A great historical drama told in the 1890's about a Scottish heiress who encounters her childhood friend 5 years after she disappeared on the night of a double murder.

Lovely descriptive writing about New York City, the World's Fair in Chicago and the Nipigon river in Canada, which made me want to visit all these places now. An interesting book from an historical point of view as well as the mystery of her friend's disappearance and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

Adequate but slightly overwritten. I wasn't convinced by the majority of the story and the ending was a bit flat.

Good book. Good author. Loved the characters and the plot. Look forward to reading more of her work.

Enjoyable historical mystery set in Scotland, America and Canada. Possibly a little on the forgettable side but I read it pretty quickly, loved the setting and mystery part of the storyline and liked most of the characters. I'd read more novels by Sarah Maine.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

Enjoyable historical novel set on a Scottish estate and in the wilds of Canada in the late 1800s, and full of intrigue, murder, blackmail, sexual attraction across the class divide, a feisty young woman and secrets, lies and deceit. What’s not to like? Can’t say I cared about any of the characters, and the plot is unconvincing to say the least, but the historical detail is well-researched and feels authentic, the story rattles along at a good pace and it’s all nicely tied up at the end. I put my critical faculties to one side and just went along for the ride. Good fun.

I love books about 19th century women who are standing up to men! Interesting characters, lovely setting with an intriguing story...

1888- James, a former poachers assistant, is taken into The Ballantyre house after the poacher Jacko is arrested. James finds that he enjoys the stability of life in The Ballantyre house, especially when he is put in charge of riding lessons with Ballantyre's daughter, Evelyn. When Jacko is murdered during a shooting party, blame immediately falls on James. Terrified and not knowing where to turn James runs.

1893- When Evelyn accompanies her father on a fishing trip to Canada she is expecting to have a relaxing trip and lots of quality time with her largely absent father. The last thing she was expecting was to meet James again. Now working as a river guide, James seems very different to the boy she used to know in Scotland. A surprise addition to their party threatens to ruin their trip as tensions rise, accusations are made and the truth about Jacko's murder threatens to spill out.

This is a fantastic piece of historical fiction and one that I really didn't want to end! The author's beautiful descriptions really draw the reader in and helps give you a sense of time and place. The descriptions of the fishing trip were brilliant and made me feel like I was right there, in the canoe, watching all the events unfold. It was fascinating to learn more about how people used to travel, what it involved and what type of stuff they were expected to bring. The inclusion of a water closet for the ladies would be unthinkable now! It was also very interesting to learn more about the world fair and what types of exhibits they had.

The characters were all brilliantly evoked and very likable. The stand out character for me was James. I immediately liked him and felt strong sympathy towards him. He has strong principles and stands by them no matter what is thrown at him, which made me admire him. The relationship he has with Evelyn was lovely to read about too. He is so sweet, gentle and kind to her that I fell a little in love with him! I also ended up liking Ballantyre, though I initially didn't. He is a very clever and ruthless character but he stands up for justice despite what it might cost him and is quite fair in his dealing with everyone.

I thought the ending was great. The reader is kept guessing until pretty much the last few pages as to how it will end and who will win. The tension was almost unbearable as I waited to see how it would play out and I was very pleased by the outcome. I didn't want the book to end where it did as I would have loved to have found out what happened next. I'm hopeful that the author might write a sequel though!

This is Sarah Maine's second book though the first book of hers that i have read. I will definitely be reading more of her books in future.

Thank you Emily Kitchin, Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for my copy of this book. If you like beautiful historical fiction, rich in historical detail with a bit of a mystery you'll love this book!

