A History of Wild Places is an immersive and thrilling mystery. Travis Wren is a private investigator who goes missing in search of eccentric children’s author Maggie St. James. Between flashbacks to his search and present day life in an insular community known only as Pastoral, a sinuous tale of community and secrecy unfolds. What really happened to Maggie and where is Travis?

There is a hypnotic quality about A History of Wild Places. I easily devoured it in a day because I was so swept up in unlocking the mystery within the woods. As I read, I felt fingertips on the back of my neck, the haunting whisper of the trees, and the heavy weight of concealed secrets. I won’t say much about the plot itself as it is a mystery after all- only to entreat you to read it and be lost in the mysterious power of Pastoral. To say it’s atmospheric is an understatement; I felt completely transported to this small community where technology and outsiders are held at bay by the existence of a mysterious pox that threatens them.

Along with the characters, I was mystified by the pox and deeply curious about what lay outside Pastoral. As all the pieces of the puzzle came together, I was spellbound until the very last page. This book gave me the sense of standing completely alone in a forest as a cloud covers the sun overhead and throws the world into ominous shadow- and I loved it. Ernshaw writes with a dry wit and measured pacing. As she carefully reveals clues, she unravels engrossing characters with fiercely-held secrets. Ernshaw’s writing is stark and lyrical- compelling you to look deeper into the rotten core of Pastoral and examine the true nature of people. I couldn’t look away!

If you’ve ever wondered about the power of community belief, what lies deep in the trees, and wish to be utterly swept away - you need to read A History of Wild Places. Thank you so much to Shea Ernshaw, Atria Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.