Five top Australian thrillers and mysteries

Jane Harper is the New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of The Dry, Force of Nature, The Lost Man, and The Survivors.

Exiles is her fifth novel.

Harper previously worked as a print journalist in Australia and the UK and lives in Melbourne with her husband, daughter, and son.

At the Waterstones blog she tagged five favorite mysteries that make the most of the sheer danger and diversity of Australia. One title on her list:

Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor

Get familiar with Hayley Scrivenor’s name because I expect we’ll be hearing a lot from her over the next few years. Dirt Town is her stellar debut, revolving around the heartbreaking aftermath when a child fails to return home one day. The novel takes a deep-dive into the intimacies of small town life as a community struggles with a tragedy in its midst, and Hayley paints a portrait of a town under huge pressure by capturing those small and big details that make a setting feel truly authentic. Compelling and beautifully told, Hayley draws you fully into Dirt Town’s pages as the mystery unspools.

Read about another entry on the list.

Q&A with Hayley Scrivenor.

--Marshal Zeringue