Once There Were Wolves is a mystery thriller, set in a distant village in the Scottish Highlands. Our main character, Inti Flynn, is there with a team of biologists and her twin sister Aggie. They seek to reintroduce wolves to the Highlands in hopes of heal the dying landscape, but the village is not making it easy. For every step they take, there is violent pushback. She had hoped for an easier integration. For both the wolves sakes, and her sister’s, who was in desperate need of healing, herself. Despite it all, Inti finds herself making friends (and lovers) in unlikely places, only to have those relationships torn apart when a murder rocks the small town. The most obvious suspect are her beloved wolves—but Inti knows it couldn’t have been them.
So who was it?
This “whodunnit” should come with a heavy trigger warning. Animal cruelty/death, spousal abuse, violence, domestic abuse, sexual assault, mental illness, and gore. If I’ve missed any, please let me know! I tend to sit on a book for a bit and digest before writing a review, and it’s possible I may have forgotten some others!
I’ll start by saying that this is the month of two ratings. Once There Were Wolves was almost technically flawless. The pacing was excellent, the mystery was intricate and well-woven (though, I did figure it out before the grand reveal, and I’m sure many more will). The characters weren’t particularly likable, but it was almost impossible to not root for them. All in all, I do think this story is beautifully crafted and deserves a high-rating.
That all being said, I found this book deeply unsettling. I started reading this book shortly before the loss of my grandmother, and had to put it down for several weeks until I knew I was in a place where I could emotionally handle it. If you’ve been around for a bit, you know I’m a big fan of trigger warnings. I feel like this book could have used a few. Really, more than a few.
For the most part, I have an iron stomach. I can handle a lot of potentially triggering subjects without feeling too queasy. I do struggle with abuse and sexual assault, and tend to avoid books like that like the plague when I am not in a good headspace to take on the subjects. But, strangely enough, those weren’t the parts that bothered me. They were upsetting, don’t get me wrong, but there were some graphically violent scenes depicting the harm/dismemberment of an animal. Obviously, the intention is to cause upset and unease. It’s meant to be barbaric, because we’re supposed to dislike the perpetrators of the crime. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that it could have been written a bit less grotesquely. I am not the biggest fan of gore porn (though, I’m sure those who are interested in that genre would find this to be a walk in the park). This was well over the threshold of “subject matter I find enjoyable.”
All in all, it was a beautifully written story with gorgeous characterization and excellent pacing. Just proceed with caution.
Have you read Once There Were Wolves? What did you think? If you haven’t, what are you currently reading?
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