Jane Harper is the author of two previous popular titles, The Dry and Force of Nature.

In The Lost Man, her latest book, two brothers, Nathan and Bub, meet at the boundary of their vast properties in outback Queensland. They had been searching for their missing middle brother, Cameron. They are shocked to find him at this remote spot, near a stockman’s grave, sunburned and dead.

In these isolated areas of rural Queensland, enquiries of missing locals are investigated by a local policeman and a trained nurse. But the pair allocated to the task are failing to find a reason for Cameron’s death. Their continued investigations are doing little to allay the concerns of his family. Family and friends remember that Cameron had not been his usual self in recent months. Could this have something to do with his death?

I found this third novel just as interesting and challenging as Harper’s first two books. Harper’s descriptions of landscape are one of her greatest strengths as a writer. I’m sure the setting in the harsh outback area of Queensland will remain with me for many months, as did the settings and stories of her earlier books.

Reviewed by Jean Ferguson