***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
This series never fails to entertain and I'm worried that this is the last of the tales of Rockton. I hope to read more from Kelley Armstrong soon.

OMG is this the last book of the series? Say it ain't so!!!! I need more Casey and Eric! It was not what i was expecting it was so good.

Series Info/Source: This is the seventh (and final) book in the Rockton series. I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: This was an amazing conclusion to the Rockton series. I really enjoyed how everything tied up. The book was impossible to put down and practically read itself.

This time around we initially are dealing with the exposure of one of Rockton's resident’s past to the rest of the town. Everything ends up unraveling in the town, no one trusts each other, and then someone is left for dead and things really get complicated. With the council set to shut Rockdown down will they be able to unravel this mystery in time?

I really loved this whole series and thought this book did an amazing job tying everything up. I hope Armstrong does a spin-off series; I would love to keep reading more about the Yukon and these characters. This does tie everything up very nicely though...absolutely no complaints about how it ended. I would just love to have more!

My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this whole series and really loved how this book tied everything up. I would recommend this series to those who enjoy mystery thrillers in a remote setting that have some survival aspects to them. I can’t wait to see what Armstrong writes next.

The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong is the seventh book in the Rockton crime series. Secrets are coming out about the residents of the town of Rockton. No one is supposed to know these secrets, and Detective Casey Duncan and her boyfriend Sheriff Eric Dalton have to figure out what is going on. I thoroughly enjoy this series of books and definitely recommend them. You really need to read them in order, though, or you will miss out on the backstory of the town of Rockton and how Casey and Eric ended up there. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I've been waiting for the developments in this book over the last few of the series. Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton have been chafing against both the actions and restrictions instituted by the behind-the-scenes directors of the hidden town, Rockton, which they are responsible for keeping safe for residents. It's been clear that some sort of split is going to take place, and we've thankfully reached that point in this book, the seventh in the series. Armstrong has provided us with a new law enforcement challenge for Casey and Eric at the same time that she's spiked the book with a great deal of background information. This makes what appears to be a pivot point in the series accessible for those who have yet to encounter the deep Yukon town of Rockton. Those of us who have been following the series can now be joined by those new to it as a new iteration of the town begins.

Each of the residents has a deep secret about why he or she is a resident in town: a secret that has been carefully guarded by the few who have a need to know. When the background of a key player in the town is plastered on signage in the middle of town, it becomes clear that no one's secret is safe. While Casey and Duncan investigate who placed the poster in the open, it becomes clear that someone is willing to kill to keep his or her own secrets safe. Casey's efforts are not appreciated by the town managers, who have forbidden her to investigate. This makes for much subterfuge on the part of many characters, and a kidnapping and murder investigation that is hampered by town politics.

This book includes perhaps a bit more local politics than most of the series, but it does not skimp on the fast-paced excitement that is a hallmark of Armstrong's writing. The book, as have all of the others, grabs the reader at the outset and keeps things engaging enough that putting it down isn't really an option. The town of Rockton, off the grid and hidden behind radio silence, is well described as is the forest surrounding it. In this case, the menace is coming from inside the town, so there is not as much involvement with the surrounding landscape as there has often been. I have to admit that I have come to know the main characters over seven books, so it is somewhat difficult for me to determine how well this individual book does with characterization. However, no one acts against character and all are very well realized.

I've been saying for several books now that I'm waiting for the turning point that appeared in this book. Now I am on tenterhooks waiting to find out how the new direction works out. If you haven't read any of the series, go ahead and start here to get caught up to speed, and then we can all enjoy the changes to come.

Kelley Armstrong is an outstanding author and her latest Rockton book (#7) is awesome! There are significant changes in the town that are revealed during the story - without giving away details, the end is surprising and wonderful! The characters (Casey, Eric, April, Anders) are all interesting and add to the book series. Arguably the town itself is a 'character' that impacts the residents in the the most interesting ways as well. Armstrong is one of my favorite authors and I can't wait for #8 in the series!

I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series and was thrilled to learn about the latest novel in the series, The Deepest of Secrets. So of course as soon as I got my hands on a copy of this novel I began to read it. Of course I was also not disappointed.

I love Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton’s characters. I was a huge fan of them both from the earlier novels in the series so I was thrilled when they officially became a couple together. I have enjoyed reading about their relationship and how they make it work inside the town of Rockton, where everyone is there for a reason. All residents in the town of Rockton are there for a reason – they have secrets from their past, crimes they have committed, that landed them there in the town of Rockton. Everyone in Rockton has their secrets but the residents don’t know what others’ secrets are and they all live relatively peaceful. Of course the town does have their fair share of crime inside the town of Rockton, but that’s what Casey and Eric are for. I loved following along and learning about all the characters in the storyline and inside Rockton. They all work together to make Rockton as peaceful and normal as they can, and deal with things as they come up.

