In #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's latest thriller, the town of Rockton—and her fans—are in for another hair-raising adventure.The secret town of Rockton has seen some rocky times lately; understandable considering its mix of criminals and victims fleeing society for refuge within its Yukon borders. Casey Duncan, the town's only detective on a police force of three, has already faced murder, arson and falling in love in less than the year that she's lived there. Yet even she didn't think it would be possible for an outsider to find and cause trouble in the town she's come to call home. When a US Marshal shows up in town demanding the release of one of the residents, Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Dalton, are skeptical. And yet only hours later, the marshal is shot dead and the only visible suspects are the townspeople and her estranged sister, in town for just the weekend. It's up to Casey to figure out who murdered the marshal, and why they would kill to keep him quiet.
Audible Audio, Unabridged; Listening Length: 11 hours and 30 minutes
Published February 5th 2019 by Macmillan Audio
Source: Publisher![]()
Four and a half stars: Another thrilling installment in a fantastic series. Never a dull moment in this series.
Casey and Eric are desperate. They need a doctor to treat Kenny’s gunshot wound. Unfortunately, they know that they aren’t going to get a doctor to come to Rockton, there is far too much red tape. Casey decides to beg her sister, April, for a favor. They sneak April in town hoping to get her in and out without attracting notice. Trouble hits right away when a U.S. marshal shows up wanting to drag one of the citizens back down South. Casey and Eric refuse and then the marshal is murdered. Once again, Casey and Eric must determine who the killer is in their midst. The problem is that everyone in Rockton is a suspect. Will they catch the killer?
What I Liked:
- The Rockton’s series continues to thrill and impress me. I love this series. There is action, danger, fascinating characters and the best part is that you can’t trust anyone in Rockton as everyone is escaping something unseemly in their past. How do you catch a killer when everyone is capable of murder?
- The characters are phenomenal in this series. Seriously, all of them have deep, dark secrets and they are all hiding something. Every book delivers more shocking back stories and withheld truths. I love learning more about the residents of Rockton. I am still a big fan of Mathias, the town butcher and a former clinical psychiatrist. He reminds me a bit of Hannibal Lector. This time around we get two new faces: April, Casey’s sister and Sebastian. Both of this characters were outstanding. I loved learning more about April and understanding her issues. I am eager to see how she develops. Then there is Sebastian. He is beyond intriguing. I am excited to watch him in Rockton. I could go on and on, but I won’t. Trust me the characters in this series never disappoint.
- I continue to enjoy watching Casey acclimate to Rockton. She is a skilled detective, and it is always intriguing and exciting to watch her mind work. Plus, I am liking seeing her gain confidence and work through some of the trauma from her past.
- I love the suspense in this one. In Rockton, everyone is a suspect when it comes to murder. It is fun watching Casey and Eric dig through the stories, trying to figure out fact and fiction to find the killer. There are always plenty of twists and turns and startling secrets. I think this one had some of the most thrilling revelations.
- I liked that this one spent more time focused in town instead of running around in the forest. The last couple of installments, the action has taken place in the wild. It was nice to see most of the story unfold in Rockton.
- The ending was spot on. The mystery is solved and some of the story lines are concluded, while other threads are laid out for development in the next book. I cannot wait. I am addicted to this series.
- I listened to the audiobook version narrated by The’re’se Plummer. Ms. Plummer is one of those narrators who manages to pull off both male and female voices. I like that her male voices are believable. I think she does a phenomenal job with this series. Definitely grab the audiobooks if you can.
And The Not So Much:
- This one picks up right after the events from the last book ended. It took me a bit to pick up the story, there wasn’t much recap. If you are new to the series, you can’t jump in anytime, you really must go back to the beginning if you want to understand everything.
- I am fed up with the council. I hate that Eric and Casey have no say over what goes on in Rockton. Argh!
- This is a small niggle, but I am finding it hard to believe that the series has taken place in such a short duration. It is getting a little unrealistic to constantly have murders in this small community.
Watcher in the Woods is another thrilling and suspenseful addition to an outstanding series. If you want a suspenseful mystery in a unique setting with fascinating characters, this is one to read. I can’t get enough of this series, it is highly addictive. Drop everything and read this series!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
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