Off the Charts and On the Horizon – a stranger in town (Kelley Armstrong)

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received an eArc of this thriller through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings.  Though this log’s focus is on sci-fi, fantasy, and young adult, this Captain does have broader reading tastes. So occasionally I will share some novels that I enjoyed that are off the charts (a non sci-fi, fantasy, or young adult novel), as it were. This be the sixth book of a series.  If ye haven’t read the others, then ye might want to skip this post and go get caught up.  While I try to post no spoilers, if ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

Title: a stranger in town

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication Date: TODAY!!! (hardcover/e-book)

ISBN: 978-1250781727

Source:  NetGalley

I love Kelley Armstrong!  I discovered her through her young adult book, sea of shadows, and she became me most read author of 2016. I have really been enjoying this series and I didn’t even read the blurb before I requested this one.  While ye can read books 1 – 3 and get the gist, books 4 – 6 build on each other.  I do recommend starting at the beginning.

This novel continues the adventures of Rockton’s detective, Casey Duncan.  For those who be adventurous and are readin’ this post having not read the previous books, Rockton is an off-the-grid town in the Yukon.  People pay a council to spend time in this town to hide from their pasts.  Some flee domestic abuse.  Some flee other more unsavory problems.  Suffice to say, the town is not an idyllic wonderland.

Casey is always getting pulled into trouble.  This time, an injured hiker is found in the woods.  It seems as though she has been attacked . . . and not by a wild animal.  Where are her companions?  Who tried to kill her?  And how is Rockton supposed to maintain its secrecy now?

I will admit that this plot was way more ridiculous than the previous novels.  I will also admit that I did not care.  This was a quick, fun read that made me happy.  This book solves the major mysteries of the previous books.  I truly did enjoy watching Casey investigate.  I enjoyed getting the watch many of the relationships develop.  I didn’t love the big reveals but I do love the world and characters.

Some minor issues:  I would have preferred more Jacob, Sebastian, and Mattias. There was a bit too much repetition of the background of Rockton and residents that ye already know from previous books.  I feel that this impeded the pacing a bit.  And the bear thing was SO silly!

Apparently the author is contractually obligated for a seventh Rockton novel which she is working on now.  I cannot quite imagine where the story is going to go from here. Arrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank ye kindly St. Martin’s Press!

Normally I post the blurb here but I am not because of spoilers!

To visit the author’s website and blog go to:

Kelley Armstrong – Author

To buy the novel visit:

a stranger in town – Book 6

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

Previous Log Entries for this Author

sea of shadows- book 1 (Captain’s Log – Young Adult Fantasy)
empires of the night -book 2 (Captain’s Log – Young Adult Fantasy)
forest of ruin – book 3 (Captain’s Log – Young Adult Fantasy)
the masked truth (Captain’s Log – Young Adult Thriller)
missing (On the Horizon – Young Adult Thriller eArc)
rough justice – book 5.5 (On the Horizon – Fantasy eArc)
city of the lost – book 1 (Off the Charts – Thriller/Crime)
a darkness absolute – book 2 (Off the Charts and on the Horizon – Thriller/Crime Arc)
this fallen prey – book 3 (Off the Charts and on the Horizon – Thriller/Crime eArc)
watcher in the woods – book 4 (Off the Charts – Thriller/Crime)
alone in the wild – book 5 (Off the Charts and on the Horizon – Thriller/Crime eArc)