Quicksilver

Mystery in the Wild (The Forensic Geology Series, Book 1)

By: Toni Dwiggins

Narrated by: Nellie Scott

A YOUNG MAN DISAPPEARS in the California gold country. He leaves behind a gold-flecked rock and a vial of toxic mercury. He is a misfit in the modern world, a throwback to Gold Rush days.

A hotshot venture capitalist—whose gold country is Silicon Valley—hires forensic geologists Cassie Oldfield and Walter Shaws to track his missing brother.

The geologists are hooked by the story of this lost man, this wounded soul. And they have the skills to find him. It's what they do: view a rock under the microscope and unravel a mystery. Solve a crime. Prevent a crisis. Find a missing person.

Joined by their edgy client, Cassie and Walter track the mineral clues deep into the wilderness. Their journey soon turns harrowing, plunging into the dark history of the legendary lands, into the dark past of the brothers, into a poisonous sibling feud that threatens both lives and the land.

And they are not the only ones on the hunt.

All books in the series are standalone novels and can be enjoyed in any order.

©2013 Toni Dwiggins (P)2024 Fireside Audio

Thrilling and exciting!

I love Walter and Cassie with their investigative minds. The story is so action packed and suspense filled that I can’t stop listening. I always think I have it figured out but nope I never seem to. I also seem to learn new things about the environment in these books which always Intrigues me. I have listened to them all and hope there are more coming. Nellie Scott does an awesome job narrating this one/series.

Who would have thought geology could be dangerous

I read a later book in this series before this one. What was wonderful was that it didn't matter; it looks like each book stands alone. I was folded into the story quickly. The author is exceptional at hooking the reader very early. The premise is universal: gold fever. The author is a master of painting visual pictures of the locations using words. This is quite a talent. I really felt that I was in the High Sierra during this story. I could visualize Enchanted Valley, the abandoned mining tunnels and the natural grotto that harbored a horrific secret. The geology details that led the two geologists to their goal were fascinating. This is on par with Sherlock Holmes's use of residue to find the location of a murder. The story is not only suspenseful but complex, keeping the reader from guessing 'who done it', or in this case, 'who done what,' and I'm not saying anymore about that! Read it for yourself. The narrator is a fantastic choice. Her voice put me into the story of the main character, a female, but is great at changing her voice to cover the male characters. The combo of this author and narrator, really made this audio book excellent in my book. I highly recommend it. A fast paced read. Though, like I said in the title, I could not believe that geology could be so dangerous.

Mystery

This audio was a quick listen. I did find that it took a little more concentration than some books I've listened to. I think it was because it was a mystery with geology that I needed to pay more attention to make sure I didn't miss anything. I found the characters very interesting and if you like a mystery/suspense then you might enjoy this one.

This story had very interesting/unique characters

This story had very interesting/unique characters and taught some geological information. I found some of the goldrush information very interesting and found myself curious about whether there were truths in the stories. There was suspense and definitely some twists and turns that I didn't see coming, although I was always confident things were not as they seemed many times given the strange nuances of some characters. Narrator helped bring the characters to life.

Gold-hunting and suspense

This was a solid mystery/thriller, but the plot is a little weaker than later books in the Forensic Geology series. I enjoyed it as it went along, and I liked the little thrill of the gold hunt, but I couldn't make myself care that much about the Shelburne brothers' issues and the larger case. The climax did bring some more thrills, thankfully.

This audiobook is a nice introduction to Cassie and Walter and their geological and deductive methods of crime-solving. As a geologist, I absolutely love the completely accurate geology, chemistry, and ecology in this series. The narrator did an excellent job, making every character sound distinctive and with perfect pacing. The books in the series can be read as standalones or in any order.

I requested and received a free audio copy via the publisher, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review. #TheFlockVIPReviewTeam #FiresideAudio