⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Wilds - Sarah Pearse

Controlling relationships, deceit and the strive to find the truth…this was another good outing by Sarah and her very own Detective Eli Warner.

A book of two halves for me personally….the first being a little meandering before banging straight into a pacey, drama filled second half.

Great to see Elin’s character develop over the series - and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for her.

THE WILDS is the third and final instalment of the trilogy that Sarah Pearse started with The Sanatorium, in 2021 and then The Retreat, in 2022.
The detective Elin Warner is back again, on vacation and in good terms with his brother Isaac, cruising around the wild nature of the national park in Portugal. While Elin is reconnecting with his brother, he mentions that someone they used to know has disappeared on that same location a couple of years ago, so they team up to investigate what happened to a young woman named Kier. They go deep into the woods and discover a private and small camp in which many secrets are buried.
This book is divided into two timelines focused on different people: the "present" timeline, which is the detective Elin Warner storyline; and the "past" timeline, when Kier and her twin brother as well as her current boyfriend are cruising around the woods in Denver, England, before attending to a wedding.
We, the readers, learn about the dynamic of their relationship and all the secrets they share (and keep from one another) during their stay in Denver, up to the moment Kier leaves her boyfriend and flees to Portugal. About a year later she disappears.
We go back and front, past and present, chapter by chapter until we find out what happened to Kier in Portugal. And with all the people connected to her.

This book starts out very slow. It's the most character-driven story out of the 3 books. Another significant difference about this book, in comparison to the previous two novels, is that this is a disappearence mystery, not a murder mystery, and it might not seem so different...but it is. The Wilds, in my opinion, reads a lot different from Pearse's previous books. I wouldn't say it is as twisty as the other books, but it feels more realistic this time. Not only the characters are utterly believable but the whole plot and topics discussed here are very realistic. Toxic masculinity; ghosting; phsycological abuse, domestic violence are a big part of both timelines.
I also think, as usual, this is a very eerie and atmospheric writing. Sensorial, even.

THE WILDS is the third (and final book, as the author herself tells us in the end of the book) in the series. I'd advice the readers to read The Sanatorium and The Retreat before getting to this one. ESPECIALLY The Sanatorium, given that the author throws in here a couple of small spoilers from book #1). Also, there is a "plot twist" in this third book that is related to a certain character that appear in both previous books.
I wouldn't say it's a "must" to read the previous books, but it'll make easier (and more enjoyable and fun!) to have known all the characters from the previous books.

Personally, as for setting, ambience and topics explored, this is my favourite out of those 3.
As for the mystery itself, I still prefer The Sanatorium.
All in all, I've had a great time with this book. I'll keep the characters and the atmosphere in my mind for a long time, and I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who has read any Sarah Pearse novel before, as well as readers who are into slow-burn, character-driven mystery novels.

Her best yet… slow paced, it alternates between Kier and Elin’s points of view for most of the book, until it then switches to Elin for most of the ending. Big twist halfway through, and while I did guess a few aspects, there were still some things to surprise me. Definitely recommend it!

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

The third in the series of brooding, atmospheric thrillers featuring Detective Elin Warner. This page turner see Elin escape to a vast wilderness park in Portugal as she continues to grapple with events in her past. She learns of the disappearance of Kier Templer in the same area. She too had been seeking escapism from.a dark history when all contact with her twin suddenly stopped. An isolated camp of closed individuals sparks more questions with their odd behaviour..suddenly, the trip becomes more sinister than relaxing..Elin continues to delve into the clues despite the dangers. A compulsive page-turner. #thewilds #sarahpearse #netgalley

This was good and had me hooked from page one...... I couldn't put it down when I started it. The writing was gripping and pulled me in, it was fast paced, full of twists and turns and over all a great thriller.

'The Wilds' is a gripping, captivating read and one I could not bear to put down. Pearse writes this between the perspectives of Keir and Elin. This really helps the reader to understand the personalities of the characters and get to know them and what they go through over the course of the book.
The plot is disturbing and terrifyingly real, Pearse handles some very sensitive subjects so be prepared. However everything about the plot was gripping and I was hooked as we learn the truth about Keir and how Elin mysteriously fits into the story.
The characters are great, likeable and flawed, I felt for them and wanted them to be okay. They tell the story well and I enjoyed my time with them. There was something about this book that really tugged at me heartstrings and I know I will not be forgetting the characters or the plot for a while.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little for an advance copy.

The Wilds by Sarah Pearse

I’ve loved reading this book. The settings for the story were Devon and Portugal and the author did a great job of describing the areas so I felt as if I knew them well.

The story is based on 2 sets of siblings and it’s set in 2 different times, a mystery needs solving when one of the twins goes missing. The characters were well described and whilst not always likeable they were relatable.

It’s an enjoyable story with some twists and turns. The ending was good and answered all the questions. I’m not putting any spoilers here by saying anything about the plot.

Definitely an author I would follow from now on. I was lucky enough to get this book to read in advance of publication so thanks go to the publishers and the author. And of course the people at NetGalley

The Wilds is book number 3 in the Detective Elin Warner series. While I enjoyed the first two, this one is my favorite so far! The author changed the style up for this one, and it made a difference for me. While the beginning is a slow burn, I enjoyed the setting and it kept my interest peaked. Once the story starts to pick up, things start to get really get interesting. While you could read this as a stand alone, you may be left with some gaps in prior incidents with characters. I would recommend reading the prior two first. I loved the adventure this brought me on, with all the twists and an unexpected ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Sphere for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Now three books deep into the adventures of Detective Elin Warner, The Wilds is more of the same conceit - Elin heads to a local companion, this time up(?)graded from boyfriend to slowly reconciling brother, only for a mystery to unfold.

