The Dry
Federal Agent Aaron Falk returns to his drought-ravaged hometown, a place he swore he’d never see again. He’s here for the funeral of Luke, his childhood best friend—and his alibi from a murder accusation twenty years prior. Saved by Luke’s unwavering lie, Falk fled, leaving behind a cloud of suspicion that never truly dissipated. Now, Luke is dead, a victim of an apparent murder-suicide, and the whispers of that long-ago lie are growing louder.
Beneath the suffocating heat of the worst drought in a century, Falk is forced to confront both Luke’s present tragedy and the dark secrets of their shared past. As he reluctantly investigates what truly happened to his friend, he peels back layers of deceit, revealing how deep small-town loyalties run and the devastating cost of a lie. In this scorched landscape, the truth is as parched and unforgiving as the land itself.
- Aaron Falk - Federal agent, 36
- Luke - Aaron’s childhood friend, Karen’s husband, deceased
- Karen - Luke’s wife, deceased
- Billy - Luke and Karen’s son, deceased
- Charlotte - Luke and Karen’s daughter, 13 months
- Erik - Aaron’s father
- Gerry - Luke’s father
- Barb - Luke’s mother
- Gretchen - Aaron and Luke’s childhood friend
- Lachie - Gretchen’s son, 5
- Ellie - Aaron, Luke and Gretchen’s childhood friend, deceased
- Greg Raco - Police sergeant in Kiewarra
- Rita - Greg’s wife
- Patrick Leigh - Doctor in Kiewarra
- Jamie - Luke’s friend, 25
- Mal Deacon - Luke’s neighbor, Ellie’s father
- Grant Dow - Ellie’s cousin
- Scott Whitlam - Principal at Kiewarra Primary, Karen’s boss
- Sandra - Scott’s wife
- Danielle - Scott and Sandra’s daughter, 5
- David McMurdo - Bartender
- Aaron returns to Kiewarra for Luke’s funeral.
- Police believe Luke killed Karen and Billy and then himself with his shotgun.
- Barb asks Aaron to investigate the deaths and help clear Luke’s name.
- Twenty years ago when Ellie died, Luke told police Aaron was with him, but it wasn’t true.
- Aaron and Erik both came under suspicion in Ellie’s death after police found a note in her room with ‘Falk’ and the date of her death.
- Karen, Billy and Charlotte were found in the house and Luke was located several kilometers away in the bed of his truck.
- The day of the murders, Billy was supposed to be at Scott’s house playing with Danielle, but Karen cancelled at the last minute.
- Luke was at Jamie’s house helping him kill rabbits shortly before the murders.
- Aaron finds a receipt from four days before the murders with ‘Grant???’ and Aaron’s phone number written on the back in Karen’s handwriting.
- Raco discovers Jamie was sleeping with Patrick at the time of the murders.
- Scott has a gambling problem.
- Aaron realizes the word ‘Grant’ Karen wrote next to his phone number referred to grant money, not Grant the person.
- Karen found out Kiewarra Primary had received a $50,000 grant, but Scott stole the money.
- Karen didn’t want to go to the police until she was sure she was correct, so Luke gave her Aaron’s phone number and said he could help.
- Scott stole the money to pay off gambling debts after his creditors threatened Sandra and Danielle’s lives.
- Scott killed Karen and Luke to stop them from turning him in for the stolen money.
- Scott is arrested.
- Luke and Gretchen were having sex in the woods when Ellie was killed.
- They saw Ellie in the woods, but Luke didn’t want to speak to her, so they left.
- Ellie planned to run away after Mal sexually assaulted her following years of physical abuse, but Mal caught her trying to escape and drowned her.
- The piece of paper with the date and Falk’s name referred to the date she made a reservation at a motel several towns over using the name Falk.
My favorite thing about The Dry is that it gave me two mysteries to unravel at the same time. I was just as curious about what really happened to Luke and his family in the present as I was about what happened to Ellie all those years ago. The story is told in the present with brief flashbacks, and the balance between the two timelines worked really well. Aaron Falk was a great lead character who I quickly connected with, and following him as he pieced everything together made the investigation even more engaging.
This is definitely a slow-burn mystery, but it never felt boring. The clues are revealed at a steady pace, and the red herrings were explained in a way that felt believable instead of being there just to trick the reader. The reveal was also well done. The culprit surprised me, but once everything was explained, their motivation made sense and fit the story.
This was an enjoyable read, and it definitely made me want to pick up the next Aaron Falk book to see where his story goes.
If you like slow-burn mysteries, small town secrets, and dual timelines, then you will enjoy this book.
- Luke - Dead - Shot by Scott
- Karen - Dead - Shot by Scott
- Billy - Dead - Shot by Scott
- Ellie - Dead - Drowned by Mal
- Murder
- Animal death
- Violence
- Child abuse
- Sexual assault
ISBN: 9781250105608
Publication Date: January 10, 2017
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
