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.

(2 1/2). Whodunit, the Alaska version. A pretty good tale here, with a fairly convoluted base and lots of interesting characters and the world’s biggest onion, because we keep peeling back layer after layer until the last pages. Short, simple and mostly brainless, a nice diversion that I will be curious to see how it is regarded by the other reviewers. Pretty good stuff.

The first in the Rockton spin-off series does not disappoint. In fact, Murder at Haven’s Rock goes back to what we loved about the initial Rockton books; murders, investigations and fast paced action with interesting characters and situations without so much of the politics and organizational issues of the later books. The influx of new people will freshen up an already successful premise and the sensational writing style of Kelley Armstrong will keep us wanting more Haven’s Rock!

I love me a good series and I can’t wait to read more from Casey and Eric. They are working together with a whole team of builders to create a place of refuge for people in abusive situations or a need to restart. But two people are missing and now Casey and Eric are in a situation they don’t want to be, but they have to do what they have to do. Casey is such a bad ass, I loved it, how the story unfolds and how she comes to the conclusion of solving whatever it is going on around her was awesome to read. I loved the authors style and like I said before I can’t wait to read more from this author and more of this series. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I enjoy Kelly Armstrong’s writing style she is incredible at writing atmosphere which was on full display in the Rockton series as it is in Murder at Haven’’s Rock. She makes you fell like you are right in the Yukon Wilderness. This is a spin off from the Rockton series with Casey and Eric returning with other characters from that series They want to start over build a New Town after the corruption that befell on Rockton City. Casey and Eric are brought in even before the town is completed. Two of the crew members are missing in the Forest architect Penny and engineer Bruno. It is a fast paced crime novel that will have you on the edge of your seats. I devoured this in one sitting, it is full of mystery and intrigue that doesn’t disappoint. It is full of twists and turns wrought with intensity that holds your interest all the way to the satisfying ending that will have you filled with anticipation for the next book in this series. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the ARC of Murder at Haven’s Rock by Kelley ArmStrong for my honest review.

Murder at Haven’s Rock is a spin-off from the earlier Rockton series after seven books. Set in the Canadian Yukon, Rockton is one of the most unique crime series I have read, and I was sad to see it go, even though that storyline had run its course.

Rockton was founded as a refuge for people on the run from abusive relationships and problems not of their own making. People with unpopular political views also made up the shifting population. Over the years, Rockton devolved into a money-making enterprise, allowing some unsavory and murderous characters to take refuge there. Sheriff Eric Dalton, who was born there, and his now-wife, Casey Duncan, are tasked with riding herd on the population. Detective. Casey was one of the latest residents running from her problems. Throughout the series, their relationship matures. Casey, in particular, grew more comfortable in her own skin.

When Rockton met its end, the two had enough resources (along with others) to build a new Rockton called Haven’s Rock. The plan was to stay away during the settlement building, which is nearly finished. Eric and Casy are called back because the project’s architect has vanished into the forest. As one of the crew says, “shit happens up here.” Does it ever!! There is a missing woman, a dead woman, an attacked worker, and a gold miner hiding in the forest. There is also a woman living in a highly camouflaged cottage who claims to be a nature photographer. Haven’s Rock is not as secluded or safe as hoped.

Some of Rockton’s former residents will be returning but are only mentioned here until the end. April, Casey’s physician sister, has to come back when the bodies multiply. The new characters are certainly “colorful” and may have nefarious plans. The bad apples will go, but some others whose motives are not clear ask to remain. I predict another stellar series from Kelley Armstrong, one that will keep me guessing.

After farewelling the Rockton series, the only reason I didn’t fall into the dismals was knowing there was to be a spinoff. A different wild and away locale, but same crazy characters and gruesome crimes going on off grid. Who knew this set up would strike my fancy, but it did. My intro to Kelley Armstrong’s writing came with the Rockton series and I quickly became addicted to her style, her character development, twisting plot, and the wonder of surviving off grid in the great white north.