In this latest novel, The Deepest of Secrets, somehow someone has learned about all the residents secrets and why they are in the town of Rockton in the first place, and are somehow spreading those secrets throughout the town. Things in Rockton are crumbling, and Casey and Eric have to find out who is causing all this turmoil and tearing their town apart. The Council is wanting to shut down the town of Rockton for good but Casey and Duncan are trying their best to save their town.

A definite must read if you have been following along with the town of Rockton series. If you are new to reading about the town of Rockton I cannot recommend this series enough, you are truly missing out on an addictive, compelling, entertaining series and you will fall in love with this series, the town and it’s residents. Although I think you can read this book as a standalone, as there is plenty of backstory given about many of the characters in the book and it’s residents, I highly recommend that you go back and read this series in order from the very first novel, finishing with this book in the series.

I have loved reading about the town of Rockton and learning about all of the residents, their secrets, and following their journeys, and am sad to learn that this is the last novel in the series. I could and would definitely read more books in this series, and wish this series would go on forever, it’s that good!

Well done Kelley Armstrong!

The Rockton series has been mesmerizing, with a setting that is creepy and intriguing at the same time. It seems to be like a penal colony, with some of the world’s worst offenders sent to the same place, but no one knows what their crimes were back in civilization. That is, no one knows until book seven was released and the secrets start being revealed. The law of the community is Eric Dalton, a man who has never really lived anywhere except Rockton, and his lover Detective Casey Duncan, a criminal herself who was sent there for a murder. Since there are a lot of unsavory characters there, she fits right in and is a good detective. Combining mystery, police procedural and some outright unbelievable fiction, this book was entertaining, but it did not engage me as quickly or as much as the previous six did. Once the secrets started being exposed, I had some ho-hum moments, mostly because I think I expected them to be more outrageous than they were. What captured my attention the most was the fact that a killer, perhaps even a serial killer, was stalking the residents of Rockton. The characters are the same ones from previous books, with some additional details added about some of them. My favorite character is still Will Anders, a man who takes responsibility for his actions and continues to show character in the face of some uphill battles with the townspeople and their opinions about him. Like a deadly game of “Gossip” this book continues to reveal secrets as the lawmen discover bodies. It becomes like a game…will everyone die or will all of the secrets be revealed? There are no huge twists, but there are a few surprises along the way. This was a good read, entertaining and mind-blowing at times as I tried to wrap my head around man’s inhumanity to man. Fans of the series will not want to miss this book and fans of the author who are just beginning the series can read them out of order. In fact, enough background is given to read this book as a standalone, but I think the books are really best when the series is read in order.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

4.5
This is the final book in the series, so please do not start here, start with the first book City of the Lost (you will not be disappointed it is a fantastic book) and work your way here. I do not think you could enjoy this book without reading the other books in this series.

Kelley Armstrong is back with the final book in her Rockton series, a city full of secrets that were not meant to get out:

Rockton is a city that was built for second chances but also that of secrets. The thing is that no one is supposed to know why each resident is in Rockton for. Casey and Dalton have figured it out, especially after discovering the council was letting anyone who could pay in. When one resident’s secret is put on display for all to see, the town becomes divided on whether this person should be allowed to stay. As Casey tries to find out who knew this secret, he attention is about to be divided as a resident then goes missing and found dead. The Council is now more determined than ever to close Rockton for good and see these events as inconveniences nothing more. Never a slow day in Rockton, city with the deepest of secrets.
You never know when and how a series is going to end and I actually liked that Armstrong wrapped up quite a few of the story line that had been constant throughout the books in the previous book, allowing Armstrong to focus more completely in the closing down of Rockton and the ramifications it will have to many of the residents there. I really like that the town was really divided in this one, even some of Casey's friends and allies had opinions that were a bit different after the secret is revealed. It really felt like the people were turning against each other. And that is not even the only mystery part of the book, there is a murderer in town who is using the town closing as a perfect way to hide their crimes. The way of murder is unique as well and you’re never really sure who in town is capable of it, but there are several suspects throughout, that you’re not sure which one it could be.

The thing I really like about Casey is that even when she is told not investigate the murder or who revealed the secret she does it any ways. That is her job and though people in town may not be respecting her as much as they used to due to the town closing, she is doing her best to still protect them.

