Skip to main content

Member Reviews

I came into this book blind. I like this author and have read and enjoyed other books by her. That being said I’m unfamiliar with this series or the one it was a spin off of but was offered an eARC from the publisher due to reviewing some of her previous books. From what I gathered Haven’s Rock is a refuge for people who have committed crimes deep in the Yukon wilderness. The main character states early in the book they have 70 residents and the character who is attacked in the prologue talks about a shared residence that only has 3 bathrooms (for I’m not sure how many people) but 2 are plugged because the residents are used to shoving whatever they want down the toilets.
The character in the prologue is attacked and our main character who is heavily pregnant is called upon to investigate which leads to the discovery of a body in the woods.
Looking back at the first book the body in the woods thing seems to be a common theme. The main character and her husband vaguely reminded me of characters from another series I’ve read by this author which made me instantly like them however I found that going into this book blind made it extremely hard to get into the story as I was playing catch up to figure out what this town was and what was going on.
I would recommend it to fans of the first two books as it was an interesting read. I do not recommend jumping in here at book three like I did as you’ll be playing catch up quite a bit.

Was this review helpful?

OH. MY. GOSH! This book about sent my anxiety through the roof!! I’ve read all of the Havens Rock series books, and while I enjoyed the others, this one ramped up the intensity in a big way.

I find the whole concept of a hidden town off the grid so intriguing, and Armstrong has done a great job setting up the atmosphere through each book as the town grows and mysteries surround each one. With Casey being 8 months pregnant (with a high risk pregnancy to boot!) in this third book, it just really escalated the danger and intensity. I was fully invested in seeing where the story went and Wow, it did not disappoint! Can not wait to see where the series goes from here!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

Was this review helpful?

I am gonna be completely honest . I requested this book based on the author and didnt see that it was part of a series. I still enjoyed this book and will be reading the other books.

Was this review helpful?

I’ve been a fan of Kelley Armstrong for years … and this book is another winner! I love this series and I’m so anxious to see where it goes from here. Kelley has such a way of taking us into the story and keeping us on the edge of our seats! Definitely read this one!

Was this review helpful?

Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong is the latest book in her Haven's Rock series set in the Yukon wilderness. It begins with a resident’s escape from someone trying to drag her into the deep woods, and continues with Casey's investigation while she is also dealing with her advanced pregnancy. The suspense continues to build through snowstorms, murder, attempted murders, and contractions. Be ready to finish it in one day—it's that good. Recommended. My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advance copy.

Was this review helpful?

Any book set in a small town, with frigid temperatures and murder please count me in. I went into this story not knowing this was a series. Kudos to the Author for writing in such a way that allows readers to feel like books in a series could very well be standalone. I’ve gained a new series to enjoy. This was my first Kelly Armstrong novel.

What I loved most were the characters. My least favorite thing was the motive behind murder. My review does not contain any details because it’s not needed. This was a solid book. My opinion is mine alone. If you’re thinking of reading, don’t hesitate.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the pre-release copy of Cold as Hell. Below is my honest review.

I absolutely love this series. So much that I don't even know if I have words to express just how much I love it. The setting, the characters, the atmosphere, the mysteries... Armstrong is a master class author.

Highly recommend picking up this series (though be warned, this one is a few books into a followup series to the first series, Rockton, and as such, certain aspects of character/setting history are spoiled for those who haven't read the rest).

Was this review helpful?

Brr! Grab a blanket and settle in, because "Cold As Hell" by Kelley Armstrong is the perfect chilly weather read that'll send shivers down your spine - and not just from the cold!

Picture this: a small, isolated community blanketed in snow, a brutal attack, and a murder that rocks the town. Armstrong's vivid descriptions had me cranking up the thermostat and peering out my windows, half-expecting to see snowdrifts piling up. The atmosphere is so thick with tension, you could cut it with an icicle!

Our protagonist, Casey, is a force to be reckoned with. Here she is, heavily pregnant (and I mean ready-to-pop pregnant), yet she's out there solving crimes like a boss. Talk about multitasking! Her relationship with her sheriff husband adds a lovely warmth to the frosty setting, and their Newfoundland dog? Absolute scene-stealer.

The plot twists in this book? They'll give you whiplash! Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Armstrong threw another curveball that left me reeling. The 'whodunit' reveal was so unexpected.

Now, I'll admit, I'm new to the Haven Rock series, but "Cold As Hell" works perfectly as a standalone. Armstrong introduces the characters so seamlessly, I felt like I'd known them for ages.

