Haven's Rock is meant to be a fresh start, not only for Casey and her husband Dalton (and their dog Storm) but also for others from Rockton but a trip to see how things are proceeding in the construction of the new town leads the two of them to a tangled investigation into first one then a second employee of the site. Penny, the architect, has disappeared into the woods; Bruno also goes missing. Casey, Dalton, and Storm do their best but something's not right, and they know from not right. Make no mistake, this is very much a spin off from the Rockton series and I suspect new readers might find themselves a bit at sea. That said, fans of Rockport will find this rewarding not only for the mystery (which is really good- and I guessed wrong) but also for the new characters such as Yolanda, Kendra, and Gunnar (and one I'll leave you to discover in the woods) . Casey, Dalton, and April are terrific (April has grown a bit more) and it was good to get a glimpse at the rest of the crew. Armstrong, as always, has good worldbuilding skills and you'll easily visualize the town and the woods. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A terrific read with an intriguing ending that's left me very eager for the next one.

Murder at Haven's Rock is the first book in the Haven's Rock series. While it is the first is also brings several characters from the Rockton series. I have read the last two books of the Rockton series and was easily able to follow along without needing backstory. I don't think it is necessary to have read the Rockton series. But the series is very good and worth reading.

Haven's Rock is the new town is being built for people who need sanctuary. Casey and Eric, along with their dog Storm a newfoundland, arrive early in the new town. Two of the people who were hired to build the town are reported missing from the night before. They immediately head out to the forest where the missing couple had been seen entering in spite of being told the forest is off limits. They find several paths, boot prints, and see a figure off in the distance. As they try to talk to them, they run away. Casey slips on some wet leaves and falls into a pit. Eric goes to find something he can toss her to help her get out. While she attempts to climb out by herself, she starts digging at the dirt for footholds and finds the body of a woman.

When Eric returns, they work together to get Casey and the body out of the pit. They create a makeshift sled to carry the body using Storm to pull it back to town. As they arrive near the town, they hear noise from the workers. Not wanting them to know they found a body, they need to find Yolanda so they can get inside the medical clinic. After they get inside the clinic, Casey calls April, her sister and a doctor, they need her to come right away to do an autopsy. Yolanda informs them that the woman they found is not one of the two they were looking for which leaves them still with two missing people.

There are some new and old characters in this book. It will be interesting to get to know them throughout the series. I really enjoyed the Rockton series, and this looks as if it is going to be just as fantastic.

This book was a great combination of so many elements I enjoy - a strong female lead, a loyal canine companion, a gorgeous setting in nature, and a solid mystery that was intriguing without being overly complex. I’m excited that this was the start of a series and I look forward to reading the rest! I’ve never read any of the Rockton series and I felt like this book did a good job summarizing the context so I don’t feel like it was a necessary precursor. But now that I know and love these characters I have a new series on my TBR!

Hidden in the Yukon a mysterious, secret town is being built. When two of the workers disappear owners Casey Duncan and her husband Eric Dalton arrive early to investigate. A body is found, clearly the victim of foul play, and there is still the search for those missing while keeping the true nature of the town secret from the remaining workers.
This is a spin-off from another of Ms Armstrong’s series but it can be read without having read the prior series. That said I will also say it would be helpful to the reader picking up book one of a series if there was a more straightforward explanation of just why this town is so secretive. Being most familiar with Ms Armstrong’s fantasy books I seriously kept expecting our character to be some sort of shapeshifters but this is a pretty straight forward mystery series.
I enjoyed the characters, the solution to the mystery was not obvious until well close to the end of the book. We end with a cliff hanger of future trouble to come so I will be on the look out for books two in this series. In the meantime I will go look up the Rockton series and catch up on the pasts of these characters and how they all got to Haven’s rock. Recommended.

I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book at first. It started off a bit more slowly than I prefer and I thought about putting it aside. But I never quit on something I start and I’m so glad I didn’t! The story was well written and the storyline was creative, different than other mysteries I have read and well plotted. The characters were multidimensional and quirky enough to be memorable but not unbelievable. I would definitely recommend this book!

