I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I had high hopes for this because I had spoken to people about it who said it captivated them from page 1. Sadly, I did not enjoy it. It had thrilling parts but did not hold my attention.

I think had I read previous books featuring Elin, or by this author then I would have got into this a lot quicker.

As it is it took me until around 50% to really start to grip me, at which point I really was enjoying it

But I hadn't realised initially based on the Netgalley listing that is was part of a series and thus a lot of what in Elin's sections were being referenced I had the feeling I was meant to know stuff.

Which was slightly off putting

But I was interested in Kier's disappearance, even if I had guessed early on who was most likely behind it, I needed to know how it happened. And there were certainly some gasp out loud moments.

I did though love the writing style, the short snappy chapters alternating between the two stories.

Thank you to Sphere and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

The Wilds is the 3rd and final book featuring Detective Elin Warner.

Elin is on what she thought was a holiday in a National Park hiking and reconnecting with her brother Isaac. Instead, he tells her that he promised to look into the disappearance of his friend Penn’s twin sister.

While Elin doesn't want to get involved she is soon caught up in the mystery. A nearby group of campers give off a strange vibe and Elin is sure they know more about Kier’s time in the area than they are telling Elin.

Told from alternating chapters of the past and the present this was an atmospheric mystery something that we have come to know about Sarah Pearse’s writing.

Thank you to @netgalley for the eARC.

I have read all of Sarah Pearse's books now, and all of them are just amazing - she is an incredibly talented writer.

This story also features Detective Elin Warner, someone we have become familiar with in the first two books - it centres around a missing person and we see the timeline of that person in the past and of Elin's timeline now. It's creep and sets the scenes very well you almost feel as though you're there with the characters.

I eagerly await what Sarah Pearse has for us next.

I really Pearse's Elin Warner series. Elin is a fantastic protagonist, and I was really eager to read The Wilds.

In this book, we're introduced to Kier, a perpetual drifter living her best #vanlife. Kier fled her hometown years before, leaving her twin brother, Penn, behind, when their mother committed a now infamous crime. She is haunted by the past, but one thing has always bound her to her brother, the distinctive maps she designs of the places she’s explored. While exploring a national park in Portugal with her partner, Kier abruptly goes off-grid. When he doesn't receive her latest map, Penn knows something is seriously wrong.

Elin Warner is on vacation with her brother Isaac in the same national park in Portugal. She's on leave from work, focused on down-time and reconnecting with Isaac. When she discovers Kier’s disturbing final map, it seems the park - and the members of a camp buried deep in the forest - holds clues to what happened to Kier.

After a sinister discovery, Elin is shocked to learn Kier's disappearance is more personal to her than she’d ever imagined. And as she seeks the truth, Elin soon finds the wilderness hides something far darker than shifting shadows.

If you like twisty, female-led thrillers, you'll love this gripping, atmospheric tale of family, childhood trauma, and coercive control.

This is the third book by Sarah Pearse featuring Elin Warner. I read and enjoyed The Sanatorium but I'm yet to read The Retreat. I was a bit concerned that Elin is a bit too much of a wishy-washy character to head up a police procedural novel, but like with The Sanatorium, this follows Elin while she's off duty, on a break in Portugal which unexpectedly turns into an off-the-record missing persons investigation. In this situation, it doesn't matter that Elin lacks any real steel to her personality, because the reader doesn't need to believe that she could conceivably head up a team of detectives. The book is also split across dual perspectives, so we can see for ourselves the build-up to the missing woman's disappearance, which adds extra interest to the story.

I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting story, told at a good pace, and I was invested in finding out what had happened to the missing characters. I warmed to Elin more in this story than I had in the first, and overall I liked the novel.

An engrossing book, with a satisfyingly twisty plot, and good characters. I found the ending slightly abrupt, but satisfying nonetheless.

This thriller starts really well, with a couple doing their own thing away from expectations and a sinister feel. I felt it lost the way a little as the story went on and I tried to keep up with who was doing what and why.

This is the perfect book to end this trilogy of which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed! I love the authors writing style and settle in from page one! Really worth the read! Loved it! I shall miss this series!

The Wilds is an atmospheric thriller that plunges readers deep into a remote wilderness where danger lurks behind every shadow. Sarah Pearse skillfully crafts a chilling sense of isolation and suspense, drawing on the harsh beauty of nature to amplify the tension. As secrets unravel among the characters, each twist pulls you further into a haunting mystery where survival isn’t just a physical struggle but a psychological one. Pearse’s vivid prose and sharp pacing make this a gripping page-turner that will keep readers guessing until the very end. Perfect for fans of thrillers that explore the dark side of human resilience and hidden motives.

This is the third and final instalment in author Sarah Pearse’s detective Elin Warner series, and I’m kicking myself for skipping the first two, as while this was an enjoyable read, there were lots of references that went over my head. Tip: Don’t approach this as a standalone!

Set in the wild mountains of a Portuguese national park, this is nevertheless a tense, dark, atmospheric read with the kind of whiplash twists I love (although there were a couple I guessed). The plot involves the search for missing drifter Kier, who was last seen at a semi-permanent camp hidden deep in the forest. The campers are an impenetrable bunch and perfect fodder for Pearse’s penchant for misdirection, which proved the perfect foil to my sleuthing skills.

