There’s always an element of darkness in fairy tales–a truth author Shea Ernshaw plays on in A HISTORY OF WILD PLACES. The family of a missing children’s book writer hires a private investigator with a special talent for finding people. Following the clues gleaned from his abilities, Travis Wren ends up deep in the forest, where he leaves his truck and walks even deeper into the trees. Instead of another clue, Travis finds a stunned security guard at the gate of the community of Pastoral. The question is: is Travis on the right path? Or is he steps away from danger?

The story was full of twists and turns that kept me reading “just one more chapter.” I enjoyed how the author wove together threads of small village life, fairy tales, romance, mystery, and more–especially how our own minds can be used against us.