Book review: Last One Out by Jane Harper

Last One Out by Jane Harper is the popular Aussie author’s latest release. It’s a standalone and beautifully balances the suspense / mystery element with some complex topics and deeper issues worthy of discussion. I loved the commentary Harper provides on regional and rural communities, particularly those impacted by fluctuating industries. In my day job with government I’m privy to A LOT of conversations about the impact that mining (not to mention gas and renewables—wind and solar farms)—has on landowners and communities. Here in Queensland we’ve seen some small towns fight for survival after a mine closes and certainly the north-western town of Mt Isa has featured prominently in recent media. I’m conscious there’s also the challenge of small businesses and primary producers trying to compete for workers when large mining corporations can offer much better salary packages, and locals being priced out of housing markets. Of towns left to wither and die when the land is drained of its bounty and mines or projects are decommissioned .

Last One Out
by Jane Harper
Published by Macmillan Australia
on 15/10/2025
Source: PanMacmillan
Genres: Crime Fiction, Thriller / Suspense
ISBN: 176078396X
Pages: 400

Goodreads

Carralon Ridge, a once vibrant village in rural New South Wales, has become a shell of itself, its houses and buildings bought up and left to rot by the mining company operating at its borders. A decade into its slow death, surrounded by industrial noise and swathed in thick layers of dust, the skeletal town is all but abandoned, with just a handful of residents clinging onto what remains.

After years of scorning those who left the Ridge behind as it fell into ruin, Ro never imagined she’d become one of them. But everything changed when she lost her son. Five years ago, Sam vanished while visiting during a break from college, leaving behind a rental car with his belongings inside. Sam had loved Carralon Ridge, and had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether. It wasn’t long after his disappearance that the rest of the family began to crumble away too.

But when Ro returns to Carralon Ridge to be with her husband and daughter on the anniversary of Sam’s disappearance, she begins to suspect that something important was overlooked in his case. Because while nothing can stop Carralon Ridge from dying, someone seems to want to make sure that its secrets die with it.

My thoughts

I found Harper’s opening prose really evocative as she sets the scene for Sam’s disappearance, firmly planting readers in the desolate location.

The snaking vines smothered the exterior, binding the walls tight and choking the features. Hungry for more space, the growth had wormed its way through the cracks in the windowsills and doorways and was now slowly consuming the rooms inside…

The home’s weatherboard facade was clinging on to its last coat of paint, the cream colour flaking away like a scab to show the raw, grey wood beneath. pp 1-2

The simmering tension that the mine has brought to Carralon Ridge is akin to a palpable character here. I dislike reading white collar crime fiction so was worried that the disappearance of Sam was somehow related to him uncovering dodgy deals of the local mining company, but thankfully it’s far more personal. Well, kinda. The aforementioned tension however, has been building over time with locals selling up and moving out and others feeling a great pressure to do so, or at least get something for their property while they can. Sam, as a result, was doing a thesis on it for university (again, my professional life reverberated a little here).

I want to take a look at how we ended up here. I mean, was there some way we could have saved ourselves after the mine came in? Maybe not, but could we have done anything collectively, as a whole community, that would have made a difference? Because if so, that could be something other places could learn from. p 37

Rowena (Ro) is a great lead character and Harper does a great job at portraying her grief and the way it’s imbued itself into her very being. She’s tormented by the unanswered question of ‘where’ Sam is and how he spent his final hours. It was interesting that none of the family held any hope that he’s still alive but also agree he would not have suicided.

Harper also reflects on grief and how differently we deal with it as well as our perceptions of others’ responses. This is a thought-provoking and enjoyable (as enjoyable as something so bittersweet can be!) read.

Last One Out by Jane Harper was published in Australia by PanMacmillan.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

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