Building a town in a remote part of the Yukon is a serious undertaking in the best of conditions...but when a woman is found dead and man gravely injured it quickly seems like the settlement at Haven's Rock won't get up and running after all.

I really liked the author's style, the characters felt authentic, and the plot moved quickly. I just found it a little bit hard to get into because I don't really understand the whole concept of the town and it was hard to picture it as a realistic endeavor unless some eccentric billionaire got involved.

The big issue with this book for me was that I constantly felt like I was missing something. The references to Rockport as well as people and characters that it seemed like I should know though they hadn't been introduced were very distracting. I triple checked the NetGalley listing and while it mentioned a prior town it didn't mentioned anywhere that this is a spinoff of another series. On Goodreads it's listed as "Haven's Rock #1", so the whole thing was very confusing. I think it just doesn't stand alone as well as originally hoped.

I enjoyed this one, but not enough to go back and read the whole original series and without that I just felt lost in this one. I would try more from this author but not this series.

Full disclosure: I am a fan of the author, but I have not read the original series that this book is spun off of. Based on this book alone, I intend to do so soon.

I am unsurprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed Murder at Haven's Rock. It's a good murder mystery with fantastic tension throughout the entire story. Kelley Armstrong particularly shines in filling her books with a diverse and complicated cast of characters; even the animals are complex. No one is perfect, and that makes them full of depth. They feel real to the reader and reflect traits of ourselves or people we know.

I felt a bit guilty about meeting these incredible people this far into their journey (because of spoilers), but I was still able to get into this book without any confusion about who they were and what was going on.

If you think this is possibly your cup of tea, then don't be afraid to take a sip.

Thank you to Kelley Armstrong, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for the chance to read this.

MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK is the new book in a new spin-off Rockton thriller series from @kelleyarmstrongauthor - a fav Canadian author! She wrote my fav Canadian thriller series, with the last book publishing last year. But she is back with a brand new spin-off series with all my fav characters- just in a new location!

Thank you so much @minotaur_books for my arc copy and @netgalley for my e-arc! Pub date is Feb 21!

I highly recommend reading the Rockton thriller series! You don’t necessarily “need” to read them before reading this first book in a spin-off series, but because it had all the same main characters from the original series, it just makes sense to read them first!

This book felt like returning to my favourite place with my favourite people. Haven’s Rock is a fictional place in the Yukon Territory- out in basically the middle of nowhere (no people means no one can spot the secret town!). The town, once it’s built, will serve the same purpose as Rockton, but better/more improved rules.

As you can guess from the title, there is murder involved in this book! Is this really a surprise to these characters? Nope!

I loved reading this book and following along/trying to figure out the murder. Did I guess the ending? I had a bit of an idea but was also totally wrong!

The reason I love these books so much, is because the author is so good at paints vivid description of the places/setting, and creating suspense! You feel like you are right there part of the action!

While I loved having all my favourite characters back together in a new location, I was alls happy to get to know some of the new characters, that I think are going to be in the next books in this series! The way this book ended, there HAS to be at least another one!!

If you loved detective mystery books, I highly recommend this book and the first series. They have all been 5 star reads for me!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: February 21,2023

Murder at Havens Rock is a spin off to Kelly Armstrong’s Rockton series. I am a huge Kelly Armstrong fan but haven’t read Rockton. The spin off has many of the same characters from the previous series and several new introductions.

Not having read Rockton, I would have liked a little more background on the existing characters but ultimately it didn’t impact the storyline or my enjoyment.

Haven’s Rock is a settlement being built in the deep Yukon. This will be a place for people to disappear, go under the radar and live peacefully for many different reasons.

Casey and Eric aren’t supposed to be heading to the settlement until construction is complete. That’s the deal. But they are called in early after two of the construction crew go missing.

After finding a dead body and severely injured crew member. Things just don’t add up and there is still one missing crew member.

This was a mystery/detective type book. I really enjoyed it and might pick up the Rockton series to catch up on some of these characters. I will definitely be looking for the next instalment of Haven’s Rock. Rating this one four stars!

