The Wilds

A Novel

By: Sarah Pearse

Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden

“An atmospheric chiller with shocking twists.” —Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

Detective Elin Warner unravels the mystery behind the disappearance of a young woman in a propulsive new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium

Since the dark events that scarred her childhood, Kier Templer escaped her hometown to live life on the road. She and her twin have 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 an isolated campsite close ranks against Elin’s 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...

Sarah Pearse brilliantly introduced readers to Elin Warner in The Sanatorium, with her exploits continuing in The Retreat; here, the series concludes with The Wilds, where the unanswered questions plaguing Elin are finally resolved.

Twists you don't see coming

Loved this book as the last one in this 3 part series. Hoping author writes a 4th installment. Plot lines that weave through all 3 books make it a must read. Just when you think you have it figured out, you don't.

Well worth the wait…

Loved it from the beginning to the end! Plot was interesting and kept my attention the entire book!

Sarah Pearse does it again

the narration is fantastic
the story is deep and winding
I was hooked from the beginning

More great storytelling

Wonderful book however I enjoyed the other two stories by Sarah Pearse more. This is the first audiobook of hers I’ve listened to and the narration is really well done.

Best of the trilogy!

I've really enjoyed all three books telling Elin's tale, and this last one is my favorite. If I could have, I would have listened/read in one sitting. I bought both the Kindle and Audible editions, and enjoyed being able to go back and forth between the two. I only had the audio edition for the first two. The narration by Elizabeth Knowelden is top notch, and the story kept me hooked to the end. I loved the twists and turns; one twist in particular took me completely by surprise.

Sarah Pearse weaves a gripping psychological thriller that takes hold of your imagination and builds suspense until you're fully in its thrall. She builds characters who are real: not just likable, but also relatably imperfect, complete with depth and messy feelings. In this latest installment we see further emotional growth for Elin, personally and in her relationships.

This time the mystery is set against a breathtaking backdrop of the national forest in Portugal, and brings back
a couple familiar characters. It confronts some difficult themes without being maudlin or preachy. I was especially intrigued by the role of maps in this book. I found myself wishing I could create documents of the type she describes; ones so beautifully mapping places of emotional significance.

I am going to miss Elin, and hope maybe someday we will get to revisit her world through the words of Sarah Pearse.