The Lost Man(106)
Outside, the light was dazzling as he opened the door and went to join his family.
Acknowledgements
I have loved writing this book and I’m so grateful to the many people who helped me bring this story to life.
Once again, I am indebted to my outstanding editors Cate Paterson and Mathilda Imlah at Pan Macmillan, Christine Kopprasch and Amy Einhorn at Flatiron Books, and Clare Smith at Little, Brown. Thank you so much for your wise advice, insights and encouragement throughout.
I am constantly grateful for the tireless work of my wonderful agents: Clare Forster at Curtis Brown Australia, Alice Lutyens and Kate Cooper at Curtis Brown UK, Daniel Lazar at Writers House and Jerry Kalajian at the Intellectual Property Group.
I would never have been able to write this book without the goodwill of so many people who took the time to speak to me and share their lives and their stories.
A huge thank you to retired Birdsville police officer Neale McShane and his wife Sandra, who invited me into their home. Not everyone would be willing to drive a stranger 900 kilometres across the outback and answer questions the entire way, and I’m so lucky that Neale was one of the few who would. It was a once-in-a-lifetime road trip and I’ll never forget it.
It was an honour to spend time in Birdsville with Aboriginal elder and Munga-Thirri National Park ranger Don Rowlands and his wife Lyn. Their insights and experiences opened my eyes to many things I had never before considered, and I am truly grateful they were willing to share their thoughts with me.
A big thank you to Birdsville nurse Andrew Cameron for all the fun and fascinating conversations and trips around the area. I learned a huge amount and his help with the factual research for this book was invaluable.
I am also very grateful to David Brook for kindly sharing his extensive knowledge and expertise of property management, and patiently answering a long string of questions about cows, radios and everything in between.
Thank you to cattle farmer Sue Cudmore for telling me her stories about calves, and to author Evan McHugh for introducing me to his friends and contacts and talking to me about his own experience of the outback. His books Birdsville and Outback Cop (co-authored with Neale McShane) were both useful in my research.
I am grateful to everyone who helped me along the way, and any mistakes or artistic liberties are fully my own.
Last but not least, thank you to my dad Mike Harper for the idea that eventually became The Lost Man, and as always to Helen Harper, Ellie Harper, Michael Harper, Susan Davenport, Ivy and Ava Harper, and Peter and Annette Strachan.
And of course, the biggest thanks must go to my lovely husband Peter Strachan and our beautiful daughter Charlotte Strachan. You give me so much and I couldn’t write these books without you.
About Jane Harper
Jane Harper is the author of the international bestsellers The Dry and Force of Nature. Her books are published in more than 36 territories worldwide, with film rights sold to Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea. Jane has won numerous top awards including the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year, the Australian Indie Awards Book of the Year, the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel, and the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year. Jane worked as a print journalist for thirteen years both in Australia and the UK, and now lives in Melbourne with her husband and daughter.
Also by Jane Harper
The Dry
Force of Nature
PRAISE FOR JANE HARPER
‘Every now and then an Australian crime novel comes along to stop your breath and haunt your dreams. The Broken Shore by Peter Temple was one, Bitter Wash Road by Garry Disher another. Both are books that capture something profound about the Australian landscape and the people who inhabit it. Both are not just great crime fiction, but great Australian novels. The Dry, by Jane Harper, is another.’
Sydney Morning Herald
‘This is a story about heroism, the sins of the past, and the struggle to atone. But let’s not forget the redbacks, the huntsmen, the rabbit scourge and all that makes this a quintessential Australian story beautifully told.’
The Age
‘There is about The Dry something mythic and valiant.’
Canberra Times
‘In Jane Harper’s debut, The Dry, long-held grudges are thrown into the mix to make for an absolute tinderbox – and a cracking read. Harper has delivered a tense, evocative thriller that paints a stark picture of what desperate times can do to a community. She slowly reveals the deep-worn tensions between characters in the small town, and it’s this that makes The Dry such a good read.’
Adelaide Advertiser
‘The Dry is a tightly plotted page-turner that kept me reading well into the night. Her characters are achingly real . . . shines a light on the highs and lows of rural life . . . In this cracker of a book Harper maintains the suspense, with the momentum picking up as it draws to its nerve-wracking conclusion.’
Australian Financial Review
‘A razor-sharp crime yarn dripping in the sights, sounds and smells of the Australian bush . . . action twists and turns, the pace building to a fantastic finale that will leave you breathless.’
Australian Women’s Weekly Book of the Month ‘One of the most stunning debuts I’ve ever read. I could feel the searing heat of the Australian setting. Every word is near perfect. The story builds like a wave seeking the purchase of earth before it crashes down and wipes out everything you might have thought about this enthralling tale. Read it!’