#NetGalley #kellyarmstrong #murderathavensrock

Haven’s Rock, Yukon

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton are financing a community/refuge for those in need. The new residents will need to be approved to make sure that they are the right fit. The Refuge is to be a quiet place for those looking for a fresh start. The only rule: Don't go into the forest.

Two constructions workers, part of the crew building the refuge, enter the forest and do not return, Casey and Eric are called in to help locate the missing workers. When they find the body of a dead woman, they know that are going to have their hands full. Who is the woman? Where are the missing members of the construction crew? What happened in the forest?

I was instantly drawn into the plot and did my own super sleuthing along with Casey and Eric to solve the mystery of the dead woman and the missing construction worker. As the suspect list grew and things became more dire, I was on the edge of my seat turning the pages until the very end.

This book is a spin-off of the Rockton series, and it worked very well as a stand-alone book for me. I enjoyed both main characters and the cast in this book. The descriptions of nature and the dangers in the forest (bears, miners, etc.) were richly drawn. The mystery in this book was captivating and brilliantly done. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

I had a copy of the book and the audiobook and enjoyed both. I thought the narrator did a fantastic job.

Gripping, well written, well thought out and engaging!

I was unaware that this is book number 8 in a series. I will for sure be going back to the beginning. Love the characters and setting, very intrigued what happened in Rockton before Haven's Rock. As for this book, had a great time

This is the highly anticipated sequel spinoff to Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series. This first installment has the return of Rockton’s former Sheriff, Eric Dalton, and his chief detective and now wife, Casey Duncan, and their trusty, Newfoundland, tracking dog, Storm, as MC’s for this series. I’ve been an Armstrong fangirl for quite a while now. I first discovered her many years ago through one of her paranormal/urban-fantasy series. Besides her crime thriller, murder mystery Rockton series, I’ve also enjoyed a few of her standalone crime thrillers, murder mysteries. She also has a couple of time-travel, historical-fiction series. Suffice it to say, Armstrong is a creative, versatile, and all-around phenomenal writer and one of my fave authors😊

While I am sure that the publisher hopes that this installment can stand apart from the Rockton series (meaning a reader doesn’t need to read the Rockton series to enjoy this series); I am not going to recommend it. I suggest a reader read this installment to see if you like the characters, premise of the series and the location and plot of the storyline for this particular installment. However, if one does enjoy this book, and intends to continue with the series, I STRONGLY suggest that one goes back and reads the Rockton series before the next Haven’s Rock installment comes out. This will provide the much-needed background on the history of both the characters and the overall series premise, since Dalton and Casey are building and creating Haven’s Rock after Rockton.

The book summary basically lays out the primary storyline: find the two missing crew members and find out who the dead woman is (she’s not one of the crew members). There are other storylines too, one being that the crew/project leader, Yolanda, makes it well known that she neither likes nor trusts Dalton and Casey, doesn’t like their project to build Haven’s Rock since Rockton was a failure, but most of all, she doesn’t like that they have dragged her grandmother, Emilie (one of the founders of Rockton), into their plans to build another Rockton. Then there is the storyline of finding out who is living out in the forest with a large and trained grey wolf and who is leaving notes for them to leave.

The first half of the story has Dalton and Casey working the case for the missing crew members and the dead stranger. It also includes the arrival, and return, of April, Rockton’s former MD, chief ME and coroner (and Casey’s sister), and Will Anders, Rockton’s former Sheriff Deputy. Just like Rockton, there is also the discovery of the forest residents – person(s) who live rough, off the land, in the forest. This is why everyone working on Haven’s Rock was told to stay out of the forest. In Rockton, most of the forest people were a danger to Rockton residents.

In the second half, there is a discovery, one that leads Dalton and Casey to a possible motive for the disappearances and murder, which they have now been instructed by Emilie to wrap it up. Apparently, the town needs to open up sooner than previously planned. Emilie has been very successful in accepting a boatload of applications for new residents that need to get away from their current lives and hide out for a while in Haven’s Rock.

