Mountain of Secrets
Darcy McDaniel
Sinlahekin Publishing LLC (2024)
ISBN: 979-8990528208
Reviewed by Sandra Cruz for Reader Views (06/2024)
The LaRaes live in Cathedral Canyon, a harsh, unforgiving landscape in western Wyoming. Ruth, the oldest, was left to care for her younger siblings and the ranch when their parents, Paul and Penny LaRae, died in a car crash. Ruth may be in charge, but her siblings work just as hard. Sierra, the middle child, loves horses, the outdoors, and pushing the limits, and Luke, the youngest, loves to fly, is a whiz at technology, and uses drones to keep an eye on the ranch.
The sisters live by the mantra “Cowgirls don’t cry. Because Wyoming is too rough for delicate flowers,” but the family motto is” Anything and Everything.” Their parents taught them the skills needed to survive and thrive, but even this tight-knit family, bound by blood and legacy, will be tested beyond the limits. When they dig into their family history, they discover a decades-old vendetta that Nate Teague is determined to settle, but he is just one of many enemies coming to disrupt their peaceful way of life.
In “Mountain of Secrets: A Legacy Thriller,” Darcy McDaniel gives readers a more realistic version of rural living than the usually romanticized one seen in modern-day westerns. The siblings are determined to get ahead, regardless of their struggles. Their family history has the usual buried secrets, but their father did not want one person to know them all, so he divided them among the three. Eventually, they share them with each other, strengthening their bonds. Out of necessity, the lead characters are strong, especially the women. When Sierra finds out that Wes, who once attacked her, is once again after her, her reaction is fierce:
Tell him I’m coming, and hell is coming with me.
Even though they seem to have it all together, there are still lessons to be learned along the way.
I was drawn to this novel because of the subjects of family secrets, legacies, and enemies lurking in the shadows. Having lived in Wyoming before, the setting promised a sense of nostalgia for me, which it certainly delivered. Halfway through the first chapter, I was hooked when Ruth pulled a drone out of her saddlebag. I was curious to find out how they use drones to efficiently run a modern-day ranch.
This gritty contemporary western expertly combines the genre with mystery and action adventure. The descriptive language immerses readers into the scenery:
While the sun rose from the tree-capped ridgeline surrounding the main house, its rays shimmered across the meadow …
This is in contrast to the harsh reality of ranch life, where animals are viciously attacked by wolves, and it is frequently easier to resolve conflicts by taking matters into your own hands. Because there is so much focus on the family’s background history, the characters are well-developed. This first book in the Legacy Thriller series serves as an introduction to the characters.
Darcy McDaniel’s “Mountain of Secrets” is a contemporary western set in the beautiful Wyoming countryside with deep and compelling characters who work hard every day to run a ranch, experiencing problems not seen in the big city. It chronicles one family’s strong familial bonds and how far those bonds can stretch without breaking. With plenty of plot twists to keep you guessing, it is a page-turner and a must-read for mystery and suspense fans and is especially recommended for readers who enjoy Wyoming author C.J. Box’s best works.
With all her senses amplified, especially her hearing, the sound of mice scurrying across the forest floor sounded like a rockslide. The powerful scent of fir trees smothered her as she ventured farther from the truck.
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