Wild Dark Shore

January 7, 2026 /

Wild Dark Shore ~ Charlotte McConaghy

Dominic (Dom) Salt and his three children live on remote Shearwater Island near Antarctica, caretakers of a seed vault meant to maintain the planet’s plant diversity in case of extinctions. They share the island with a small group of scientists who are performing experiments and caring for the seed vault. Climate change means that the island will soon be uninhabitable and that the seeds must be moved and the people evacuated.

Several weeks before the ship is scheduled to come evacuate the island, there is a huge storm, and a woman (Rowan) washes up on shore, gravely injured but alive. The communications equipment is down, the scientists are gone, and only Dom and his children remain. It turns out that Rowan is there looking for her husband, Hank, who was one of the scientists, and in his most recent communications, had said that his life was in danger and that he needed help. Where did he go? Why is Dom’s daughter (Fen) not living in the lighthouse with the rest of the family, instead choosing to live on the beach with seals? Why is Dom’s eldest son, Raff, buried in grief? Why does Dom talk to his dead wife, Claire? What secrets does the island hold, and are the Salts a danger to Rowan, or is she a danger to them?

I loved this physiological mystery, told from the various characters. That format really worked in this case, as we slowly learned the secrets of the island, and each characters suspicions, fears, and secrets. This is a beautifully written book. I listened to the audiobook, which was excellent. I was not thrilled with the ending, though it didn’t make me angry so much as sad, I wanted something different. Highly recommended anyway.

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