Book Review: First Sign of Danger (Haven’s Rock, #4) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: First Sign of Danger
Series: Haven’s Rock, #4
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: February 17, 2026
Length: 337 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong continues the atmospheric Haven’s Rock series as Casey Duncan investigates a threat to their off-the-grid Yukon town.

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are entering a new chapter of life as parents to their six-month-old baby. Their family is hidden away in the sanctuary town of Haven’s Rock where they can live safe and private lives. But when they encounter hikers too close to the borders of Haven’s Rock, they realize they’re in danger of being exposed.

When they find one of the hikers dead the next day, they realize that their paranoia was justified, but they’re no closer to finding out who these people were and what they were doing in the vicinity of Haven’s Rock. Only by tracing the hikers’ movements, as well as examining the recent behavior of their closest neighbors, the workers of a secretive mining camp, will they be able to figure out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Otherwise, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock–and their safe, secure new existence–are at risk.

After seven Rockton books, a bridging novella, and three Haven’s Rock books, Kelley Armstrong delivers yet another terrific installment in what’s become one of my very favorite fictional worlds.

Set in a remote Yukon village that’s completely off the grid, the Haven’s Rock series focuses on husband and wife team Eric and Casey as they manage their little town, keep its residents safe, and solve the murders that seem to crop up every time they turn around. In First Sign of Danger, book #4, about six months have past since the events of the previous book, Cold As Hell. Which means that Eric and Casey’s baby girl is now six months old — and it’s endlessly entertaining to see this crime-busting duo juggling baby care with dealing with dead bodies, among other job-related duties.

Haven’s Rock provides shelter for those needing to disappear for a while, a refuge for those fleeing a variety of threats in their real lives. In exchange, residents give up their phones, the internet, and all contact with the outside world, and must live by the very strict rules that keep the town and its resident hidden. While the location of the town was chosen for its isolation, a shady mining camp set up shop just a few miles away soon after Haven’s Rock opened its doors, much to Casey and Eric’s dismay. And now, in First Sign of Danger, these unpleasant neighbors might be causing even more havoc than usual.

As First Sign of Danger begins, Casey and Eric stumble across a pair of hikers needing assistance. This is alarming — their area is so remote that odds are very low that anyone from the outside world would just happen to approach their town. And what if the hikers go back home and mention that they’ve run into a couple (with a baby!) out in the woods? This seemingly random encounter could mean exposure for Haven’s Rock, putting everyone there at risk.

The situation becomes even worse when one of the hikers is found dead, clearly murdered. Suspicions are immediately raised — were they truly random hikers? Are they spies connected to the mining camp? Or could they possibly be connected to Haven’s Rock itself, perhaps in pursuit of someone Casey and Eric have sworn to protect?

As with the rest of the books in the series, there are no easy answers. As Casey and Eric chase clues, the twists and turns and red herrings pile up. The mystery is complex and confusing — in all the best ways! — and the overall plot ties back with earlier events in the series, bringing together a complicated web of conspiracies and bad guys and manipulations.

Meanwhile, we get to go along for the ride as Casey and Eric do what they do best, while also handling parenthood and interacting with the broad cast of characters, who at this point feel as familiar as long-time neighbors. The author has created a unique community through these books, and simply seeing the main characters going about their days — even without murder and mayhem — is oodles of fun.

I appreciated the fact that we get through this book without horrific threats to Casey herself, other than the usual line-of-duty danger she faces due to her job. After the extreme danger of the last book, it’s something of a relief to not have her personally targeted. That’s not to imply that there aren’t high stakes here. The murder mystery is terrific, and the always-present threat presented by certain outside forces comes to a head in startling ways.

First Sign of Danger is a an excellent installment in the series. It seems to wrap up a major overarching storyline, so it’ll be interesting to see what comes next.

Sadly, the book wraps up with these heartbreaking lines:

Watch for Casey and Eric’s final Haven’s Rock adventure, coming in February 2027.

Noooooo!!! Don’t say it’s the end! If this means that Casey and Eric get to have a murder-free life from that point on and live happily ever after, I guess they really deserve it. But still, I’ll be heartbroken when it’s all over.

