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The Mountains Wild: A Mystery

Sarah Stewart Taylor (Goodreads Author)

4.40 · Rating details · 53 ratings · 40 reviews

"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 ...more

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Hardcover, 416 pages

Expected publication: June 23rd 2020 by Minotaur Books

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Feb 27, 2020 Lori Lamothe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-review, mysteries-stand-alone, ireland

4.5 Stars

First, my apologies to Sarah Stewart Taylor. I've been raving about her debut novel, but after doing a little research (i.e. googling) I realized she's already written an entire cozy mystery series. I suppose one reason I made the mistake is because The Mountains Wild is a really good book. Which is not to say her series isn't also good--it probably is--but only that I'm surprised she isn't more well known. It may be because The Mountains Wild is such a departure from her previous 4.5 Stars

First, my apologies to Sarah Stewart Taylor. I've been raving about her “debut novel,” but after doing a little research (i.e. googling) I realized she's already written an entire cozy mystery series. I suppose one reason I made the mistake is because The Mountains Wild is a really good book. Which is not to say her series isn't also good--it probably is--but only that I'm surprised she isn't more well known. It may be because The Mountains Wild is such a departure from her previous books. Warmth suffuses this novel, but there's nothing cozy about it. Rather, it's a gripping psychological thriller more in the vein of Tana French, Yrsa Siguroardottir and Karin Slaughter.

After 23 years spent not knowing what happened to her cousin, Maggie D'Arcy learns that Erin's blood-stained scarf has turned up at the spot where another young woman has just gone missing. Maggie hasn't been back to Ireland since Erin disappeared and she has the usual over scheduled life of a divorced working mom. But she's never forgotten the trip she initially made to Ireland in 1993, shortly after Erin went missing. And she's never put what happened to her cousin to rest. In fact, it's the reason she became a police detective in Long Island. So after leaving her teenage daughter in the care of her ex, she catches a flight to Dublin. Maybe this time she'll get it right. Maybe she can finally discover what happened to Erin—and save the life of Niamh Horrigan. Because Erin may have been the first woman to go missing in the mountains near Glenmalure and Niamh the last, but there have been several other women who've vanished from the same area in the intervening years. The Irish Gardai believe the cases are related and Maggie tends to agree. But can they find the abductor before Niamh dies?

Told solely from Maggie's point of view, The Mountains Wild is both a thrilling ride and a “love letter to Ireland” (as Taylor states in her acknowledgements). There are plenty of plot twists that kept me guessing and the final revelation was well done. The narrative alternates between 1993, 2016 and the distant past, when Maggie and Erin were growing up together. In addition, Taylor weaves bits of Irish songs, history, literature and language throughout the novel. There are quirky references to Ulysses (and chickens!), snippets of “rebel songs that tell stories,” bits of Irish history and even the obligatory Yeats quote. The overall effect of all this is a skillfully wrought tale that kept my attention from beginning to end. The pacing isn't break-neck – new dead bodies aren't turning up every other chapter – but the action unravels steadily and builds to a satisfying, exciting conclusion.

However, the two things I like best about The Mountains Wild are the characters and the setting. I got a strong sense of Maggie but even secondary characters seem fleshed out. Her complicated relationship with Erin is especially well done; it's ironic but lovely that the woman who has been absent for the longest is the most vivid person in the novel. And the depiction of Ireland is also lovely. Though she is an American, Stewart studied at Trinity and spent years in Dublin. Her knowledge and love for the country comes through on every page. As is true of most mysteries, there were a few issues with the plot and there were a lot of things to tie up at the end, maybe some that needed a bit more explanation. I kept thinking she hadn't wrapped up this or that, but after going through it all point by point, I found she had indeed done so.

Stewart's web site lists this thriller as part of a series, though no future books are listed. I certainly hope there will be more Maggie D'Arcy mysteries to come. Much thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Dec 12, 2019 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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.

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Mar 22, 2020 Carolyn McBride rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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.

