Having read the previous three books in this series I looked forward to the fourth and final installment. And it didn't disappoint. There was so many twists and turns and all the characters storylines coming to a climax. Brilliant - loved it so much .

What a great read! I Love Karen's books and this one has been her best to date. Beautiful place to set a book and has lovely characters.

Another Karen Swan success. So excited to get my hands on this one and I devoured it as usual. I had a bit of keeping up to do between who was who, but their stories came together beautifully.

Karen Swan is a master storyteller. This series was a huge feat and it was incredible. This one was different with the multiple viewpoints and taking us off the island. It dragged in places with the very different stories of each of the girls and where they lived and travelled, But the ending was a triumph, bringing them back to the island and tying up the mystery and seeing each of them happy was deeply satisfying. However, I think Effie ended up with the wrong man! . Loved it.

I got to know Karen Swan when I picked up the first book in this series. Having read Effie's story, I decided that I liked Karen's writing style and the novel ended with such a cliffhanger that I was intrigued to read on. Then came Book 2 and I realized that this is not a series in the usual sense, and I was simply amazed at the finesse.

The fourth and final instalment is a bit different - both in structure and in its effect on me. I understand and appreciate how difficult it must have been to tie up all loose ends while keeping up the attention of the reader who may have been told most of the events from various aspects multiple times already. Some of these solutions worked, others not so well, yet this remains a memorable story and a beautiful book series.

It took me two days to read this book and I am inconsolably disappointed that I've already finished it - it is this kind of book that you won't to read as quick as possible to know what's going to happen but you also don't want it to end.
I loved it. Absolutely loved it. It was a perfect ending to the series. Karen Swan has again written an evocative, atmospheric, poignant story. In the best possible way she has solved all the mysteries, tied up all the loose ends and answered all the questions, still keeping us in suspense.

I can't rememeber a series that I was so invested in. It's incredibly sad to say goodbye to the girls, but I can now rest in peace, knowing what's happened to them. I don't think I have ever before waited so impatiently for another book as with the Wild Isles series. Beautifully written, with brilliantly well flashed out characters, each time I immediately felt at home with them and kept everything crossed for them. Those are not books that'll be easily forgotten, they leave an impact and the characters grow on you. I adored every single one of the books and the whole series and appreciated the meticulous research, the descriptions, the fact that the author brought not only the characters so well to life, but also St. Kilda, with its nature.

This final story in the Wild Isles series is told from the viewpoint of Jayne married to Norman, a strong brute of a man. Jayne is trapped in her marriage. She feels almost ostracised from the community because she has visions of tragedy before it unfolds.
In the Midnight Secret we also catch up with Flora, Mhair and Effie as they find their places in a world away from their beloved St Kilda.
I thoroughly enjoyed this instalment and it finished the series so well, with a few twists and turns and a very satisfying outcome for all.

The Midnight Secret is the last installment in the Wild Isles series by Karen Swan. She is an author I've read a lot of and think that she gets characterisation right almost every time! This one was no exception. I hugely enjoyed the finale, ostensibly through the viewpoint of Flora MacDonald but really it wraps up all the stories of the previous three heroines.

The plot was really suspenseful, taking the reader across the ocean to Canada, up to the islands of Scotland and back again before there was any resolution. It kept me guessing right to the end and happy to report that I found the conclusion satisfying without being pedantic. All of the little threads which had been woven throughout the previous books came together and it was a great read!

I requested this book but didn’t realise it was a follow on. After reading I will be reading the other books and will re read this book. I really enjoyed this book which follows the people of the island of St Kilda as they are moved from their homes to the mainland. It was a really well written book with some extraordinary characters.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and publisher Pan Macmillan | Macmillan UK for the read

'The Midnight Secret' is the last novel in the series. Written by Karen Swan, it is based around the real-life evacuation of St Kilda in the 1930's. This novel focuses on Jane, and closes the stories of three other characters (Effie, Flora and Mhairi) from the previous novels in the series. That said, it is well written and you could pick the threads up at this point. Jayne's life is far from happy. She is married to a bully and has inherited the gift of 'second sight', which keeps her apart from the other villagers. Once evacuated to the mainland, things do not improve for her in the way that she has hoped... The characters are carefully drawn and the historical detail is excellent. I have very much enjoyed the series and will be recommending it. Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC copy, this has not affected my review.

I have really loved the Wild Isle series. This fourth and last book is an excellent closing chapter to the whole series.

The book takes place in the months after the evacuation of St Kilda and follows up on the lives of Effie, Mhairi and Flora. Jayne, whom we met early on in the story, is brought back into focus in this final chapter. Jayne is married to Norman, a good-looking and strong man, but also a bully and a violent husband. Jayne has the gift (or the curse) of sight and she is now the one who, together with Effie, will help tie up all the loose ends of the story. Everything comes together and the truth is finally brought to light about the fateful events that happened on the night that preceded the evacuation of the island.

I liked how this book brought all the characters back together with little cues to remind us of their role in previous parts of the series. In the author’s note, Karen Swan acknowledges that too much time went between the books, but it was not a problem for me to get back into the story. And part of that is because the story lives on in my memory. The characters are strong and interesting. They have harsh lives and the evacuation is a really difficult event in their lives. Their island is wild and has a very tough climate but it is also very beautiful and special. This small community of St Kildans sticks together and tries to create a new life for themselves in their new environment. All this is written so beautifully that as soon as I started reading this book, I was just immersed in the story and the atmosphere again. It was as if I had finished the previous book yesterday.

