Last One Out

By Jane Harper

From the New York Times bestselling author of Exiles and The Dry comes a captivating new novel, Last One Out, set in a modern ghost town.

Carralon Ridge, once a vibrant village in rural New South Wales, has become a shell of its former self. Its houses and buildings were bought up and left to rot by the mining company operating at its borders. As a result, the setting of Last One Out reflects a place in steady decline.

A decade into its slow death, the town sits surrounded by industrial noise and swathed in thick layers of dust. Consequently, the skeletal town is all but abandoned, with just a handful of residents clinging to what remains.

A haunting mystery in a fading town

After years of scorning those who left the Ridge behind as it fell into ruin, Ro never imagined she would become one of them. However, everything changed when she lost her son. Five years ago, Sam vanished while visiting during a break from college. He left behind a rental car with his belongings inside.

Notably, Sam had loved Carralon Ridge. He had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether, a theme central to Last One Out. It was not long after his disappearance that the rest of the family began to crumble away, too.

Now, Ro returns to Carralon Ridge to be with her husband and daughter on the anniversary of Sam’s disappearance. During this visit, she begins to suspect that something important was overlooked in his case. Because while nothing can stop Carralon Ridge from dying, someone seems determined to ensure that its secrets die with it. In this way, Last One Out builds tension around loss, memory and hidden truths.

About the author

Jane Harper is the multi-award-winning author of the international bestsellers The Dry, Force of Nature, The Lost Man, The Survivors and Exiles. Her books are published in forty territories, with more than 3.5 million copies sold worldwide. In addition, The Dry and Force of Nature have been adapted into major motion pictures starring Eric Bana. Meanwhile, The Survivors has been released as a Netflix television series.

Before her success as a novelist, Jane Harper worked as a print journalist for thirteen years, first in Australia and then in the UK.