Casey and Eric are nervous and excited about the crazy venture they sunk their resources and time into when Rockton closed. They will shelter more at-risk people in a new town and hope for good results now that the old investor group isn’t calling the shots.

But, right away, the supervisor of the job of building their new town out in the Yukon wilds has brought them in early because her architect and work foreman have gone missing into the forest.

The supervisor is truculent toward them and their project, but she’s capable and the best so Casey swallows back retorts and heads into the strange forest with Eric and her beautiful Newfoundland, Storm. A body is found, but that is only the start to a mystery that twists and turns more than the game trails they track through. The workers at the isolated town project aren’t the only suspects as they come across people in the wild and the motive isn’t certain either. And, as the hours move into days, the chance of finding live missing persons grows less.



The Murder at Haven’s Rock is like a reset on all the things I loved about the original series. For those wondering if they can start here, yes, it introduces a new series arc and gets new readers up to speed about the world of the book. That said, there are strong ties to the previous series, particularly Casey and Eric, themselves.



I loved returning to the far north and the pristine wilderness where the tenderfoot needs to be afraid and experienced wilderness people need to constantly be aware. I love that this time readers are getting in on the moments the town is being built and the people of the town are forming. Meeting new characters in this world is always highly anticipated and Ms Armstrong does not disappoint with the personalities. I did work out a great deal about the mystery ahead, but that did not detract from my enjoyment.



All in all, this was well worth the high anticipation and will be a great hit with existing fans and newcomers alike. Off-grid outstandingness!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the copy of Murder At Haven’s Rock. This is my first Kelley Armstrong book and won’t be my last. I loved the idea of a town being built in the Yukon for people who want to disappear. This is a spinoff of the Rockton series and now I’m anxious to read them. The characters are well-drawn and I look forward to reading more about the main characters and the town in future books and I’m already wondering who the other recurring characters will be. The mystery of the two missing workers felt a little convoluted to me, but it was really clever how it all came together in the end. I really enjoyed reading Murder At Haven’s Rock and I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

This is an advance copy of this book. I read and liked this book without any pressure or interference by anyone.

I really enjoyed this book. Even the background story of the town being built in the middle of the wilderness was intriguing. I found all the characters in the book to be interesting. I loved all the intrigue. I would recommend this book highly.

Rockton is gone, their corrupted mission is over. But people still need the kind of remote, off-the-grid, secure shelter in the Yukon Rockton was meant to provide. Its better replacement, Haven's Rock, is almost finished being built, and Casey, Eric, and Storm, their Newfoundland, have arrived, only to learn two workers are missing.

This is definitely a set-up book, and if you aren't familiar with the Rockton series you can dive right in because what you need to know is explained. The forest around Haven's Rock is already as much of a character as that around Rockton was, with new dangers and new inhabitants. It's a good introduction to Haven's Rock and I'm looking forward to future books in this series.

3.5/5 stars.
Digital review copy provided through Netgalley.

Murder at Haven’s Rock combines my favourite things about a good thriller novel: a twisty, interesting mystery, likeable characters, and an isolated wilderness location.  Plus it throws in an adorable wolf and a Newfoundland dog.

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite writers and she never disappoints.  Haven’s Rock is a quieter mystery set in the Yukon in a small, hidden village being constructed by our heroes Casey Duncan (former homicide detective) and her husband Eric Dalton (sheriff and tracker).  When two members of the village’s construction crew go missing in the remote forest outside the village, Casey and Eric need to figure out what happened to them, while keeping the village a secret.

The mystery kept me guessing, and I really enjoyed the setting and (my favourite) tracking scenes and chase scenes through the forest and mountains.

Murder at Haven’s Rock is the first in a new series spun off from Armstrong’s Rockton series.  I think it mostly works as an introduction to new readers and would be enjoyable as a standalone.  

That said, I’d have liked a little more background on Rockton and why it’s so important to launch the new settlement at Haven’s Rock quickly — one or two clear examples of the people Casey and Dalton are trying to help would have added more urgency to the story, and would have been helpful for new readers.

