Once there were wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

Inti Flynn has come to Scotland with her twin sister Aggie as leader of a group hoping to reintroduce gray wolves into the Scottish Highlands. She, like her sister, is damaged, unable to trust anyone, but as the wolves begin to settle down, she too begins to open up and starts to trust Duncan, the local police chief. Then Stuart, a local farmer, is found murdered, and Inti is determined that blame will not rest with her wolves. But who has killed Stuart? And is Duncan involved as well?

Once there were wolves is a complex and multi-layered story that will remain with the reader long after it has been finished. Gradually the author expertly exposes the mysteries surrounding the traumas that Inti, Aggie, and Duncan have experienced, at the same time building up the tension surrounding the murder of Stuart.

The setting of Scotland and Canada is exquisitely written. The descriptions of the forests and the wolves, the fear that the farmers have of the wolves and Inti’s lack of consultation all draw the reader in.

Inti is a fascinating character who has mirror touch synaesthesia, where she feels the pain of others, and McConaghy uses this to highlight the pain of the animals and the trauma that Aggie has suffered.

The dark themes of domestic violence, the survival of the wolves and people’s damage to the planet are threaded through the book challenging the reader, while the mystery of what happened to Inti and Aggie and who killed Stuart, keep the reader glued to the page. Book Club notes are available. Readers who enjoyed The survivors by Jane Harper may like Once there were wolves.

Themes: Murder, Wolves, Conservation, Domestic violence.

Pat Pledger