Description 🔖

In 1933, Cornelia Stover lives in the small town of Boldville in New Mexico. She’s not the usual kind of lady found in the town. She’s head strong, independent and business minded. When she stumbles upon a secret up in the hills, things change for Cornelia drastically.

In 1970, Joanna isn’t in a good place. She’s an ex-police officer in an abusive marriage and when things go too far one evening, she jumps into her car and flees her home. She finds herself in Boldville at a small hotel where she thinks she can lay low for a while.

Whilst in Boldville, Joanna finds out that a young man died just the night before she arrived and the police officer in her can’t resist questioning what happened. She ends up on an investigation with local girl, Glitter, trying to find out what happened to Mike. What they end up finding out is that the town has covered many secrets over the decades and they are determined to unveil them.

General Thoughts 🤔

I’m struggling to make my mind up about this book. On the one hand, I really enjoyed the story and the general feeling of the book. Although it wasn’t technically Old West, it definitely had that vibe to it with some hippy seventies stuff thrown in there. I loved all of that and I think mostly because it’s different to something I would usually read. On the other hand, the story felt a little bit slow at times. I wanted to want to devour the book, but I found it difficult to keep my attention focused for long periods of time.

Characters 👫👭👬

I loved that females dominated this book, especially as it was set in a time (both timelines) when females definitely weren’t considered equal. Glitter was probably my favourite character. I didn’t agree with her all of the time but I respected her. She was committed to her commune and wanted to create a peaceful and loving environment for her family, but I think that she let this cloud her judgement at times and overlooked certain things in the name of keeping the peace.

I felt the most sorry for Glitter’s mother. Though she didn’t feature in the book a lot, something about her made me feel really sad. She was the opposite to Glitter in that she focused a lot on what other people thought of her and was happy to bury her head under the sand, keep secrets secret and pretend that all is swell. I imagined that that must’ve been exhausting to carry around every single day.

Writing Style ✍️

I remember reading The Long, Long Afternoon and being swept away with the writing so I have to admit that this second book was just a touch of a disappointment for me personally. I didn’t feel as absorbed in the story and as I mentioned, I struggled to keep focused whilst reading.

However, I did very much enjoy the subject matter of this book. Again, I can appreciate how much research and digging (pun intended) would have gone into writing this book and I feel like this may be a special feature of Inga Vesper’s work. The way that she took me back in time and made me feel like I was in the mountains whilst also sucker punching me with social issues was sometimes quite special.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

I started off this review by saying I couldn’t make my mind up about how I felt about this book and I’m finishing it a little bit more certain. I did enjoy this book and it did have a feeling about it unlike any book I’ve read before. Rather than trying to make it feel fast and exciting, I think I should have accepted it as a slower burn and purposely taken my time with it. It’s a book I think I would like to read again in the future and would likely have a very different experience.

An interesting read, with a decent exploration of the limits of female emancipation from 1930 to 1970. I found that despite wanting to express themselves fully, people still wanted to control the women in the story. The story had a few good twists and turns as well

This dual timeline with multiple narrators occurs in 1933 and 1970.
Cornelia owns a hotel - struggling to pay the bills after the stock market crash. The bank lost her savings, her husband's pension but threatens eviction due to lack of payment. A single mother raising her teenage daughter, Cornelia certainly creates much gossip in her small town. When she starts searching for gold in the mountains, the community hate grows.
Joanna runs from her abusive cop husband - several fresh bruises and baby growing. Desperate for freedom, she finds herself in Boldville.
Glitter attempts to create her own commune - but struggles with the commune concept. If they share their possessions, reject monogamy and capitalism, doesn't she still have a right to her own body? Respect from her man?
Her cousin's suspicious death brings up Cornelia's legend; Joanna agrees something weird is going on. Together with Glitter, she tries to find answers.

Hi and welcome to my review of This Wild, Wild Country!

