The Mountains Wild did not resonate with me, and maybe it is because I read a lot of mysteries so I am overly picky about them. The pacing is pretty slow, and I had trouble keeping up with all of the characters. A large portion of the story is set in Ireland, and I enjoyed the Irish setting a lot but felt the random injections of Irish politics were a little hard to follow and instead of blending into the story seemed superfluous. I have a hard time with unrealistic resolutions, and this one seemed completely out there. I think this book may appeal to others, but it was just not the book for me.

This was an interesting book with an ending I did not anticipate! I've not read books by this author before, but would again in the future. Recommended for fans of an atmospheric mystery!

The mountain wild is an intriguing story about the disappearance of cop's cousin in another country, plus the deaths of two other women who might be related to her case. It turns into cold case that takes over twenty years to resolve. Lots of twists that will keep you reading until the end

I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book almost completely. I loved the mystery, the story, the descriptions. I was captivated and read it all in two days. This book threw me down a rabbit hole searching for everything I could about the true crimes it was based on. I read it weeks ago and I still think about it randomly. It was written beautifully and I am already planning on reading more by this author.

The one and only thing that is preventing me from giving it 5 stars is the romance. I thought it was too jarring and didn't fit in with the rest of the story, especially when the mystery was solved.

The Mountains Wild is a fantastic romantic suspense. Well written and entertaining plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Great settings. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Ordinarily, a comparison of a book with those written by other, more well-known authors, don’t live up to the hype, in my experience. However, this atmospheric, compelling mystery set mostly in and around Dublin, Ireland, will certainly appeal to fans of Tana French and Elizabeth George.

After twenty-three years, Long Island detective, Maggie, D’Arcy, returns to Dublin, Ireland, where she first visited just out of college, to look for her cousin, Erin, who had disappeared. Now there is the disappearance of another young woman that might be connected to that long-ago case.

Told in turns between past and present, this atmospheric crime novel is an amazing read. Little by little we learn about Maggie’s first journey, what she discovered related to Erin’s disappearance, and become immersed in the gritty details of urban Ireland, as well as the mysterious mountains nearby.

Relationships from long ago translate into re-connections, including one that is a love story. As the mysteries unfold – the one from long ago in tandem with the current, more urgent search for a missing woman in hopes of saving her the fate of similar cases over the years, it is hard to stop reading.

The ending was unexpected, and questions remained for me about its effect on other characters, especially Maggie’s daughter. However, that minor detail did not at all detract from this enjoyable, well-written mystery infused with wonderful characters and settings that are undeniably Irish. I will bet that many readers will come away with a desire to visit Ireland.

As other reviewers have mentioned, the author had written four books in a very different-sounding series set in Boston. I might give those a go at some point, but I am more hopeful that I will be able to read another novel starring the protagonist from this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and the author, for the opportunity to read the eARC of this fantastic book that will be published in June of 2020.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor.

This is a story that spans for decades about an American girl looking for her cousin in Ireland. I made it about 35% of the way in and then stopped. But first...

What I did enjoy: I liked the character developments and descriptions. I especially liked being in Ireland, the beautiful landscape and people.

But, ultimately it was too scattery for me. The story goes back and forth timelines, something that I wouldn't normally mind, but the two lines are too similar. I got mixed up enough that I just lost interest. There is a really good possibility that this is a user error and the pandemic has weakened by brain, but there you go.

An ending I did not see coming. At times I became a little overwhelmed with repeated information and the whole slew of people in the book either working on the murders,or had interactions with the victims . An insight into the some of the history of Ireland, the culture and of course the human aspect of family and keeping secrets even from those we profess to care for deeply.

I reviewed this title for Mystery Scene Magazine to read the review in its entirety please purchase the Magazine's May 15th issue

I was a huge fan of Sarah Stewart Taylor’s Sweeny St. George series, published in the early 2000’s. Sweeney was an expert on gravestone iconography, and the books were beautifully written, thoughtful mysteries. Stewart Taylor has been away from mystery fiction since 2006, and this return feels more polished, more pointed in its narrative drive – it’s a step up. I’ll say up front it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year.

It’s not a total departure from the Sweeny books – the passion is there, the love of history is there, but it’s more focused. It follows the story of Maggie D’Arcy, who, as an adult, is a homicide detective on Long Island, but who, as a 20 something, lost the cousin who was like a sister to her. The cousin, Erin, had left the states for Ireland, and hasn’t been heard from since 1993. There are other young women who were killed (and discovered) in the same area, and Maggie and the rest of her family are pretty sure Erin is dead, but they’d like to know.

As the book opens, Maggie gets a call from her uncle (Erin’s father) in the middle of the night, telling her an Irish Garda had called requesting a call back. Maggie is the one to call and it turns out they’ve found something else of Erin’s – that’s all that’s needed for Maggie to get on a plane and head to Ireland to find out as much as she can. She leaves her teenage daughter, Lilly, behind in the care of her ex with a plea for them to check up on her uncle.

