This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope she writes more! I am totally hooked!

Let me start by saying that Kelley Armstrong is my all time favorite author. I absolutely loved the Rockton series.
When this spin off series was announced I was incredibly excited, I didn't want to lose those characters.
I felt like this story was a great introduction to the new series however, it felt just like the Rockton books, following the same story line.

If you love Rockton, you'll love this series. If you're looking for the same characters but a different story line, that's not what you will get.

Have you ever seen the M*A*S*H episode where BJ Hunnicutt is sick of trying to live up to Trapper John McIntyre’s legacy and he outsmarts the unit with tricks? No? Too young to remember? Ok, how about ever been out with a friend who can’t stop talking about another friend you’ve never met? Yes?! Ok, that’s how it feels reading this book. The characters can’t.stop.talking.about.Rockton. I felt like an outsider and finally had enough. It’s too bad because The Life She Had, my first introduction to this author, was a five-star read.

What’s Rockton, you ask?! So did I. It’s Armstrong’s previous mystery series and this is a ’fresh’ start for her characters, the survivors of the previous settlement by the same name. When Rocton was dismantled, a new town was being constructed deep in the Yukon wilderness. This town is a place for people on the run to disappear.

The concept sounds good. The writing was good. The characters were good. I just couldn’t get engaged…it was like showing up to a party where everyone knew everyone else, and I was a stranger. I felt like a cheechako, definitely not a sourdough. Like the previous comment, a little backstory would have been appreciated.

Please don’t let my frustration determine whether or not you’ll read this book. Check out the multitude of 5-star reviews. Just be forewarned that this isn’t a fresh start…at all.

I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

First of all, thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this amazing book! Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite authors, and has been for over 10 years. When I received approval to review this as an advanced e-book, I jumped for joy and dived right in!

Let me start off by saying: I LOVED this book! It was nostalgic and comforting, with a very distinct touch of “newness”. Not only do we see beloved characters from Rockton, but we are also introduced to a slew of new characters (though we have yet to know which of them will stay throughout the series).

In true Kelley Armstrong fashion, I had so many suspects up until the very end - she keeps you guessing, doubting, and then gasping when you finally find out what *really* happened. I am incredibly excited that we are not done with Casey and Eric. I am looking forward to reading another series of them, their secluded town filled with mysteries and, of course, murder!!

It was so fun to see Casey and the Rockton team back for a new series! If you're a fan of Kelley Armstrong, you'll definitely want to pick this one up. I will say, I feel the author is at that point she's maybe not as edited as she has been in the past--I noticed many spots where the characters say the same things over and over and it got to be distracting. Like Casey opens half her sentences with something like "Oh, sure...." where she could just get straight to what she wants to say. It was a fun adventure though, and I'm really glad Armstrong gets to continue forward with this cast of characters. I'll be on the lookout for the next one!

Kelley Armstrong always brings the goods and this offering is no exception. We follow our main characters who are moving on from their wilderness community of Rock ton and building it better in another location with a new name. Still a haven for those who need into basically disappear. In this next installment there is as always a mystery to solve. The familiar characters transition well to the new scenario but it is also theoretically able to be read without prior knowledge of the series and still be enjoyed. New characters are woven well into the storyline. Plot development was good and she kept me guessing all the way through The characters are interesting and and there are some interesting reveals along the way. . The ending leaves you wanting the next installment to find out what happens next. The hook is in . I need to know. All in all well done..

**** please note: I was provided an advanced copy for my unbiased review****


I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong and specifically the Rockton series. I wasn’t sure about how I was going to feel about a “restart” of sorts but I’m pleasantly surprised that a lot of the same characters returned and added in some new ones. I can’t wait until the next book to see how Haven’s Rock once it’s all up and running. This book had great mystery and I struggled to put it down.

Kelley Armstrong brings plenty of suspense and atmosphere, as well as a unique setting, to the first book in the Haven’s Rock series, Murder at Haven’s Rock . This is a spin-off continuation series after the Rockton series ended with book 7, The Deepest of Secrets. Haven’s Rock is a hidden town being built somewhere in the Yukon wilderness of Canada. It’s a place for people to disappear and a sanctuary for those that need a refuge.

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton met in the original town of Rockton. However, greed and deception destroyed Rockton and Casey and Eric, with some help, finance a new refuge for those seeking safety. This time they get to approve applicants for residency. One rule for the construction crew is to stay out of the forest. However, when two of them break the rule and end up missing, Casey and Eric are called in ahead of schedule to find them. When they find a dead woman and it looks like murder, they need to investigate it while still searching for those still missing.