There I was, I had sworn to myself I would not be accepting any more ARCs this summer and then Anne Cater at Random Things Tours waved This Wild, Wild Country at me. Having thoroughly enjoyed The Long, Long Afternoon on Audible, how could I possibly refuse early access to Inga Vesper’s second novel?

Well here we are, I couldn’t and I have no regrets whatsoever cos I had an absolutely fantastic time with This Wild, Wild Country.

This Wild, Wild Country takes us to a small town in the New Mexico desert, with three protagonists telling the story in a dual timeline. In 1933, Cornelia is no spring chicken but she’s plucky and tenacious and no man (or woman for that matter) will tell her what to do. Almost forty years later, everyone in town still talks of mad Cornelia, the Indian she associated with, her mysterious disappearance. Her granddaughter Glitter is just as scrappy as she was. Tired of conformity and capitalism, Glitter is a flower power girl, looking for peace, love and freedom, but lately she’s been having this funky feeling, like things are not as groovy as she first thought. Our third protagonist is Joanna, an outsider who inadvertently ends up in the thick of things but is perhaps best suited to see things clearly in this dusty little town.

This Wild, Wild Country takes its reader to two very interesting time periods in American history. From the aftermath of the gold rush to the hippie movement, I can’t say I was very familiar with either and I felt that I learnt quite a few things along the way. For example, I had never considered that the idea of free love might be harmful to women in the hippie community, but Glitter’s story made me reconsider. Abuse and domestic violence are definitely a theme, as well patriarchal condescension, but the manner in which our female main characters deal with it all is admirable and despite the heavy themes, This Wild, Wild Country did not feel like a heavy read.

Let’s not beat about the bush further: I bloody loved everything about this novel! I had pretty high expectations but they were exceeded. The atmospheric small town setting, the Zeitgeist that was rendered so well, the well-rounded characters, the intriguing mystery, the satisfying ending, the evocative writing, … I could go on and on, but why don’t you just find out for yourself? Need I say it? Highly recommended!

I wasn’t too sure on this one at first I kept getting confused & a little hard to stay on track with what I was reading.
Set in New Mexico in a place called Boldville the story takes place over two different time lines 1930 & 1970.
Boldville is like time stood still as it’s not changed much from the gold rush years of 1930.
Once I got more accustomed to who was who it turned into an intriguing read.

Saddle up - we're heading to Gold mining country and taking a trip to the 1930s and the 1970s in Inga Vesper's latest novel - This Wild Wild Country.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful distraction during a spell of covid and a chance to escape with Joanna, Glitter, and Cornelia and join them on their quest to find gold.

I loved Inga's first book, The Long Long Afternoon, and was excited to read her latest offering. It was fun dipping into the 70s vibes and language of the book, although naturally, there's a serious tone in relation to some of the issues faced by her characters.

Joanna unexpectedly finds herself in small town USA, and also in the role of investigator after the death of a boy living in a hippie commune when everyone else puts his death down to an accident. As the story unravels, we find some secrets won't lay hidden, and we discover betrayal and who you can trust and who you can't.

I could see this playing out as a movie - it's colourful, rich in setting and would make a great adventure movie.

It’s the start of a new blog tour and also publication day for This Wild, Wild Country by Inga Vesper, so I’m pleased to be able to start it all off on an enthusiastic note.

Although neither of the dual timelines in this novel feature the Old West, it really does have that feel to it. Perhaps it’s because, even though Joanna is living in the 20th Century, the town of Boldville really isn’t. Even in the 1970s, the men still hold sway and the old American ways are refusing to make way for the new.

When Glitter returns to her home town with her friends and attempts to set up a commune, bad things start to happen including the death of her cousin – are the authorities too quick to write it off as a tragic accident?

As Joanna’s cop-sense starts to tingle, she and Glitter delve into a decades-old mystery that has its roots in the Gold Rush and led to the disappearance of Glitter’s grandmother. A wall of silence, the Wheeler-Howard act and Glitter’s distrust of Joanna as one of the ‘Pigs’ all stand in the way of the truth…

I love a dual timeline novel and this one handles the switch between timelines really well. There are similarities between the two time periods that Inga Vesper has chosen, and the spirit and determination of the women in these time periods really shines through.

