The Midnight Secret (Book 4 in the Wild Isle series) by Karen Swan

Book Blurb
Jayne Ferguson has always been a keeper of secrets, most especially her own . . .

If there’s one thing Jayne Ferguson has learnt in her life, it’s that every blessing comes with a curse. She married the most handsome man on the isle of St Kilda – but he’s a bully. She inherited her mother’s gift of second sight – but only ever foresees her fellow islanders’ deaths. She has learnt to keep to herself, treading in the shadows and shirking the highs for fear of the lows.

When a needless death strikes at the heart of her home, Jayne’s bad marriage becomes worse and she finds solace with an unlikely friend. Glimmers of happiness tantalise her, though there’s no possibility for anything more, especially once word comes of St Kilda’s evacuation.

But as the day draws near, tensions on the island rise. Secrets are being forced to the surface, passions and enmities erupting with equal violence. A man is killed, as Jayne knew he would be, and her closest friends Effie, Mhairi and Flora are each implicated.

On the mainland, the villagers scatter into new lives, hoping distance means refuge. But then Jayne has another of her dreams and she knows the past isn’t done with them yet.

My Review
Finally were are here with the last book in Karen Swan’s Wild Isle series, The Midnight Secret. I always have split emotions when reading the final book in a series, the excitement of finally reading to the conclusion to a story you have loved whilst also feeling sad at no longer being part of the characters lives. There is also the fear that you won’t find the conclsion satisfactory, tieing up loose ends, but I had no fear of that with Karen Swan who has finished this series off in style.

At the centre of this series has been the Isle of St Kilda, its inhabitants, their move to the mainland and a murder. The three previous books have focused on three main characters, Effie, Flora and Mhairi, young women with their lives ahead of them who left the St Kilda with secrets but also love and hope. In The Midnight Secret Karen also tells the story of Jayne who is abused, physically and mentally, at the hands of her husband Norman. Like many victims she doesn’t tell anyone, afraid of what people would say. Jayne also has the gift of second sight, which means she saw what happened that last night. Jayne is such a kind and caring character, loved by everyone and a good friend to many, including Effie, Flora and Mhairi.

This was a real page turner, I was reading constantly, re immersing myself in the lives of characters, and excited to find out who the murderer was. The ups and downs of Flora, Effie and Mhairi love lives also had me gripped. We know ‘the course of true love never did run smooth’ and for these three that quote is very apt; cancelled engagements, stolen baby, and a love with a married man.

St Kilda is almost a character in it’s self in these books. She is the keeper of secrets and lies, the giver of hapiness to those who lived there, the producer of their food, a simple and encompassing pair of arms that wrapped around the residents whose anestors had lived there for hundreds of years. Through Karen Swan’s writing I felt I knew this rugged landscape, the cliffs, the sea, the wildlife the simple stone houses that the inhabitents lived in, she really captured the atmosphere of the landscape of the Island. Throughout is the build up as to who the murderer was and I admit that I didn’t see it coming, and it made for a great finale.

The Midnight Secret is the perfect end to the Wild Isle series, it delivered on every point I wanted it to. The characters have come along way and if feels like a privilege to have gone on the journey with them, from the Island to the mainland and all that entitled. I will admit that I will miss Flora, Effie and Mhairi, their friendship, their new romances, and their new lives on the mainland. Yes, I’m upset that the series has finished but I felt satisfied with the ending. This is another masterclass in storytelling from Karen Swan, so if you haven’t read this series then I highly recommend you do so.