Casey and Eric are well-developed characters with plenty of depth and are relatable. Casey has a tendency to share credit, but accept blame when things go wrong. She’s a good listener, empathetic, and understanding. However, she stumbles when she doesn’t feel competent. Eric is a fantastic tracker, and asserts himself when needed. However, he recognizes Casey’s skills as a detective and her crime scene skills and supports her rather than taking over an investigation. He also gets short-tempered with annoying or bothersome people at times. Neither is the people-pleasing type. The secondary and tertiary characters run the gamut from helpful and likeable to obnoxious liars and worse.

Overall, this is well-written and entertaining with a solid mystery and complex characters set in an off-the-grid town that is under construction. An intriguing start quickly accelerates as the plot develops and Casey’s investigation takes off. While this can be read as a stand-alone, readers will gain a better understanding of the key characters and their backgrounds if they read the Rockton series first. Isolation, murder, trust, secrets, greed, work-life balance, lies, concealment, and respect are all threads that are explored during the novel. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Fans of Kelley Armstrong and the Rockton series will likely thoroughly enjoy this novel.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Kelley Armstrong for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for February 21, 2023.

This book, I found, is a continuation of the authors previous novels. This book is perfectly fine as a jumping on point for new readers.. I enjoyed the world building and all the effort put into the characters here. The mystery is fine and it’s fun to see the characters evolve throughout the book. While this is a fine mystery with solid writing , I don’t know if I feel the need to come back to read the old Rockton novels.

This book makes things so much clearer. I felt like it was new series but also felt like I was still in the old series. I was super excited to see how this book would play out. And it definitely exceeded my thoughts on it. I enjoyed all the new and old aspects.

Many thanks to both Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Murder at Haven's Rock!

Welcome to Haven's Rock. It isn’t the first town of its kind. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, know that first hand. They met in the original town of Rockton but greed and deception led the couple to finance a new refuge for those in need. This time, THEY get to decide which applicants are approved for residency.

I have to admit I wasn't wild about Rockton, due to the f-bombs in EVERY sentence Dalton uttered. This time around, there was even a joke about the fact he was doing that less! (Thank you, Ms. Armstrong.) I'm excited about this new series. I can't mention all of my favorite characters since not all of the good guys truly are good and not all of the bad guys truly are bad. However, it's safe to say that I loved Casey! Talk about no fear! I also loved Casey's sister, April. She is somewhere on the autism spectrum and the author depicted that in a way that truly nailed it. I adored Storm, the Newfoundland belonging to Casey and Eric. (Great. Now I want a Newfie!)

I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!!

If you're a fan of Kelly Armstrong, Murder at Haven's Rock is one of this author's absolute MUST reads! Haven's Rock brings back some old characters the same way friends and family the reader hasn't seen in awhile pops up out of the blue, making you feel all warm and excited, anxious to catch up and see what is going on in each other's lives.

Haven's Rock is a perfect weekend read, full of twists and turns, making the reader feel as if everything that is happening in the book is truly happening to them as they read along: something only a very truly gifted author can accomplish.

Those who have not yet read a Kelly Armstrong book, need to hurry up and read both the Casey Duncan series (the series leading up to Murder at Haven's Rock spinoff series) and the Otherworld series (the series that started it all for Ms. Armstrong, and which the show Bitten is based off of). Ms. Armstrong will have the reader caught up in her books tighter than a fly in a Venus Fly Trap, struggling desperately to find its freedom. Only everyone knows there's no escape from Ms. Armstrong's clutches once the book is opened.

As I was reading this story I learned it is a spin off of another series. It is my fault that I didn't research and realize that. With that said, I don't feel I missed out or was confused reading this because of that. I feel I may have enjoyed it MORE if i knew that other series, but I still really enjoyed this. I can't wait to dive into that older series and learn more about these characters and that location.

Haven’s Rock is the new community that Casey, Eric, and some other favorites from Rockton are building after their town was shut down. There’s been a bit of a time jump, and when we catch up Casey and Eric are called in to investigate a few disappearances. It’s full of the usual mystery and beautiful descriptions of the surrounding area.
I was so excited that this series is continuing—it’s one of the best out there. The characters are in a bit of an in between place, and with the town not open yet, we’re not quite sure who is coming from the old to the new. I really can’t wait to see where the next book takes us. Cannot recommend enough.

