The third instalment in this collection from @sarahpearseauthor. I was not disappointed and flew through this one.

I loved The Retreat. I loved The Sanatorium. But The Wilds, there was something about it that made me fly through it - couldn’t put it down, and an easy read.

I don’t even know where to begin with this story. It ticks so many boxes - a missing person, a mystery encampment, tense relationships, and an ominous setting. I loved visiting the main character, Elin, and seeing what she got up to after her last adventure.

This book is the third in a series, which I hadn’t realised, but it absolutely works as a stand-alone and I didn’t feel that I was missing anything important from the other books to understand the character of Elin and her story.

This book is written as a dual storyline, with the perspectives of both Elin, a detective, and Kier, a woman who has disappeared in a remote national park in Portugal. I really enjoyed the way the chapters alternated between the two perspectives as you try to make sense of how the two can be linked. The chapters were also short which I love as it keeps me turning quickly through the pages to find out what happens next.

This book is full of twists and turns to keep you guessing. However, it’s not just a thriller. It’s also full of difficult and emotional themes like family relationships, abuse, violence and grief. The author has done an incredible job of weaving these themes into the story in thought-provoking ways, all with a beautiful setting and brilliant characters.

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend reading it. I may have to check out the first two books of the series too!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher (Little, Brown Book Group) for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Wilds is book #3 in the Elin Warner series. But ive read it as a standalone and thoroughly enjoyed this dark and atmospheric mystery thriller. I’ll definitely be going back to read books #1 and #2.
Set in the remote national park in Portugal. Elin and her brother Isaac are there to reconnect until he tells Elin he promised his friend he’ll help find his missing sister Kier. So Elin starts investigating.
It’s a story about family, place, emotional and physical abuse, relationships and so much more with its descriptive writing, clever twists, beautiful setting and interesting characters. It’s a real page turner that keeps you guessing until the end. It’s just brilliant.
The short chapters and dual storyline flow really well, the past and present intertwined through the POV’s of Elin and Kier.
Overall a thought provoking and character driven story. Well worth the read. I loved it.
With thanks to #NetGallery @LittleBrownBookGroup_UK for an arc of #TheWilds in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 16 July 2024.
Find my review on instagram @allthingsbookswithclaire

Detective Elin Warner finds herself investigating the disappearance of Kier, who vanished in a Portuguese national park.

I loved this compelling story centred around a missing person.

There was a constant sense of foreboding from the very beginning, it really kept me on edge. I enjoyed how I could tell that something wasn't what it seemed but couldn't quite work out the truth. It definitely kept me intrigued the whole way through.

I really like Elin's investigative style and seeing how her mind works, trying to make sense of what is going on around her.

The narrative flips back and forth between Kier's story in the past and Elin's in the present. They both feature sibling relationships and you could really see the contrast between them.

The Wilds is another brilliant book in the Elin Warner series with an incredibly atmospheric setting.

Thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley for ARC.

This is the third in a series of novels featuring Devon-based detective Elin Warner and unfortunately it was the first one I read, so perhaps I was at a disadvantage.

Warner is asked to look into the disappearance of Kier, the twin sister of Penn one of her brother Isaac's pals, who was last heard from in a wild national park in Portugal about three years earlier. The Warner siblings head out to a camping area and start to piece a timeline together. The narrative weaves between Keir's and Elin's timelines and there are difficult themes explored: family dysfunction and the weight of secrets, coercive control and violence. Unreliable testimony and memory plus some pretty shady characters abound in the wild and remote setting, even the weather adding a sense of menace.
There are plot twists aplenty and even when they strain credulity (denouement reveal, I'm looking at you) they are skilfully handled. I'm interested to pick up the previous two in this trilogy.

Absolutely one of the most engaging reads of the year so far. Bringing a conclusion to the trilogy featuring Elin Warner. Fast paced and intriguing mystery this book is a real page turner and is thriller writing to enjoy. I cannot wait to see what Sarah Pearse does next as this is a trilogy not to be missed.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

the final instalment for detective elin warner and what a book ....

Kier Templer lives her life as a drifter in her van.... her nickname from school was the monsters daughter and she hated the thought of being that person....so she lived a nomadic lifestyle and everywhere she stays she draws maps and sends them to her brother penn....

elin and her brother are holiday in portugal hoping to reconnect after the fraught time elin has been having...its also the last place that kier was seen but on discovery of the last map kier had drawn elin finds a clue...

what happens next sets everything in motion and along with a few shocks...

man this one comes with a few triggers for people who have been there before but on the whole its a brilliant storyline and one i was glad to read right to the end to find out what happened...

wonder whats next on the horizon for this author...cant wait to find out

Following the events on Reaper Rock in the previous book, Detective Elin Warner decides to take some R&R & holiday with her estranged brother, Isaac. They head to a national park in Portugal but it's not until they get there that Isaac tells her that he wants to look into the disappearance of his friend's sister. Kier Templer has never wanted to settle down & lived her life on the road. After attending her brother's wedding with her boyfriend, ex-celebrity chef Zeph, she seemingly disappeared. Has Kier just gone off-grid or is there more to her disappearance? Told from both Elin & Kier's points of view, this is a dual narrative storyline with Elin being present-day & Kier relating the events that led up to her disappearance a couple of years before.

