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Sarah Pearse imbues the pages of THE WILDS with both the danger inherent in the rugged landscape of Portugal's national park and the sense of safety that such a setting, remote from human interaction, provides. As we follow detective Elin Warner and her brother, Isaac, to the park for a hiking vacation, we feel both the expansive beauty of the long vistas and the terror of the dark, foreboding deep forest. This dual aspect of the experience of nature plays an important role in the plot.
When Elin meets up with Isaac at the park, she realizes that he has a hidden agenda for their vacation together. Kier, the sister of one of Isaac's friends, has gone missing in the park, as it turns out others have as well. He wants Elin, a detective, to help him find out what happened to Kier. While Elin is reluctant to have her vacation turn into an investigation, she quickly becomes invested in Kier's disappearance and is not able to step away from searching alongside Isaac. She even enlists the help of her partner on the force to provide background information.
The story is told from two perspectives…that of Elin in 2021 and that of Kier beginning in 2017…in alternating chapters. As the past moves toward the present, and Elin and Isaac get ever closer to the truth, the sense of duality in the landscape is echoed in the people involved in the plot. The characters are highly nuanced, damaged by life experiences, some hiding evil behind charisma and others hiding compassion behind an unwelcoming front. As Elin's investigation proceeds, the depth of characterization develops alongside the plot, making the reader care deeply about the resolution.
This is the third and, according to the author, the last of the Elin Warner series. Each of the books in the series stands alone, but there is perhaps a greater appreciation for Elin's character if the previous books have already been read. This book brings the story of Kier and what is actually happening in the park to a solid resolution, as well as providing closure to Elin's struggles with her demons. I am looking forward to seeing what Pearse has in mind for her next book as she leaves Elin behind.
§ Sharon Mensing, retired educational leader, lives, reads, and enjoys the outdoors in Arizona.
Reviewed by Sharon Mensing, July 2024
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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