Sorry, another break from the #LOHFReadathon reviews – I have one more ARC to squeeze in – The Mountains Wild; then we’re back to that (I read a lot of books for H/LHM). I have to try to prioritize everything a little, since we’re fast approaching the end of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, and I really want to start posting those reviews right away when it ends. I’ve got another handful.
Disclosure:
I received an Advance Reader copy of The Mountains Wild from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. They give me no money, nor do they in any way influence my thoughts – those are 100% my own for better or worse.
Edition:
E-ARC
Synopsis:
In a series debut for fans of Tana French and Kate Atkinson, 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.
My Thoughts:
So, to preface: I have never heard of, nor read either of the author’s whose work the synopsis compares this book.
I like mysteries, and I like procedurals. I also like continent-hopping stories of just about any kind. And yet, this book didn’t do much for me. I mean, all the characters were…fine…and the writing was…fine…but honestly, this took me absolutely forever to read because it just never pulled me in.
Don’t get me wrong – this wasn’t a bad book by any means. It just didn’t really do much for me. The story was a bit plodding. Normally I’d say I wish books were longer. But I feel like this one could have shaved off about 100 or so pages. Had it done so, I don’t think it would have lost much by way of story. I mean, the outcome is obscured well up until the last 50-ish pages. The other 350-some pages are devoted to Maggie chasing her own tail while the Gardaí both try to stonewall her but also want her help. And she in turn tries to stonewall the Gardaí but also work with them. But once you start getting even a bit of actual information (i.e. a “clue”), it’s like, “oh, so this must be who did it.” And you’re probably right.
It’s also worth mentioning that there was a whole lot of stuff going on with additional missing women. There’s also a love interest, and assorted other things that didn’t feel particularly deeply woven into the story. They were just sort of floating disconnected in the ether only to be brought back to the forefront periodically.
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 the author of THE MOUNTAINS WILD, 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.
Rating:
I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. I’m honestly not even sure if I’d recommend it or not. I guess maybe I would if I knew you REALLY liked mysteries and/or you’d read absolutely anything set in Ireland.
The Mountains Wild By: Sarah Stewart Taylor St. Martin's Press ISBN: 9781250256430 Published: June 23, 2020 Hardcover, E-book, Audiobook 416 Pages Author's Website