It’s obvious that I adore the world of the Rockton and Haven’s Rock series, and wish it could continue forever. Meanwhile, I’m happy (and not surprised) to share that First Sign of Danger is a terrific read. Once again, let me encourage anyone who hasn’t tried this series yet to pick up the very first Rockton book, City of the Lost… and be prepared to be hooked!

Interested in the worlds of Rockton and Haven’s Rock? Check out my reviews of these previous books:
City of the Lost (Rockton, #1)
A Darkness Absolute (Rockton, #2)
This Fallen Prey (Rockton, #3)
Watcher in the Woods (Rockton, #4)
Alone in the Wild (Rockton, #5)
A Stranger in Town (Rockton, #6)
The Deepest of Secrets (Rockton, #7)
Dead Letter Days (Rockton, #7.5)
Murder at Haven’s Rock (Haven’s Rock, #1)
The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock, #2)
Cold As Hell (Haven’s Rock, #3)

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

18Feb2026

Book Review: Cold as Hell (Haven’s Rock, #3) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Cold as Hell
Series: Haven’s Rock, #3
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: February 18, 2025
Length: 341 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Library
Rating:

SPOILERS AHOY: Even the synopsis for this book is spoilery, so if you prefer to know nothing in advance, skip the details below!

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns to Haven’s Rock in Cold as Hell as Casey Butler hunts down a dangerous killer during a deadly blizzard.

Haven’s Rock is a sanctuary town hidden deep in the Yukon for those who need to disappear from the regular world. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are starting a family now that they’ve settled into their life here. As Casey nears the end of her pregnancy, she lets nothing, including her worried husband, stop her from investigating what happens in the forbidden forest outside the town of Haven’s Rock.

When one of the town’s residents is drugged and wanders too close to the edge of town, she’s dragged into the woods kicking and screaming. She’s saved in the nick of time, but the women of the town are alarmed. Casey and Eric investigate the assault just as a snowstorm hits Haven’s Rock, covering the forest. It’s there they find a frozen body, naked in the snow. With mixed accounts of the woman’s last movements, the two begin to question who they can trust—and who they can’t—in their seemingly safe haven.

Is it enough for me to review Cold as Hell by saying THIS IS ANOTHER EXCELLENT HAVEN’S ROCK STORY and just leave it at that?

No?

Okay, then… As I’ve said repeatedly, I’m a big fan of pretty much everything I’ve read by Kelley Armstrong, fell head over heels for her Rockton series, and am now tearing my way through the Rockton spin-off series, Haven’s Rock. This 3rd Haven’s Rock book is just as terrific as all the rest, and its particularly high stakes had me on the edge of my seat throughout.

As I do whenever I discuss these books, I’ll provide a summary of the premise in a tiny little nutshell:

Husband/wife, sheriff/detective team Eric and Casey now have their first set of residents in their secret little town of Haven’s Rock, a remote place deep in the Yukon wilderness, where people needing safety and anonymity can hide away for a few years. There are rules, of course — no cell phones, no contact with the outside world, do your share of work, and stay out of the forest! That last piece can be hardest to enforce. For newcomers, the dangers of being outside town limits aren’t necessarily as obvious as they should be, which is why Eric and Casey have their hands full keeping people safe.

In Cold as Hell, several months have past since the events of the previous book, The Boy Who Cried Bear. It’s March, still a very cold time in the Yukon wilderness, but there are signs that spring may be poking its head out in the coming months. The town is functioning well, with some more recent arrivals bringing the total population up to about seventy, including staff, individual residents, and a small number of couples and families.

I’ll add ONE MORE SPOILER ALERT at this point. While I won’t give away secrets related to the central mystery plot of Cold as Hell, the status of some of the main characters will be a spoiler for anyone who hasn’t gotten to this point in the series yet. You have been warned! Ready?

OK, the big development here is that Casey is about eight months pregnant. It hasn’t been easy — due to the attack she survived in her teens, doctors have never been sure that she’d be able to get pregnant, and if she did, whether she could carry a pregnancy to term. She’s had a couple of scares, but at this point, she’s approaching what would be considered a safe delivery date. While Casey’s physician sister April is now a resident of the town and available to provide care if needed, the plan is for Casey and Eric to fly to White Horse — where the region’s major medical center is located — well in advance of her due date.

