Tag Archives: Haven’s Rock

First Sign of Danger (Haven’s Rock 4) by Kelley Armstrong-review

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First Sign of Danger (Haven’s Rock 4) by Kelley Armstrong-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 17, 2026

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are entering a new chapter of life as parents to their six-month-old baby. Their family is hidden away in the sanctuary town of Haven’s Rock where they can live safe and private lives. But when they encounter hikers too close to the borders of Haven’s Rock, they realize they’re in danger of being exposed.

When they find one of the hikers dead the next day, they realize that their paranoia was justified, but they’re no closer to finding out who these people were and what they were doing in the vicinity of Haven’s Rock. Only by tracing the hikers’ movements, as well as examining the recent behavior of their closest neighbors, the workers of a secretive mining camp, will they be able to figure out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Otherwise, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock–and their safe, secure new existence–are at risk.

••••••

REVIEW:FIRST SIGN OF DANGER is the fourth instalment in Kelley Armstrong’s contemporary adult HAVEN’S ROCK mystery, thriller series set in the fictional town of Haven’s Rock, Yukon focusing on Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton. The HAVEN’S ROCK series is a spin off from the author’s ROCKTON series with several of the original series characters moving to Haven’s Rock.

SOME BACKGROUND: Rockton Yukon did not exist on any map, and the residents all had a questionable past, fake names and false histories. Most were once considered to be white collar criminals but with increasing regularity, hardened criminals have somehow paid their way into Rockton, seeking sanctuary against future prosecution, a safe place for two years before seeking asylum somewhere else. A serial killer destroyed the people and ultimately the town of Rockton Yukon, and with the help of some of their former friends and a big influx of cash, Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton, begin the task of building a new town, known as Haven’s Rock, a town that will expose our couple to more murders and questionable inhabitants.

Told from first person perspective (Casey Duncan) FIRST SIGN OF DANGER advances the series several months. Casey and her husband Eric are now the proud parents of a six month old little girl named Rory but a family walk in the woods finds our couple discovering a couple of strangers who would become the precipitating factor in a series of murders, questionable sightings, and betrayal by one of their own. Haven’s Rock is a quiet town, secluded away from everyone and everything but a supposed mining camp is threatening the peaceful existence of a town desperately trying to keep to themselves, a town with secrets of its’ own. As Casey and Eric struggle to uncover the truth, someone else is working behind the scenes, selling secrets to the highest bidder.

The world building, once again, focuses on the search for a killer who may or may not be connected to the mining camp, or someone who may have information about the people involved. Break ins, broken curfews, grizzly attacks and secret affairs are only a few of the obstacles facing Casey and the man whom she loves.

The secondary and supporting characters are energetic, determined and sometimes dangerous. The people of Rock Haven like to keep their secrets buried behind a veil of anonymity but there is always someone willing to talk for the right price.

FIRST SIGN OF DANGER is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, murder and deception, family and friendships. The character driven premise is detailed and dramatic, the characters are desperate and edgy.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Goodreads / Website/ Twitter/ Facebook/ Amazon Author Page/

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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COLD AS HELL (Haven’s Rock 3) by Kelley Armstrong -review

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COLD AS HELL (Haven’s Rock 3) by Kelley Armstrong-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 18, 2025

Haven’s Rock is a sanctuary town hidden deep in the Yukon for those who need to disappear from the regular world. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are starting a family now that they’ve settled into their life here. As Casey nears the end of her pregnancy, she lets nothing, including her worried husband, stop her from investigating what happens in the forbidden forest outside the town of Haven’s Rock.

When one of the town’s residents is drugged and wanders too close to the edge of town, she’s dragged into the woods kicking and screaming. She’s saved in the nick of time, but the women of the town are alarmed. Casey and Eric investigate the assault just as a snowstorm hits Haven’s Rock, covering the forest. It’s there they find a frozen body, naked in the snow. With mixed accounts of the woman’s last movements, the two begin to question who they can trust—and who they can’t—in their seemingly safe haven.

••••

REVIEW: COLD AS HELL is the third instalment in Kelley Armstrong’s contemporary adult HAVEN’S ROCK mystery, thriller series set in the fictional town of Haven’s Rock, Yukon focusing on Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton. The HAVEN’S ROCK series is a spin off from the author’s ROCKTON series with several of the original series characters moving to Haven’s Rock.