I feel like we were missing a bit of Eric in this book, he was not as constant of a character as he has been in the past. Actually, it felt like many of the side characters had diminished roles in this book and I missed the interactions with April and Sebastien.

This was a good book and a great wrap up to this series. I have loved this series and characters and I respect Armstrong’s decision to end this series, I have enjoyed it from start to finish. Cannot wait to read more by Armstrong in any genre.

Enjoy!!!

We're on another adventure with Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton in their hidden town of Rockton trying to protect their residents who are all staying there for reasons that are supposed to be secret. However, one resident has no problem stirring up trouble by anonymously revealing some residents' past and the reasons they are running from civilization outside of Rockton. Residents unsurprisingly turn on each other in the face of others discovering the real reasons they paid a small fortune to hide out in Rockton. Casey and Eric now have to race to discover who uncovered everyones secrets before some of the innocent people in Rockton get hurt.

Rockton is quickly becoming one of my favorite series and it's all thanks to the two main characters, my favorite secondary characters including April, Kenny, Isabel, Mathias, and Storm, and just Kelley Armstrong's writing in general. Whenever I read one of her books in this series I fly through it so quickly because I just can't seem to put it down and when i turn the last page I immediately have to check to see when the next one is due to be released. This book follows the way the 6th one ended with our main characters dealing with the same threat of Rockton shutting down and what everyone will do when that happens. We also see the main group of characters bringing up the idea of building a whole new Rockton again. This is such a fast paced and tension filled book that had me in suspense until the very end of the story. I love the found family feel I get when I read this book and I can't wait to read more about this Rockton family when her next book comes out.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/NetGalley for the digital review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have always been a fan of the series that takes place in the imaginary town of Rockton. It's been a fascinating story of a place set up to safely secure people of somewhat nefarious backgrounds. Detective Casey Duncan and her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, have had their hands full with the people who populate the town as well as the committee that sends these people to the town.

This time out, the town finds themselves under a bit of a siege since a secret has come out about one of their population. It threatens to destroy both Casey, Eric and the town they have worked so hard to defend and keep together. Because of this secret, people are turning on one another and so afraid they will be the next target of the person who has revealed the original secret. Everyone in this enclave has secrets, devastating ones, that not only could wreck themselves but also destroy the town.

To add to all of this, some townsfolk decide not to follow one of the cardinal rules of the town. That is to never go into the forest alone. Of course, rules are meant to be broken, and when some people do just that the devastation to them is catastrophic. The committee raises its untrustworthy head and makes a decision that devastates Casey and Eric. It becomes crystal clear the the revealer of secrets is the one who has murder on their mind.

I enjoyed the story once again, but felt it was overly long and drawn out. It just didn't match the suspense of the previous editions. I am hoping Kelley Armstrong continues to take us on the adventure she started when we first traveled to that far away Yukon location.

Thank you to Kelley Armstrong, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this continuing story which published on February 15, 2022.

I enjoyed reading the (possibly) final book of the series. I enjoy the author Kelley Armstrong books. This one seemed to have a little too much going on.

Once again, I have to ask -- why hasn't this thrilling, action-packed, character-driven series been picked up for Netflix or HBO or anybody? I mean, it has a wild and wonderful setting, a rock-solid premise and true love. Also moose, and the occasional grizzly. This newest entry offers not only a buried-alive plot but also the distressing possibility that Rockton -- a town full of folks in hiding -- will be shut down. Haven't read the six previous Rockton mysteries? Get on it!

The Rockton series is one of my favorites! I love the setting, the characters and just the premise itself....a town hidden in the Canadian wilderness where people in trouble go to disappear for awhile. It makes for great suspense novels!

The Deepest of Secrets is the 7th book in the series. This time, the residents of Rockton are on edge. Every one of them came to the hidden town to hide out and keep their past secrets private But someone is revealing information and the threat of exposure causes the residents to start turning on each other. Soon the situation escalates from gossip to violence. Can Detective Casey Duncan find out who is behind it all before things spiral completely out of control?

This story starts off at a slow burn....with the plot developing over the first half of the book. And then it just really takes off. I was hooked on each word. After 7 books I'm invested in these characters and what happens to them.....so I totally binge read this one! I enjoy Casey and her lover Eric Dalton (Rockton's sheriff) as main characters. They work well together to keep things safe in Rockton, and I just like the characters in general. They've been through a lot in seven books!

I read somewhere that this might be the last book....I hope not! I'm definitely in line for the next book if there is one...love this series!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I am a huge Kelley Armstrong fan and have loved every book in the Rockton series. I knew it had to end sometime and this really was a great conclusion to the story. This time around Rockton Detective Casey and Sheriff Eric have to figure out who is behind telling the secrets of the residents. It is suspense as usual as you try to guess who did it. I would really love to see a spin-off of this series...time will only tell though!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Published 15 February 2022.