As is the case in Armstrong stories, she keeps the reader guessing until the end, which comes in a flurry of fast-paced, action-packed scenes on the top of the wilderness mountain. But, it isn’t until the final sentence of the story that we get a hint of the coming installment. We also saw the return of Rockton's beloved bar owner, Isabel, and her boy-toy, Phil, along with April's love interest Kenny who will all live and work in Haven's Rock doing the same things they did in Rockton.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

@NetGalley @StMartin’sPress @MurderatHaven’sRock

Murder at Haven's Rock, by author Kelley Armstrong, is the first novel is the author's Haven's Rock series, which is a spin-off from the authors Rockton series. The story is once again set in the Yukon wilderness. Key characters are: Casey Duncan, Eric Dalton, Will Anders, Storm, Yolanda, and April. Here is a 411 summary of what you can expect. Haven's Rock was Casey's idea and dream. It is supposed to be a sanctuary for those who are in desperate need of safety and security, and not under the control of a cabal of wealthy people protecting wealthy people who committed crimes.

Thanks to Emilie, Casey, and April's inheritance, Haven's Rock is slowly coming to fruition. Unfortunately, Casey and Eric get one of the worst welcomes they could imagine. Two workers are missing; an architect named Penny, and an engineer named Bruno. Haven's Rock has one and only one rule; DON'T WANDER INTO THE FOREST! Haven's Rock is far from opening, but the workers are busy trying to meet Yolanda's deadline so that they can all receive a bonus. Then Casey and Eric stumble across a body of an unknown woman who is not a member of the crew.

Then, they come across a miner who is secretly trying to make a claim in an area that likely has gold. In Canada, there are rules to follow, and said miner had other ideas. To make matters even more interesting, Haven's Rock has a curious neighbor named Lilith, as well as her wolf Nero. I guarantee we will see Lilith again. Following a similar storyline as the previous story, Casey has to begin with interviewing the 30 member team who is working to put the town together. Anyone of them could be a murderer.

One could honestly say that the newest cast members to watch are Yolanda, Kendra and Gunnar and I won't explain why because they all have some interesting characteristics. Each of them has their own personal reasons for being here, and whether they continue in the next book in this series is to be revealed later. If you enjoyed Rockton and wanted it to continue then you will certainly enjoy this new town of Haven's Rock. The mystery was good, had some twists and turns, and did keep me guessing and engaged.

So happy there is a spin off series , I love this crew , the characters are all amazing .What is supposed to be a new beginning for Dalton and Casey in a new town they are building . murder and mischief arrives with the crew who are there to build .Supense and who done it is one of the best writing of this authors , look forward to more on this new series .

All of Armstrong’s books hook me from the very beginning and this was no different. The likable characters and the writing that flows made this a fast and engaging read.

Casey and Dalton are having a replacement for Rockton built hidden in an isolated area of the Yukon, hoping to avoid some of the issues that plagued Rockton. A small construction crew has been hired and they have been told they are building a small community deep in the Alaskan forest for use in climate and environmental research. The only person who knows the truth is Yolanda, the contractor. Some members of the crew have their suspicions but are willing to overlook them given the pay. However, the timeline for opening Haven's Rock to residents is being escalated, as there are individuals and families in need of sanctuary in the relatively near future. If that was not enough of a stressor, two members of the construction crew have disappeared, which is what brings Casey, Dalton, and Storm to Haven's Rock for the first time, and will eventually bring April and Anders as well.

The investigation gets off to a rocky start, as Yolanda is somewhat obstructive and is clearly hiding something. Also, pertinent details about the missing crew members, Bruno and Penny, are withheld. There are also some colorful members of the crew, especially Gunnar. In the course of the investigation, Casey and Dalton will discover that Haven's Rock is not as isolated as they hoped, and they will have to deal with the death/body of an unknown woman, whose murder may or may not be related to the disappearance of the two crew members. Some aspects of the story are pretty predictable, but there are some good surprises as well. The story ends in a manner that sets it up well for a sequel, as well as indicating a potential source of future tension for Haven's Rock and its founders.