Casey and Eric should know by now that their plans never seem to go exactly as intended. When one town resident is roofied and then rescued from an attempted kidnapping and assault, tracking down the perpetrator is the most urgent priority. And when this crime is followed by another resident going missing during a blizzard, only to be found frozen to death outside the town limits, a full-scale murder investigation is required. With Casey under strict orders to limit physical exertion, there’s only so much she can take on, and she finds herself frustrated by not being able to fulfill her responsibilities as town detective, even though she’s well aware that her and her baby’s well-being have to come first.

The murder in Cold as Hell is particularly horrific, as are the details we later learn about other crimes the perpetrator may have committed. Meanwhile, Casey’s investigation is fascinating. As she herself acknowledges, this is essentially a locked-room mystery: Given the town’s isolation as well as the recent blizzard, the only real answer is that the murderer is someone living within Haven’s Rock — possibly a close friend or ally. With fingers pointing in both expected and unexpected directions, and the very strong possibility that the killer could strike again, Casey and Eric have to work around the clock to solve the case, while making sure that she doesn’t overdo anything and put herself at risk.

The mystery is incredibly well structured and plotted, with the myriad twists and turns that are hallmarks of this series. Nothing is obvious, and when the answers finally come, they’re all most too much to take in… not that the plot isn’t believable, just that the resolution isn’t one I ever saw coming.

I did have a bit of a quibble with a plot decision, which — I get it! — may feel necessary in terms of ratcheting up the stakes and the excitement, but which left me totally appalled at the characters’ decision-making. FURTHER SPOILER ALERT: Just when I was thinking to myself that this would be the rare book in the series where Casey herself wasn’t in direct physical danger because of her investigation… she’s back in danger! Casey and Eric had already left town to get her situated nearer to medical care… and then they go back to Haven’s Rock when a scary new fact comes to light about the case! Again, I do get that for drama’s sake, you really can’t beat having the pregnant lady rushing (or waddling) back into danger… but Eric could have gone without her! Is it really believable that she’d rush out into the wilderness to chase further clues and hide the fact that she’s going into labor so as not to interrupt the tracking? Noooooo…. but I loved the book anyway.

OK, wrapping this all up. Cold as Hell blew me away! I was completely absorbed by the crime/thriller aspects, and just as drawn in by Casey and Eric’s personal story. Plus, it’s always good spending time in Haven’s Rock, even if it’s just to see how everyone is staying busy these days (although daily life in Haven’s Rock is never ordinary or without fresh surprises). Kelley Armstrong has built a well-developed little world in this series, and each book provides fresh insight into what the experience of actually living there might feel like.

Book #4, First Sign of Danger, is being released this week! I plan to dive in ASAP… but then I’ll be caught up, and I’m feeling torn about that. On the one hand, I’ve loved every moment of exploring the world of the Rockton and Haven’s Rock books… but on the other hand, I know I’ll hate the moment when I realize that there are no further books in the series for me to read — presumably, until another new installment gets released next year.

5Feb2026

Book Review: The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock, #2) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Boy Who Cried Bear
Series: Haven’s Rock, #2
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: February 20, 2024
Length: 339 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Library
Rating:

In The Boy Who Cried Bear, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong keeps readers on the edge of their seats while detective Casey Duncan tries to locate the threat before it’s too late. . .

Haven’s Rock is a well-hidden town surrounded by forest. And it’s supposed to be, being that it’s a refuge for those who need to disappear. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton already feel at home in their new town, which reminds them of where they first met in Rockton. And while they know how to navigate the woods and its various dangers, other residents don’t. Which is why people aren’t allowed to wander off alone.

When Max, the town’s youngest resident—taught to track animals by Eric—fears a bear is stalking a hiking party, alarms are raised. Even stranger, the ten-year-old swears the bear had human eyes. Casey and Eric know the dangers a bear can present, so they’re taking it seriously. But odd occurrences are happening all around them, and when a dead body turns up, they’re not sure what they’re up against.

I think I’ve made it clear by now just how much I love Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series and its spin-off, Haven’s Rock. I’m happy to say (no big surprise!) that the 2nd Haven’s Rock novel is just as strong and engaging as the previous books. Take a terrific premise and setting, mix in a twisty, high-stakes crime to solve… and you get a book like The Boy Who Cried Bear, which kept me hooked from start to finish.

