Originally, I wasn’t going to leave feedback but after talking to some fellow NetGalley readers, I learned this is the best course of action when you DNF a book. I thought the descriptions in this were beautiful and while it seemed like it had a likable cast of characters, I did not find the story to be engaging. It was moving too slowly, contained a lot of repetitiveness, and just didn’t hold my attention. I think the author captured the tone of the setting well but I was not the right reader for the story she delivered.

Maggie D'Arcy's search for her cousin spans decades and two continents. Erin left for Dublin and soon disappeared, her case seemingly tied to other young women missing as well. Now a homicide detective, Maggie returns to Dublin after some evidence found is shown to belong to Erin after 23 years. And another young woman has gone missing in Ireland which is not just a location, but a character. Alternating between the decades of the two searches, Maggie struggles with her attraction to Conor, one of last people to see Erin. A marvelous book, beautifully written and evocative tied with a fully developed and compelling mystery.

The Mountains Wild is a well written, twisted read with a killer, set in the Wicklow mountains of Ireland. The takes you to the mountains with a descriptive scene of beauty and hints of malice, pulling you into the story at a steady suspenseful pace. Told through Maggie's point of view, we are privy to her thoughts both as a smart detective and profiler and as a woman recalling her youth and days gone by with her strange cousin. Through chapters of past and present, readers become part of the original unsuccessful search in 1993 as well as the present one in 2016. The author’s execution of the intense plot is excellent as are the police procedural elements. The story is riveting and fast paced with a flow back and forth between the two searches. The Mountains Wild is the study of a complex woman who must deal with the past in order to move into the future. It's also a study of a land, its history, and people. Fans of mystery, suspense, thrillers, and police procedurals will love this beautifully written book.
I Highly Recommend The Mountains Wild. I received a copy of this book from Minotaur Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this debut crime book. Kept me guessing right to the end and am looking forward to more. Want to see the characters develop more.

Twenty years ago Maggie's cousin Erin went missing in Dublin. Although at that time, Maggie had flown to Ireland to aid the police, all their efforts came to nought. Now new evidence has been uncovered and Maggie now a successful police detective, once again finds herself in Dublin.

There was quite a bit of toing and froing, back and forth in time, made it at times confusing to follow. I did like the actual investigation, well to a point, went in many different directions. I did like the characters, Maggie and Roly, and wonder if we'll see them again.

Don't know if it's Covid brain or what, but this was just okay for me. Had its moments and intriguing enough lead characters for a future entry, if this is going to be a series. Lately, I'm yearning for straightforward, linear novels.

ARC from Edelweiss.

I loved the strong character of Maggie in this book and was interested from the very beginning. The plot is good and very well written. I hope to read more about Maggie in the future.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book alternatives between Maggie's two trips to Ireland related to the disappearance of her look-alive cousin Erin. The first trip is when the cousin disappeared. The next trip is over 20 years later when another woman has vanished in the same area. But by this time, Maggie is a well-respected detective, and hope maybe she can help solve the case.

This was an okay read. It moved along and kept me engaged, but the characters all seemed kind of surface and the ending seemed contrived. There wasn't enough depth or character development to make it come alive or make it really believable.

This book has serious Tana French vibes, but not in a derivative way. The series debut knocked it out of the park for me.
Maggie D'Arcy is a divorced mother of a teenage daughter and a detective in Long Island.
She receives a call from the Gardai in Ireland to tell her that the scarf of her missing cousin Erin, has been found after twenty three years. And it was located with blood on it, near the scene where another missing young woman disappeared recently.
Maggie had traveled to Ireland when Erin first vanished, but never discovered what happened to her.
She decides to return to Ireland, since new evidence is uncovered.
She becomes deeply involved in the investigation, including rekindling her feelings for Erin's one time workmate, now a professor. Conner has never fully explained his relationship with Erin, Maggie isn't sure if she can trust him.
Alternating between 1993 (past) and 2016 (present) with flashbacks to childhood memories, as the story unfolds.
This dark, brilliantly written police procedural/mystery is a multilayered story, building steadily to a sensational ending.
The characters are compelling, and the relationships fascinating. Maybe a bit long, otherwise a nearly perfect read. I can't wait for what the next one in the series brings.
Thank you St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books for the e-ARC via NetGalley.
4.5 stars, rounding up to 5 stars.

