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The Dry (novel)

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For the 2020 film derived from this novel, see The Dry (film).

The Dry
AuthorJane Harper
LanguageEnglish
SeriesAaron Falk
GenreCrime
PublisherMacmillan Publishers
Publication date
May 31, 2016
Publication placeAustralia
Pages336
ISBN1-250-10560-9
Followed byForce of Nature 

The Dry is the 2016 debut novel by Australian author Jane Harper.[1][2] The book has won numerous international awards[3][4][5] and has sold more than one million copies worldwide.[6] A film adaptation starring Eric Bana was released on 1 January 2021[7][8][9] with great success, placing it as one of the highest grossing Australian film opening weekends ever.[10]

It is the first installment in Harper's Aaron Falk trilogy, followed by Force of Nature (2017) and Exiles (2022).

Synopsis

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Federal Police agent Aaron Falk returns to the struggling farming community of Kiewarra for the funeral of his childhood best friend, Luke Hadler. Severe drought has put the town under extreme pressure and the community is shocked but not surprised when the Hadler family is found dead in their farmhouse. While Falk is loath to confront the townspeople who rejected him twenty years earlier, the circumstances around the deaths of the Hadlers, that appears to be a murder–suicide, compels him to dig deeper into the events leading up to the tragedy.[11][12]

Reception

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Literary awards

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The Dry has won multiple major awards,[13][12] including the following

Year Award Category Result Ref
2016 Fellowship of Australian Writers Christina Stead Fiction Award Shortlisted
Victorian Premier's Literary Award Unpublished Manuscript Won
2017 Australian Book Industry Award Book of the Year Won
General Fiction Won
Matt Richell Award for New Writer Shortlisted
Books Are My Bag Readers' Award Popular Ficton Shortlisted
CWA Gold Dagger — Won
Davitt Award Adult Crime Novel Won
Readers' Choice Won
Goodreads Choice Award Mystery & Thriller Won
Debut Won
Indie Book Award Debut Fiction Won
Ned Kelly Award Debut Crime Won
2018 Anthony Award First Novel Shortlisted
Barry Award First Novel Won
British Book Award Crime & Thriller Won
Macavity Award First Novel Shortlisted
International Dublin Literary Award — Longlisted
RUSA CODES Reading List Mystery Shortlisted
Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award — Shortlisted

Distinctions

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  • Amazon's Best Books of the Month (January – 2017)
  • Amazon.com Best Books (2017)
  • NPR: Books We Love (2017)
  • The Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year
  • This Mystery is Amazing! (Foreign – 2018)

Film adaptation

[edit]
Main article: The Dry (film)

The film rights for The Dry[14] were optioned by producers Bruna Papandrea and Reese Witherspoon in 2015[15] and was produced by Bruna Papandrea's production company, Made Up Stories.[16] Eric Bana starred in the lead role of Aaron Falk, with Genevieve O'Reilly as Gretchen[17] and Keir O'Donnell as Raco.[17]

Principal photography began in March 2019 in the Australian state of Victoria, including the Wimmera Mallee region.[18][19]

The film was due for release on 27 August 2020[20] but was delayed due to COVID-19.[21] It was released by Roadshow Films in Australia and New Zealand on January 1, 2021[22] and broke box office records, making it one of the highest grossing Australian film opening weekends ever.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Haupt, Angela (7 February 2019). "Jane Harper's mysteries are as big as Australia". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  2. ^ Macdonald, Moira (2 February 2019). "From 'The Dry' to 'The Lost Man': Jane Harper is becoming the queen of Australian outback mysteries". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  3. ^ Steger, Jason (27 October 2017). "Jane Harper wins Britain's top crime-writing award". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  4. ^ Mem: 35779392. "'The Dry' wins crime book of the year at British Book Awards | Books+Publishing". Retrieved 15 February 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Mem: 36159472. "Harper wins Barry Award for Best First Novel | Books+Publishing". Retrieved 15 February 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Lester, Amelia (31 January 2019). "Jane Harper Started as a Business Reporter. Now She Writes Novels About Murder". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  7. ^ Spencer, Ashley (29 November 2018). "Eric Bana to Star in Movie Adaptation of Aussie Bestseller The Dry". E! News. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  8. ^ McNary, Dave (29 November 2018). "Film News Roundup: Eric Bana to Star in Australian Police Drama 'The Dry'". Variety. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  9. ^ Bulbeck, Pip (29 November 2018). "Eric Bana Signs to Star in Detective Thriller 'The Dry'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  10. ^ a b "THE DRY BREAKS THE DROUGHT FOR THE AUSTRALIAN FILM BOX OFFICE". FilmInk. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  11. ^ "The Dry by Jane Harper: Summary and reviews". BookBrowse.com. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  12. ^ a b "The Dry | Author Jane Harper's Debut Novel". janeharper.com.au. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  13. ^ "Curtis Brown". www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  14. ^ The Dry, retrieved 15 February 2020
  15. ^ McNary, Dave (14 October 2015). "Reese Witherspoon Developing Thriller 'The Dry' as a Movie". Variety. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  16. ^ Kay, Jeremy (4 March 2019). "Eric Bana crime thriller 'The Dry' begins Australia shoot". Screen. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  17. ^ a b N'Duka, Amanda (4 March 2019). "Genevieve O'Reilly, Keir O'Donnell, John Polson Join Eric Bana In Australian Crime Thriller 'The Dry'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  18. ^ Kay, Jeremy (4 March 2019). "Eric Bana crime thriller 'The Dry' begins Australia shoot". Screen Daily. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  19. ^ Bate, Jade (5 March 2019). "Eric Bana film The Dry starts filming in western Victoria". The Courier (Ballarat). Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  20. ^ "2020 outlook for Australian filmmakers: challenges and upside". IF Magazine. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  21. ^ "Eric Bana is Falk in The Dry". janeharper.com.au. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  22. ^ "The Dry movie out on New Year's Day". janeharper.com.au. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
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