Wild Dark Shore

The five characters’ internal narratives reveal private fears, guilts, and hopes, but their difficulty communicating, especially to those they love, puts everyone in peril. McConaghy writes about both nature and human frailty with eloquent generosity. Readers won’t want to leave behind the imagined world of pain and beauty that McConaghy has conjured.

KIRKUS (starred review)

McConaghy’s descriptions of nature’s glory and terror are galvanic, the psychological struggles wrenching, the suspenseful action spectacularly choreographed. McConaghy has attained new heights of intensity and lacerating ecological conviction in this complexly plotted, tragic, and all-consuming tale of the battle to survive in a catastrophically changing world.

BOOKLIST (starred review)

At once a gripping mystery, an exquisitely written ode to the natural world, and a taut, psychological thriller, Wild Dark Shore is a triumph. Charlotte McConaghy is masterful in her ability to show the intricate connections between place and the human heart, and Wild Dark Shore shows her at the height of her powers. Breathtaking.

HANNAH KENT

Thrilling, romantic, and with an atmosphere of gothic mystery, Wild Dark Shore contains echoes of Hannah Kent and Daphne du Maurier, overlaid with timely modern-day concerns.

BOOKS + PUBLISHING

‘A breathtaking novel of romance, mystery and twists that will shock you...I love this book so much.’

Reese Witherspoon

‘A wildly talented writer.’

Emily St. John Mandel

‘Spellbinding… captivating ... exceptionally imagined, thoroughly humane.’

Washington Post

‘Vivid… moving… Abounds with evocative nature writing.’

New York Times Book Review

‘A ferociously smart read, timely and poetic, and had me gripped from the very first page.’

Rachel Joyce

‘Enthralling … A finely written novel that’s also a family saga — the kids, Raff, Fen and Orly, are brilliantly portrayed — a masterclass in using multiple perspectives, and an evocation of an ecosystem that’s both poetic and science-driven.’

Sunday Times