May 2026

Jane Harper’s LAST ONE OUT is set in Carralon Ridge in rural New South Wales. More than a decade ago, a mining company discovers what they want on the border of the town. Slowly they have encroached on the property around it, and much of the town has been bought up by them as they expand. It’s not just the riches below the ground that the company is looking for, but rather the ability to build roads and easily facilitate their business. 

The hum of the mining mission is behind the entire story like a character. The noise is relentless and the dust ever present, as are memories of the places that are both fresh and buried.

Five years ago, Sam came back to Carralon Ridge from university on the eve of his 21st birthday. That day he committed to working on his oral history of the town he loved. Sam talked to people about what the Ridge had been as he worked to preserve what he could of the place. He rented a vehicle and headed to an area where there were three vacant homes. Later his rental car was found there with all of his belongings still inside. He was gone, never to be seen again.

Faced with the loss of her son and recognizing that she had lost the town as she knew it, Ro fled to a job in Sydney. After all, even the care center where she had worked in Carralon Ridge was gone. Those who left are looked down upon by those who remain. Each has marked a turf, and there is little understanding of why the other stands so firmly in their views.

Ro comes back each year to honor Sam and to visit with those who have chosen to remain in this nearly deserted town, including her husband. She feels that something has been missed in their investigation of Sam’s disappearance, and she is determined to figure it out.

I love the way that Jane creates place, which is so much a part of her storytelling. Here there is a large setup. It’s a steady build. The payoff is there, but I loved all that happened to get us there. I had the pleasure of interviewing Jane, and we covered a lot of ground, including her writing for the first time from a woman’s perspective. Click here to watch the interview or here to listen to the podcast.