19 year old Evie has lived a sheltered life on her father's vast Scottish estate. Her father has been distant with her for several years and even more so since Evie was silly enough to have an assignation with a groom. Now however he has allowed her to travel across the Atlantic to join him in Chicago and then on to Canada for a fishing expedition. Accompanied by her father's business colleague and a married friend from home Evie experiences the World's Fair in Chicago but her father is preoccupied by business. Arriving in Canada the group is joined by Dalston the second son of an Earl and neighbour from home but more disconcertingly one of their guides turns out to be James, a former servant and someone accused of murder before fleeing. James and Evie's father both have secrets and Evie struggles to decide which she can trust.

This is not really the sort of book that I would think about reading but there are some positive reviews and I thought I'd give it go. I'm really pleased that I did. OK, the plot is risible in places - murder, blackmail, business swindles and fly fishing - with a heavy does of social consciousness and class warfare. However the setting on the Nipigon River in Northern Ontario is described beautifully and with real passion. It's not a particularly taxing or heavy read but provides a light escapism.

Beyond the Wild River, Sarah Maine

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Historical fiction

I was intrigued by this tale, a young lady didn't often get the chance for adventure that Evelyn has with the Canada journey.

I really enjoyed the story, its beautifully written, felt very evocative of the time period and the wilderness of the lands. The philosophy that creeps in too, the unfairness of UK laws, where Ballantyre gets taken to task by a poacher of "his" salmon, the dichotomy of whether people can actually own salmon and other creatures just because they're passing through their land. that could be taken further - who says land belongs to them....interesting points and fitted very well within the story as it unfolds. 

I liked the mix of people included, and the descriptions of the journey and the camps.
I felt for James, from a child he'd been placed in an unfair situation, and life then was very much dependent on who you were when you were born.
Corruption, bribery, turning a blind eye all played a part if the perpetrators of a crime were wealthy, titled whereas everyone else caught the full throw of the law for tiny offences. 

I loved Evelyn, and poor Clemmy, caught up in a journey she really wasn't suited for. Evelyn has a spirit of adventure, Clemmy really belongs in a place where she can be indulged, surrounded by luxuries and cosseted hand and foot!
Evelyn chafed against the restrictions placed on a young lady of the time and fell into the adventure whole-heartedly, happy to rough it and live so very differently. 

What I did find hard to take though was that the story was very slow, lacked any real drama in the first 2/3 rds.
We're gradually learning about the mystery of Jacko's death and the repercussions but the story itself, though so beautifully written didn't keep me engaged and i did put it aside several times which is unusual for me. I like to read a book in two or preferably one sitting(s).

Stars: four, a lovely read for the time and descriptions of the wilderness but the story itself lacked pace at times for me

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

A poacher on a Scottish estate is shot and killed, James Douglas is wrongly accused and flees to the wilderness of Canada working as a guide.
Five years after the shooting, Charles Ballentyre and daughter Evelyn travel to Canada, Charles for business reasons and Evelyn fleeing a naive encounter with a stable hand.
What they do not expect is to discover their guide in Canada's wild forests is none other than James Douglas.. Their travelling companions Lord and Lady Melton, Niels Larsen and Rupert Dalston have no idea who James is, but as their journey continues so the tensions rise and secrets begin to be revealed.
The story switches back and forth between past and present and the true events of that tragic night begin to surface.
Simmering in the background is the growing love between Evelyn and James adding that little extra to the story.
Whats sets this novel apart from others of the same ilk is the setting. The wilds of Canada add to the sense of isolation and danger, heightening the intensity and drama. The novel is a little slow paced in the beginning but soon speeds up as it hurtles towards a dramatic last few chapters.
The characters are perfectly in sync with 1800's society apart from that of Evelyn, whose feisty character and her desire to buck against the traditional role of women in the 1800's set her apart from the others. Her unwavering loyalty to James and her belief that love can cross class boundaries were a real highlight of the story.
The writing was very cinematic in its descriptions and I would love to see it made into a film. It would have all the required elements, a feisty female character, an attractive male lead, a scoundrel and a real sense of tension and drama.
If you like historical fiction with a difference then this is definitely a novel to read, savour and enjoy.