Kelley Armstrong

This is the sixth book in the Casey Duncan series and it's the big one. By the end of it we know the origin of the hostiles, some have been dealt with, and Rockton is facing trouble.

Unexpected guests are overrunning Rockton with the leader of the First Settlement stopping by, an injured person and some dead bodies filling the clinic (which really needs an addition) and a council member flying in. Bears are out with their cubs, hostiles are attacking more frequently, some people are missing, show more and, as usual, each and every one of these things gets Casey into trouble.

The wilderness stand0ffs are tense and exciting, as usual, and something that makes this series that much more entertaining. Whether the danger is a wild animal, the weather (as in previous books), or people those scenes are filled with detail and, particularly when it comes to animals, terrifying. That's when being inside Casey's head and reading her feelings pays off. There's a scene in this book where Casey is menaced by a grizzly bear and how she reacts and balances her fear with her respect of nature and her awe of viewing this bear and it is fantastic.

The supporting characters are an interesting bunch and it's always fun to reconnect with them. The conflict Casey faces with many of them--knowing their Rockton person and not their outside (south) person--fascinates me. How do you judge people? How do you know them? How do you trust them? This is going to become particularly interesting in the future as Rockton faces it's latest and most severe threat from the council.

I've spent the last week reading all the books in this series so, yes, obviously I enjoy them. But, as usual, the ableism in this series bothers me. Take this as a content warning. I understand the conceit, that Rockton is a wilderness town and people are valued for what they can contribute, but it's written in modern times and things can be changed or just plain ignored. The constant statements that people with physical disabilities are not welcome there for whatever reason is difficult to read as a disabled person. (Especially since an exception was made for their friend who became disabled and somehow is so valuable he's exempt from this rule.) I'm also uncomfortable with the amount of ableism against mental illnesses. They are often the focus of a book--who is a sociopath, when will they hurt me because that's all they do--but that has been changing with the inclusion of Sebastian in a previous book. Whether he becomes the token exception or a change in attitude we'll have to see. show less

After Samantha (Sam) Payne’s estranged grandfather dies, she learns she has inherited his 300-acre summer lakefront property worth millions…if she agrees to live there for a month during which time, she can’t leave the property for more than an hour a day. And to prove she is following the rules, she must wear an ankle monitor. But, almost as soon as she arrives, she starts having nightmares and seeing shaped crawling out of the lake. She is convinced that it can’t all be her show more imagination, that there is something very wrong going on and that she is in danger but the only other person on the property is the caretaker and she is not sure she can trust him.

The Haunting of Payne’s Hollow by Kelley Armstrong is one atmospheric, completely chilling paranormal gothic tale and I couldn’t put it down. The story is well-paced with the suspense building at first slowly but soon ramping up until guaranteed to take the reader’s breath away. An absolutely compelling read just in time for Halloween.

I received an eARC Oof this book from Netgalley and St. martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review show less

City of the Lost is a crime thriller in the hard boiled mode. Detective Casey Duncan is a brilliant heroine. She's sassy, determined and focused, in control of her life, but a dark incident from her past is about to catch up with her.

The story mixes together a range of themes, from how our childhoods shape us, particularly parental expectation, to what it means to be human and what happens if we lose that ability.

The setting of the story is a hidden town for people who need to escape their show more lives for a period, whether they're fleeing an abusive relationship, escaping a vendetta, or laying low until an investigation into their criminality blows over. Casey heads there with her friend Diana, who is escaping from her ex-husband. The town is run by a Sheriff and his Deputy. Eric Dalton is the sheriff, born and raised in the town and committed to its future. Will Anders is the deputy, a former military police officer, and the more approachable of the pair. Isabel Radcliffe runs one of the two bars in town, and Beth Lowry is the town doctor.

There's a supporting cast of horny men, cranky women, and frustrated intellectuals. And there's something nasty living in the woods.

I found the book gripping. I had to make myself put it down so that I could eat and sleep and interact with loved ones. The crimes are pretty gruesome, the investigation is intellectually engaging, and even the romantic entanglements, which felt a bit teenage at times, make a kind of sense. There were proper hold your breath moments for me as the investigation twisted and turned to its conclusion. It kept me guessing to the end, changing my mind about whodunnit at regular intervals. I had my suspicions about who but I didn't guess why. I'll definitely be reading the next one in the series. In fact, it might be my new favourite crime series. show less

Kelley Armstrong has never done me wrong, not even once. Fantasy, romance, mystery, all have been fabulous. So when I saw she has a new horror book, you know I immediately picked it up, and I am so glad I did.

Nicola lives with the ticking clock of Cystic Fibrosis, and she never expected to outlive her husband Anton. When he is killed in a horrible car crash and dies in her arms, his last words to her are “I’ll be waiting for you.” Despite being a skeptic, since that day she has show more visited multiple spiritualists, hoping for verifiable contact with him, but to no avail. She is going to try one last time, with a ‘reputable’ medium, and she and a couple friends rent a beach house once owned by Anton’s family for the séance.

Things start to go wrong almost immediately, but is it Anton? Or is there something else, something dark, in the house? And Nicola can’t help but remember the first time she attended a séance, as a teenager, and the terrible events that happened then.

This is exactly my kind of horror/thriller. It kept me guessing and there were tons of reveals along the way that made me doubt what was happening, along with Nicola. I devoured this book; if I’d been watching it as a movie, I would have been screaming at each turn, with each jump scare. Even with all the misdirection, everything was tied up by the end in a very satisfying conclusion. I recommend this for anyone who wants a paranormal, haunted thriller. It’s intense, creepy, and perfect for a spooky season read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me this review copy in exchange for an unbiased opinion. show less