Deviating a little by having no body immediately tumble into view for Elin to investigate, The Wilds is less of a whodunnit and more of a whydunnit, particularly in its third act which takes some impressive narrative zigs and proves to be the most satisfying of Pearse's formulaic if fun series.

The Wilds by Sarah Pearse
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publish date 16/07/24

Throughout this story, you follow the POV Kier Templer and Elin Warner. It switches between them a few years apart from each other.
Kier lives her life travelling in her van, trying to escape her past traumas from childhood. Her only connection to the past is her twin brother. When Kier disappears in a Portuguese National Park, her brother is desperate to find her.
Elin, a detective on leave, who's taken a holiday to the same National Park as Kier went missing from. Is it coincidental that she ended up here, or is there more to it?

This is a slow burn thriller that does not disappoint. It's atmospheric, eerie, and suffocating in places. I was fully immersed in the narrative. It was gripping and compelling storytelling. Reading this filled me with anxiety and a sense of foreboding throughout. I did not work out the plot twists. They are so cleverly written. For me personally, I found in places this was a hard read., as i felt a great empathy with Kier and what she went through. Sarah Pearse wrote about the subject so well and seemed to understand what you go through in that situation.

Thank you, Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK.

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

A wonderfully atmospheric thriller with twists and turns aplenty. I was surprised at how well the dual pov worked but the author really pulled that aspect together. I didn’t love the super short chapters at the beginning – seriously let me get to know a character. But it really picked up after that and I couldn’t put the book down.

A woman goes missing in Portugal. Detective Elin Warner finds herself unexpectedly roped into investigating the disappearance while also repairing her relationship with her brother and coming to terms with her recent divorce. 

The book splits the narrative between Elin and the missing woman, Kier. Elin's timeline is interspersed with the month leading up to a big change for Kier. The story deals explicitly with coercive control and partner abuse, so enter it gently. Kier's story is told in first person and with empathy. We follow her as she starts to see her relationship in a new light. Haunted by her past, which also features traumatic events, Kier attempts to find a different path.

The shortness of the chapters proved distracting in the first half as I was trying to get to know these characters. It settles into more "investigation mode" in the second half, which helped steady the experience for me.

Propulsive & written with sympathy for the main characters and a strong connection to place. It is intense and uncomfortable in parts. I think this is Sarah's best book yet.

The Wilds had everything I look for in this genre: atmospheric writing and clever plots full of twists and mystery. Although this book is part of a series, it would work equally well as a standalone. It was wonderful to be back with Elin. As you'd expect from Sarah Pearse, the writing was beautiful, the characters felt real and engaging, and the mystery side was perfectly woven. Highly recommended. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy.

Soooo many twists and turns and then a stunner ending. I ate, drank and breathed this book while ignoring the world fly by.

I absolutely devoured this one.

The setting is beautiful, wide open yet randomly claustrophobic and the mystery is clever, really well plotted and cleverly twisted so when reveals come you are often not ready for them.

Elin Warner is back and this book gives her an ending of sorts, you can read this as a standalone then go back to the others to see what lead her to this place, this time and this particular case.

I loved it. Definitely a high recommendation from me.

This is a great thriller! It's atmospheric as the previous two works by Sarah Pearse, and I absolutely loved it. And it has the most brilliant plot twist!
In the third book of Detective Elin Warner, we can see a lot of character development. Elin starts to repair her relationship with herself, and works hard on her relationship with her brother. She doesn't seem as naïve as before anymore. Elin and Isaac go on vacation together in a Portuguese National Park - but as it turns out, Isaac has an ulterior motive - his friend's sister disappeared in this very park...
Three years before, we meet Kier, who has to overcome childhood trauma and is unsure about her relationship with her boyfriend Zeph. Please check trigger warnings!
Over time, the two storylines start to connect. We also finally get answers to the questions from previous books.
Look forward to reading this one, it's brilliant!

📚The Wilds by Sarah Pearse

I read and thoroughly enjoy The Sanatorium, the earlier book in the series about police detective Elin Warner and each novel follows the classic device of interweaving the detective’s own dark past with their investigation of the crime at hand. Sarah Pearse writes wonderfully well about locations and always manages to imbue the landscape with atmosphere but I felt that this book fell a little short by being so issue-led that weakened the narrative. Each development of the plot felt haphazard and disconnected from the logical realities of the story and it seemed as through the author wanted a vehicle to discuss her research into issues around coercive control more than she wanted to write something that could be compelling and truthful, or indeed fulfil the requirements of a very commercial crime fiction novel. It seemed to me as though it was a novel formed out of one spark that failed to take light elsewhere.

Drenched in Atmosphere..
The third outing in the Detective Elin Warner series and this time a past disappearance at a Portuguese National park captures Elin’s interest. However, not everything is as it seems and Elin will need to take extreme care not to put herself in danger. Whilst a completely different feel from the first two in this series is apparent, this is a tension fuelled, intriguing and compelling mystery with a deftly drawn cast, a firm sense of place and a foreboding backdrop drenched in atmosphere and menace.

Third journey out for Elin Warner, and this time round the focus is on a disappearance rather than a murder.
Elin and her brother Isaac are on holiday in Portugal when he reveals there is an ulterior motive to their trip. He has promised a friend that he will look into a camp where his sister was last seen.
Nobody is keen to talk. Elin and Isaac are convinced there's something going on but they can't put their finger on exactly what has taken place. There are a number of mysterious coincidences that give them cause for concern, and the details we're given from the past definitely add to the sense of unease.
This was a case that felt frustrating to read about since we were missing some quite important details. However, it helped us to get an understanding of the twins and their relationship.
The resolution when it came felt rather unlikely, but it made sense for the details we were given. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this.