In a nutshell: Husband/wife, sheriff/detective team Eric and Casey now have their first set of residents in their secret little town of Haven’s Rock, a remote place deep in the Yukon wilderness, where people needing safety and anonymity can hide away for a few years. There are rules, of course — no cell phones, no contact with the outside world, do your share of work, and stay out of the forest! That last piece can be hardest to enforce. For newcomers, the dangers of being outside town limits aren’t necessarily as obvious as they should be, which is why Eric and Casey have their hands full keeping people safe.

Among the town’s new batch of residents are a widowed mother and her two sons. After witnessing a crime and providing testimony, the family entered a witness protection program, only to be tracked down and attacked in retaliation, leaving the father dead and the survivors traumatized. At Haven’s Rock, they hope to find both refuge and a place to start healing. But when 10-year-old Max disappears after venturing into the forest, Haven’s Rock goes on full alert. It’s up to Casey and Eric to track the missing boy, and to figure out whether the potential kidnapper is an outside threat or someone sheltering within their little town.

Once again, it’s fantastic to see Casey and Eric in action. Their investigations are always a thrill. Here, the crime itself is up for debate: Has the outside world caught up with the family, threatening not just them but also the very existence of Haven’s Rock? Is there a madman out in the forest, potentially stalking town residents? Or does the threat have something to do with the heavily armed mining camp located several miles from Haven’s Rock, with which Casey and Eric have established an uneasy truce?

Meanwhile, a new development in Casey and Eric’s relationship leaves them reeling and with plenty of questions about what their future might hold. No spoilers from me… but I will say that they’ve never been stronger as a couple, and their honesty and commitment continue to be powerful and inspiring.

The mystery itself takes plenty of twists and turns throughout the book, with misleading clues, people acting badly even if not directly linked to the crime, and questionable characters providing information that’s not entirely reliable. The ending is very interesting — the crime is solved, but not every last bit of the puzzle has an answer, setting up what’s likely to be an ongoing source of tension and danger within the world of the Haven’s Rock series.

Obviously, I love this series, and recommend it highly! I’d suggest starting right at the beginning of the Rockton series, and going on from there. While the mysteries are always excellent, my favorite elements are those related to Casey and Eric’s relationship and the various close friends and associates who make up the communities of Rockton and Haven’s Rock. The character development over the course of these series is excellent, and is a big factor in how very compelling these books are.

I’ll be diving into the 3rd book in the series, Cold As Hell, just as soon as I can… and after that, I’ll be ready for the upcoming new release, First Sign of Danger. Here’s hoping Kelley Armstrong continues writing many, many more books in this series!

23Jan2026

Book Review: Murder at Haven’s Rock (Haven’s Rock, #1) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Murder at Haven’s Rock
Series: Haven’s Rock, #1
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: February 21, 2023
Length: 340 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Purchased
Rating:

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton Novels had one of the most unique towns in crime fiction. Murder at Haven’s Rock is a spinoff, a fresh start… with a few new dangers that threaten everything before it even begins.

Haven’s Rock, Yukon. Population: 0

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 the still missing man. The woman stumbled upon something she wasn’t supposed to see, and the longer Casey and Eric don’t know what happened, the more danger everyone is in.

What do you do when you reach the end of a terrific series? If you’re author Kelley Armstrong, you spin off into a new (equally terrific) series! The Rockton series wrapped up in 2022 after seven strong novels, and was then followed by a novella (Dead Letter Days) that serves as a bridge between Rockton and Haven’s Rock.

And here we are, with a new town and new series to explore! The Haven’s Rock series starts with a bang (or kind of a crash and a thud, if we’re being literal) with the first book, Murder at Haven’s Rock.

A quick “history” lesson to set the stage: Rockton was a secret town hidden in the Yukon wilderness, a place where those needing sanctuary could live off the grid for a couple of years. Rockton’s day-to- day needs were overseen by Sheriff Eric Dalton and his partner/lover/wife Detective Casey Butler. The town functioned, but not always smoothly, while the powerful, remote council that controlled the town’s funds made shady decisions about who to allow in, leaving the town to deal with fallout from a variety of criminals and generally bad eggs who also found shelter in Rockton.

The Rockton series ends with the dismantling of the town. Eric, Casey, and a small group of close allies move forward with establishing a new, better version of Rockton: Haven’s Rock, where the town will be built to their specification, and where they’ll have better control over ensuring that only those who truly need refuge are allowed in.

