5 Minutes With … Jane Harper

THE MELBOURNE-BASED CRIME AUTHOR TALKS SCUBA DIVING IN THE NAME OF BOOK RESEARCH AND EXCITING MOVIE NEWS

The British-born former journalist released her debut novel The Dry in 2016, and almost single-handedly launched the outback-noir genre. She talks about her fourth novel, The Survivors, which is out this week…

What sparked the idea for your new book? With The Survivors, I had the idea for a story set in a small coastal community which was nearly destroyed by a freak storm, and a decade later faces being torn apart again when a body is discovered on the local beach. Tasmania had that perfect mix of coastal towns and rugged landscape.

What research did you do?

I was excited to go to Tasmania over the summer. My husband and then-3-year-old daughter and 12-week-old son came too and we drove along the coastline, visiting a lot of communities and landmarks along the way. I went scuba diving in Eaglehawk Neck so I could get the full firsthand experience of being submerged in chilly Tasmanian waters!

Do you always know who the murderer is from the moment you start writing?

I always know! I’m a big planner, so I spend several months working out everything – the plot, the characters, the red herrings – before

I start to write. When I’m planning a book, I actually tend to start with the ending so I know exactly where the story is leading, and then I build backwards from there.

What’s the latest news on The Dry movie? [It’s] completed and it’s superb. It was due to be released this August but has been postponed due to COVID-19. I got to go on set last year to watch the filming and be an extra in the funeral and wake scenes, which was a lot of fun. It’s a beautiful, thrilling adaptation of the book, and readers will love it.

How is Eric Bana as the book’s lead character, investigator Aaron Falk? [He’s] such a fantastic Australian actor, and he has done an amazing job.