Beyond the Wild River

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Pub Date 20 Apr 2017 | Archive Date 10 Jan 2018

Description

From the author of The House Between Tides, comes an atmospheric and stunningly evocative historical novel. Perfect for fans of Eowyn Ivey's To the Bright Edge of the World, Stef Penney's Under a Pole Star, and Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent.

'Maine skilfully balances a Daphne du Maurier atmosphere with a mystery... compelling' Kirkus Reviews

Scotland,1893. Nineteen-year-old Evelyn Ballantyre, the daughter of a wealthy landowner, has rarely strayed from her family's estate in the Scottish Borders. She was once close to her philanthropist father, but his silence over what really happened on the day a poacher was shot on estate land has come between them.

An invitation to accompany her father to Canada is a chance for Evelyn to escape her limited existence. But once there, on the wild and turbulent Nipigon river, she is shocked to discover that their guide is James Douglas, Ballantyre's former stable hand, and once her friend. He disappeared the night of the murder, charged with the shooting.

Evelyn never believed that James was guilty - and her father's role in the killing has always been mysterious. What does he have to hide? In the wild landscape of a new world, far from the constraints of polite society, the secrets and lies surrounding that night are finally stripped away, with dramatic consequences.

From the author of The House Between Tides, comes an atmospheric and stunningly evocative historical novel. Perfect for fans of Eowyn Ivey's To the Bright Edge of the World, Stef Penney's Under a...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781473639683
PRICE £14.99 (GBP)
PAGES 400

Average rating from 11 members


Featured Reviews

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!

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