I really liked Glitter as a character – she has left home at the earliest opportunity to find a new way to live, and she’s returned home still determined to live her own life, but disillusioned with much of what she’s experienced. I felt she really grew as a character as she discovered more about her grandmother and her determination.

There are some really tricky subjects covered in the book, and they are very sensitively handled. Domestic violence is a big part of Joanna’s story and, although she is in a better place after the novel is finished, I would love to know how she fares after the final chapter.

A thoroughly enjoyable book, and a group of strong, inspirational women – highly recommended.

Honestly? loved this book! It’s unlike anything else I’ve read recently, so it really stood out to me.
I got caught up in the adventures of Glitter immediately. It was so well written, the characters had really been thought about and their personalities revealed themselves as the book went along. The atmosphere the author created was just….electric! I hadn’t expected to be so invested in this book yet, here I am.
It does, at times, require a bit more concentration as it’s hard to lose the narrative of who’s speaking when. (But that’s just being a big picky and it seems to be a common thread with readers), it doesn’t detract from the story and doesn’t change the fact that I loved it.

I also didn’t realise that the author had a previous novel, so I’ve now ordered that for myself also, cannot wait to read more from this author.

Thanks to the author, the public and Netgalley for my arc.
5 out of 5!

This Wild, Wild Country
Cordelia Stover is mountain climbing in the chilly pre-dawn in New Mexico. Left a widow with a young daughter and a failing business, she is determined to achieve a better life. It’s 1934 and the people of Boldville whisper about her. ‘She’s crazy!’ they say and make insinuations about her having a Native American, Lonan, living in her house and working for her. But Cordelia’s come to the mountains on a quest for something that will solve all her problems. But neither she or Lonan are ever seen again and she leaves her young daughter Geraldine behind, to be brought up by her grandmother.
It's now 1970 and hippiedom is still holding sway although the flipside of the summer of love, Altamont and the Manson murders, have happened. Glitter aka Lauren has returned to Boldville from San Francisco and is keen to establish a commune in her mother’s backyard at the Stover hotel with her similarly exotically named friends. And they’ve brought the local biker gang, the Blood Brothers, to join in. But for all the high ideals and talk of love and peace, it still seems to be the women who do the housework, raise the children and provide sex. When she complains, her partner, Ziggy, merely says ‘I love it when you go all bourgeois baby.’ Glitter grew up on the story of her wayward grandmother, Cordelia, a woman ahead of her time.
Joanna has run away from her abusive husband Dwayne and when her gas ran out, she found herself in Boldville. The town is preparing for its centenary and the impending amusement park to bring in visitors. She knows that Dwayne will be at a strip club, stop by the gas station to buy her flowers and then come home to tell her that he beats her because ‘he loves her too much’. But this time he will find her gone. She’s an ex-cop, tired of doing the admin work considered appropriate for female cops, but still keeps up her links with the force.
Boldville is not an exciting prospect despite the coming celebrations and has ‘all the airs and graces of a 40 year old spinster’. There are 2 hotels: the Stover and the Grand Bonanza, both a little shabby. The Grand Bonanza is ‘like the old women at church whose lipstick always goes over the lines in – inexpertly maintained but with an underlying sense of dignity.’
Then one of Glitter’s group, Mike, is found dead and, although it’s seen initially seen as a fall after taking an overdose, it soon becomes apparent that it’s murder. He said before his death that ‘this town is pure poison.’
And the whole town knows the legend of Tomkins gold mine up in the mountains. But is it more than a legend? Joanna starts looking into it and so do other people. All is not well under the apparently ordinary façade of the town. People have a habit of disappearing; Cordelia, Lonan, Eckersley who tried to report Sheriff Nickel for failing to investigate a suspicious death in 1944 and Tomkins’ gold mining partner, Prosperity Rogers. There’s also the matter of who owns the land on which the legendary gold mine and proposed park are on…someone knows what happened to Cordelia and why… The strange atmosphere of the town and the surrounding landscape add to the mysterious events but is there really a dark spirit at work or is it just greed?
I really enjoyed Inga Vesper’s first novel, ‘The Long, Long Afternoon’ and was looking forward to her second one. It didn’t disappoint. 1970 was an interesting year to use as a backdrop as American society was in transition. Glitter does question her role within it as she is between 2 worlds: conservative Boldville and her alternative lifestyle.
But then all 3 women are outside the norm; Cordelia, a businesswoman on her own but who can’t get a loan to save her business, Joanna leaving her husband and Glitter looking for another life. And its Glitter and Joanna who discover the awful truth about what happened to Cordelia. This was a very well plotted book with enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages. The plot structure also worked well with Cordelia telling her story in flashback and Joanna and Glitter in the present day. I also really liked the supernatural element to the story as well with Cordelia feeling that she may have brought something bad back with her on her first visit to the mountains. She sees a man watching the hotel and senses dark spirits.
A good, solid murder mystery with believable characters set against an exciting time of change. Already looking forward to the author’s next book!
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC. The book was well written but sadly not for me. There were too many characters and I found it confusing and boring and skipped through some of it in the hope it was better. I hate not leaving an encouraging positive review and think it’ a marmite book.