In the 23 years since her cousin Erin disappeared during her 1993 Irish sojourn, Maggie D'Arcy now of Long Island Police Department, has become a renowned detective. When the title begins in 2016, Maggie has received a call from the Irish Gardai. A murder victim has been discovered in the area where Erin was believed to have disappeared, and evidence from Erin's case ihas been discovered. Suddenly, the 23 year old cold case warms, and appears to be related to this new case, as well as other cold cases from the same vicinity of the Wicklow Mountains. From snippets of literature, to the songs, history, and weather, everything about the author's description will place you in in the scene whether it be a coffee shop, park, or the airport--I recognized the new airport's interior immediately. Transatlantic plot points revolve around the investigation of murders, but it's also a love story. Highly recommend.

This entirely atmospheric novel is set primarily in Ireland, and it does a wonderful job combining details of Irish history with a contemporary mystery. I don't know how to best explain this, but the weather and a sense of "grey" hangs over this story and really just drives home the morose, unending grief that has plagued the family in the years they haven't known what happened to Erin when she disappeared. Lots of great details and interesting detective work, with an incredible ending.

This is an okay police procedural. I was expecting more from a novel that compares itself to Tana French, and it definitely didn’t reach that level for me. It was slow to start, slow in the middle and did not pick up the pace nearly enough at the end.

This mystery was more character driven than plot driven in my opinion. It jumped back and forth through time and location (NY and Ireland) which I didn't love because personally, I prefer more linear stories. Overall, it was well-written, and I liked how the author slowly revealed clues. Recommended for readers who enjoy well-developed main characters in interesting locations.

A Long Island detective and single mother head to Ireland to track down her missing cousin. If you love mysteries and Dublin, you’ll love this book. If you are expecting this book by Taylor to mirror her funny Sweeney St. George series, you’ll not be getting what you expect. This is darker. This is much more like Elizabeth George.

The story is interesting and there are lovely descriptions of Ireland and the Irish countryside, but it is sometimes hard to follow the timeline. The story often is split between past and current events both in the U.S. and Ireland and with it's many characters,I found it difficult to hold my interest at times. The ending was quite a surprise and yet part seemed to be unresolved unless there will be additional books with the main character.
I received this book as a complimentary copy and was under no obligation to provide a review. Thanks to the author,publisher,and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

The rolling green hills expand in front of you. You take a deep breath and inhale the crisp air. The wind whips your hair and you feel the unmoored wildness of the Ireland landscape. An eerie fog whirls in, shrouding your view and bringing a chill to your bones. Something is wrong.

Women have gone missing, bodies have been found, but no answers have been had.

The Mountains Wild was a great book! While slow in spots, I was hooked to the story and had to find out what happened. The Ireland landscape and history added to the depth of this story and I found it fascinating.

Maggie’s cousin has gone missing, and while she was the type of person to just take off without telling anyone, Maggie knows something is wrong and this isn’t her cousin just running off like usual.
What I enjoyed about this book was the dual timeline as this all unfolded. You had the year Erin disappeared and then you had twenty-three years later when Maggie returns to Ireland as new things in Erin’s case unfold. You also have the added mystery of the other missing women.

I will say this... I didn’t see the ending coming at all.

TW: Murder, Rape, Death of a Loved One.

Lately, I’ve inadvertently chosen a string of books that have all been based in Ireland. I have no real ties to Ireland and though I know it is a beautiful place, I never really had a true desire to go there in person. These books have changed my mind, and The Mountains Wild was no different. Taylor has a remarkable ability to paint beautiful word pictures with entrancing imagery. You can really smell the peat fires and feel the moisture in the air (or maybe living in the PNW myself makes these things easy to conjure).

Along with my growing interest to see Ireland is my realization that I know very little about Irish history or politics. While I still have much to learn, Mountains is a quick study in some of the strife and conflict that has plagued the country for decades. It has piqued my interest for further study into its complicated past.

Scenery and background aside, the story itself is a masterpiece. Several plots intertwine to create one cohesive novel. The characters are raw and real, relatable with multiple layers and imperfections, traumas and complexities. No one person is without flaws, which leads the tale on a twisted path that denies the reader an inability to predict the outcome. Even if you guess something right, you’re still going to be surprised.
The Mountains Wild is a gorgeous thriller and I look forward to future works from Sarah Stewart Taylor.