What really sets this book apart is how it balances the chilling mystery with the very human drama of Casey's pregnancy and her relationships. It's like getting two genres for the price of one!

My only tiny gripe? The villain's motive left me scratching my head a bit. But honestly, that's just nitpicking in what's otherwise a fantastic read.

If you're looking for a mystery that'll keep you guessing, characters you'll fall in love with, and a setting so real you'll need an extra sweater, "Cold As Hell" is your next must-read.

Thank you, Minotaur Books and NetGalley, for my freebook.

Was this review helpful?

Cold as Hell, the third book in Haven’s Rock suspense series by Kelley Armstrong is aptly titled because the tension here is chilling. Someone is attacking the women in this small isolated community and, despite the rigorous vetting procedure to be accepted into Haven’s Rock, it is clear that the perpetrator is someone on the inside.

I have been a huge fan of this series since the first book and of the Rockton series that proceeded and I have never been disappointed. Like the previous books, the pacing is fast, the plot is exciting and drew me in right from the beginning, and, as always, Casey makes a strong, likeable and complex female protagonist and Dalton, her husband, the perfect match for her. The story kept me guessing right until the culprit was revealed but, if anything, the tension ramped up even higher after. For me, this is one of those books you can't put down but are always sorry to finish because you hate to see it end. Love this series and am already waiting impatiently for the next book in the series arrives.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

Living through winter in Canada is no joke, and even less so when you're in the isolation of the Yukon Wilderness. Combine the frigid cold and whiteout snowstorms, not to mention the wildlife, with murder, mystery, and the horrors that humanity brings and you'll get the Rockton and Haven's Rock crime thrillers.

I love these series, so it comes as no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment as well.

Cold As Hell is the third book in the Haven's Rock series, which is a continuation of the completed 7-book Rockton series. It has everything readers have come to love in these books. Tangled in with the murder mystery, we have lingering feelings of tension between the townsfolk - as you would likely expect when stuck in close proximity with your fellow refugees in a secret, off-the-grid town in the middle of nowhere. Especially when you throw in the suspicions of which of your neighbours is a dangerous criminal.

This is a hard review to write without giving away too much of the plot, so I'll leave it at this: Like it's predecessors, Cold As Hell does a great job of keeping the reader on their toes and guessing who the culprit may be!

Was this review helpful?

It is difficult to not get emotionally invested in Casey and Eric's story in Haven's Rock. They have established a new community taking the good from Rockton and leaving the bad. At this time of their lives they are ready to move to the next step - parenthood.

Casey is near the end of her pregnancy and struggling with the work/life balance. A few medical scares has her (and Eric) on edge about a healthy birth. One evening a resident is lured to the woods after 2 drinks at the bar. After fighting her attacker and another resident happening onto the scene Sheriff Eric and Detective Casey are informed. They discover the resident was drugged - but was she targeted?

As Casey balances her roles another resident is missing during a snowstorm. Several people have conflicting stories about her last actions in town. When she is found frozen and naked in the forest everyone goes on high alert. Eric and Casey fight time (while focusing on her safety) as they rush to identify the killer.

Was this review helpful?

I love this series, it definitely needs to be read in order or you will not understand anything, I don't know why this one just didn't work like the others did for me. It was good suspenseful and fast paced, but there was just something that was missing that I got from the others that I didn't get from this one. The story had some inconsistencies and things that just did not make sense. I will still continue this series, but it just wasn't my favorite.

Was this review helpful?

You know what's a great idea when it is freezing cold outside?
Read a book that makes you feel even colder!!
Or not. YIKES!
This book is aptly named, not just for the weather conditions featured in the book, but also for one of the characters who has everyone fooled that they are a good person. Spoiler: they are not.

This is book three in the series, and being this is the first book I've read from the author, I didn't fully understand the community of Haven's Rock, other than the people of the town all one another and have been heavily vetted, so to speak. So, when women start being attacked, the town goes on high alert. Who attacked the women and why? While many of the townsfolk have colored pasts, so darker than others, this town offers them redemption. It was also supposed to offer safety, but clearly is no longer the case.

In this installment, Casey Butler tries to determine who the suspect may be . . . during a blizzard . . .while very pregnant. DOUBLE YIKES!! She definitely has the cards stacked against her, but her diligence and determination ultimately pay off. Is it who I thought it would be? No, and that's ok, I like a good surprise. I particularly reveled the little twist at the end, a bit of vengeance if you will.