As Murder at Haven’s Rock opens, the new town is still in the final stages of construction, with move-in dates quickly approaching. Eric and Casey make their first visit to Haven’s Rock when the construction project manager requests help. Two of her crew — the head architect and engineer — have gone missing. Venturing into the forest is forbidden, but it appears that that’s where they both went… and then disappeared. Eric and Casey are delighted to get a first look at their new town — although they would have preferred that it not come with missing persons, dead bodies, and potentially multiple crimes to solve.

The mysteries in Murder at Haven’s Rock are doozies. First, it’s not clear that crimes have even occurred, and even if they have, under whose jurisdiction they’d fall. Once Eric and Casey start investigating, they find dead ends and conflicting trails, possible motives, and unwelcome surprises in the shape of outsiders in what they’d believed to be an unpopulated area.

The crime and mystery aspects of this story are superb, with twists and confusion around every corner. The who’s-who of suspects and victims and interpersonal connections is complicated, and the author does an amazing job of keeping it all manageable, even when it seems like there are almost too many options at play. There’s a really satisfying and convincing resolution, even while the ending of the story introduces what’s sure to be a major source of danger and conflict as the series moves forward.

Meanwhile, we get an excellent introduction to the new town of Haven’s Rock. It’s really fun to go alongside Eric and Casey as they explore their new home, especially when their key people start to arrive as well.

Murder at Haven’s Rock is a terrific kick-off to this new series, and I’m delighted to be digging in. As of this moment, two more book are available, with another set for release in February 2026. And even though I have a ton of other reading commitments, I can’t help but admit that I won’t be able to hold off for very long before picking up book #2, The Boy Who Cried Bear.

2Jan2026

Reading goals: Series to read in 2026

Posted in Bookish Thoughts by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome to 2026!

Each January, I typically identify a few series that I want to prioritize in the coming year. When I started this tradition, my lists were long and ambitious… and I didn’t particularly succeed at sticking to my plans. Last year, I scaled bag and highlighted a much smaller selection of series — and while I didn’t get to all of them, I did finish one series and sampled a few others.

As always, there are a few series (completed or ongoing) that I’d like to at least start. If I like the first book, maybe I’ll decide to keep going… but in any case, I hope to sample a few series starters and then see how I feel.

My priority series to read in 2026 will be:

Haven’s Rock series by Kelley Armstrong: The Rockton series was a highlight for me in 2025, and I’m thrilled that there’s a spin-off series so I can keep spending time with these characters. I’ve been holding off since early December… and now that it’s 2026, I’m reading to dive in.

The fourth book, Sign of Danger, is the newest book, coming in February 2026. I do plan to read all four of these, not necessarily by February, but certainly within the next few months.

Other series to sample or binge in 2026:

The Mary books (Lady Janies series) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows: My one hold-over from 2025! I really did mean to get to at least one of these books, and I’m recommitting to it for 2026.

The Chronicles of St Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor: According to Goodreads, there are 14 primary works plus a whole bunch of short stories in this series — which sounds a bit daunting, and yet, I’ve been seeing so many rave reviews for these books that I feel like I’m really missing out if I don’t give them a try. I’m committing to reading the first in the series, Just One Damned Thing After Another… and we’ll see what happens after that.

The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman: I read the first book late in 2025 — and yes, it lives up to the hype. There are currently four more books in the series, and I plan to read at least one or two (if not more) this year.

Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney series by Claudia Gray: I read the first book in this series over a year ago, and I’ve been wanting to get back to it, at least for one more book. The 5th book in the series will be released in June 2026.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky: I finally read the first book in this series this past year, after having it on my series-to-read list for several years in a row! I liked it a lot, but don’t necessarily feel a burning desire to dive back in right away. Still, I think I’d like to at least give the 2nd book a try, and then decide about the rest — so I’m only including book #2 on my list for now.

The “maybe” books:

And now, all my “maybe” choices — these are all series starters that I’m interested in. Maybe I’ll get to some of these in 2026, and then maybe I’ll want to read more from the same series… or maybe not. In any case, here are the other series starters that I’m considering this year, including several that are holdovers from 2025:

Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall
Pines by Blake Crouch
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Virgin River by Robyn Carr
Wool (Silo, #1) by Hugh Howey
The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews
Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Are you planning to start any new series this year? If you’ve read any of the series on my list for 2026, please let me know what you thought and if you have any recommendations!