I should have known better really. The first two books were so-so for me but I was pulled in again by the synopsis & the book cover. A book like this should take me 2 days to read tops, but this took a (seemingly very long) 4 days. I think much of it is down to the main character Elin Warner - one of the most frustrating characters ever. Does she actually do any investigating or does everything just happen around her? I'm feeling it's the latter. When work partner Steed tells her that she is one of the best detectives he's ever known I laughed almost as loud as when someone told Carrie Mathison in Homeland that she was the best agent they'd ever seen. LOL, no! On the good side, the plot itself is well worked out even if it meandered on too long.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Little, Brown Book Group UK/Sphere, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This is a twisty & atmospheric read which is the perfect conclusion to this series!
I thought the dual timeline was done really well, and I think it added extra depth to the plot. I love the way the author described the setting, I could really picture it!
This was a real page turner although it was my least favorite book in the series, it was still a gripping read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

★★★½ ROUNDED UP ⬆️ ⭐️
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I want to thank NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the opportunity to review this book.

This is definitely my favourite of the three! Firstly, I loved the setting, Sarah made Portugal sound wonderful but isolating and foreboding and my interest was piqued from the very beginning and it grew throughout. The story follows two POVs, Elins and Kiers and they're from two different time frames and it works really well, they intertwine pretty perfectly to keep adding the tension and the mystery. It was just a really solid read and the ending was satisfying! I'd definitely recommend!

Keir left her hometown to go travelling but suddenly goes off grid and her brother Penn is worried something has happened to her. Elin Warner is on holiday with her brother Isaac for the siblings to build bridges and reconnect. What Elin doesn't know is Isaac has another reason for bringing them to this place. It's the last place Keir was seen and Issac wants Elin help to find her for his friend Penn. What secrets are buried in this forest and is Elin in danger again !

I love this series. It was great to be back in the lives of Elin and Isaac. This started off quite slowly took a while to pick up but once it did it was a fast paced and twisty ride! I have had a great time with this series and I'm sorry it over 😞 Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, Little Brown Book Group and Sarah Pearse for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Wilds is the third instalment of a series which stars Detective Elin Warner. Having only read this final chapter in Elin’s journey I am definitely keen to return to books 1 and 2 of the series.
In The Wilds, Elin accompanies her brother Isaac to Portugal for, she thinks, an opportunity to recharge her batteries after a stressful time. However, things change when Isaac raises the subject of the disappearance of Kier, the sister of a friend of his (Penn) who disappeared without trace in the Portuguese Parc Nacional. He has promised Penn that while they are there, he will try to discover what happened to her. Elin becomes caught up in his attempts to trace her, meeting a group living in camper vans within the forest whose hostile attitude and claims not to have seen her don’t add up.
Narrated from both Kier and Elin’s viewpoints, the story begins with Kier, and a situation which tells the reader she is in grave danger. That was an immediate pull for me to continue, wanting to know where the story was leading.
This was a riveting read which from the very beginning held a sinister atmosphere. Something was clearly going on, but exactly what and who was responsible remained elusive. Added to this was a fantastic sense of place. The description of the parc, its raw beauty, both enticing and dangerous, wrapped itself around this story and gave it a very real feel.
The Wilds is a gripping and realistic read and I would highly recommend it. I’m also adding a note to myself to catch up with the previous two novels. This really is writing at its best.

I would like to thank Little Brown Book Publishing, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of The Wilds in exchange for an honest review.

2018. Kier is living with Zeph in her van. They are in Devon where she grew up for her twin brother's wedding. She slowly realises that their relationship is toxic and asks him to leave.
2021. Elin and her brother Isaac are in a national park in Portugal, hiking toward some airstream vans where they will be staying. They encounter a camp of several vans on the way and although friendly at first, they seem to want Elin and isaac to leave them alone. The Isaac reveals that his friend Penn has asked if they could look for his sister, Keir who has been missing for a while and last seen in the park.
What follows is a tale of lies and deceit, people they thought they could trust aren't the people they thought they were and they have to decipher the truth from the lies..

This was my first book by this author and I will certainly be reading more.

