Score: 4/5 Bookmarks

Thank you to Minotaur Books for gifting me a review copy of The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor. This is the first in the Maggie D’arcy series.

I didn’t know much about this book before starting it, but I was quickly sucked into this atmospheric mystery. I absolutely adored the descriptions of Ireland and felt truly transported while reading. It took a while for the main character, Maggie D’arcy, to grow on me but she did and now I’m eagerly awaiting more books in this series.

Maggie is a homicide detective based on Long Island, but for her whole adult life she’s been swept up in the disappearance of her cousin Erin, while in Ireland, when they were younger. It’s the reason Maggie became a detective, and she’s never stopped thinking about the case. Suddenly there is a new lead, and Maggie goes back to Ireland to see what can be uncovered.

I enjoyed the even pacing of this one and was so drawn into the story, as it unfolded, that I didn’t find myself trying to guess at the ending like I usually do, so it was a complete surprise to me when it all became clear.

I also listened to part of this one as an audiobook, which was narrated by Marisa Calin. Her natural accent is Irish, and a pleasure to listen to. While I didn’t always love her American accent, she performed the book so well, building the atmosphere and bringing the characters to life. The audiobook is 10 hours and 48 minutes but felt shorter to me.

Click here to get the audiobook, or click the button below to get a physical copy.

Synopsis:

Set in Dublin and New York, homicide detective Maggie D'arcy finally tackles the case that changed the course of her life.

Twenty-three years ago, Maggie D'arcy's family received a call from the Dublin police. Her cousin Erin has been missing for several days. Maggie herself spent weeks in Ireland, trying to track Erin's movements, working beside the police. But it was to no avail: no trace of her was ever found.

The experience inspired Maggie to become a cop. Now, back on Long Island, more than 20 years have passed. Maggie is a detective and a divorced mother of a teenager. When the Gardaí call to say that Erin's scarf has been found and another young woman has gone missing, Maggie returns to Ireland, awakening all the complicated feelings from the first trip. The despair and frustration of not knowing what happened to Erin. Her attraction to Erin's coworker, now a professor, who never fully explained their relationship. And her determination to solve the case, once and for all.

A lyrical, deeply drawn portrait of a woman - and a country - over two decades - The Mountains Wild introduces a compelling new mystery series from a mesmerizing author.