26Dec2025

A look back: Series reading in 2025

Posted in Bookish Thoughts by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

At the start of each new year, I write a post about my intended series reading — which series I want to start, which I want to finish, and maybe even some that I want to devour all in one big reading binge.

Now that we’re at the end of December, it’s time to check back in and see if I actually accomplished any of my series reading goals for 2025.

So how did I do?

In 2025, my priority series to read were:

Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong:

Status: DONE! I read the first book in this outstanding series toward the end of 2024 — and made my way through the six remaining novels plus the follow-up novella in 2025. I loved every moment! Kelley Armstrong has become a must-read author for me over the last few years. Fortunately, she has a spin-off series related to Rockton that I can look forward to enjoying in 2026.

The Mary books (Lady Janies series) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows:

Status: NOPE! Not at all from lack of interest… but I just didn’t get around to these books in 2025. I’ll keep them in my reading plans for 2026.

Green Rider series by Kristen Britain:

Status: ONE… AND MAYBE DONE. The Green Rider series consists of eight books (so far). I’d been wanting to give these books a try for a while now, and in 2025, finally read the first book. I really enjoyed it — and yet, I’m not exactly burning to keep going. Let’s consider this a maybe-someday series. I’m not saying never, just that it’s not a top priority at the moment.

A couple of duologies I’d considered reading:

Status: NOPE. I thought I’d pick up either the Stolen Heir duology by Holly Black or the Gilded duology by Marissa Meyer (or both)… and just never found myself in the mood to do so. More maybe-someday books!

Maybes:

I mentioned a whole bunch of “maybe” series on my list for 2025… so how did I do?

Status: ONE OUT OF TEN! Despite good intentions, the only book here that I read is Children of Time — a book that’s been on my series-to-read lists for several years! I’m so glad I read it. This series will likely go back on my list for 2026.

Other than that, I’m not sure about the rest. I’m still interested — in some more than others — so you may be seeing at least a few pop up on my “maybe” list for 2026.

As always, I did end up reading other books from series in 2025. Meanwhile, I’m working on my reading plans for 2026. Let’s see if I can set some realistic series reading goals in the new year!

That’s it for my 2025 series reading. How about you?

Did you read any series in 2025? Any particular favorites?

Check back in January, when I’ll share my series reading goals for the new year.

7Dec2025

Novella Review: Dead Letter Days (Rockton, #7.5; Haven’s Rock, #0.5) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Dead Letter Days
Series: Rockton, #7.5; Haven’s Rock, #0.5
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication date: February 20, 2023
Length: 87 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Eric Dalton spent most of his life in Rockton, a hidden town in the Yukon for people who need to disappear. Now that sanctuary is gone, and he’s holed up in a wilderness lodge with his girlfriend, Casey Duncan, and their friends, as they scout for a place to build their own Rockton. When Eric and Casey find a literal message-in-a-bottle, it leads them to the mystery of a woman who went missing decades ago, having never received that vital message. As they investigate that cold case, Dalton must finally lay to rest the ghosts of his own past and make some overdue decisions before he’s ready to step forward in his new life with Casey.

Strictly for Rockton series readers, this tidy novella provide an engaging bridge between the completed series and the spin-off Haven’s Rock series. We’re treated to familiar characters in a new, transitional setting, as they prepare to move to a new town and start fresh, on their own terms.

In other words… if you haven’t read the Rockton books, this novella is not for you! BUT… it’s an excellent series, so consider this my friendly encouragement to go pick up book #1, City of the Lost!

In Dead Letter Days, the plot revolves around two sets of communications, rediscovered years after they were written. The first involves a mystery of a missing woman, which Casey feels compelled to investigate. The second hits much closer to home, as letters related to Eric’s childhood come to light and provide him with much needed explanations and an unexpected opportunity for closure.

The Rockton books are all told from Casey’s point of view, so it’s a treat here in Dead Letter Days to have Eric as the narrator. It’s our first time getting to see the world through his eyes, and it’s fascinating.

