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Jane Harper

ジェーン・ハーパー

Jēn Hāpā

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1980 （Manchester, England）
Nationality
Australian, British
Languages
English
Residence History
Manchester, England → Boronia, Victoria, Australia → Hampshire, United Kingdom → Elwood, Melbourne, Australia

Career

Occupations
Author, Journalist
Active Years
2016-2025
Affiliations
Herald Sun, Geelong Advertiser, Hull Daily Mail, Darlington & Stockton Times
Nominations
Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2020 (The Lost Man), Australian Book Industry Awards 2021 (The Survivors), Colin Roderick Award 2021 (The Survivors), Ned Kelly Awards 2023 Best Crime Fiction (Exiles)

Education

University of Kent
English
Country: United Kingdom

Awards

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards
2015
Work: The Dry (unpublished manuscript)
Result: winner
Australian Book Industry Awards Gold
2017
Work: The Dry
Category: Book of the Year
Result: winner
Davitt Award
2017
Work: The Dry
Result: winner
Gold Dagger
2017
Work: The Dry
Organization: Crime Writers' Association
Result: winner
Barry Award
2020
Work: The Lost Man
Category: Best Mystery/Crime Novel
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Dry

2016 Crime fiction

A thriller set in a fictional town five hours west of Melbourne. Federal agent Aaron Falk returns to his hometown for his childhood best friend's funeral and investigates the mysterious death.

droughtrural isolationpast secrets
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Dry / Robert Connolly (2021)

Force of Nature

2017 Crime fiction

A group from a Melbourne tech company on a retreat; one woman disappears. Features Aaron Falk.

forces of naturecorporate rivalryinformants
Adaptations
  • [Film] Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (2024)

The Lost Man

2018 Crime fiction

Set on a cattle station in South West Queensland; investigation into a man's dehydration death.

family dynamicsharsh outbackbrothers

The Survivors

2020 Crime fiction

Death of a young woman in Tasmanian coastal town uncovers past storm events.

past traumasmall town secretsloss
Adaptations
  • [TV series] The Survivors (2025)

Exiles

2022 Crime fiction

Aaron Falk investigates disappearance at a festival and past hit-and-run.

wine countryfriendshipspast accidents

Last One Out

2025 Crime fiction

Bibliography

  • The Dry
  • Force of Nature
  • The Lost Man
  • The Survivors
  • Exiles
  • Last One Out

Adaptations

  • The Dry (2021 film)
  • Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (2024 film)
  • The Survivors (2025 Netflix series)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
tense plottingvivid descriptions of rural Australiatight suspense
Recurring Motifs
rural isolationharsh weather and droughtfamily and community secrets

Legacy

Known for crime novels set in rural Australia, achieved international success with New York Times bestsellers. Major works adapted to film and won multiple awards.

In Popular Culture

  • Works adapted into films starring Eric Bana
  • Reese Witherspoon acquired film rights

Trivia

  • Moved to Australia with family at age 8
  • 13 years as print journalist before debut novel
  • Lives in Melbourne with husband and two daughters