The Survivors

Jane Harper

The setting of this book, on the northern coast of Tasmania, is integral to the two mysteries that entangle the townsfolk of Evelyn Bay. When the body of a young woman is found on the beach, it revives memories of ‘the storm’ – a weather event, twelve years in the past, that claimed the lives of three young people. As the police work to solve the present-day murder, secrets and lies are revealed along with deeply buried guilt, grief and bitterness held close by many members of the community. ‘The Survivors’ refers both to people and a group of statues that mark the spot of an ancient wreck, offering both an important physical landmark and poignant symbolism.

The story is told by Keiran Elliott, who returns to Evelyn Bay with his girlfriend and baby daughter. His father has developed dementia, requiring nursing home care, so they are there to help his mother pack up the house. He and his girlfriend meet the victim, Bronte, only briefly on the night she dies.

Bronte’s death casts suspicion on several locals who are linked through either family or friendship to the terrible events that occurred during the storm over a decade ago. Kieran’s brother and another young man, Toby Gilroy, were drowned during the course of a rescue mission to save Keiran. And a teenager, the younger sister of Olivia, went missing on the same day, her body never recovered. Olivia is an old flame of Keiran, also present during the ill-fated sea rescue.

Whilst the mysteries surrounding both the current murder and the older tragedies are satisfyingly complex, it is the characterisations that provide equal interest. We hear Keiran’s guilt and despair in first person, but many others are troubled, including his mother, Verity; friends Olivia, Ash and Sean, as well as Liam Gilroy, the son of Toby, who holds Keiran responsible for his father’s death. Even characters that take a secondary role, have depth and offer a valuable contribution to the story.

If I have a criticism, it is the pacing. It is a slow burn before picking up pace at the mid-point. In addition, I was only mildly engaged with the present-day murder, quite probably due to the narrative perspective that sees Keiran in the driver’s seat. He has no bond with Bronte – few people in the town do, on account of her ‘summer worker’ status – and so the focus is weighted towards the older events. For me, it was only when Bronte’s parents arrive at a community meeting that her loss takes on real meaning.