Will I go back and read the first two books? Most definitely. I need to know Elin’s back story.

Kier goes missing whilst in Portugal. Her twin bother Penn asks his friend Isaac to look for his sister. Erin, Isaac’s sister comes with him to the vast National Park to help look for Kier. Erin, a detective needs time out to decompress after a very stressful case and threatening stalking. Kier, an artist with a boyfriend who was a very successful chef who needed to recharge his batteries.

The story is told from Kier’s perspective in the time leading up to her disappearance and from Erin’s in the current time.

I loved reading this book, so well written, I felt like was there. Sometimes the I had to stop reading as the tension was so high.

Ever since the sanatorium I have loved this author and this book is just as fast paced and addictive.

Will always read a new Sarah Pearse novel, The Sanatorium was one of my favourite thrillers of the last ten years. I really enjoyed The Wilds, as always, so moreish and vivid descriptions. Highly recommend to everyone.

Having previously read book 1 and 2 of Sarah’s books, I knew I was going to enjoy this book, i read this book in 3 days as couldn’t put it down, would recommend it to others. I enjoyed it and have bought a hard copy of the book to my collection.

This is one of the most gripping and addictive stories I've read in a while. I literally couldn't put it down. It's a skilful blend of domestic abuse situations along with the mystery of a missing person. The characters are well written and I thought the book was very cleverly put together. More please from this talented author.

I read the description and was really looking forward to reading this, until I realised it was written by Sarah Pearse. Pearse has the ability to think up brilliant storylines, however, she can’t deliver on the actual writing. This is my third Pearse novel and I can safely say, her books are not for me.

This one finds detective Elin, on holiday with her brother, when she’s brought into a missing person’s mystery.

First of all, I find her main protagonist Elin really irritating. She’s deemed to be this amazing investigator, but I don’t see it; more often than not, she falls upon the answer rather than does anything to work it out. I also find her quite cold and I just haven’t been able to connect to her on any level.

In The Wilds, Pearse sensibly adds in a second protagonist and half of the opening chapters are from her (Kier’s) point of view. She's definitely more readable in comparison (not sure how much of a compliment that is), however, when her chapters stop, it’s back to the single narration and me being irritated by Elin.

Personally, I find Pearse’s writing very stodgy and lacking in character development. The novel is overly long which means the plot drags and honestly, it’s just boring. Her characters are bland and the relationship are stilted.

I also found the ending utterly ridiciulous.

Not for me.

The Wilds is Sarah Pearse's newest mystery thriller that plunges readers into the eerie isolation of a remote national park. After a childhood trauma, Kier Templer abandoned her hometown and twin sister to wander the world, but the two remained in contact—until Kier mysteriously vanished during a trip to a national park in Portugal.

Detective Elin Warner, who also arrives at the park to retreat into the wilderness, soon learns of Kier’s disappearance. She stumbles upon a disturbing map Kier left behind and quickly finds herself in a web of secrets as she questions the park’s few occupants. The seemingly serene beauty of the park quickly turns dark and threatening as Elin follows the clues to unravel Kier’s fate. But with every step she takes, danger seems to close in. Following the trail is perilous, and Elin must watch her back as she ventures deeper into the unknown.

Sarah Pearse masterfully crafts a tale filled with chilling suspense and psychological intrigue. The Wilds harnesses the power of an unsettling, isolated setting, drawing readers into a dense, atmospheric mystery that taps into fears of being truly alone in the wild. Pearse combines psychological depth with hair-raising tension as she explores trauma, survival, and the unpredictability of human behaviour when cut off from the rest of the world.

Detective Elin Warner returns as a compelling protagonist, facing both the demons of her past and the chilling mystery surrounding Kier’s disappearance. The wild and menacing national park, much like the Alps in Pearse’s previous work, becomes a character of its own, creating a sense of unease that lingers long after the book ends.

Themes
- Isolated Setting
- Missing Person Mystery
- Psychological Thriller
- Sinister Locals

The Wilds is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller perfect for fans of atmospheric mysteries that blend psychological tension with heart-pounding action. Sarah Pearse once again showcases her ability to keep readers guessing with every twist and turn, making this a must-read for thriller enthusiasts.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as I’d really enjoyed this authors other novels.
I was ever so slightly disappointed with this one. It didn’t seem to have the same, for want of a better word, Oomp of her other novels. I kept on waiting for something to happen. Although the ending had a bit of a twist I still found it lacking in something. Having said that though it was quite a good read.
4⭐️’s

The Wilds is the third book in the Detective Elin Warner series and this time tells the story of troubled twin, Kier, who left her hometown and her mother's murderous reputation behind. But her twin brother worries that something isn't right and Elin and her brother are soon on the case to track Kier down. Before long they unearth secrets that make Kier's disappearance much more personal to them.

I think I need to admit that this series just isn't for me. I've read all three books, and I just struggle to get into them. I'm not sure if it's that I can't connect with the characters or something else.

The books are not badly written, I just couldn't get into them, which was really disappointing. I don't think they're bad books, they're just not for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.