The book alternates timelines, mostly between the time of Erin’s disappearance and Maggie’s first search for her, and the present and her search for Erin with the new discoveries, but it also backtracks in time to the girls’ childhood together. It also turns out that another young woman is missing, and the clock is ticking. Stewart Taylor very effectively alternates between the solid police work Maggie is capable of in the present, and her previous, unformed 20 year old self, grieving for her mother, puzzled and saddened by her cousin’s disappearance.

There’s a lovely quote toward the middle of the novel: "Overcome with a sense of timelessness, I feel suddenly that these twenty-three years are both in me and not in me, that I am twenty-two and forty-five, all at the same time, a mother and not a mother. I close my eyes and let the wind rush all around me." That encapsulates Maggie’s mental journey in a lovely, spiritual way.

But the reader can see the journey. We meet the young woman, unsure of herself, of love, of her feelings, trying to find a path forward. Then we meet the 40 something woman, the competent professional, the one who nevertheless has a personal stake in the proceedings. The realization that life is complicated and messy come to most of us as we hit middle age, and Maggie is no different.

This is not only a wonderful mystery, it’s a pretty excellent police procedural – even if Maggie is mostly at a remove from the proceedings – and it’s a truly lovely character study of Maggie and Erin. As the book concludes, and more finely drawn versions of both women, the result is both stunning and revelatory. I truly hope it’s not another long 14 years before we hear from this talented author again.

I received this as an ARC From NetGalley and after repeatedly trying to read it I gave up at 30%. I’ve always had a problem with books that jump between past and present so that is definitely a “me” problem....but 30% in and we don’t really know any more than the synopsis told us. Life is too short to stick with books that are boring you.

I stayed up way too late to finish this book—evidence that I was in the hands of a gifted storyteller. Taylor did a solid job of switching between past and present and threaded the two time periods together with clarity, logic, and intrigue. Her writing style is crisp, with a strong sense of place. I can see, smell, and hear both Long Island and Ireland. I enjoyed how she showed the Irish brogue—as an aside. For example, Inspector Byrne says, "I thought I'd let you know" and, in italics, Taylor translates: I tot I'd letcha know. She doesn't do this often, so it becomes a nice aural boost rather than an annoying intrusion.

The storyline occasional stretches credulity, but I would say that about most mysteries, and the characters became a bit tricky to sort out by the end because there were so many of them, but I enjoyed this book and am now looking for other by this author. I would recommend this for anybody looking for a book to take their mind off things.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free review copy in return for an honest review.

I’m ready to head to Dublin, Ireland! Sarah Taylor’s descriptions of Dublin and surrounds were so well done I could feel the salty wind on my face. Having been to Dublin once, her walk along the streets of the city put the “doors of Dublin” right smack back in my consciousness. Maggie D’Arcy is a Long Island homicide detective who goes looking for her childhood best friend and cousin, Erin. Following years old clues, Maggie is able to resolve issues, both old and new. This book will keep you guessing and deliver a whopper of a surprise ending.

This is a lyrical, beautiful, almost mystical book. Despite the dark plot, it painted Ireland beautifully. I could almost feel the rain and taste the Guiness. (I wish!) I was always kept guessing...I had no idea who, how or where until the end and what a perfect ending it was!
I loved every word of this.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for enabling my reading obsession for an honest review.

This is an atmospheric and compelling mystery with a surprising twist and great characters. I'd recommend for fans of Tana French.

I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of The Mountains Wild from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

What a unique novel! I truly enjoyed every second of this one--though some of it stressed me out, to tell the truth! I was completely blindsided by a couple of plot twists, which made for edge-of-my-seat, can't-put-it-down reading. The long-lost cousin baseline created a great foundation for a wonderful mystery for Maggie to desire and search for closure. Great book--exceeded my expectations!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This murder mystery takes place in two locations: the eastern end of Long Island and the Dublin environs. It concerns two cousins who look alike: one becomes a homicide detective, the other disappears during a trip to Ireland. The family dynamics will have your head spinning by the end of the story, and the characters are fascinating studies that ring true. The timeline of the book covers many decades, and the narrative is moved forward in several different time periods concurrently, which has been done many times in other novels. But the treatment is sharp: the plot points finely drawn, and the interactions between the two cousins worthy of your readership. I highly recommend this book.

I thought this was a good descriptive book. It told you a bit about Ireland. The chapters alternate from past to present. I found it a bit hard to follow at times. Everyone else seems to really like it but I just wasn’t a big fan of this book. Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy

I absolutely loved this authors writing style.

The story had some back and forth in time but it was truly seamless. Some books lose me when this happens too frequently.

The ending......WOW I didn't see that coming!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC.

thriller, suspense, Ireland, family, law-enforcement, mystery, cold-case

Not one to listen to while driving. Too many entwined characters and the story flips between 1996 and 2016 with memories back to childhood.
Everything about the story is good and well done. The characters are engaging and the mystery is tight, twisty, and filled with misdirection and red herrings. The known survivor is Maggie who has become homicide detective in Long Island and the one missing these past twenty years is her free spirited cousin Erin who was also her best friend until her untimely disappearance. Then comes a call in 2016 from the Gardai in Ireland that changes everyone. No spoilers. I loved it even though it kept me riveted til too late.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!