The Wilds (Detective Elin Warner, #3) by Sarah Pearse (Goodreads Author)

Amy Caudill‘s review

May 28, 2026 

The Wilds (Detective Elin Warner, #3) by Sarah Pearse (Goodreads Author)

Amy Caudill‘s review

May 28, 2026 

This third book in the Elin Warner series by author Sarah Pearse features our heroine on a family vacation with her estranged brother, Isaac, to a national park in Portugal. In the last book, The Retreat, Detective Elin had begun repairing the relationship with her brother as she investigated a series of murders in a property he had developed. Now, Isaac has invited her on this trip to recover from those events, but also with an ulterior motive. He hopes to assist his friend Penn, whose sister has gone missing in that same park.

Unknown to Isaac, and even Elin at first, her path had crossed with the missing Kier before during a time Elin was dealing with a lot of emotional turmoil, and she had failed to follow up with the troubled woman. Now guilt as well as her own sense of duty as a detective lead her to pursue the case.

The novel goes back and forth between points of view of the missing Kier, in the past, and Elin, in the present, but as each change is a different chapter it is not too difficult to follow as the plot is unveiled one missing piece at a time. Kier had lived a troubled life, seeking solace on the road and ultimately traveling with a love interest, Zeph, who was a famous chef whose attitude ruined his career. Was Zeph involved in Kier’s disappearance? Since three years have passed, the trail for clues is cold and people who knew the couple present conflicting reports of their relationship.

Several twists and turns will present the sleuthing duo with obstacles, including a surprising connection between Elin and Penn that throws her completely for a loop. When no one is whom they seem to be, and everyone appears to have assumed identities and suspected motives, who can they trust for information? While this story may not have as much action as the previous books in the series, it does contain an absorbing mystery that will keep the reader guessing until the very end.

I enjoyed this novel very much and award it five stars for an interesting mystery that successfully deals with several sensitive topics, including abuse and trauma, with a very satisfying conclusion.