“With its evocative Dublin setting, lyrical prose, tough but sympathetic heroine, and a killer twist in the plot, Sarah Stewart Taylor’s The Mountains Wild should top everyone’s must-read lists this year!” — New York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie 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 … 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 Gardaà 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.
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With its evocative Dublin setting, lyrical prose, tough but sympathetic heroine, and a killer twist in the plot, Sarah Stewart Taylor’s The Mountains Wild should top everyone’s must-read lists this year!
A tale of suspense, gorgeously told, eerily atmospheric, set in an Ireland so vivid you can smell the peat smoke. Not to be missed.
In 1993, Maggie D’Arcy’s cousin Erin vanished while living in Ireland. Maggie went over for a couple of months trying to figure out what happened, but the mystery was never solved. It did have a profound impact on her life since after returning home, Maggie become a cop herself on Long Island. Now, another young woman has vanished. In the search for her, a skeleton has been found, and buried with the skeleton is Erin’s scarf. Has Erin been found after all these years? Where is the new woman who has vanished? Are the cases connected?
It’s been years since Sarah Stewart Taylor released a book, but I was thrilled to pick up something from her again. I’d forgotten just how atmospheric her writing is, but I was soon back under her spell. The pacing was off near the beginning since Maggie doesn’t have any jurisdiction in Ireland, but eventually she found a way into the case and we started getting the twists that lead us to the climax. The book takes place in 1993, the present, and even further in the past as Maggie and Erin are growing up. All of these time periods are easy to follow. They also allow us to see how characters have matured over the years, which I enjoyed. This is Maggie’s story, and I couldn’t help but feel for her as the book progressed and the story unfolded. The story also switches from past to present tense depending on which time period we are reading about. It took my brain a bit of time to adjust to this, but I did rather quickly. This is more serious than the cozies I often read, but if you keep that in mind, you’ll enjoy this book as well.
Atmospheric and lyrical, THE MOUNTAINS WILD is that rare thing — a riveting thriller with a beating heart. In this beautifully wrought portrait of love and family, secrets and lies, Sarah Stewart Taylor dives deep into character, all the while ratcheting up the suspense, page by gripping page, through to the stunning end.
This book is showing up on lots of “Best of 2020” lists and I definitely agree. Maggie D’Arcy’s cousin Erin went missing from Dublin 23 years ago. Maggie, now a homicide detective in Long Island, returns to Ireland when she gets a call from a Gardai detective saying Erin’s scarf has been found. She’s determined to find out once and for all what happened to Erin. And she gets involved in a present-day case of another young woman who has disappeared. Highly recommended!
Lyrical, moody, The Mountains Wild unfolds like an Irish ballad, at turns stirring, tender and tragic. Sarah Stewart Taylor has written a book as much about the mysteries of the human heart as the questions surrounding the long-missing woman at the silent center of the tale. A triumphant return to the genre.
The Mountains Wild has all the ingredients you’d want in a tasty thriller ― twisted plots, uncertainty about who to trust, dogged investigators and a gripping climax ― but it also has two extra spices. First, the setting of Ireland is so vivid and precise, you can practically taste the pints and smell the peat fires. Second, this novel has incredible tenderness and emotional accuracy. This is a thriller with a big heart.
I loved Sarah Stewart Taylor’s Sweeney St. George series, back in the early 2000’s. After a break from mystery, she is back with a wonderful new series taking in place in both Dublin and Long Island, and featuring detective Maggie D’arcy. The Mountains Wild follows two timelines, two countries, and two cousins as Maggie tries desperately to solve the cold case of her beloved cousin Erin’s disappearance 20 years earlier. Highly recommended.
Moody, brooding mystery set in Ireland that explores the duality of a pair of cousins and how their personalities shaped their destinies. Savored every interesting page!
I was drawn to this book by the title, because I love mountains and wild places. But–surprise! Although mountains are in view in some scenes, they don’t really play any role in the book. However, it’s a great suspense story of an Irish-American detective looking into how the disappearance of her cousin 23 years ago may be related to the cases of other women who vanished in the same area. The story flashes back and forth between 1993 and 2016, and most of the story takes place in Ireland. So, although I was a bit disappointed that none of the story was set in wild mountains, I still enjoyed the book.
