Review – Murder at Haven’s Rock (Haven’s Rock, Book 1) by Kelley Armstrong (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Mystery/Survival
Length: 344 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: February 21, 2023
ASIN: B09Y47G3BD
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Haven’s Rock series
Source: Borrowed ebook from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Deep in the Yukon wilderness, a town is being built. A place for people to disappear, a fresh start from a life on the run. Haven’s Rock isn’t the first town of this kind, something detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, know first-hand. They met in the original town of Rockton. But greed and deception led the couple to financing a new refuge for those in need. This time around, they get to decide which applicants are approved for residency.
There’s only one rule in Haven’s Rock: stay out of the forest. When two of the town’s construction crew members break it and go missing, Casey and Eric are called in ahead of schedule to track them down. When a body is discovered, well-hidden with evidence of foul play, Casey and Eric must find out what happened to the dead woman, and locate those still missing. The longer Casey and Eric don’t know what happened, the more danger everyone is in.”
Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Haven’s Rock series. I borrowed this on ebook from my library.
Thoughts: This is the first book in the Haven’s Rock series which is a spin-off series from the Rockton series. I enjoyed this just as much as I enjoyed the Rockton series (which I absolutely loved). This is a wonderful blend of survival, mystery, and police procedural (kind of), with wonderful characters and a great setting.
Just like Rockton, this series is set in the Yukon wilderness. Unlike Rockton, Haven”s Rock is supposed to be an un-corrupt refuge for those who need it. Basically, it’s like a really secluded and remote witness protection program for those who need to hide away from the real world for safety reasons.
Casey and Eric end up heading out to Haven’s Rock before construction is completed because two of the construction crew have gone missing. They will have to sort through the unknown mysteries of the region and the agendas of the construction leaders to figure out if the crew members are still alive and lost, or if some more sinister plan is afoot.
I continue to love the amazing secluded setting, which incorporates a lot of survival and rustic living. I adore Casey and Eric and their dog. Some of our favorite characters from Rockton end up back in the story (like Casey’s sister) and some wonderful new characters are added too.
This is super easy to read and very engaging. I had trouble putting the book down. I enjoyed the setting, the characters, the mystery, and the history. It’s just a very fun blend of story elements that I thoroughly love. Armstrong keeps you guessing until the last page with a lot of very well done twists and turns.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this; so far this is just a well done as the Rockton series. If you enjoyed Rockton, I think you will enjoy this spin-off series as well. The mystery is clever and well done with a lot of twists and turns and I continue to love the remote setting and the quirky but capable characters.