I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Stewart Taylor amassed quite a following for her debut series featuring university professor Sweeney St. George who specialized in art history related to funerals and gravestones. After the last of that four-book series was released, Taylor took an extended hiatus from crime fiction to raise her family. Thankfully for her fans, she is ready to return to the fold with a new novel. The Mountains Wild will be released next week and while it is very different from the Sweeney St. George series, it still features Sarah Stewart Taylor’s ability to craft relatable characters and build a strong sense of place. Even the funerary art history element makes a small, but significant, appearance.

The heroine of The Mountains Wild is Maggie D’arcy, and readers are sure to fall in love with this character. Maggie is feisty and unpredictable, but she is also loyal and caring. The novel takes place in two time-periods – 2016 and 1993. The two timelines weave in and out of each other in unique ways allowing Taylor to unspool her story with masterful technique.

In 1993, Maggie’s family was notified that her beloved cousin Erin had gone missing while on a vacation in Dublin, Ireland. Because she and Erin were very close in age and grew up as best friends, Maggie volunteers to travel overseas to see if she can locate her cousin. Despite working closely with the Irish Garda for weeks, any trace evidence discovered fails to lead to any significant sign of Erin herself and eventually Maggie returns home to share the tragic news with her family.


However, the Garda reach out again in 2016, after Erin’s very distinctive scarf is discovered near the location where another young woman has gone missing. With her Uncle now older and not in the best of health, it falls on Maggie to return to the Emerald Isle once again in the hopes of finding Erin – or at least finding out what happened to her. Maybe this time her involvement will help authorities find Niamh Horrigan as well. It’s no surprise to Maggie when suspects in Erin’s disappearance seem to be linked to this new case as well and she is determined to get some answers.

Sarah Stewart Taylor clearly loves Ireland. The location is brought vividly to life – in both time periods – to such an extent that it virtually becomes another character on the page. The plot requires Maggie to explore both the residential areas and the vast, uncharted natural landscapes of this beautiful country. Readers who have recently read Dervla McTiernan may notice a similar method of incorporating Ireland’s troubled history in the mystery plot without allowing it to overwhelm or become pedantic.

Readers receive a very satisfying and unexpected conclusion to the core case in The Mountains Wild, but this will not be the last they see of Maggie D’arcy. This is the launch of a new series and there are many avenues yet to be explored for this character – both on domestic shores and across the pond in Ireland. Fans of Sarah Stewart Taylor can rejoice at her return to our favorite genre and those who have not yet read this talented author can now join the fandom.

I absolutely loved this book. Sarah Stewart Taylor's new series is entertaining, and incredibly readable, and I can't wait for the next installment!!

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081LWGY7M/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Wow, it has been quite a while sine I read an ARC mystery. I was so excited about this one! The setting is Dublin. This book starts in a bar- the last book that I read that was European, also started in a bar and did not disappoint! It is early or late, depending on how you look at it when this begins: 3:05 am on a Tuesday. Uncle Danny is calling his niece Maggie with his Long Island accent to let her know that the Detective from Ireland left a message to call him. Oh good old Shore Road and 25A. I love the North Shore of Long Island!! Maggie’s cousin, Erin has been missing for twenty-three years! A Detective is calling this much later to tell them that he found a scarf with blood on it, still no remains. The scarf happens to be the one that Maggie gave to Erin at Christmas time. He is calling also because another woman has gone missing, a twenty-five-year-old teacher. Maggie has a daughter, Lilly, a fifteen year old girl who is wise beyond her years,that she has to figure out arrangements for. Erin and Maggie were like sisters, they grew up together. I cannot imagine something happening to my best friend, who was like my sister growing up, it would have killed me! Erin and Maggie not only were like sisters, but they look alike, so much that people thought they were twins. Maggie then retells the story of when she was twenty-two and receives the call at the bar from Erin’s roommates looking for her. Danny and Maggie’s dad were going to go over to Ireland and go looking for her, but with Danny’s heart being a problem, Maggie steps up and volunteers. We are led on a crazy adventure, getting to know Ireland and following the trail to find Erin.

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!