The Lost Man by Jane Harper

I have seen Jane Harper’s books talked about a lot on the blogosphere. I may have tried to get access to some advance reviewer copies and failed. When I saw this book sitting on a shelf at my library, it was only natural that I grabbed it and brought it home.
I was a little surprised at the size of the volume. Given the reviews I have read of the book, I assumed it was a hefty tome. Once I started reading the book, I realised where that impression arose from. Despite the size, or maybe enhanced by it, I felt the sweeping length of the narrative.
The story (if you are unaware of it) is of three brothers whose bonds are a little frayed, the intricacies of which are a crucial part of the narrative. One brother is found dead in a remote location in a position that seems impossible. Other factors also do not add up.
Although the setting is a vast desert, with people not visible for miles and the kinds of lifestyles that I cannot even imagine having as your routine, there is a sense of claustrophobia. The writing was simple but it managed to put this emotion into my head. The narrative forced me to not dwell on the death, or the mystery behind it but to focus on all the people in the book and what they were doing or saying.
A very atmospheric story, and an author I would highly recommend to anyone who likes plots with vivid characters.