Cover Image: A Stranger in Town

A Stranger in Town

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

The Rockton series just keeps getting better and better. Kelley always outdoes herself and her writing is immaculate.

Was this review helpful?

As usual, Kelley Armstrong writes an engrossing novel about the inhabitants of Rockdon. The murders in this books are secondary to the background story of the town and why it was originally formed. It is becoming obvious that the Council is ready to close Rockton and Casey and her friends must face the hard fact that their lives are about to change. A first class read.

Was this review helpful?

Another good mystery stacked on top of a other good mystery. This one just keeps piling them on and Casey is on the job.
This book is a great blend of murder/mystery and character development. The plot is fast paced, intriguing, full of twists and yet the characters all feel like they are friends. It’s in a unique setting - the middle of nowhere, isolated town full of people escaping, either from justice or bad situations, you never know who is there for which reason.

Was this review helpful?

This was not a "can be read as a stand alone" as the original description stated. I was confused and had to go back and read the others in the series to fill in gaps. That being said, once I did, I loved it! You definitely had to follow it closely, due to so much going on, but it was worth it! A definite must read!

Was this review helpful?

I think I would’ve been better suited to review this book had I realized it was a series. That’s on me for not reading the description well enough. It’s a great story but I spent most of the book completely lost because I hadn’t read the previous books.

Was this review helpful?

This book was amazing! I loved the storyline and the characters were interesting! I will be reading more from this author!i would highly recommend this book to everyone!

Was this review helpful?

This was probably my least favourite of the rockton series but considering I adored every other one that’s still pretty high praise! This one felt a bit more cluttered but I loved seeing the relationship between Casey and Eric also them talking about big chances as they move forward in the relationship. I also loved getting answers about the town.

Was this review helpful?

This is one of fave series and Armstrong never disappoints. This was fast-paced with just the right amount of character development and the twists and turns kept me guessing.

Was this review helpful?

I usually really like this author's books. I have not read all of this series so I think maybe I am missing pieces. This book was good but I guess I wanted a little more. I think I got lost in so many details. Normally I like a few details but I just didn't connect to this book like I wanted to and like I do to other books by Kelley. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

Was this review helpful?

I love this series. Something about being in Yukon secluded from civilization with only 200 people rich enough or criminal enough to be there.

The “town” of Rockton is run by an offsite group called The Counsel. The Counsel call the shots and provide the money necessary for supplies to be purchased in the nearest civilized city, Dawson. The Counsel are also responsible for the decisions of who get to seek sanctuary in Rockton, gets to stay, or leave.

Rockton is civilized as best an off the grid, remote town can be. It’s supposed to be an Eden the dwellers maintain themselves. But how much of an Eden can it be if there is a sheriff, detective, beat cop, and militia?

With this latest story, a tourist is found injured in the woods and needs immediate medical attention. This presents the conflict in the story as no one is allowed in Rockton unless The Counsel permits it. What to do?

You can read this story as a standalone but reading them in order would provide a better understanding of the group in Rockton and a better depth to the town.

I’m looking forward to the next one!

Was this review helpful?

Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton are seeing some changes in their town of Rockton. far fewer people are coming to the town .. is t here something going on that they don't know about?

A little background for new readers --- many years ago the town of Rockton allowed a small group of select individuals to pay to stay in this town for 2 years. This still continues toady. Some people come because they are hiding from the law, some hide because of abusive spouses, and some just need to walk away from whatever problems they are having.

BOOK BLURB: When an injured hiker stumbles from the woods, someone who seems to have come to the Yukon for a wilderness vacation but instead is now fighting for her life, it’s all hands on deck. What – or who – attacked this woman, and why?

With the woman unconscious, and no leads, Casey and Eric don’t know where the threat is coming from. Plus, the residents of their deeply secretive town are uneasy with this stranger in their midst. Everyone in Rockton wants this mystery solved – and fast.

The plot is compelling, the story line well written with authentic characters who live in a small town amid a flurry of secrets, lies, coverups. There's plenty of action and suspense from start to unexpected conclusion. Because I haven't read this series, it was a bit hard to follow when things in prior books were mentioned. I still enjoyed reading, but I would recommend starting at the beginning to grab those nuggets that make a series great.

Many thanks to the author / St Martin's Press / Minotaur Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Was this review helpful?

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
This is possibly one of my favorite series! There's constant action and mystery and kick-ass characters as well as some romance thrown in.

Was this review helpful?

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay.

Book 6 in the series.

This one was okay, but I kept getting tangled in the threads of the numerous characters. There was just so much to deal with.

I like the series as a whole though, so I will be back for book 7.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely fabalous read. Kelley delivers again with an amazing book. Rockton will always live in my heart rent free. Casey is such an incredible character. Again thank you for making one of your charcaters autistic. As a mother with an autistic child it means the world to me. Loved every page and cant wait for more.

Was this review helpful?

I am a huge Kelley Armstrong fan. She’s such a talented writer, and i’ve read most of her books. My favorite books among hers though are definitely the Rockton series. Six books in this series, and I have enjoyed each and every one of them. This series is so unique and entertaining, and I can’t get enough of the happenings in the town. I love the characters, and I have never been bored throughout my reading experience of this series. I am so glad I decided to delve into this series because there’s no other series like it!

The town of Rockton is so fascinating, as there is always something intriguing going on. It’s very atmospheric, and I kind of sort of (okay very much so) want to visit Rockton because i’m just so curious about it.

