I have read the previous two books in this series, so was interested to rejoin Detective Elin Warner, this time not at work, but holidaying with her brother Isaac in Portugal in 2021.

I found this book a real slow burn telling the story of the disappearance of Kier back in 2018. There are two locations (Cornwall and Portugal) and two timelines running, the build up to the disappearance (2018) and Kier’s story, her relationship with Zeph and the build up to her twin brother’s wedding (Penn) and the 2021 holiday / search for clues.

The story is quite intriguing but personally I found it difficult to connect with so many characters and it took too long for the plot to develop. I did eventually enjoy the read and the development of the plot towards the end of the book.

I couldn't get into this book despite loving the first book about the main character. I think it was because there were numerous people at the start of the story and I couldn't figure out how they were linked. I do enjoy the style of this author's writing though.

Thanks to Netgalley and Author and Publisher for the arc of The Wilds by Sarah Pearse

5 stars what’ a brilliant page turner with twists and made me want to read more I loved it all recommend to all Loved loved loved it

This is the third installment in Sarah Pearse’s series featuring Elin Warner. While I’ve read and enjoyed The Sanatorium, I haven’t yet gotten to The Retreat. I initially had some reservations about Elin, finding her a bit too indecisive to convincingly lead a police procedural. However, much like in The Sanatorium, this story sees her off-duty, taking a break in Portugal that unexpectedly turns into an unofficial missing persons case. In this context, her lack of assertiveness feels less like a flaw, since she’s not required to command a team of investigators.

The narrative alternates between dual perspectives, which allows readers to witness the events leading up to the woman’s disappearance firsthand—adding another engaging layer to the plot.

I found the book enjoyable overall. The pacing was solid, the mystery compelling, and I became genuinely curious about the fate of the missing characters. I also found myself connecting with Elin more this time around, and ended up liking the novel as a whole.

This was a gripping read from the first to last page. Unexpected twists and turns with an ending I did not see coming. Set in a national park in Portugal trying to locate a missing woman. The descriptions of the park actually makes the reader feel like they are there. There is a camp in the area with a community who are very close and not willing to help with the investigation.
This is a must read for anyone who likes a psychological ride.

Brilliant.
This is the third series of the Detective Elin Warner series and it really didn’t disappoint.
Well paced gripping and interesting and at times extremely claustrophobic.
A great read with a brilliant twist you won’t see coming!!
More please .

I feel like I’ve had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this series. The first book was the best, the second book was ok, this third book was also - ok. I feel they are all far too long, the premise of each story is really good, but the middle third of each just drags/nothing happens. I actually skipped 100 pages in this book as I literally kept falling asleep or my mind wandered. Having just reread the blurb I don’t feel like much else happened.

Even if my health would require lighter and less tense read I couldn't stop reading this one and thoroughly enjoyed it
Well plotted, fasta paced, twisty
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I read and enjoyed the author’s first book in the Elin Warner series and DNF’d the second, so I went into this one hoping it would be as good as the first. It was. I really enjoyed hhs setting of this one. There were some really interesting characters and some twists and turns. I’m looking forward to the fourth. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers.

This is the third instalment of the Detective Elin Warner books. Handily it didn’t require me to have read the other 2 first (although I’m going to now after having read this one)
A twisty psychological thriller themed book which took me a little while to get hooked but once I was a little way in I just had to keep reading.
Written from multiple points of view this dark, twisty book is well worth a read.

The Wilds is a psychological thriller and the third instalment of Detective Elin Warner series.

I had a bit of trouble because it's actually set in my home country, Portugal, and while it helped being more immersive it was a bit of a hold back. It was a dark and tense thriller. It only really hooked me about half way through the story.

But it was a nice read, i just had high hopes for this one, since i loved the previous ones.

Another great read from Sarah. I don't think this kicked off so well as her others but, it picked up quickly and I raced through it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The Wilds by Sarah Pearse is a psychological thriller and the third book in the Detective Elin Warner series.
KierTempler lives the life of a perpetual drifter, always on the road. Kier is haunted by her past, but was always close to her brother. She would always send him distinctive maps of places she had explored.
Penn knows when she stops sending him the maps something has happened to her Elin Warner is on holiday with het twin brother, Issac in a national park in Portugal- the last place Kier was seen.
After a series of incidents that happen Elin knows that she will have to find out what happened to Kier, for her own peace of mind. The investigation uncovers secrets that have been safely for years.
Highly recommended

After the dark events that scarred her childhood, Kier Templer escaped her hometown and twin to live her life on the road. They've never lost contact until, on a trip to a Portuguese national park, Kier vanishes without a trace.
Detective Elin Warner arrives in the same park ready to immerse herself in its vast wilderness - only to hear about Kier's disappearance, and discover a disturbing map she left behind. The few strangers at the isolated camp close ranks against her questions, and the park's wild beauty starts to turn sinister.
Elin must untangle the clues to find out what really happened to Kier. But when you follow a trail, you have to be careful to watch your back...

I really enjoyed this, the third in the series featuring Detective Elin Warner. I think it helps to have read the first two, there are references to what has happened previously in Elin's life, plus they are both a great read. I felt this story worked well in rounding out the history between Elin and her brother Isaac as they take this trip together. A good thriller, tense and quite dark at times. The Portuguese setting was beautifully immersive. Recommended!

The Wilds is an atmospheric, well-written, thriller book. I loved the isolated setting and being introduced to characters who choose to live off grid, in the wilds. There are some intense themes which are explored within this book, including domestic abuse, and we hear the story from multiple points of view. Overall, I was fully immersed in this book and would recommend it to other. Thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy!

I'm not sure why, but this book just didn't grab me. I liked the premise and the setup was interesting, but I kept putting it aside and forgetting about it - entirely a Me issue, not vibing with the tone, I think.

I'll likely try again in future, but it was a DNF for me this time. Apologies.

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was blown away by the fast pace and dark content. Such a good read I devoured it in 2 days.

Another brilliant book from Sarah Pearse
This kept me hooked from the start and I loved the back and forth in timelines and POV throughout, switching between Kier in the past and Elin while she is investigating where Keir has disappeared too (this literally kept me guessing until the reveal). There were twists I didn’t see coming and I loved how it all came together at the end.
You could probably read this book as a standalone, however knowing Elin’s past, I feel, made the book more rounded and showed her character development more. Plus, they were also five star reads for me so I highly recommend them!

Elon and her brother Isaac are holidaying in Portugal in an effort to reconnect. However unknown to Elin, Isaac has agreed to look into the disappearance of a friend’s sister last seen in the same park.
This is certainly a page turner and told alternately by Elin in the present and Kier in the past. This style of writing often adds to the page turning quality but personally in find it somewhat annoying. There is a lot going on in this book, sibling relationships, romantic relationships, a group living in an encampment but I found the overall plot repetitive and weak.

Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

A suspenseful, twist-filled book that I couldn’t put down. The surprises came fast and hard, making for a truly gripping story.