This book is beautifully written but unfortunately not the book for me. I found the story hard to get into despite repeated attempts and I also found parts of it confusing. I had to keep reminding myself which parts of the time line I was reading about in that particular book segment. Despite this, I think it would be a good book for discussion in a book club setting.

This author is fast becoming one of my favourites after having also enjoying the long long afternoon, this book didn’t dissapoint.

My only criticism would be that I was confused at time between which character I was reading. Possibly a lack of concentration on my part however just a little more could have been done to make them more distinctive.

Otherwise really enjoyed! One thing this author does well is settings and I felt like I was there in the mountains! Look forward to more from this author!

Reading This Wild, Wild Country by Inga Vesper is one I devoured in no time and is exciting a read as her first novel.

Meet Glitter, a young hippy woman in 1970 trying to settle her commune back in her old home town of Boldville. Why has Glitter returned to the place where the residents frown upon her lifestyle and shun her and her commune family? Well, her cousin, Mike has a fondness for the town and thinks the commune could settle there to share their message of love. However, after one eventful party Mike if found dead, which leads Glitter on a decades old mystery.

Cornelia Stover is struggling to keep her hotel afloat in 1933. Running the business on her own in Boldville, New Mexico and the locals don’t feel its right that a woman should be doing such a thing on her own and least of all with a Native Indian as a staff member. When Cornelia stumbles upon a hidden secret high in the hills she takes off but leaves behind her daughter Geraldine and disappears.
Back in 1970 and Joanna Riley is looking for a place to hide from her abusive husband, but she’s not sure she will ever be far enough away, and can she really leave him for good? As Joanna parks up in Boldville she realises that something isn’t quite right with the town, as an ex cop her senses tingle. When Joanna comes across Glitter and the death of her cousin Mike, Joanna can’t help but look into the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. Joanna and Glitter get caught up in a dark and twisted mystery leading back to Glitter’s grandmother, Cornelia Stover at the heart of it and the towns shady secrets.

There are some tough themes explored within this story, and the way the characters behave within their situations and surroundings really make you think. The dividedness of the central family relationships and seeing how they realise that their good intentions were causing chaos, that reached through the decades was something I enjoyed seeing unravel.

This story is perfectly constructed with the mystery revealed through the timelines of our main characters telling us their story. Each element is crafted at the opportunistic moment for greater impact, but it did keep a little bit of the mystery aside until the last moment. The writing is effortless and really showcases the talent of Inga Vesper as everything has been thoughtfully planned. I think I may have said after reviewing Inga’s first novel that she is a talent to keep an eye on, and I am certainly going to be seeking out her next novel.