Easily one of the best mysteries I read in 2020, and an instant favorite. Sarah Stewart Taylor’s writing must be savored, so beautiful is her portrait of Ireland and her treatment of this haunting and bittersweet story. Fans of Tana French and Jane Harper will be thrilled to find this gem, and even happier to know it’s the first mystery in a new series. I adored every page.
Intricate, menacing, and atmospheric!
The Mountains Wild is a sinister, slow-burning mystery that takes you into the life of Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy as she heads back to Wicklow, Ireland where authorities believe they have uncovered a scarf belonging to her cousin who has been missing since 1993, and the time to find the latest victim of this potential serial killer alive is quickly dwindling.
The writing is methodical and vivid. The characters are flawed, driven, and determined. And the plot using a past/present, back-and-forth style is a captivating police procedural full of twists, turns, red herrings, familial drama, secrets, deception, relationship dynamics, malice, violence, and murder.
Overall, The Mountains Wild is an ominous, intriguing, immersive tale by Taylor that is a thoroughly enjoyable read and a fantastic start to this new Maggie D’arcy series.
The Mountains Wild is the latest by Sarah Stewart Taylor and the first book I have read by this author. I was so intrigued by the description that I couldn’t wait to dive in. While this story was extremely well written, between too many characters to keep track of and the constant flashbacks I struggled with staying interested. I stuck with it however and I’m glad I did because the latter part of the book was much more engaging and kept me guessing until the climatic ending!
The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor is a slow burn mystery while also being incredibly atmospheric.
I really like that this book is set mostly in Ireland, and even though I’ve never been there Taylor’s writing made me feel like I was seeing it for myself. This also made it a very atmospheric read which I loved. The Mountains Wild is a mix of different genres and there’s a mystery, while also having elements of a police procedural and detective fiction as well. There is a really stunning conclusion, and I didn’t see it coming at all. The suspense was really well done, and it kept me turning pages even though I would definitely consider this a slow burn the entire time.
I also enjoyed Maggie as a character, she was a strong female lead (my favorite!) and I loved that she was a hotshot detective from Long Island. I could feel her frustration when Erin first disappeared, and her frustration when they won’t tell her anything after another girl has gone missing, and I love the fact she did some sleuthing on her own. The book jumps back and forth from 2016 to 1993 (when Erin first goes missing) and is also interspersed with memories of Maggie and Erin growing up. I loved this setup and it also helped keep me interested in what was going on.
It seems that The Mountains Wild may be the first book of a series and I would love if it were. I definitely didn’t get enough of Maggie and I would love more books based on her cases as a detective whether based in Ireland or Long Island. This book has a lot about family and relationships and is quite dark, but it also made me laugh at times which was a plus. If you are in the mood for an atmospheric mystery with hints of other elements and lots of family dynamics, then I definitely recommend checking this one out.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor is a murder mystery that takes place in alternating times: 1993, the time of the “murder,” and 2016, the time when new evidence was uncovered. Maggie’s cousin, Erin, went missing in Ireland 23 years earlier. Life had become too much for her here on Long Island and so she had escaped. It seemed to be going well. Then she was missing. Maggie traveled to Ireland to be on hand for the investigation, which had never turned up a murderer, or in fact, could never prove there had been a murder. Sadly, Erin was known for running so had she? Was she alive and happy somewhere? Maggie had been called home when her father had a fatal heart attack. She was now an orphan, her mother having died only months before. Now Uncle Danny, Erin’s father, was getting a call from the Garda Inspector who had been in charge of the investigation. Yet another young woman had gone missing and in searching for her they had come upon some of Erin’s belongings so Maggie was off to Ireland again, leaving her daughter in the care of her ex-husband, Brian. There is so much more to the story.