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Feb 29, 2020 Heather Fineisen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A strong New series in the mystery genre. This is definitely one I will follow. Women are missing in Ireland, including the cousin of current Long Island Police Detective Maggie D'arcy. The story goes back and forth spanning years before to current day. The characters are richly developed. The locations are created realistically and the troubled history is featured. All components of a great book with a little love story and some unexpected twists and turns. One of the best mysteries I have read ...more

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Apr 04, 2020 Colleen Maclennan rated it really liked it

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.

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Nov 03, 2019 Candace rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

After finishing "The Mountains Wild" I rushed to see what else Sarah Stewart Taylor had written. I see her other books are characterized as "cozies." This is surprising. This novel is no cozy but is a tight psychological thriller with depth and an ending that will floor you.

After nearly twenty years, Long Island detective Maggie D'Arcy gets a call saying that there is a development in the disappearance of her cousin Erin. who vanished during a visit to Ireland.

She drops everything--this is a ...more

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Mar 28, 2020 Lenea rated it liked it · review of another edition

I didn't post a review right away because I wanted to be fair. I won this book from a Goodreads Giveaway. It will come out in June. I'm going to be completely honest about how I felt about this book and why so you can make your own decisions. I want to say I do not think it was a bad book. I did struggle with it though.
For me, this book can be divided into three parts. The boring first 1/4. The exciting middle half. The never ending last 1/4. This book was a slow start for me. I blame it ...more

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Feb 28, 2020 Lisa Christie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Mountains Wild is both terrifically atmospheric and rich with compelling characters. Maggie D'Arcy is a fabulous protagonist who uses common sense, intellect, and her own basic decency to solve (with some significant help from the Irish Gardai) disappearances of women from the Irish countryside. Ms.Taylor lovingly portrays the complications inherent in family (and work) relations while creating a suspenseful "who done it" that leaves you following false trails and suspects. The Mountains ...more

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Mar 11, 2020 Annette rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-2020

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 wasnt a big fan of this book. Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy ...more

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Feb 26, 2020 Mariann Alford rated it really liked it

The Mountains Wild is a tough ride of a book about a woman. Maggie D'Arcy, whose cousin was presumed missing in 1993 and not seen again. The book toggles between 1993 and 2016 when another woman goes missing at the same exact area as her cousin. The majority of the book is set in Ireland with some set on the east coast of the US. Maggie is a police detective in the US, so going to Ireland to start looking for her cousin again and the new missing woman is hard for her. The book has many twists ...more

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Mar 05, 2020 Elle Rudy marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, 2020

*Thanks to St. Martins Press & Netgalley for an advance copy! ...more

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Dec 04, 2019 Sage rated it it was amazing

This book was truly amazing I was going to go to bed early today but I just HAD to finish it!! So many twists and turns, and so many times when I thought I knew where the plot was going and who the bad guy was only to completely have the rug pulled from out under me! This book made me say HOLY SHIT out loud multiple times. I am so excited that this is going to be a series!

Maggie DArcy is a fantastic badass protagonist and I love the way her mind works. I am not normally drawn to mysteries, but ...more

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Apr 03, 2020 Robin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I was a huge fan of Sarah Stewart Taylors Sweeny St. George series, published in the early 2000s. 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 its a step up. Ill say up front its one of the best books Ive read this year.

Its not a total departure from the Sweeny books the passion is there, the 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.
...more

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Feb 27, 2020 Mandy McHugh rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Mountains Wild is my favorite book of the year so far, and I can tell right now, it'll be hard to beat.

It's been more than twenty years since Maggie D'arcy's cousin Erin went missing in Dublin, but when Roly, the detective who worked the original case, calls with new information and potentially devastating news, Maggie knows she must return to Ireland--maybe not to find her cousin alive, but with the hope of finding answers and closure. And while part of her longs to be back in Dublin, The Mountains Wild is my favorite book of the year so far, and I can tell right now, it'll be hard to beat.

It's been more than twenty years since Maggie D'arcy's cousin Erin went missing in Dublin, but when Roly, the detective who worked the original case, calls with new information and potentially devastating news, Maggie knows she must return to Ireland--maybe not to find her cousin alive, but with the hope of finding answers and closure. And while part of her longs to be back in Dublin, D'arcy knows it also means becoming involved in an investigation of another missing girl, digging up old memories, old pain, and old suspicions.

