My Never Ending List

What I enjoy most about Jane’s books are how she makes me feel when I read them. There’s not an intensity to her novels but more an inquisitive feeling, an I-need-to-know quality that ignites within me as I explore the characters and the landscape that opens up around me. In The Lost Man, with a limited number of individuals, what happened in the Australian Outback is anyone’s guess at the moment. As the story unfolds, we discover that history is still alive.

 

The novel doesn’t waste any time as it begins with two brothers locating the body of their other brother, who has been found dead. It is interesting the history these three boys have had living in the Outback. Nathan, the oldest had an issue when he was younger and he has since left the area. He was the only sibling to leave town. Shunned by others, Nathan has now returned home with his son but the past has not been buried. I felt sorry for Bub, for it seemed everyone played down to him and he knew it. Being the youngest, Bub wanted people to take him seriously but it was a struggle. Cam, he was the most successful out of the three, according to those who lived nearby. Cam was also the one who laid lying on the ground with a tarp over his body. Cam’s car was found, full of supplies kilometers away from where his body was found, and why was that? The more they inquired about his death, the more questions they had.

 

The questions began with Cam’s body but that was just the beginning. To find the answers you had to have known the history of those who might have played a part. Each player has a voice, some strong and some just barely audible but they all become part of the scene.

 

I enjoyed how the story slowly built up and began to unravel. Jane does a wonderful job describing the events and her descriptions put you right in the midst of the action. If you liked her other novels, you will enjoy this one also.