It’s a long weekend, and I’ve been using this extra morning to do a rigorous main-level cleaning… whew! I’ve earned this cup of chai and delicious Date Bar today!
I read the third book in the “Rockton” series by Kelley Armstrong, This Fallen Prey, and wow, it was a page-turner. I got interested in this series when I listened to the fifth book, Alone in the Wild, as an audiobook a couple of years ago, and I was so impressed that I took the first book out of the library. City of the Lost provided all the details and backstories I needed to understand subsequent books, but I think they get better the further you read into the series. All of the books are set in the town of Rockton, located in a remote northern region of the Yukon, but you won’t find it on any map; this off-the-grid town is populated by about 200 people, all adults, who are fleeing something, a murderous ex-lover, or a gang out for blood. But not all residents are innocent victims; some are fleeing the law or retribution for crimes committed in their past lives, details concealed by the council and provided only on a need-to-know basis. Homicide detective Casey Butler ended up in Rockton initially to help her friend who was fleeing an abusive ex-boyfriend, but she has demons of her own that would be better left un-faced. There she meets Sheriff Eric Dalton and Deputy Will Anders, along with the motley crew that make up the town, and she struggles to accept the fact that no one is who they say they are, so no one can be trusted and nothing is really as it seems. Still, she manages to settle in and become comfortable enough to call this place “home”, at least for now, something she’s been unable to do for years. In This Fallen Prey, Casey and Eric are out for a hike when they hear a plane landing at their tiny airstrip. No one knows about this town, so it’s unlikely that someone stumbled across it accidentally, and neither of them were expecting any arrivals. What they discover is that the council, who manage the town but whose members are all outsiders, has approved a short-term stay for Oliver Brady, a serial killer whose mega-wealthy stepfather wanted him out of the way for a while. Rockton is not equipped to house, guard and care for this dangerous criminal, but they’re given no choice and must make the best of this bad situation. When Brady escapes custody, it appears that he has an accomplice in Rockton… but who? There are so many people who could benefit from helping him, but who would actually do it? As the danger for the town and those living in the forest increases, Casey and Eric must ramp up their efforts to find him and his accomplice before more people die. This book was unputdownable - I loved it! The first two books were good, but this one was great, as was the fifth, so I’m really excited to listen to the fourth one in audio format as soon as I finish my current audiobook. Part wild west story, part wilderness survival tale, and a big part murder mystery... Armstrong manages to blend all of these various genres in exciting and all-too-convincing ways that will make you, the reader, care deeply about some characters and want to find out more about others. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys complex mysteries, especially those that take place in unusual settings.
That’s all for today. Happy Family Day! Do something special with your family, even if yours is of the furry, four-legged variety!
Bye for now…Julie
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