Community Library Notes
“The Dry,” by Jane Harper, is the story of Aaron Falk and Australia. When Aaron arrives at a funeral 20 years after he’s left the town where he grew up, he hopes not to recognize anyone there. But Gretchen welcomes him back. The funeral is for Luke, who appears to have shot himself, his wife Karen, and his young son Billy. The baby, Charlotte, seems to be the sole survivor. Author Harper writes an incredible opening scene.
Falk is only staying overnight; he can’t wait to get away. But that evening he’s invited to Gerry and Barb’s house. The plants in the garden are dry and dead. It is a time of drought. They ask Falk to investigate the case and clear their son Luke’s name. Falk says he’ll think about it.
He goes to Luke’s farm that night. There he meets Raco, the local policeman on the case. He’s been in town only a short while. He tells Falk that the bullets used to kill Luke and his family were not the ones Luke usually used. Falk takes boxes of bank statements and documents to his room. Falk sees photos showing that Luke was shot in the rear of his truck. Luke’s gun was used on all three of them; his fingerprints the only ones on the gun. This seems to be solid evidence, maybe too solid. Raco has doubts.
Into the local bar comes Grant Dow, Ellie’s cousin, Luke’s neighbor, and Ellie’s father Mal Deacon. Author Harper describes Deacon as a mean man. Deacon’s daughter, Ellie, had been found drowned in the local river, now dry as a bone. A note had been found in Ellie’s drawer, with the date of her disappearance and Falk’s name on it. Luke had given Falk an alibi, that they were both shooting rabbits, nowhere near the river. Luke and Falk were good buddies 20 years ago. Falk decides to stay for a week and calls his boss in Melbourne.
Falk and Raco go to see Jamie Sullivan, Luke’s friend. He had shot rabbits with Luke the day of the killings. Falk is observant, watches Jamie’s grandmother who lives with him. They go to Billy’s grammar school to talk to Principal Scott Whitlam. In a school-wide ceremony a tree is planted inmemory of Billy and Karen. It’ll never live in the dry of this year.
Billy’s mom, Karen, had been in charge of the school’s finances and accounts. Billy had been a friend of the Principal’s daughter and they had planned a play day on the day of the killings. At the last minute, Karen had cancelled it. Falk recalls the kiss with Ellie. Three weeks later, she was dead. Luke and Gretchen had become a twosome after that. Author Harper weaves the past and present together.
Gretchen tells Falk he got the blame for Ellie’s death. Some thought it was suicide. Luke stuck by their story. At the bar where Falk and Gretchen have a drink, Grant Dow comes in and tries to make trouble. But Falk takes out his notebook and writes Dow’s name so he can see it. Dow backs down and leaves. When Falk leaves the bar, he sees his car has words painted on it that say, “We will skin you.”
Falk is invited to Principal Whitlam’s home for dinner. Whitlam’s wife is angry at people who pity Luke. The Whitlams thought they were moving to a lovely country town, but found there was no place to go and too much space. In a book Karen had borrowed from the library they find a note that says “Grant?” and Falk’s phone number. Why?
Falk goes to his room above the pub, but is called downstairs to the bar. There has been a fight and Grant Dow and Jamie Sullivan are bloody. Falk takes Dow’s car keys and tells Sullivan to be at the station the next morning. He had lied to them about being at home the morning Ellie had died and has much to answer for. Raco tells Falk why Jamie was in the alleyway on the murder day. The CCTV camera had spotted himwith Dr. Leigh, the town doctor. Sullivan had rung the bell on the garage next door and Leigh had answered, then they had kissed. They lied because they didn’t want the town to know.
At Gretchen’s house for dinner, she shows Falk a photo album of photos when they were young. When she goes to the phone, he looks through the album and finds photos of Gretchen’s baby boy, Lachie. He is held by Luke in the hospital and he looks like Luke. She swears he is not Luke’s son. Later, Falk goes to the pub and has a drink with Whitlam. He hears from the bartender that Whitlam is a gambler. He won’t let Whitlam put his drink on a tab because he owes him too much already. Whitlam has gambled away all his savings, is planning to move away, to a town in the north where it rains.
What does Principal Whitlam have to do with the murders of Luke and his family? Is the mystery of Ellie’s drowning ever solved? Does Falk stay with Gretchen or return to Melbourne? Find out in this spell-binding debut novel by Jane Harper at your Mendocino Community Library when it reopens.