A haunting crime novel set in Glacier National Park about a man who finds himself at odds with the dark heart of the wild–and the even darker heart of human nature. It was a clear night in Glacier National Park. Fourteen-year-old Ted Systead and his father were camping beneath the rugged peaks and starlit skies when something unimaginable happened: a grizzly bear attacked Ted’s father and … father and dragged him to his death.
Now, twenty years later, as Special Agent for the Department of the Interior, Ted gets called back to investigate a crime that mirrors the horror of that night. Except this time, the victim was tied to a tree before the mauling. Ted teams up with one of the park officers–a man named Monty, whose pleasant exterior masks an all-too-vivid knowledge of the hazardous terrain surrounding them. Residents of the area turn out to be suspicious of outsiders and less than forthcoming. Their intimate connection to the wild forces them to confront nature, and their fellow man, with equal measures of reverence and ruthlessness.
As the case progresses with no clear answers, more than human life is at stake–including that of the majestic creature responsible for the attack. Ted’s search for the truth ends up leading him deeper into the wilderness than he ever imagined, on the trail of a killer, until he reaches a shocking and unexpected personal conclusion.
As intriguing and alluring as bestselling crime novels by C.J. Box, Louise Penny, and William Kent Krueger, as atmospheric and evocative as the nature writing of John Krakauer and Cheryl Strayed, The Wild Inside is a gripping debut novel about the perilous, unforgiving intersection between man and nature.more
As an nature enthusiast, I am drawn to all books that are set in the great outdoors. Christine Carbo has a wonderful, lyrical style of writing and her descriptions of the area in and around Glacier National Park are fascinating. The crimes are interesting; the characters are complex and realistic. I recommend all of her books.
Christine Carbo sets her series in Glacier National Park, as stunning a backdrop for a story as you can possibly imagine. This initial outing centers on a grizzly mauling that involves much more intrigue than a clear-cut death from an animal attack. Although she’s terrific at giving a profound sense of the grandeur of the Montana Rockies, Carbo never loses sight of the important intersection of the human and the wild, a seductive but dangerous place that can kill the body just as easily as it can fire the soul.
I heard the author speak at Bouchercon (mystery conference) last October and was intrigued enough to put this one on my TBR. It’s a solid debut novel, suspenseful and well written. Like some of my other favorite authors–Tana French, Geraldine Brooks, and Stef Penney (particularly in *Tenderness of Wolves*)–Carbo has the knack of getting the emotional life of the protagonist on the page. I appreciate books in which the MC has to face some element of his/her past in order to move forward in the present, and this is one of those novels that feathers the backstory into the character arc effectively. As for the writing–well, I know phrases are never as powerful or striking when taken out of context, but here’s a sample, one of many bits I underlined: “I did not know what I expected from [returning]. … Not safety. Perhaps familiarity, beauty, rhythm, truth, even danger. And something unidentifiable–something for the dark threads that ran through me to spool onto.” I will look for more by this author.
“The Wild Inside” is a story of tragedy, suspense, and finding what lives inside of us. The writer captured my attention from the beginning and wove a story that kept me riveted enough to read long passed my bedtime. The story of a young boy, a grizzly, a grown man, a grizzly, a murder, a grizzly and all the back stories to keep you on your toes to unravel the mystery. I truly enjoyed reading this novel of suspense set in Glacier National Park. We had visited the area in 2017 and knowing some of the area gave this book more intrigue for me. Good read and will look for her other books. 5*
It didn’t take me long to become engrossed into The Wild Inside. Author Christine Carbo had a real talent for description and what’s important to the story. Character depth and a national park fits her style.