At a Glance

Title: The Mountains Wild

Author: Sarah Stewart Taylor

Expected Publication: June 23, 2020 by Minotaur Books

Page: 416

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Ireland

Goodreads Rating: 4.08 out of 5

My Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis

My Thoughts

This book is advertised as being for fans of Tana French, and while I love Tana French’s The Dublin Murder Squad and can that the only similarities here are that they both take place in Dublin and involve a murder. With that said, I still absolutely loved this murder mystery/thriller.

The Mountains Wild, is an atmospheric thriller about a Long Island homicide detective named Maggie D’Arcy who returns to Ireland twenty-three years after the unsolved disappearance of her beloved cousin Erin in the Wicklow Mountains. When a young woman disappears and new evidence from Erin’s case is found, Maggie will have to uncover the truth about the Irish man she’s never stopped loving and, in order to help Irish police save the missing woman, the truth about who Erin was and what happened to her.

I really loved the way this story was told. There are 3 POV’s all from Maggie. The first is from 1993 when her cousin Erin first goes missing. The second takes place in modern day (2016) when a new clue into Erin’s murder pops up and leads Maggie back to Ireland. The last is Maggie’s memories. At first I thought I could do without the third POV, but as I went through the book I found the extra memories and commentary to help with the plot of the story and to get a good look into the lives of the two cousins.

There is a ton of character development in this story as well. Even though we only learn about Erin through Maggie’s memories, I still felt that I could feel Erin’s evolution. Besides Erin’s growth, Maggie grows so much more but more with just coming to terms with her cousin being gone and the resentment she feels for her last words to Erin. The complex relationship between the two cousin is very unique and makes for an interesting experience, especially since they tend to be similar to a sister relationship but with a slight twist.

Overall, this mystery is a true murder mystery and really kept me guessing until the end. Either I’m getting bad at guessing endings or the last two thrillers I’ve read, which includes this one, had the plot so well lined up that it was almost impossible to guess whodunnit. Definitely recommend for mystery lovers but also though wanting to learn a bit more about the relationship of Northern Ireland to Ireland during the end of the 20th century.

This book comes out today, June 23nd, get it HERE!

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on The Mountains Wild. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books. Huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my copy!

About the Author

 

 Sarah Stewart Taylor grew up on Long Island and was educated at Middlebury College and Trinity College, Dublin. She lives with her husband and three children on a farm in Vermont where they raise sheep and blueberries.

Sarah is also the author of the Sweeney St. George mystery series, about an art historian who studies funerary art, “the art of death,” from Minotaur Books. The first book in the series, O’ Artful Death, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel.

 

Her non-fiction has been published in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and many other publications.

 

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and recommendation. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.