Eight stars
I continue to enjoy this Canadian police procedural series by Kelley Armstrong. Set in the northern community of Rockton, Yukon Territory, the novels offer strong mysteries and solid character development while providing clear descriptions of the surroundings. Armstrong has delved deeply into the local traditions, sentiments and happenings as law & order seeks to prevail with a ragtag group of residents. There is something for everyone with this piece, leaving me eager to see what Armstrong has in store for the final few novels in this collection.
New seasons in Rockton bring challenges and new opportunities to succeed. Detective Casey Duncan has grown to love the town since she arrived 16 months ago. With a number of residents who have fled their lives, a collective of outsiders living in the forest, and an ever-increasing tension between the two, nothing in and around Rockton is predictable.
While camping for a few days with her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, Casey comes across a newborn buried in the snow, lying atop a dead woman who appears to have been murdered. While not a mother herself, Casey admits the wailing infant is too much to ignore and she rushes to help the little one while alerting Eric to the urgency.
In a town where the minimal age is eighteen, an infant definitely pushes the scales into the unknown. Casey is determined to find the family and see if they are missing a. baby or if it was a case of abandonment.
As Casey and Sheriff Dalton seek to locate the family, they discover a little more about the outsiders who live on the fray of Rockton, as well as some of the politics that involve the locals. The truth is more complex than it would seem, but Casey and Sheriff Dalton are also forced to address their relationship and the future plans they have yet to solidify. Armstrong does a masterful job at adding depth to the character development of her protagonists and inching things along for the locals.
Kelley Armstrong is an excellent storyteller who can communicate so effectively. She uses her great writing to keep the reader enthused. I enjoy her narrative perspective, which vividly portrays the struggles both with locating the infant’s family and the Casey/Eric analysis of their relationship. Each chapter brings great depth to the larger story and leaves the reader enjoying things ever more. With strong characters and great story arcs, this is once more a book well with the invested time.
There are great plot points that provide strong direction and the reader remains on the edge of their seats. Armstrong keeps things moving and does not leave the reader wondering as Rockton becomes more intriguing for the attentive reader. The action stays high as new characters emerge in town, providing additional perspectives on things as simple as living conditions and as complex as inter-personal relationships. I am eager to see what’s to come and how Casey will continue to set up roots
Kudos, Madam Armstrong, for an exiting series to keep enjoying.
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