Overall, however, I loved this book and am looking forward to more in the Haven’s Rock series.  I’m glad to see new characters that I’m excited to learn more about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for my review copy of this book.

Thank you, Kelley Armstrong and St. Martin's Press, for making this ARC freely available via Netgalley.

I've been reading Kelley Armstrong books for many years, starting when I discovered Bitten at my public library. I became enamored with the Otherworld stories and looked forward to each new publication. The author did branch out to other series and genres other than urban fantasy, but I hesitated to follow. When I did, I was happy to realize that I liked some of her other series. And even more surprised that Rockton quickly became my favourite, even over my beloved werewolves.

Eventually Rockton came to a logical end, but the story didn't completely end there. Murder at Haven'Rock begins a spin-off series. It may not feel like a true spin-off since the main character is the same, as well as her husband, dog, sister and friend/co-worker play roles in this story. I'll miss many of the characters from Rockton, but it seems that even more of them will end up in Rockton, along with a few new additions.

I liked the mystery in this story. The prologue offered just enough of a peek to tantalize without giving it away. The suspects were numerous, each with possible means and motivations. As always, Armstrong does a great job of creating characters that are multifaceted and interesting. I enjoyed the twists and turns in the investigation and predicted somethings correctly and some things not.

Of course, no book is perfect. I wouldn't have minded a bit more of Dalton, Anders and April. There were few technical errors, but they were pretty obvious (like his instead of hers, life instead of lie). Hopefully,those were cleaned up before final copy was published,

Finally, I mentioned this was a spin-off. I think the reader would be better served by reading the original series first, but also feel the story can be reasonably well-followed without doing so.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to more in this series.

Just when you think Casey and her husband, Eric, have left murder behind them in Rockton. murder follows them to their new town, Havens Rock. This is a spin-off series from Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series and once more we are treated to twists and turns that don’t let up until the end, and even then, they don’t let up. Lots of our old friends are there including Casey’s somewhat autistic sister, April, and Will Anders. Two workers are missing from their unfinished town and both Casey and Eric, along with their dog, Storm, are summoned to Havens Rock to find them and uncover the mystery of their disappearance. As with all Kelley Armstrong books, the writing is good and the story fast paced and exciting. I can’t wait for the next installment!

When I see Kelley Armstrong has a new book, I rush to read it, Thanks to the author and NetGalley, I was able to read the book for review.
Casey and her husband Eric leave their town of Rockton, in the Yukon, to go check on the new town they are building further into the Yukon. Rockton was a quiet, hidden town for people who needed to disappear safely for a given time. The benefactors of Rockton decided the town had served it's purpose and decided to disband the little town. Casey, Eric and other citizens disagreed with the decision and struck out to form a new town in a different secluded area. When the couple arrives they find a woman is missing, there are attacks upon some of the workers who were flown in to build the town and confusion among the workers. In Haven's Rock we will meet new characters, hear new secrets and uncover more disputes.
If you have not read the Rockton series you do not have to read it first but, the backstory helps. If you are a fan of Rockton and Kelley Armstrong, you are going to enjoy the beginning of this new series.

I am so glad that Kelley continued her tales of Rockton with this new series. I enjoyed spending more time with Casey and Dalton as they worked to set up their new town. I appreciate the scene setting in the book especially getting to visit Yukon summer in the middle of winter.

