heavy clouds, the forest closing in and see the fear on their faces despite the pitch black.

There are some crazy mixed up people working for the company in this novel but just how far would you go to protect someone? LOTS of juicy questions to ask yourself here. From The Dry to the wet, howling winds and dark forests of the forces of nature then Jane Harper has written from the extremes of one weather radar to another. Turns out she should be on your reading radar too if she’s not already.

“It wasn’t any one thing that went wrong, it was a hundred little things. It all kept adding up until it was just too late.”

Force of Nature is the second book in the Aaron Falk series by award-winning Australian journalist and author, Jane Harper. A late-night call has AFP agent Aaron Falk and his Financial Intelligence Unit partner Carmen Cooper heading for the Giralong Ranges. A corporate team-building weekend has gone wrong and one of the participants, Alice Russell, is missing. Alice is the whistle-blower in their current case, so Falk and Cooper are concerned that her actions have been exposed to their target, resulting in some sort of retaliatory action.

But when they arrive, the local Police Sergeant shares his own concerns: that Alice may be a victim of Sam Kovac, the son of notorious serial killer, Martin Kovac, whose killing field was in the Giralang Ranges. And as they question the remaining members of the party, they become aware of just how unpopular Alice was with her colleagues. Could she have come to harm at their hands? Or has the pressure simply become too much, prompting her to disappear off the scene? Has it anything to do with certain photos and clips spreading on social media?

Falk’s second outing is easily as fine as his first. The narrative alternates between Falk’s observations as he investigates, and the account of events during the weekend from the perspective of each of the four remaining participants. It soon becomes apparent that none of those questioned is completely candid about what happened, or what they know. The storyline is highly credible, with several twists and red herrings keeping the reader guessing right up to the exciting climax.

Harper effortlessly evokes the Australian winter mountain landscape, and her characters are typical of those one might encounter in an office environment. Falk’s inner monologue and his dialogue with Cooper give the reader insight into his career choice and personal history, and reinforce his integrity. This is another excellent example of Aussie Crime Fiction and, whether or not it features Aaron Falk, more from Jane Harper will be eagerly anticipated.