my review can be seen on rtbookreviews.com

It all began on a Scottish estate. The shooting of a known poacher and stabbing of the gameskeeper. Now, 5 years later, we tease apart the lives of those involved as they take a trip to the Canadian wilderness for some trout fishing. Evelyn Ballantyre has for once been allowed off the estate, where she is bored and lonely. It is the friendship with a servant her father misconstrued that gives her this reprieve. Once in Canada on the Nipigon, she discovers the guide is her one time friend and former stablehand James, the man believed to have committed the two killings 5 years previous. The story weaves together the thoughts, recollections and experiences of these characters in a seamless way. Each bit gradually builds us to the answers all of them have sought, the full picture of not only that night but the time that has passed.

I loved not only the characters, with Evelyn and James being my favorites, but the character that is the Nipigon. Beautifully described, these harsh and yet stunning places come alive.

Captivating characters and imagery, but the ending made a farce of the whole and was trite and tired.

Beyond the wild river by Sarah Maine. I can't slog any farther into this-- and I admit I'm not terribly far in anyway. The writing tortures me; each sentence has been organized, every word chosen to wring the most possible melodrama out of each syllable. *hand to forehead* I simply can't go on.