If you enjoy police procedurals and are looking for a good winterlike read, look no further.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars

Casey's pregnancy added an extra level of tension to this third entry in the Haven's Rock series, and the murderer was especially terrifying. The first third or so was mostly procedural and explainy, but then it became quite a page-turner. I liked the details about Havens Rock, the improvements they were trying to make on Rockton, and the flaws in the system that still emerged. Armstrong did a great job incorporating the harsh environment into the plot to up the stakes. I went from being glad about Casey's choices to extremely frustrated with them, and I'm not sure I bought the extremes at the end. I'm curious where they go from here and how long the series will go.

Was this review helpful?

Another absolutely chilling installment in the Rockton series. I have loved all the books since the switch to Haven’s Rock, but this was definitely my favorite of the new era.
This thriller not only had the tension and stress of solving a murder, but also solving that murder while 8 months pregnant. That combo kept me and the main characters even more on edge than usual.
In so many ways this book felt a bit more like one of the early Rockton books. The cast of characters felt smaller, in a good way. And yet we still got face time with all our faves.
The twist in this book really got me in a way I did not expect. Definitely one of the most interesting and truly nightmare inducing killers they’ve had.
I can’t wait to re-read it and see if I catch new clues or signs the second time around. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read it early.
This was truly a fantastic thriller and all readers of this series will be glued to the book until the very end. 10 out of 10.

Was this review helpful?

Incorporating pregnancy and the potential loss of both the mother and the baby, is terrifying. The suspense and stress are at any all time high throughout the story until all of the loose ends come together in a twisted/messed up little bow. It is an awesome read, highly recommend during the Chilly winter months...

Was this review helpful?

I didn't realize when I requested this ARC book that it was part of a series, so I will have to go back and read books one and two. Even without reading them, though, I was able to enjoy this book immensely. This novel is perfect for thriller and murder mystery fans!

Imagine living in a town hidden deep in the Yukon wilderness where no one knows where you are. That is Haven's Rock—a safe place for people looking to escape trauma and life. Life seems ideal with a profoundly in-depth intake process and only 70 residents. Everyone works and contributes to the town until one day, a woman is drugged and almost abducted. A few days later, another is found murdered; now, 8-month-pregnant detective Casey and her sheriff husband must work to solve the case before the birth of their baby. But how could this have happened? Everyone goes through extensive background checks before being brought to Haven. In a town the size of Haven's Rock, it should be easy to figure it out, but with a blizzard pushing in on the town it is anything but. The misdirection in this book was beautiful, and it kept you guessing until the end who the murderer was.

Was this review helpful?

Hidden away deep in the Yukon Wilderness of Canada is a secluded town called Haven's Rock - a sanctuary for those seeking a place to disappear off the grid while leaving their pasts behind. After applying for residency, each person coming in is carefully researched before being approved, leading to a small community of people safe within the borders. The secluded setting and mother nature combine to create a highly atmospheric, locked room style thriller that's guaranteed to keep readers up late at night to finish those last few pages.

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, arrived in Haven's Rock from Rockton and have finally settled into their new home and started a family. Casey is devoted to her job and the people of the town and finds it hard to slow down even as she's entering her final months of pregnancy, much to the chagrin of her husband. When one of the women from town suffers confusion from a drugged drink served at the local bar and wanders into the forest surrounding the town alone, she falls victim to an attack, barely escaping with her life. With Eric by her side, Casey investigates, stumbling across another victim frozen in the snow. There are no outsiders in Haven's Rock, leaving Casey to assume someone living among them is a murderer. Who among the town's carefully vetted residents is killing the town's women?

COLD AS HELL is a complex, atmospheric thriller with well-developed characters readers can connect with. I enjoy the contrast between the personalities of Casey and Eric as they play off each other's strengths and weaknesses. It's great to catch up with some of the series support characters from previous books and yet new to the series readers will be comfortable jumping in as each book stands alone. Author Kelley Armstrong has taken time to build a world that serves as a character within itself with extreme weather and isolation creating a locked room style setting in COLD AS HELL. Mystery, murder, intrigue, and isolation all combine to make this an intensive whodunnit perfect for fans of mysteries and suspense thrillers.

Was this review helpful?

I had read and enjoyed the first book in this series,so I expected a lot out of this one. I was not disappointed. Great writing. Constantly keeps you guessing as to what is happening next and who the bad guy is. The characters are very well written and believable.

Was this review helpful?

This was a nice descriptive book and the title certainly was true. I felt the cold the whole time I was reading the book. I did think it was a slow moving slow build story. Maybe a little too slow for my liking. It did have a few surprises and was a good add to the series.

Was this review helpful?