I just finished River Wild. Samantha Towle has the gift of words. The story is heartbreaking, dealing with the problematic social issues of child and domestic abuse. That said, Ms. Towle lightened the tale with her fantastic, often funny play on words. The well-developed characters, plot, and setting made for an excellent read. The novel had me intrigued from the first word. The ending was magnificent with the all-important HEA. Five stars!