Title: The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 416 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
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.
Review:
Taking place in Dublin, The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor is an intriguing, atmospheric mystery.
In the present, Long Islander Maggie D’arcy is a divorced homicide detective with a teenage daughter. She gets along with her ex-husband Brian and she is also close to her Uncle Danny who is still grieving the unsolved disappearance of her cousin Erin who disappeared in Ireland in 1993. When a scarf that is presumed to be Erin’s is discovered while the Gardaí are searching for another missing woman, Niamh Horrigan, Maggie travels to Dublin in hopes of uncovering the truth about what happened to Erin. With heavy media scrutiny, Detective Inspector Roland “Roly” Byrne asks Maggie to quietly help him look into Erin’s disappearance and the unsolved murders of several other woman spanning over two decades. Is it possible that a serial killer has flown under the radar and both Erin and Niamh are victims along with the other women? Will Maggie and Uncle Danny finally learn the truth about what happened to Erin?
A series of flashbacks provide an in-depth look into Maggie’s relationship with Erin. The two are quite close until the year older Erin transitions into middle school. Although she still spends time at Maggie’s house, Erin’s circle of friends changes and her behavior turns rebellious. With the relationship rapidly deteriorating, Erin finally makes the decision to move to Dublin. After her cousin vanishes in 1993, Maggie goes to Dublin with high hopes of finding Erin. After making a stunning discovery, Maggie’s hopes are dashed when the investigation goes cold.
In present day Dublin, Maggie is happy to work with Roly but she is only allowed limited access to the case. She revisits many of the people she talked to in 1993 and she is thrilled to reconnect with Conor Kearney. She has never quite gotten over her feelings for him, but she soon worries he knows more about Erin’s disappearance than he has previously revealed. With time running out to find Niamh alive, Maggie and Roly team up to re-interview persons of interest from Erin’s disappearance. Will they find out what happened to Erin? And will they locate Niamh before it is too late?
The Mountains Wild is a clever mystery with an interesting storyline and multi-faceted characters. The pacing is sometimes a little slow with the majority of action taking place very late in the story. With shocking plot twists, Sarah Stewart Taylor brings this absorbing mystery to a breathtaking, stunning conclusion. Definitely recommend to fans of the genre.