The way Taylor structured the book worked really well here. Flashbacks and memories inextricably linked with the present, slowly building tension and suspicion. This didn't read as a slow burn, though, more like a masterfully-crafted puzzle of suspense and mystery. Side characters have well-developed story arcs and personalities that connect with the main characters in a way that enhances the doubt you feel as you read. At no point did I ever feel like I had a solid grasp on who the perpetrator was, and because of this, the page-turning conclusion was satisfying and thrilling.

In the acknowledgements, Taylor said this book was like a love letter to Ireland, and I felt her love breathing in every page. The prose is lyrical, beautiful in its description and wrought with history. I appreciated the bits of Irish song, language, and the geographical walk-throughs of Dublin. I traveled there myself in my early twenties, and I felt more connected to the D'arcy rediscovering her old stomping grounds because I had a crisp visual of Temple Bar in my mind.

What I truly appreciated, though, was how much common sense and real-life decision making her characters employed. So often in thrillers we get caught up in the blood and murder, stretching the boundaries of disbelief. None of that felt present here. D'arcy follows rules. She is a good detective who understands that being a hero doesn't mean there's always a happy ending. When pearls of distrust arise, she doesn't embark on some revenge-filled spy scene to find the truth. She communicates her feelings to the other person, and while this seems simple, it was so refreshing to read a book that relied on more grounded scenarios. Instead of being surprised at the outlandishness, I was pleasantly surprised at how normal the characters were, and that made them all the more heartbreaking as the story progressed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eArc in exchange for review consideration. Beautiful, atmospheric, and engrossing, The Mountains Wild is one you truly don't want to miss. ...more

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Mar 05, 2020 BookwormishMe rated it really liked it

4 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 9 June 2020 .

Maggie, who comes from a long line of proud Irish ancestors, is a homicide detective in New York. Back in the 1990s, her cousin Erin, more like a sister than a cousin, opted to move to Ireland. Then one day her father, Maggies Uncle Danny, gets a call that Erin is missing. Maggie hops a plane to Ireland.

During her stay in Ireland, Maggie meets many of Erins friends and coworkers, but no one truly seems to have known Erin ...more

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Feb 26, 2020 Emilie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received an ARC of this book.
I would give this book a 4.5! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The mystery, as well as the setting, drew me in and I did not want to put the book down. The characters were great and I felt as though I really knew them all. I was continually guessing as to what could have really happened to the missing girls, and I certainly did not see the ending coming.
This was not a perfect book--there were a couple of things I might have changed, and I do wish a little ...more

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Feb 26, 2020 Emilie rated it really liked it

I would give this book a 4.5! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The mystery, as well as the setting, drew me in and I did not want to put the book down. The characters were great and I felt as though I really knew them all. I was continually guessing as to what could have really happened to the missing girls, and I certainly did not see the ending coming.
This was not a perfect book--there were a couple of things I might have changed, and I do wish a little bit of the final reveal could ...more

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Apr 01, 2020 Brittany Woodworth rated it it was amazing

thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Stewart Taylo Has created a lyrical, brilliant mystery. Her storytelling skills are exceptional . Her storytelling skills is similar to the likes of Karin Slaughter. The Mountains Wild , is a jaw dropping, edge to the seat , gasping for breath Psychological thriller. Phenomenal visionary skills with excellent characters and settings.

Its a great love story which is odd because, I dont do many romances. ...more

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Mar 04, 2020 Doris Vandruff rated it it was amazing

Maggie has been looking for her cousinErin, for over twenty years. Last she heard she was in Ireland. Than she disappeared.
Maybe her cousin's disappearance is what made her decide to become a police officer.
All she knows that with the discovery of a body she needs to go back to Ireland and see if there are any more clues.
This is a great story. It describes the relationship of cousins. The closeness they feel. It also tells of the losing of each other, how each go their separate ways.
I love the ...more

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Mar 08, 2020 Jan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, suspense, law-enforcement, thriller, ireland, family, 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 ...more

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Mar 22, 2020 Jean A. rated it it was amazing

Im ready to head to Dublin, Ireland! Sarah Taylors 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 DArcy 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 ...more

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Mar 20, 2020 Mrs. rated it really liked it

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 ...more

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Feb 29, 2020 Stephen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

First of all you might want to tape your fingertips as not to burn them from turning the pages so fast.

