Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy @charlottemcconaghy @coopmortlockva @littrelly.speaking @saskiaaudio @macmillan.audio @macmillanaudio.bsky.social #WildDarkShore

the setup…
Shearwater is a small (fictional) island near Antarctica used to house the world’s largest seed bank because of climate change. Its only residents are Dominic Salt as caretaker and his three children, Raff, Fen and Orly. It once included researchers but the island is now at risk itself due to rising sea levels. Following a ferocious storm like no other, daughter Fen finds a woman washed ashore…alive. As they nurse Rowan back to health, Dominic becomes suspicious as to why she came there and she believes he’s not being entirely truthful of the whereabouts of the researchers.

the heart of the story…
If ever there’s a story where the setting dominates and resonates, this is that book. The natural beauty of the island’s starkness and wildlife inhabitants is eloquently presented, the rough and the lovely. I felt like I’d been transported to a National Geographic setting. I grappled with whether Dominic had made the right decision to move his family there, isolated from the world but they seemed to thrive. Even I knew both Daniel and Rowan were hiding something that, against the island backdrop, made this feel a bit sinister.

the narration…
It’s a full cast narration featuring Cooper Mortlock, Katherine Littrell, Saskia Maarleveld and Steve West and all did a great job of storytelling. Additionally, their subtle tones befit the stark setting.

the bottom line…
The mystery element takes a back seat to the loveliness of the writing and respect given to the natural habitat. The references to climate change were in the context of the story and the island’s deterioration. I’ll never forget the scene where the family rescues a humpback whale and her pup. I was more engaged with the island than solving the mystery, which was fine with me.

Book Info

• Release Date: March 4, 2025
• Narrators: Cooper Mortlock, Katherine Littrell, Saskia Maarleveld & Steve West
• Audio Length: 9 hours, 58 minutes
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio

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