Keir Templer is a nomad. She lives with her partner Zeph, an ex-celebrity chef, in a van. She likes to always be on the move, running away from her past. Keir is an illustrator, creating maps for her clients and loves the freedom that their lifestyle gives her. No one knows that she was once called ‘the monster’s daughter.’
However, Zeph is controlling and verging on becoming a bully. But Keir tells herself that this is what attracted her to him ‘this is what you like -people with fire in their belly.’ But all is not well on this seemingly idyllic part of the Devon coastline in 2018 due to the unsolved ‘Boat murders.’
And then Keir vanishes after failing to send her brother, Penn, one of her maps. She had told him that she was travelling to Portugal now that Zeph and her were no longer together.
It’s now 2021 and DS Elin Warner is taking a holiday in Portugal’s National Park with her brother Isaac. She is recovering from previous events that included the investigation the death of Laure, Isaac’s fiancée and also being the victim of an online troll. This is a reunion for her and Isaac. But he has an ulterior motive in that Penn, Keir’s brother, has asked him to go over to Portugal and see what he can find out. And so Elin’s vacation turns into a covert investigation.
Exploring the woods, they discover a group of campers and their vans. They are fiercely protective of each other and the baby, Etta. But they are also secretive and deny any knowledge of Keir. But Elin’s suspicions are aroused when they find a bag of photos of Keir and later covert surveillance footage of her in the van.
And Elin remembers that she met Keir before after seeing her and Zeph arguing outside a club in which he pushed her against a wall. She gave Kier her card and arranged to meet her. They met but Elin got caught up the investigation into Laure’s death and the trolling and didn’t keep the subsequent appointments.
Steed, Elin’s work partner, arrives in Portugal out of the blue and declares his interest in the investigation. And Elin soon realises that their easygoing relationship and her trust in him was misplaced. But as Elin and Isaac’s investigation becomes more and more focussed on the campers she begins to be convinced that Keir was in great danger….
The is the third and final part of the Elin Warner series and it certainly goes out with a bang!. It’s s story of controlling men, gaslighting and domestic abuse and the lengths that women will go to in order to escape. And also, how easily people can vanish.
I loved the author’s descriptions of the National Park and I felt that I was there in its vastness and the power of its landscape. I felt that there could be several off-grid groups living in there!
There ere plenty of red herrings and twists which added to the suspense and claustrophobia. It’s a very character driven book and, although this is the final book in the series, I didn’t feel that the author was quite ready to let go of Elin yet. The book involved plot elements from the first 2 books but I wouldn’t say that it was necessary to read them first. The two timelines; Keir in 2028 and Elin in 2021 worked really well and there were parallels between Elin and Keir as they both wanted to escape the past.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

This was an OK read for me. Dark and atmospheric, following dual yimelines to give s good well-rounded dtory. It was a very slow-burn throughout and I feel like I was constantly waiting for it to pick up.

This is my first book by Sarah Pearse and I really enjoyed it. I didn't realise that this was the third book in the series until I started reading it and its a shame as I think I would have really liked to have read all three books. Saying that this book was still really good as a standalone as the story in itself was enjoyable and twisty and turny in a way I love. 5 stars

This is the third book in the Detective Elin Warner series. This does stand alone, so if you’ve not read the other two then you won’t miss much - there are a few references that you won’t get, but it’s not going to be of any detriment to you.

I loved The Sanatorium, and The Retreat, so I had high hopes for this one. For me personally, this falls a bit flat, I didn’t find it overly exciting or tense like her other books, and it just seemed to fizzle out.

However, it’s still a good read, and worthy of three stars.

My thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the detective in this book so was so brave a d courageous and it added to the suspense for me in the story. It was such a usually setting for a book and I loved the difference scene for a thriller. I loved how the author made me suspect everyone and I couldn’t work out who was guilty and what had happened. One of the best reads so far this year

I didn't realise this was the third book in a series but it didn't stop me enjoying it.
I really liked it, it was like being off grid, and a proper good mystery read.
Will definitely read more from this author.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Elin Warner is investigating the mystery disappearance of a woman, Kier. Kier has left her hometown and twin behind, which her twin finds concerning. When Elin travels to Portugal on holiday, she finds a camp that may hold the clues to what happened to Kier.

This is the third book in this series. I read book one and enjoyed it, however I am yet to read book two. This one sounded really intriguing so I was keen to pick it up. The characters are strongly written and there is a creepy sense of unease throughout. You really get a feel for the atmosphere and there is a great mystery at the centre of it all. It is told in the voice of Kier and Elin, which both worked well, however I felt myself gravitating towards Kiers side more.

Although this was well written, I didn’t feel fully connected to Elin and I wasn’t keen on the majority of the names. I found this to be rather slow paced which sometimes felt very drawn out and I found myself not fully concentrating. Although this was fine reading without reading book two first, I think I personally would have got a lot more out of the story if I did read in order. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.