This was in many ways a police procedural. Maggie had matured into a police detective on Long Island, and despite the fact she should not have been investigating in Ireland, she could not help herself. She was a good detective. So were the detectives in Ireland. Everyone involved was 23 years older. She, Uncle Danny, Erin’s roommates, The Garda detectives, the witnesses and possible murderers, and Conor. Conor, with whom she had fallen in love all those years ago. That love had colored her entire life. This was a book full of human feelings, of many kinds. Maggie was a terrific character, as were many of the others who made appearances in the story. The mystery was a good one, and so heart-breaking. These were “real” people and the reader feels all of their various emotions, until there are almost too many to feel. I recommend it.
I was invited to read an ARC of The Mountains Wild by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #themountainswild
This is the first book in a proposed new series by Sarah Stewart Taylor featuring Maggie D’Arcy. Maggie is a detective in New York who travels to Ireland when evidence is discovered relating to the twenty-three year old disappearance of her cousin, Erin. There is some belief the same serial kidnapper/rapist is responsible for the disappearance of both Erin and another girl who has gone missing, as well as several others over the past few decades.
The story alternates between 2016 and the current activities of both Maggie and the Irish Gardai as the local police force are called, and the activities that took place in 1993, when Erin disappeared. Peppered throughout are also a few memories of Maggie’s about growing up with Erin and their relationship. These all fold together to give a more complete picture of Maggie’s and Erin’s personalities as well as some family dynamics. It flows well and is not difficult to follow, although there is an increase in the number of characters the reader must keep track of from both time frames.
In addition to the current investigation into the missing woman and Maggie’s reopening some investigative avenues into Erin’s disappearance, there is a strong romantic thread dating back to Maggie meeting and falling in love with Conner, an Irish national. Suggestions throughout the book lead the reader to believe the memory of this relationship was greatly responsible for the breakup of Maggie’s marriage.
There are also hints that Maggie constantly worries about the safety of her daughter Lily. Her ex husband has moved into her house to care for Lily, and every conversation includes Maggie asking for receiving reassurances about his locking the doors, securing the alarm, etc. While the questions are eventually answered, there is an indication that this concern may lead to a situation that will cause difficulty in the future.
The book is an intense read, and better if read either straight through or in large swaths so as to maintain some continuity for the reader. There are a number of characters who are well developed and who would be a welcome addition to books moving forward in the series, especially if Maggie winds up moving to Ireland; a not unreasonable expectation considering how much she seems to like the country.
All the mysteries draw to reasonable and satisfying conclusions, although in one instance it felt just a touch sudden. The clues were all there and the author has an excellent way of disguising them so that you may simply read right past them without realizing their actual significance. The book is well written and gives a reasonable flavor of Ireland without feeling like a travelogue.
If you are a reader who likes police procedural style books with a strong emphasis on individual detective work and on character development this is a new series I recommend to you. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, in anticipation of another good mystery and hope of learning how Maggie decides to move forward with her life. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital reader copy of this book in response for an unbiased review.
In this series debut, Taylor has created Maggie D’arcy, whose cousin, Erin, disappeared in Ireland and was never found. Her cold case is given a bit of life when a scarf the Garda, the Irish police force, believes belonged to Erin as they investigate another young woman’s disappearance. The Garda wants Erin’s father to identify the scarf as belonging to Erin, but he’s got a bad heart and cannot make the trip. He asks Maggie to go instead. Maggie had previously been in Ireland shortly after Erin went missing twenty-three years earlier. Now a police lieutenant in New York, Maggie returns to Ireland to find so much is different and so much is the same.
Taylor has created a well-written mystery with a strong middle-aged woman protagonist. Her writing, particularly her descriptions of Ireland can be lyrical. Taylor takes her time giving us information about the cold case as well as what’s going on in Maggie’s head. The pacing of the book allows the reader to become captivated by the setting, the story, and Maggie.
If you enjoy reading a series with a strong woman character, this book deserves to be on the top of your to-be-read list. This book has the added bonus of being the first book in a planned series.
My thanks to Minotaur and Edelweiss for an eARC.
As soon as I as heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. There are just so many things that immediately appealed to me right from the start – police procedural, the settings of Long Island and Ireland, and the fact that it is the start of a new series. Well, it completely exceeded all my expectations and then some…I loved this book!