This is one of those book series that leaves you with deep memories. Thanks to her meticulous research and her storytelling talent, Karen Swan brings St Kilda to life for us, its nature, its sounds, its people and the history that makes it a unique place. Although it seems hard now to leave this community behind at the end of the book, it also feels as though everything has fallen well into place. I definitely recommend this book, as I had the previous ones. I am grateful for the opportunity it has given me to learn about St Kilda’s traditions and history.

Thank you Netgalley and PanMacmillan for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I’ve enjoyed this emotional read.

I loved the descriptions of the way people lived on St. Kilda, as well as the characters, like Flora, Mhairi and Effie, the life they led.

The story was about these characters as well as Jayne’s life and her secrets were revealed.

It kept you hooked from the beginning and hard to put down.

I thoroughly recommend this series.

This has been a very interesting and emotional read. I found the description of the way of life on St. Kilda, fascinating to read about. Even more so, as I got to know the characters, especially Effie, Flora and Mhairi and their lives and loves. In this last book the story also includes Jayne and her life and the secrets she holds. Once again, I found myself gripped by the story and had difficulty in putting it down. I find the characters created by this author to be memorable and they stay with me for long after I’ve finished the book. I would say that it is best to read the previous books in the series so that you get the full picture. I thoroughly recommend this series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Midnight Secret by Karen Swan is the fourth and final book in the Wild Isle Series, inspired by the true history of St Kilda and the evacuation of its small community of inhabitants.

As in the previous novels we see events prior to the evacuation of the St Kildans but this time from the perspective of Jayne. However, unlike the previous novels, after leaving the island the narrative splits to follow Effie, Mhairi and Flora as well as Jayne, bringing much anticipated answers and tying up loose ends. I think Swan has done an incredible job bringing all these strands together and still managing to provide some unexpected twists, creating a dramatic and satisfying conclusion.

A Karen Swan novel always evokes a strong sense of place for me. The research that has gone into creating this series is apparent in its rich detail. Swan also has a talent for creating engaging characters that leap off the page so you feel like they are old friends. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and I am sad to be saying goodbye to the St Kildans.

Thank you Pan Macmillan for inviting me to read this book and providing an ARC for review purposes.

I haven't read the previous books in this series, so I can only review this as a standalone. The writing is lyrical, and the characters are complex. The story has a mystical ethos and evocatively captures the remote wildness of the isle and the differences of living in a mainland setting. It engaged me, and I would like to read the other books in the series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Wow, The midnight secret picks up from where the previous book ended and answers some questions about the lead of this story, Jayne. We see how the St. Kildans are setlling down on land and making right, the wrongs done on the island in their last days there before evacuation.

I enjoyed the story, it was bittersweet, the journey of each woman we meet in this story, in the series is hard, tragic at times and yet filled with love, hope and little joys.

What a wonderful conclusion to this series. What a joy to be back with a girls again and I loved being with them as they try to find their lives away from St Kilda.

This fourth book has a focus on Jayne, she is a kind and good natured character who is dealing with a difficult situation. I enjoyed her growth in character as we see her do the best that she can and ultimately she realises at some point she needs to make a choice to turn her life around.

I love Effie, she captured my heart in the first book and I was glad to see her wild nature had not been curtailed and she’s a character I won’t forget in a hurry. She exactly who she is and is not scared to be herself at all.

Flora and Mhairi also feature and their lives both take different paths as they try to find happiness and peace. As their lives converge again it was so comforting to see that community and a sense of belonging had not gone away and people are drawn to each other through shared experiences.

All of the answers left from the previous books are answered and the plot was tied up very nicely. The last couple of chapters were heart warming. I was so pleased to see how it was for the girls and I will miss them so much. What a wonderful series and one I won’t forget for a long time. A re-read in the future is something I will be doing.

This was a worthy finale to the Wild Isles series. I think The Last Summer might still be my favourite, but I liked this very much.

In The Midnight Secret we return to St Kilda and it is advertised as being Jayne Ferguson’s story. I would have happily read it for this alone but I was utterly delighted to discover we also revisited the women from the previous books to resolve their stories too. There is a lot of heartache along the way, but I was very satisfied with how the stories concluded, as well as the mystery which has weaved through all the books.

Thank-you very much to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read an eArc of this book.

I have been saving this book for a time when I knew I could fully immerse myself in it with no distractions and it was definitely worth the wait. I loved this book: scrap that, I’ve loved this entire series from the first page of book one to the last page of book four. If you haven’t read the previous books, go and get them now as you’ve been missing out (and this one won’t make much sense without the others). I feel slightly bereft that there won’t be any more books in this series as the whole cast of characters was so vividly brought to life, along with the locations, that I feel I really got to know them. I can’t stress enough how fantastic this was.

Have read all the books in this series and this one neatly ties up all the stories.
Jayne marries the most eligible man on St Kilda but he is a bully. Nasty Controlling and she hates him. She has second sight but only sees islanders deaths.
Jayne's sister in law dies and St Kilda is faced with mass evacuation to the mainland.
On the night before everyone leaves a murder takes place which will have implications for everyone.
Effie, Mhairi and Flora ' Jayne's closest friends are all in the frame for it.
However, Jayne predicts another death!