Popular Devon author teams up with Refuge for latest novel

Torquay based writer Sarah Pearse has teamed up with domestic abuse charity Refuge for the release of her new book The Wilds, which goes on sale on July 16.

It’s the third in the trilogy featuring detective Elin Warner and follows her journey as she investigates a disturbing disappearance.

Central to the plot is Kier, who leaves her Devon home town and twin brother to live her life on the road, ending up in Portugal’s remote National Park Peneda-Gerês, known for its wild beauty and isolation, where she goes missing.

A psychological thriller, The Wilds has plenty of underlying menace and threat. One of the themes running through the book is coercive control, particularly gaslighting, digital abuse and financial control, which sparked the partnership with Refuge.

Sarah explains “It’s not a comfortable topic to write about, but an important one. I’m sure many of us know someone who has been affected by domestic abuse and the devastation it can cause to individuals and families.

“For me, it was sobering to learn that one in four women experience domestic abuse in their lifetime and that it can take seven attempts before someone leaves an abusive partner for good.”

Sarah initially approached Refuge, the largest domestic abuse organisation in the UK, to fact check her portrayal of coercive control and ensure it was grounded in reality. This led on to plans for a collaboration to raise awareness of the charity and support fundraising.

Refuge is running a variety of promotions for its supporters, including a sneak preview of a chapter from The Wilds; free support material for supporter-led book clubs; and a competition for aspiring writers offering the chance to develop writing skills with help and advice from Sarah, literary agents Johnson Alcock and writing course specialists, The Novelry.

Sarah is currently busy with a series of events to promote The Wilds, including appearances at Bovey Library, Ivybridge Bookshop and The Bookery Crediton where she will discuss the book’s themes and what inspires her writing. She recently recorded episodes for Jennie Guay’s ‘why are we whispering’ podcast and Lou Hamilton’s ‘Brave New Girls’ podcast.

She says “I’m really excited for the publication of The Wilds. The responses from early reviewers have been really positive and I can’t wait for the reaction when the book goes on general release.”

Her previous novels The Sanatorium and The Retreat were great successes; both were Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers. The Sanatorium was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and has been optioned for a future film adaptation.