"They hate me down there, in Boldville. I can read it in their eyes, smell it on their noxious breaths. That dreaded little town hates everything about me: not just my personality and form, the clothes I wear, but the way I think. The things that I know."

It's 1970 in the small town of Boldville, New Mexico. At the Stover Hotel, run by Geraldine Stover and recently returned hippy daughter Lauren (AKA Glitter) and her commune firneds, have a new guest. Joanna, a former cop from Alberque, has fled her abusive husband. When Glitter's cousin Mike is found dead from an apparent overdose, Glitter and Joanna discover Boldville's residents are hiding so very old secrets.
In 1934, widowed yet determined Cornelia (Nellie) Stover is broke, struggling to run the Stover Hotel. She gets the scent of gold in the hills and sets off with her indigenous American worker, Lonan, hoping to solve her money worries. But Lonan doesn't return and soon Nellie has disappeared too, leaving daughter Geraldine. Will Glitter and Joanna uncover the town's dirty secrets in time?

With three strong female protagonists and two time periods, the focus is on the dilapidated, former mining town of Boldville, with its racism, misogyny, its fear of 'hippies' and its sinister and controlling sheriff. Atmospheric and simmering with the heat and the dust of the mountains and the lies and desperation of the townspeople, there is a mystery to be revealed. As with the author's debut, The Long Long Afternoon, I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the characters, the setting and the beautifully written plot. Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to a @netgalley eARC.

If I’m honest I didn’t really enjoy this book, which is a shame as her last story was good.
I was confused by so many characters, so many similar names and some people had a couple of names. I’m British, so maybe that was a problem, but I didn’t understand some of the colloquialisms.
I only finished it a few hours ago and already I can’t remember and don’t really care about what happened at the end!
I don’t like to give a bad review and I will definitely give Inga Vesper another chance with her next book, but this one wasn’t for me.

I think this book would make a great movie. Set in the mountains and spanning generations of gold diggers with unsolved mysteries, it makes quite a complex read. At times I struggled to keep up with all the characters, particularly as some had two names - their given name and new hippie name. I liked the thread about Joanna and her abusive husband the best. Women did not have a good deal in the seventies!

Desolate town in the middle of nowhere with secrets and a tragic past. Yes please!
Deeply disturbing with a sense of foreboding which built nicely.
The setting is excellent and the characters creepy. Good to have the two time lines as you often don't with crine or suspense novels really.

It took me a while to get into this book ,but once the plot speeded up, I was keen to find out what would happen.It’s set in New Mexico and goes between 1930 and 1970 ,which made it difficult to follow at times.It’s about a woman who disappears in 1930 while trying to lay claim to a gold mine ,her granddaughter who has returned to her home town as part of a commune of hippies,and a policewoman on the run from an abusive husband who becomes involved in a murder investigation when one of the group is found dead in suspicious circumstances.
There’s a lot about the hippie movement of the late 60s and early 70s ,which I found quite interesting, and the book held my attention, although I didn’t like it as much as the author’s previous book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

This was an enjoyable read that took me a while to get into, but once I did I enjoyed it a lot more. The writing was good and the story was interesting with a dual timeline, the characters were well developed but there was a lot of characters which got a bit confusing at first, but again when I got into the story this was easier. Overall an enjoyable read,

This story is set across two time zones, 1930’s and 1970. Boldville is a quiet town, which was a popular during the gold rush. Since those times it has become somewhere that time forgot, with the fortunes of the locals much diminished. There are events that are not talked about, and a lot of the residents have a secret or two.

I seem to be in the minority in that I really liked this book. I found the storytelling intriguing and captivating, and the quality of writing excellent. There were a lot of characters which took some time to get familiar with, but they were well written. The ending was a little drawn out, but it did all tie up.

I absolutely loved The Long, Long Afternoon, and whilst this wasn’t quite up to that it was still very enjoyable and I would definitely recommend.

One small point - the Ben and Jerry comment just under a third of the way through - couldn’t have been said in 1970, as B and J was founded in 1978!

Thank you NetGalley.