“’Lots of speculation,’ I say.”
3 meh stars

Before this book I hadn’t read anything of Canadian author, Kelly Armstrong, who has written many fantasy/ crime/ romance novels. Murder at Haven’s Rock often referred to another town, Rockton, and characters from this previous series. I felt Armstrong just brushed over characters and I was left wanting something interesting from the characters in this new setting.

The premise of the book was strange – building a hidden town in the Yukon to be a sanctuary (and having inherited all the money for it.) Casey and Dalton come to search for two people building the town who went missing. Husband Dalton, a too good to be true, no flaws mentioned character, had nice interactions with wife, Inspector Casey, who is a kind but hard-ass.

The first half of the book went quicker than the second half, with more action – and hope that I’d get to know the potentially interesting characters. It’s good to get in the head of the investigator, but too many questions lead to dull reading. From one paragraph midway through : “Did she really follow Yolanda into the forest? Could she have thought she was following Bruno...? Could she have been the one going to it, and we only presume…? Could Bruno have realized Penny was gone…?“ From Chapter 36: “What if?...What if she…? What if…?” This stream of consciousness gets tiresome. I guessed the killer and was not surprised at their demise. Armstrong follows an old mystery format.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy this series and was interested in finding out how the new settlement of Haven’s Rock would work. The trouble started even before the building was completed. Two of the workers are missing and the sheriff is on the task. Things get more complicated when a body is discovered and she isn’t one of the two missing people. Introduction of a prospector and a naturalist on this supposedly unoccupied land is curious. The place had been scouted with no signs of habitation. A new nemesis so early in the settlement’s existence seems rushed.

I enjoy Kelley Armstrong's writing, and I'm not sure why I never read the Rockton books. So I was really excited to receive Murder at Haven's Rock.

Casey and her husband Eric are having Haven's Rock built in the middle of nowhere Yukon forest. It will be a sanctuary for those who need it, and will be off-grid. When they arrive, they find members of the crew missing, and a dead body. Who did it, and why?

I think it would help to have read the Rockton books, but it's easy to get up to speed with the characters, regardless of whether you have or not.

Excellent mystery, and looking forward to the next book in the series!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the ARC!

One thing that I can state every time that I read a book by Kelley Armstrong is that her heroine's are always strong, capable, a little off kilter, and always underestimated.
In this offshoot of the "Rockton" novels, we find Casey and Dalton arriving at Haven's Rock right before the town itself is completely built. Greeted by Emilie's, (one of the original founders of Rockton), granddaughter Yolanda who is the general contractor of this new build, they were called in to look for the the female architect who is missing. The only rule in this build is do not go into the woods, and apparently she has.

Haven's Rock, the new sanctuary town, is secretly hidden in the Yukon Territory. A refuge for those in need, it is built by competent tradespeople who have signed NDA's, and who think that they are in the Alaskan wilderness.
Yolanda has an acerbic personality and quickly dismisses Casey, (a petite Asian woman) and even their dog, Storm, (a Newfoundland). Upon arriving in town she quickly informs them that now two people are missing from town. In addition to the architect, the engineer is also gone. The local consensus is that they must have left together. Yolanda immediately tells them that Haven's Rock will fail just like Rockton did and she makes it quite clear that she felt as if they have taken advantage of her Grandmother who is helping to finance this new town.

Clearly not starting out on the right foot, Casey leans on her detective background and requests a place to interview all of the workers to get a feel for the missing person's personalities and social standing.

Armstrong has a great ability to draw strong personalities and make them believable. Any people motivated enough to spend months in a "secret" build in the wild North country most certainly have an alpha personality or at least enough of one that self motivation is a p[us. This novel has many new characters and yet we see signs of what you would find in any microcosm of a population, complete with sneaky, secretive, and conniving personalities.

Kelley Armstrong whether writing about supernatural characters, (The Otherworld series), or an assassin, (Nadia Stafford series), a daughter of notorious serial killers, (Cainsville), or time travel ( A Rip Through Time series), gives us unique personalities and true studies of human kind itself.

This is another spectacular entry into Armstrong's Casey Duncan world. Thank you Ms Armstrong and Minotaur Books for this opportunity to review this novel. Opinions stated are unsolicited and strictly my own.