Another good series following her very interesting and intriguing Rockton stories. Haven's Rock is a safe community for people who need to escape the norms of society living and seek refuge. at this community built deep in the middle of the Yukon wilderness. Using her inheritance, Casey, a detective and Dalton, the town's sheriff, drew up the plans and set the idea for a follow up town to Rockton in motion with additional monies supplied by the towns behind the scenes benefactress from the former Rockton's executive board.. When they fly in to check on the almost but not quite completed town, they find 2 people missing from the building and architecture company. When they decide to search for the missing people, their flying visit becomes a thrilling day to day search and rescue effort., with murder and terror along the way.
Murder at Haven's Rock introduces a new and suspense filled story line with familiart but very interesting
characters and mysteries abounding.

This begins the spinoff series of the Rockton novels, which I thoroughly enjoyed. While it can serve as a stand alone mystery. I highlyrecommend reading those before this book

As always, the author plots an interesting mystery and her writing is on point.

At first it was a bit disconcerting not to have all the original Rockton characters included but the author has added some interesting new ones.

Can't wait for the next in this series.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this ARC. This is my honest review.

This was a spin off of the authors previous series – Rockton Novels. Being a spinoff I had hopes that it would be more akin to reading a stand alone, but I was disappointed. This book lacked the typical back story on the characters, and just assumed I knew who they were. I found it frustrating that I had no back story, no history, no details.

Deep in the Yukon wilderness, a town is quietly and secretively being built. The crew is warned to stay out of the forest, and to only stay in the township. Of course people aren’t always keen on listening and two people get lost, but then one ends up severely hurt, and the other goes missing. Things aren’t adding up for detective Cary Duncan and her husband Sherriff Eric Dalton and there seems more to the story. Then another woman ends up dead in the forest, but she isn’t someone working on the town. As Casey and Duncan put the pieces together, they get sidetracked many times and things just don’t add up. Will they be able to find the missing woman alive? Or will it be a recovery? And what is the deal with the man camping in the woods following them? Things are destined to get messy here before they’re resolved, but will they be able to crack the case and make sure the town is safe?

The book is light on details as to why the town is being built, another thing I struggled with. It alluded to it being a town for people who need a fresh start, but I didn’t learn this until way to far into the book. Again, frustrating.

If you have read the authors original Rockton Series you may have an easier time with what is going on, but not having done so I was mainly just frustrated with this book. I really wanted to enjoy the story, but so many things were missing for me. I gave this one a 2.5 and am rounding to a 3 for star purposes. Special thanks to @netgalley and the publisher, @stmartinspress, for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book prior to its release on Feb 21, 2023 in exchange for this honest review. I do recommend if you read the original series that you check this out as it seems like it would be a better fit for that demographic.

I was so excited to read this book as I have read the entire Rockton series. I would recommend reading that series before reading this one since this series is a continuation of the first.

Rockton was a city where people went to disappear - i.e. live off the grid. It has now been disbanded. Eric Dalton and Casey Duncan, now married, were the sheriff and the investigator at Rockton which was somewhere in Alaska. It was a hidden town for people to go who didn't want to be found, for different reasons - some for guilt and some for their safety. Eric and Casey are two of those people.

Casey has inherited money, and she and Eric hire a contractor to build a new town - Haven's Rock - out in the middle of the Yukon, even more isolated than Rockton. The crew hired to do the building don't know where they are, and are 'supposed' to have no contact with the outside world. When Casey and Eric fly in to inspect the new town, they discover that two people have disappeared. When they begin searching for the missing, they find some unpleasant surprises, surprises that may threaten the purpose of the town: to be unknown.

This is an exciting book and I highly recommend it. This author has a great talent for creating an air of danger and menace. I was really glad I was at home reading this, and not out in a tent in the woods.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher St. Martin's Books/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. It was my great pleasure to voluntarily read and review this book.

Great story! Took a few chapters but I was hooked and had to see what would happen with Casey next.
I didn't realize this was a spinoff from another series, so I'll be checking that out as well!

I will always delight in getting more of Casey and Dalton. This was a solid beginning to the post-Rockton world. I'm not actually clear on if it's meant to be a new series or a continuation of the old. If you're starting here, do yourself a favor and go back to City of the Lost and start there so that you can fully get to know and appreciate our cast of characters before they get to this point. You won't be sorry. That's actually my only real complaint...there wasn't enough of that cast of characters, not even Dalton, who was actually present for much of the book. Hopefully as the residents of Haven's Rock settle in over the next few books, we'll get back to that strong ensemble cast that I love so much (even if we're usually only in Casey's head).