This latest outback-noir crime novel by Jane Harper is a slow burn—right to the very end. It’s about loss—the loss of a son, a marriage, a home, a lifestyle, friends and community. As such, I think Last One Out will resonate with every reader who has suffered loss of any kind.

This is no fast-paced, clock-ticking thriller loaded with clues and red herrings to challenge the reader, but rather a quiet introspection by Ro Crowley as she returns to the small outback community of Carallon Ridge on the anniversary of her son’s disappearance. 

Through the memories of the days leading up to the tragedy, and the notes her son left behind for his research paper, she reflects on her conversations with the handful of residents who remain in Carallon Ridge—a town on its last legs after losing its battle with a mining giant. 

Each year the community—still haunted by the earlier death of Warren and the disappearance of Sam Crowley—gathers together on the anniversary of Sam’s disappearance and it is at this memorial that Ro gives an emotional speech, which I have to admit, brought tears to my eyes. The speech triggers a change in those remaining in Carrallon Ridge and leads to the central mystery’s resolution—revealed through a confession rather than deduction. 

While not for everyone, I think readers will appreciate the novel’s mood, the haunting sense of place and its emotional depth. And I’m sure fans of Jane Harper will devour it.