Review – This Fallen Prey (Rockton, Book 3) by Kelley Armstrong (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: February 6, 2018
ISBN-13: 978-1250159892
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Rockton series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

“When Casey first arrived at the off-the-grid town, an isolated community built as a haven for people running from their pasts, she had no idea what to expect, with no cell phones, no internet, no mail, and no way of getting in or out without the town council’s approval.

She certainly didn’t expect to be the homicide detective on two separate cases or to begin a romantic relationship with her boss. But the very last thing she expected was for the council to drop a dangerous criminal into their midst without a plan to keep him imprisoned, and to keep others safe.

Of course Oliver Brady claims he’s being set up. But the longer Brady stays in town, the more things start to go wrong. When evidence comes to light that someone inside Rockton might be working as his accomplice, helping him to escape, Casey races to figure out who exactly Brady is and what crimes he’s truly responsible for committing.”

This is the third book in the Rockton series and was another excellent book in the Rockton series. This would have been 5 stars for me but the ending knocked it down to 4 stars. The ending just felt very rushed, incomplete, and contrived. There were so many twists and turns that the whole thing didn’t make much sense and felt unfinished.

Casey and Eric are thrown a new loop by the council when the council sends them a serial killer, Oliver Brady, to watch. They really aren’t equipped for this type of activity. They don’t want to panic the town by telling them about the awful things Oliver Brady has done. However, they don’t want the town to be sympathetic to the harsh treatment Brady is receiving either. It is a tough line to balance.

When other mysterious incidents start happening around town, the situation with Brady gets even more complicated. Especially when the natives outside of Rockton get involved in things.

This remains a very engaging series. I love all the survival elements of Rockton combined with the thriller and mystery elements. The natives outside of Rockton are getting more and more involved in things and the council is taking too many liberties with the safety of Rockton’s residents. Rockton is basically a pot that’s about to boil over and I am so curious to see what happens when it does.

My only complaint about this book is that the ending felt really contrived and forced. There were too many twists and turns sandwiched together and the story ended up feeling very unfinished; not at all like previous books. This knocked the rating down on this book a bit for me.

Overall a wonderful continuation of the Rockton series. I love the blend of mystery, thriller, psychological, and survival elements here. I would definitely recommend this series; it is fast-paced and very engaging.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– New Release Reading Challenge
– Goodreads Reading Challenge