Review: A Stranger in Town

I'm finding it difficult to acknowledge that Kelley Armstrong's Rockton series will be coming to an end soon. Maybe it's because I hadn't quite realized before the Q&A I did with her (read it here) that there would likely only be seven books. A Stranger in Town, released just last week, is book six. I also didn't get into the series until the fourth book so I haven't had as long with the characters and I'm just not ready to let go of this great mystery series yet!

Here's the book summary:

Detective Casey Duncan has noticed fewer and fewer residents coming in to the hidden town of Rockton, and no extensions being granted. Her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, presumes it’s the natural flux of things, but Casey’s not so sure. Something bigger is happening in the small town they call home.
When an injured hiker stumbles from the woods, the sole survivor of a hostile attack, it’s all hands on deck. Even a member of the elusive Rockton council comes in to help. This council member also comes bearing news: Rockton is being shut down due to the hostile situation.
Casey and Eric must now race to save the town that has allowed residents to have a fresh start, away from the mistakes of their past, while also getting to the bottom of this latest attack.

You might know that I don't often reread a synopsis before reading a book I've requested for review. In the case of A Stranger in Town, I don't even think I read it before saying, YES PLEASE. I'm so thankful the publisher sought me out (it seems to have changed publishers since the last book's release...) because I'm loving this series so much. So that means that the description, which I've now read, contained a lot of info that I didn't know before I started reading (other than someone stumbling into town - the title kind of gave that one away). I especially like to stay in the dark with mysteries because I don't want any preconceived ideas to get into my head, even if it's one the publisher is allowing out into the world. Which also makes reviewing these types of books tricky because I don't want to give anything away either!

I had absolutely no idea how the mystery was going to resolve itself. None. I couldn't figure out the links and instead of wishing I could keep up with Casey and Dalton's minds, I just rolled with it, trusting them, and Armstrong, to keep me guessing (and wondering and worrying and on the edge of my seat and entertained) until the end when everything would come together. I wasn't expecting quite as much of a big, red bow as I got but that has me more excited now for what's to come. (Excited might be the wrong word. It will not be easy and I'm sure Casey will have at least one more dead body to deal with.)

I also love the characters you meet in Armstrong's series. Yes, there are multiple books so you spend a lot of time with them and learn a lot about them, but Armstrong has a knack for letting you into their world and allowing you to really get to know them. None of them are one-dimensional, stereotypical characters. There are layers to everyone, even those who just get a passing mention in the story, and the reader learns more about them as they begin to trust and open up more to each other. That, in turn, makes the reading experience even more enjoyable.

The location was, as always, a character itself. I haven't been to the Yukon but my sister worked two summers at a camp on the Alaskan highway. It definitely wasn't as remote as Rockton (you can actually find it on a map) but her stories and pictures help make these novels come even more alive for me. An amusing anecdote before I close this review: chapter 22 begins with Casey and Dalton heading to Lynx Lake. Casey mentions that "the Yukon isn't a zoo" and many southerners don't realize that wildlife, lynx included, aren't wandering around for the tourists' enjoyment. My sister had a hell of a time spotting a moose in the wild so I snapped a pic of the paragraph and sent it to her. She enjoyed it as much as I thought she would. And what pops up on her Instagram feed the next day? This timely post from Travel Yukon.

I have a feeling I know some of what's coming in the next (last???) Rockton novel. A Stranger in Town did wrap a lot of things up, which was great, but also has left me wondering (and worrying) about what on earth is going to happen next. I cannot wait to see what Kelley Armstrong has up her sleeve for the residents of Rockton.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Raincoast Books, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*