I always enjoy a trip to Rockton with all its secrets, lies and chaos.
The concept of the story is quite unique….Rockton is a small town that is totally off the grid. It is hidden deep in the Yukon and only a few know about it. Its a place people can go to just….disappear.
Basically a fast paced read with lots going on. Danger, mystery and betrayal top the list.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

When I requested this book I overlooked the fact that it was part of a series and it needs to be read in order. As soon as I realized that, I set aside The Deepest of Secrets and went to borrow the previous books. It was quite a binge but worth it. (I didn't, however, read them back to back. I alternated each with a cozy or two so I didn't get overwhelmed.) I won't say too much about it for fear of committing spoilers. The town of Rockton, in Alaska, hides itself very well along with the various secrets of its residents. Nobody needs to know anything about you unless you want to share and telling lies is fine. In the beginning those who have come to Rockton are not violent criminals but things have changed and now there is serious trouble in town. Somebody is revealing some of those secrets and some people are none too pleased about it. That's all I'm going to say.
This series isn't the kind I automatically turn to but I have to say, I'm so glad I discovered it. Well written and suspenseful describe each of the seven books in the series. If the author decides to continue the series I will make sure to save a space on my must be read list.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Deepest of Secrets concludes Kelley Armstrong’s Casey Duncan/Rockton series. Here’s a quick “Cliff Notes” explanation of how Rockton came to be (excerpted from a review of This Fallen Prey, Rockton Mystery #3).

First, let me explain Rockton to those new to the series: it’s a small, isolated town in the Yukon wilderness, built decades ago as a haven for those running from their pasts. It’s completely off the grid, with no electricity, no Internet, no cell phones, and not even postal mail. Prospective residents are heavily vetted by a shadowy council who serves as Rockton’s only channel to modern life. No one gets in or out without the council’s permission.



Casey got in by virtue of being a police detective at a time when Rockton desperately needed a homicide investigator. Now, she and the town sheriff, Eric Dalton, are partners in every respect, professional and personal.

The Sword of Damocles has been suspended over the off-radar community of Rockton for quite some time. The folks that run things have learned to live with the threats of impending disaster, specifically, that the off-site council will shut them down. Shut down doesn’t mean replacing the people who run things in Rockton, it means wipe Rockton off the map (which is ironic, considering it’s impossible to find Rockton on a map).

Casey Duncan is dealing with a major kerfuffle: Will Anders, her deputy, stands accused of “murdering his superior officers,” before he arrived in Rockton. A premise of life is that what happened before you arrived in the Yukon town stays secret. Nevertheless, someone revealed Anders’s past in a sign taped high on a pole. The citizens pepper Casey with questions, questions she has no intention of answering.

“I am not going to address the nature of the accusation further. I’ll refrain from comment until I know what the hell I’m talking about, and I would suggest you all do the same.”



“Is that a gag order?” a woman says.

No, Casey replies, it’s more of a plea that people, who’ve “had nothing but positive interactions with Will Anders,” will refrain from “rumor and speculation.” The swirling stories about Anders’s past disintegrate into accusations of cover-ups and blackmail. Sheriff Eric Dalton, Casey’s colleague and significant other, wonders if the Anders accusation is counter-programming, i.e., an attempt to discredit the folks who keep order and good governance in Rockton. Some newcomers chafe under the Draconian rules of the community and see this as an opportunity to shake things up. The council that governs everything in Rockton and hires the indispensable workers, operates by the dictum, “If Your Only Tool Is a Hammer, Then Every Problem Looks Like a Nail.” Criminals of the white-collar variety pay the council enormous sums to allow them to serve out their sentences in Rockton, rather than go to jail in the Lower 48. To the council, their “hammer” is the law enforcement personnel in Rockton.

Casey and Eric have their hands full. While Casey tries to figure out the person(s) behind Anders’s outing, there’s an attempted murder. The anxiety levels in Rockton rachet up in the face of mayhem and possible murder. The Deepest of Secrets is a story that runs on dual tracks. Casey and Eric, assisted by those they trust, investigate the criminal goings-on. Concurrently, they and fellow co-conspirators plan Rockton’s next act. The couple have encountered every variety of human nature over the years. Casey gives this a lot of thought as she envisions a new ground-up community, a town that will address the flaws that afflict Rockton.

That’s the true reveal in Rockton. Not discovering someone lied about their background or committed a crime in their past. It’s finding out they aren’t the person you thought they were, their underlying character hidden behind a false front.

