Beyond the Wild River

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!