I don’t want to say much about what happens in this particular installment, seeing as how it’s a part of a series, but I will tell you that it’s excellent and if you’re a fan of this series you definitely will want to read this one!!

So good!! This series has really wowed me, as it managed to keep me interested and entertained throughout the entirety of the series.

Highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

This is the 6th book in the Rockton Series by Kelley Armstrong and if you have not picked up this series yet you need to. Do not start on this book, in order to understand not only the characters and relationship but the overall plot of this book you will need to read the previous 5 books (City of the Lost, A Darkness Absolute, This Fallen Prey, Watcher in the Woods and Alone in the Wild)

There has been a downturn in the residences that have been coming into Rockton and few people have been granted extension to stay. Dalton thinks that it is just the ebb and flow of Rockton life, but Casey is not so sure. When an extremely injured hiker stumbles into a party held by some of the first settlement teenagers panic starts she appears to be the sole survivor of a hostile's attack.With the increase in Hostile's attacks the council is on the verge of shutting Rockton down, something none of the current residences want. It's all hands on deck as Casey and Dalton rush to discover if there are any others in her camping party alive, try to keep the Rockton a secret as well as try to convince the council that Rockton should stay open.

From the very first sentence I am transported back to Rockton and the wilderness and every time that happens I absolutely love it. I feel like I am there in the Yukon forest with Casey and Dalton as they explore the wilderness or more often than not, on the hunt for a killer. Each time I read in this series I think that Armstrong gets better and better at setting the atmosphere of the wilderness that surrounds the town and immersing the reader in it.

This is one of my favourite series out there and this is a strong addition to the series. I liked that Armstrong has taken the time over several books to cement the relationships within this book and how everyone works together. Armstrong has added some great and interesting secondary characters in the past few books and in this book there is even more interactions with them. April was a great addition to the secondary cast and the different perspective that she brings not only towards the town (and life in general) but the development of Casey as a character as it gives a different look into her past. Also I'm really loving Sebastian as a character. I feel like he is guy that no one has figured out yet. They all keep a close eye on him, but I get the since that he is playing everybody and I look forward to seeing how that turns out. He is a true psychopath if you ask me.

This book is a bit more complex than the previous entries in this series, this is due to the multiple threats that are occurring within this book as well as Armstrong deciding to bring some closure to story lines that have been ongoing since the beginning of the series. I applaud Armstrong for taking the time to flesh out these story lines as they are important to Casey and Rockton. However, some readers may find it a bit convoluted if they have not read the previous books in this series recently. I was able to follow along and actually predict some of the twists (but not all) but I had read three books from this series last year.

I highly recommended series, if you like books with a small town feel, full of secrets, great detective work that relies more on the mind and putting clues together than anything else this is the series for you. I look forward to seeing where Armstrong takes Rockton next.

Enjoy!!!!

Was this review helpful?

A Stranger in Town is the next installment in the Rockton series. (If you have not read the previous books you need to first.) It appears that the hostiles have started attacking after the death of their leader and they have started with some Danish tourists. But was it really a hostile attack and who are these tourists?
Over the last five books we have learned some about Rockton, the Settlers, and the Hostiles but this book gives us the full history and origin stories. For the future of this series this particular book was a must otherwise they would have gotten a formulaic feeling over time. I think A Stranger in Town really allows the series to move forward in a different direction by giving us history as well as various paths forward for the characters. I very much enjoyed it and it refreshed my interest in the series. I look forward to book seven.

Was this review helpful?

The town of Rockton seems fascinating but it has so much going on. This story had a great plot and the writing is very atmospheric. This installment was a great addition to the series.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Tourists, Counsel member visit, Wild People, 1st Settlement, and bodies, lots of bodies!
What a thrill ride!! When you think nothing else can happen, it does! What you find out about Jacob will make you say OMG! We learn the potential fate of Rockton. Ever wonder what would happen if tourists visited the area?
Absolutely must read!!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and of course Kelley Armstrong for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. However, I enjoyed it so much, I chose to support the author by purchasing the Kindle and Audible versions. Nothing compares to listening to the Audible version the next time around!!
All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Series Info/Source: I got this book as an eGalley from NetGalley to review. This is the 6th book in the Rockton series, there are 7 books planned for this series.

Story (5/5): I really enjoyed the story a lot. Many of the mysteries around the hostiles and around how/why Rockton was formed are exposed and solved in this story. In addition to the larger mystery, we get a more focused mystery around missing Danish tourists. It was all very well done.

Characters (5/5): I continued to really love the cast of unique characters in this story. A couple new characters are introduced and we run into many characters from previous books as well. The characterization is definitely a high point of this series for me.

Setting (5/5): I love the town of Rockton and continue to enjoy this setting. I really enjoy the survival aspects and logistics of running such a remote town. It’s an amazing setting that I never get tired of reading about.

Writing Style (5/5): Armstrong is a seasoned writer and you can tell. Her writing style is always very polished and easy to read. The intricate detail allows you to picture settings perfectly. She does an amazing job with characterization and with creating mysteries with a lot of intriguing twists and turns to them. Her mysteries are always engaging, never predictable, and they don’t feel contrived. Armstrong is hands down one of my favorite writers (even if I didn’t really enjoy her Women of the Otherworld series).

My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this book, it was everything I hoped for and more. I love the characters, the mystery, and just Rockton as a whole. I also really loved all the great progress the main storyline makes in this book and how many fascinating mysteries are revealed. I am really looking forward to the final book in the series! I would highly recommend this book to people who enjoy mystery/thrillers set in remote locations.

Was this review helpful?