I fully admit that this cover completely hooked me – it totally evokes the atmospheric nature of the book. And luckily the story itself captivated me right from the start. I loved that it was told all from one character’s point of view – that of Maggie, who is such a great character. We see the mystery unfold layer by layer, alternating back and forth in time. It is full of richly developed characters that round out the story and quite a few times I thought I had everything figured out only to be completely blind-sighted at the end. The twists and turns are expertly thrown in so that you think you know where things are headed, but then a new clue arises to turn it all upside down.
I loved learning about the relationship that Maggie had with Erin. The little snippets we get from the past when they were young provided clues about Erin and just how troubled she really was. I also love that we get details about Maggie herself – we learn a little bit about why she became a detective and find out about the major case that made a name for her. This case, didn’t quite have the ending she wanted and I wonder if it will be revisited again in future books?
This book kept me glued to the pages and the further I got into the book, the harder it was to put down. It’s not so much a fast-read as it is a captivating one, where you become so engaged in what is going on that you just need to keep reading. This is more of what I would classify as a character-study than a plot-driven book and I really found that I was fascinated with the way Maggie’s mind worked. She truly is a fascinating character and I hope she is the focus of the series, but I guess that is to be determined.
I loved this book and as a series debut I look forward to seeing where things go from here. All I can say is I am all in and will be anxiously awaiting the next book!
The Mountains Wild is a police procedural novel featuring Maggie D’arcy. Erin Flaherty, Maggie’s cousin, disappeared from Ireland twenty-three years ago in 1993. The only thing that was found was her silver claddagh necklace where Erin had been walking that day. Maggie’s uncle, Daniel Flaherty gets a call that the scarf Erin had been wearing was found with blood on it. Maggie heads to Dublin determined to get the answers they have been seeking. The Mountains Wild turned out to be different from what I expected after reading the blurb. It turns out that several women have gone missing over the years with the latest being Niamh Horrigan. While the police were searching for Niamh, they found Erin’s bloody scarf. I can tell from the author’s writing and descriptions that she loves Ireland. Her word imagery brings Dublin and the surrounding to life. She weaves in Ireland’s history, literature, language, and politics into the story. Maggie D’arcy is a good detective and she has solved several high-profile cases. Looking into Erin’s disappearance in 1993 led Maggie to become a police officer. Maggie is now a lieutenant leading a team in the homicide division. The story is told from Maggie’s point-of-view. We are taken back to 1993 to see how the initial case played out. As Maggie investigates in 2016, we get a glimpse of Erin and Maggie’s growing up years. I found the pacing to be slow with just a slight uptick near the end. The mystery was convoluted with a “twist” near the end. I found the investigation to be tedious. It was long and drawn out. It lacked excitement and suspense. Whether you find the twist surprising, depends on how many mysteries you have read. I felt that over a hundred pages could have easily been edited from this book. I did like DI Roland Byrne and Griz. They were great characters. There is repetition of information and too many characters. A pronunciation guide would have come in handy for the Irish names. Maggie’s romance felt out of place considering what was happening. I also did not feel there was chemistry between Maggie and her love interest. The Mountains Wild was just not a good fit for me. I suggest you obtain a sample to see if it is your type of mystery. The Mountains Wild is a whodunit with a curious cousin, exiguous evidence, a distraught dad, and a rare romance.
This is my first from this author and the start of her second mystery series, and I really enjoyed it.
Maggie D’Arcy is a Long Island homicide detective whose cousin Erin disappeared 23 years ago in Ireland while hiking. She is haunted by questions and returns there for a second time when Erin’s scarf is discovered after another hiker goes missing.
Lots of twists and turns with this one, and while perhaps overly long, it kept me invested in the story with beautifully descriptive writing and well-drawn characters, especially the wild and tormented Erin.
My only negatives were that it was told in varying timeframe/locations and could be a bit of a struggle to keep it all straight at times, and I think I caught a few inconsistencies in the story along the way.
But it was still absorbing, and I will be interested in reading more from this author.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.