Eloquent and unsettling, this is an astounding debut of a new mystery series.

In 1993, Maggie D'Arcy's family receives a call from the Dublin police. Maggie's cousin Erin has gone missing.
Maggie heads to Ireland to help the Garda track Erin's movements in the previous day. They unearth some clues, but they all seem to lead nowhere.
After a few weeks Maggie returns home to Long Island.

In 2016 ...more

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Apr 04, 2020 Gillian Odom rated it really liked it

Shelves: garbage

Thank you to Minotaur publishing and good read for this great mystery!!! The descriptions of Ireland are beautiful ! You feel like you are there in person.

I really enjoyed the characters as well. You cant help but wonder what happened to Erin. Will her cousin ever be able to solve the mystery? You can sink right into their story! I didnt guess the ending at all. What a twist! I wasnt sure who the killer was.

Pick up this story when it comes out. Something to keep your mind off things. ...more

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Mar 02, 2020 Bridgett Brown rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Maggie D'arcy's family got a call 23 years ago saying that her cousin Erin has been missing for several days. Maggie spends weeks in Ireland looking for any clue to where Erin went. Fast forward to present time and Maggie has become a detective. She still longs to know what happened to Erin, when she gets a call saying that Erin's scarf has been found and another young woman has gone missing. Determined to find out what happened once and for all she heads ...more

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Mar 18, 2020 Erin rated it really liked it

Thank you Goodreads for this ARC...I liked this book, although I have mixed feelings about the way it ended, so a solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4, because it was well written. It almost felt like Ireland was another character in the book, and probably my favorite character, as I didn't really care for Maggie. This was a good mystery that kept me guessing all the way until the end, so I would definitely read more of her books.

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Mar 01, 2020 Donna Wetzel rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads

Thanks Goodreads for my copy of The Mountains Wild: A Mystery by Sarah Stewart Taylor. I wish I could have given this book a higher rating because I loved the ending. However, there were way too many characters and possible murderers to contend with in this book. Add to that, the protagonist travels from NY to Ireland and back a few times and the book goes back in time occasionally and you better be paying close attention .

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Mar 28, 2020 Linda Pierce rated it it was amazing

Sarah Stewart Taylors book The Mountains Wild was a fascinating tale set in both Long Island, NY and in Ireland. The suspenseful plot and the well-developed characters had me captivated from the first chapter. There are lots of plot twists and it held my rapt attention through the very end. I look forward to reading more of Taylors books. Thank you to Minotaur Books for the Advance Reader Copy of this book. I highly recommend it! ...more

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Mar 22, 2020 Stace added it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, dnf

I received this as an ARC From NetGalley and after repeatedly trying to read it I gave up at 30%. Ive always had a problem with books that jump between past and present so that is definitely a me problem....but 30% in and we dont really know any more than the synopsis told us. Life is too short to stick with books that are boring you. ...more

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Mar 06, 2020 Paul marked it as to-read

A solid thriller from an experienced author. I hope she writes more in this genre. This has all the elements of a good thriller -- suspense, tension, interesting characters, good dialog, an interesting setting, along with a talented author to tell the tale in a compelling way. Enough said. This is likely to sell quite well.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

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About Sarah Stewart Taylor

Sarah Stewart Taylor

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Sarah Stewart Taylor grew up on Long Island and was educated at Middlebury College and Trinity College, Dublin, where she studied Irish Literature. She lives with her husband and three children on a farm in Vermont where they raise sheep and blueberries.

Sarah is the author of the Sweeney St. George mystery series, about an art historian who studies funerary art the art of death from Minotaur ...more