SOME BACKGROUND: Rockton Yukon did not exist on any map, and the residents all had a questionable past, fake names and false histories. Most were once considered to be white collar crimes but with increasing regularity, hardened criminals have somehow paid their way into Rockton, seeking sanctuary against future prosecution, a safe place for two years before seeking asylum somewhere else. A serial killer destroyed the people and ultimately the town of Rockton Yukon, and with the help of some of their former friends and a big influx of cash, Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton, begin the task of building a new town, known as Haven’s Rock, a town that will expose our couple to more murders and questionable inhabitants.

Told from first person perspective (Casey Duncan) COLD AS HELL focuses on several happenings in Haven’s Rock. A drugging at the local bar finds a very pregnant Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton searching for a missing woman but when one woman is found, another is discovered dead, and the entire town begins to suspect everyone connected. Meanwhile Casey’s pregnancy reaches a critical point, and our heroine struggles between doing her job and protecting her unborn child, a struggle that becomes dangerous and deadly.

The world building follows several intersecting paths including the possibility of one of their own wreaking havoc on the town’s residents but not everyone is who they claim to be, and Casey and Eric will face down an enemy with deadly intent.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and questionable secondary and supporting characters, all of whom have a past. Accusations are made; threats are compounded with issues of trust-not everyone will survive.

COLD AS HELL is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, madness and murder, love and loss. The slow building story is dark, dramatic and edgy; the characters are determined, charismatic and energetic. Kelley Armstrong pulls the reader into a world of ice and cold, snow and blizzards-you can feel the temperature drop.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Murder at Haven’s Rock
The Boy Who Cried Bear

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Goodreads / Website/ Twitter/ Facebook/ Amazon Author Page/

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock 2)by Kelley Armstrong-review

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The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock 2) by Kelley Armstrong-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 20, 2024

Haven’s Rock is a well-hidden town surrounded by forest. And it’s supposed to be, being that it’s a refuge for those who need to disappear. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton already feel at home in their new town, which reminds them of where they first met in Rockton. And while they know how to navigate the woods and its various dangers, other residents don’t. Which is why people aren’t allowed to wander off alone.

When Max, the town’s youngest resident—taught to track animals by Eric—fears a bear is stalking a hiking party, alarms are raised. Even stranger, the ten-year-old swears the bear had human eyes. Casey and Eric know the dangers a bear can present, so they’re taking it seriously. But odd occurrences are happening all around them, and when a dead body turns up, they’re not sure what they’re up against.

••••••

REVIEW:THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR is the second instalment in Kelley Armstrong’s contemporary adult HAVEN’S ROCK mystery, thriller series set in the fictional town of Haven’s Rock, Yukon a spin off from the author’s ROCKTON series focusing on Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton.

SOME BACKGROUND: Rockton Yukon did not exist on any map, and the residents all had a questionable past, fake names and false histories. Most were once considered to be white collar crimes but with increasing regularity, hardened criminals have somehow paid their way into Rockton, seeking sanctuary against future prosecution, a safe place for two years before seeking asylum somewhere else. A serial killer destroyed the people and ultimately the town of Rockton Yukon, and with the help of some of their former friends and a big influx of cash, Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton, begin the task of building a new town, known as Haven’s Rock, a town that will expose our couple to more murders and questionable inhabitants.

Told from first person perspective (Casey Duncan) and several omniscient third person perspectives including Max, THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR follows in the wake of the possible abduction of a ten year old boy. Out for a walk in the Yukon wilderness, ten year old Max claims he saw a man-bear, a possible wild man but no one believes his story. Desperate to prove everyone wrong, Max goes into the forest alone, and doesn’t return, leading the people of Haven’s Rock to believe one of their own may have taken the ten year old boy. A search ensues under the direction of Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton but a missing boy is the least of their worries. A dead man from a neighboring mining camp is just the beginning, and now there is a possibility of a killer on the loose.

THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR is a slow building story of mystery and suspense. Like most of the townsfolk, we no very little about the individuals who have sought refuge in Haven’s Rock, but the possibility of a another killer in their midst means someone else may have lied about the who, how and why. The members of an all-male mining camp are suspect but when lines are drawn, Casey and Eric begin to suspect a much bigger issue at play.

Kelley Armstrong pulls the reader into a story of power and control, madness and obsession, family and friendships. The premise is dramatic and intense. There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, determined, and desperate characters, not all of whom will survive.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Goodreads / Website/ Twitter/ Facebook/ Amazon Author Page/

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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