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are building their own town in the Yukon wilderness. They want it to be a sanctuary for people looking for a fresh start in life. Unfortunately, before the construction is even completed, two people go missing from the town. Casey and Eric along with their Newfoundland dog Storm, venture into the surrounding forest to look for them. What starts as a search and rescue mission soon turns into a murder investigation. Could someone on the construction crew be the killer? Everyone in the town is suspect and Casey and Eric must race to find the killer before the town’s residents start to arrive. This book was the first I have read by Armstrong, and I felt somewhat at a loss because I knew nothing about Rockton, the setting for some of Armstrong’s other books, and a place that is frequently mentioned in this book. However, this story stands on it’s own with an intriguing mystery and well developed characters. Armstrong is a very descriptive writer with a strong sense of place. She made the Yukon wilderness come alive. It is a place of natural beauty where threats from wildlife are expected but those by men are not. I would like to thank St. Martin’s Minotaur, the publisher, and Net Galley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Murder at Haven's Rock by Kelley Armstrong
Murder at Haven's Rock (Haven's Rock, #1)
by Kelley Armstrong (Goodreads Author)
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I received an advance copy of Kelley Armstrong's 'Murder at Haven's Rock' and I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed. As a fan of her previous Rockton series, I had high expectations and Armstrong did not disappoint. The characters were well developed and the setting was rich and immersive. If you're looking for a gripping mystery with a dash of suspense and a touch of ongoing romance, I highly recommend picking up this book and immersing yourself in the world of Haven's Rock.

I would suggest to read the Rockton series first, while I don't think it's completely necessary, it will certainly help with a better understanding of the recurring characters.

Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Erick Dalton are behind the founding of a new town for those on the run. It is a replacement for Rockton where the two met but which fell apart under the rule of a corrupt board. Haven's Rock isn't ready to open yet. It is filled with construction workers who don't actually know where they are or what they are really building.

Casey and Eric have had to come early because two people have disappeared. The srchitect and head engineer have both disappeared into the forest despite the one rule of the place: Don't go into the forest. When they get to the town, Yolanda, the head of the construction who happens to be a granddaughter of Casey and Eric's mentor and fellow investor Emilie, is both abrupt and abrasive and, while she wants her people found, doesn't want to slow down the construction to do it.

Casey and Eric's first search turns up the body a woman that they believe is the missing architect. However, once the body is back in town, it is determined that she is unknows to anyone in Haven't Rock. So now they have a body and still have two missing people.

Even though they scouted the area before they began to build this new refuge, Casey and Eric discoer that they aren't as alone in the Yukon as they had believed. They discover a man mining in secret as they are searching for their missing people. And they also discover a reclusive wildlife photographer who has a pet wolf.

They do eventually find Bruno who was the missing engineer, but he is badly injured from being pushed off a cliff. Even once they get Casey's sister into the settlement to provide medical services, he doesn't offer much information and dies before indicating whether or not he knows where the missing architect is.

Casey and Eric run all sorts of theories about who the killer is for the found woman and what sort of scheme the engineer was involved with and if he had a partner who is hiding in plain sight among the construction crew.

This was an engaging start to a new mystery series with one of the most unique settings in fiction. I look fatward to reading more in this series.

As a fan of Kelley Armstrong's Rockton mystery series, I was sad when she ended it. That, it turns out, was unnecessary, as Armstrong's new Haven's Rock series picks up right where the other left off, giving characters a new start -- and new problems -- in a fresh locale. In "Murder," the first installment of what I hope will be many, the new settlement is still under construction, while newly arrived Casey and Eric and the crew deal with a death, a disappearance and big questions about who can be trusted. It's taut, twisty and sometimes terrifying. In other words, perfect.

Murder at Haven's Rock is a continuation of the Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong. Well sort of. Rockton is no longer in existence but Casey and Dalton aren't ready to give up the dream of living in the wilderness. They are developing a new settlement called Haven's Rock. This book is the introduction to that series. So we still have some of our favorites including Casey, Dalton, Anders and a various cast of misfits from Rockton. But we are also introduced to some new characters. It's always good to have fresh blood, right? That seems to be the connection between Haven's Rock and Rockton. There's always going to be a murder and a mystery. I actually read the book in one sitting because the plot is so twisty turny spiraling that it's difficult to put it down and walk away. Armstrong again gives us a story that leaves you guessing until the very last minute. Yes it is the same pattern as the Rockton series. But I'm always amazed at how she can take an old story and turn it into a new one! I highly recommend visiting Haven's Rock. Just be careful that you don't get lost in the forest! I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Netgalley