Review by Booklist Review
Armstrong's sixth Rockton novel is deeply mysterious and chillingly suspenseful. Detective Casey Duncan has become aware that the influx of people to the hidden town of Rockton--a refuge for people who want to leave their previous lives behind--has slowed markedly. The tide of people coming into the Yukon town always ebbs and flows, and while Sheriff Eric Dalton isn't too worried, Casey can't shake the idea that something is wrong. Then, after an injured woman appears out of nowhere and promptly falls unconscious, the whole town wants to know who she is, how she got here, and (most pressing of all) whether someone who lives in Rockton is responsible for her injuries. Rockton continues to be a rich source of story material; even after half a dozen books, there is clearly much more to be revealed about this place and the people who live here. As long as Armstrong wants to write Rockton novels, her fans will want to read them.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bestseller Armstrong's propulsive sixth novel set in the off-grid Canadian Yukon sanctuary of Rockton (after 2020's Alone in the Wild) begins with Det. Casey Duncan and her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, encountering a female hiker at the forest's edge. Her bare feet are bloody and frostbitten, she has an infected abdominal wound, and she is babbling in Danish. With translation assistance from a Nordic studies professor who lives in Rockton, the woman reveals that she and three companions were attacked by a "wild man." A search for survivors turns up a campsite strewn with partially dismembered corpses. The ambush appears to be the work of "hostiles"--former residents of Rockton who have reverted to a primal state--but something about the scene sits wrong with Eric and Casey. Their misgivings multiply as their investigation progresses. Armstrong's unique setting and clever premise play pivotal roles in this multifaceted mystery, which satisfies as a self-contained puzzle and significantly advances the series' arc. Abundant plot twists amplify tension, while poignant interactions between psychologically complex characters add heart and heft. Thriller fans seeking something different will be delighted. Agent: Helen Heller, Helen Heller Agency (Canada). (Feb.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Mosley's Blood Grove puts popular protagonist Easy Rawlins front and center again (40,000-copy first printing).
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An injured tourist threatens the hidden town of Rockton. For a place designed to shelter outcasts, Rockton has its share of inner strife. The town council, whose deliberations are both private and consequential, seems to be more than usually contentious, rejecting applications from residents who want to extend their stay at an unprecedented rate. Now it seems that Rockton is also facing threats from outside. Casey Butler, who's in charge of the town's law enforcement, discovers an injured woman in the woods. Is she a tourist? A resident of the First or Second Settlement, enclaves that share the snowy Canadian wilderness with Rockton? A hostile, bent on causing trouble for Rockton and the settlements? Since she doesn't speak English, she can't explain, nor can she tell anyone about the companions who were obviously with her at the bonfire where she was found. Even so, Casey and her partner, Eric Dalton, set out in search of the missing travelers. Local residents Owen and Cherise, who are willing to trade information for coffee, cash, and condoms, lead Casey and Dalton to three bodies that were clearly dead long before the injured woman was found. With three casualties and counting, Casey's under mounting pressure to figure out whether she's dealing with a random crime spree in one of the least inhabited parts of North America or an interconnected set of killings and disappearances. Readers may also feel pressure to understand the complex and largely unexplained culture of Rockton and the surrounding settlements, since backstory takes a back seat to action and wilderness adventure. Best for devoted fans of the franchise. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