N.B. Spoiler alert. Casey tells Nicole, a “forest dweller allowed into town from medical help,” what’s going on.

“They’re shutting us down.”



She looks over. “What?”



“It isn’t official yet, but it’s coming. No one’s getting extensions. We’ve gotten less than a half dozen new residents in the past few months. I was new when we got you back, and now I’m the old guard.”



“What are you guys going to do?”



I shrug. “Whatever we can. Right now, we just want the council to admit they’re closing us down, so we have something to fight. We’re boxing shadows at this point.”

It’s cathartic when the council finally pulls the plug on Rockton. Casey and Eric have their hands full dealing with another murder and the fears of the townspeople. Is that intentional—a way to divert Casey and her partner from the abrupt decommissioning of their town? Watching the inexorable demolishment of Rockton is painful but stay tuned. The dedicated core of people who love the idea of creating a town from the ground up—a town not governed by mysterious outsiders—are not to be denied. Seeing this idea come to fruition is a satisfying ending to an unforgettable series. That said, let’s hope Kelley Armstrong can be persuaded to give us a glimpse of the new Rockton.

The town of Rockton is buried deeply within the unfriendly wooded area of the Yukon in Alaska built for certain people who needed to find safety from their old lives and to give a new identity and a fresh start to them although a difficult and unusual safe haven where they must sign a contract that they must stay in Rockton a minimum of two years. Rockton is reminiscent of the old wild west where there are no modern conveniences as in electricity or telephones, cars etc. Many people have adapted and have learned to love this way of life but for others they can't wait for their contract to end and get back to the civilization they had known before whatever undesirable situation brought or bought their way to this life that isn't known to anyone (except the council members) outside of it's own parameters. Rockton cannot be found on any map because to the outside world Rockton does not exist!

Detective Casey Butler and her boyfriend Sheriff Eric Dalton have known for awhile that the council which finances and governs the town are making plans to shut Rockton down and they seem to want to place all the blame on Casey and Eric for not keeping better control of the town which only has around 340 or so people left. When word gets out that there are civilians who are killers from their past lives many of the town folk want these people exiled immediately from Rockton. Casey needs to find out fast who is behind this secrecy breach since the town is now in an uproar creating doubt about how safe the town might really be when another member of the community goes missing and then someone else dies and then more individuals suddenly go missing. The chaos that has erupted is completely out of control and this is just what the council needs as the final straw to shut Brockton down permanently.

I enjoy this series about Rockton so very much. I can't imagine living a life without the everyday conveniences that we take for granted yet there's another part of myself that would like to explore this type of environment (maybe?). There is such a rich, colorful cast of characters which make the stories so interesting and intriguing with new and old faces in each story. This book and the others can definitely be read as stand-alone reads and I plan to read the earlier books that I previously missed. The author Kelley Armstrong has created a fantastic world to build many storylines around and they are believable as well. Casey and Eric are solid characters and they have their hands especially full in this book. The last 39% of the story was very unexpected and exciting. Someone wrote a review where they said this was the final book book in the series but I truly hope not because I have become completely invested in the series and am looking forward to many more books. (Please!)

Highly Recommend!

I want to thank the publisher "St.Martin's Press/Minotaur and Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this fun and exciting book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this book a rating of 4 INTRIGUING 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

Set in the isolated forests of the Yukon, Rockton was a city that was built for one reason. To make money from people who are desperate enough to want an escape from their real life. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a resort town, this is a town that survives because its inhabitants work to make it survive. They arrive in Rockton with no past, their lives scrubbed clean. However, the reasons they’ve left the world behind may not be easily wiped clean, coming out in their habits and personalities. When the committee starts accepting people who are no longer escaping bad situations but are bad themselves, the community begins to change and Casey’s life investigating crimes becomes much busier, but the one thing that stays consistent is that no one knows anyone’s history. In The Deepest of Secrets, that ideal is threatened. The first to have his secret revealed is fellow officer, Will Anders, one of Casey’s best friends.

This series has been so enjoyable because of the complicated characters, their bonds with each other, and the city and location. It’s mysterious, eery, and the perfect setting for a fantastical mystery series. These flawed people have worked hard to make a community, made friends and built connections all while a mysterious committee has the power to change their lives. That fear of not knowing what comes next is a huge theme in this book. Casey is solving a mystery, but she’s going against their rules and running out of time. This sense of urgency is prevalent throughout the novel making my stomach churn with an uncertainty. Is this the last novel in the series? I am sad that it may be over, but boy, it was a fantastic ending. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review and it was honest.