As I’ve said, this is absolutely not a stand-alone or an entry point — but it is a terrific read that fans should not miss!

As for me, I’m dying to dive right into the Haven’s Rock series… but I’m going to show just a tiny bit of restraint and hold off until the new year.

Interested in the Rockton series? Check out my reviews of the previous books:
City of the Lost (Rockton, #1)
A Darkness Absolute (Rockton, #2)
This Fallen Prey (Rockton, #3)
Watcher in the Woods (Rockton, #4)
Alone in the Wild (Rockton, #5)
A Stranger in Town (Rockton, #6)
The Deepest of Secrets (Rockton, #7)

6Dec2025

Book Review: The Deepest of Secrets (Rockton, #7) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Deepest of Secrets
Series: Rockton, #7
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: February 15, 2022
Length: 341 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Purchased
Rating:

#1 New York Times bestseller Kelley Armstrong returns to the captivating town of Rockton in The Deepest of Secrets, the next installment in one of the most imaginative crime series on shelves today.

It’s not always easy to live in the hidden town of Rockton, something Detective Casey Duncan knows firsthand. Tucked away in the Yukon wilderness, the community survives—and thrives—because the residents’ many secrets stay just that—secret.

But what happens when these secrets start to come out? Overnight, no one is safe. It’s not a question of if your secret will come out—but when.

Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, need to find the culprit while protecting those who have been thrust into the spotlight. For a place built on privacy and new beginnings, Rockton isn’t handling these revelations very well. People are turning on one another, and when one of the loudest complainers turns up barely alive, it’s clear that their trickster is actually a murderer.

The threat of exposure is reaching its breaking point, and no one knows what’s going to happen next.

And so, I reach the end of the Rockton series! I’ve loved it right from the start, and this 7th book ties the overarching story lines together while also providing a fresh new mystery to explore. It also neatly sets the stage for the author’s spin-off series, Haven’s Rock, which I’m so looking forward to reading in 2026!

As with my previous Rockton reviews, I’ll share a quick recap of the series premise:

Rockton is a secret hidden town in the Yukon wilderness, a haven for those seeking extreme shelter from dangers in their real lives — or those who’ve committed some sort of wrongdoing and need a place to start over. Rockton, population 200, is filled with an uneasy mix of crime victims and white-collar criminals — although as Sheriff Eric Dalton and Detective Casey Butler come to discover, the town council is willing to defy its own rules for a price and allow more dangerous people to take advantage of Rockton’s protection.

As The Deepest of Secrets opens, Casey and Eric and their closest friends are well aware that Rockton’s days are numbered. The powerful council, which funds the town, funnels new residents into Rockton, and approves or disapproves current residents’ extensions, is clearly on the path to shutting the entire thing down. As they wait for an official announcement, something occurs to disturb the calm — a sign is posted that exposes one very trusted resident’s secret past. Suddenly, there’s an uproar. People want this person expelled, but are also fearful about their own secrets coming to light.

As Casey investigates to determine the source, and whether other secrets are about to be exposed, blackmail and murder soon follow. And once the council makes Rockton’s imminent closure official, panic and mistrust become rampant. Casey and Eric race against the clock to find the person or people behind these newest crimes, while also being tasked with scheduling the evacuation of Rockton and then dismantling the entire town

Without going into further detail, I’ll just say that the mystery is handled exceptionally well, as in all of the books in this series. Seven books in, there’s a huge amount of emotional investment in the core characters (well, for me at least), and seeing how the closing of the Rockton era pans out is truly fascinating and powerful. Unexpected dangers and surprise villains add to the tension of the story, and there’s a sense of sadness underneath it all as Casey, Eric, and the others literally take apart everything they’ve built over the years.

I can’t say enough about how excellent this series is as a whole. I’ve loved the unique premise, the characters’ individual journeys, and the relationship-building among so many of them, whether as friends, lovers, or reluctant colleagues. Casey and Eric’s romantic relationship is beautiful, especially seeing their deep trust and the careful way they consider one another’s needs and responses.

I do feel a bit of sadness at seeing the Rockton days end, but it helps to know that there’s another series with these wonderful characters to look forward to!

To truly wrap up my Rockton reading adventure, I’m planning to start this sequel/novella right away, which takes place following The Deepest of Secrets, and (from what I understand) is a sort of bridge to the start of the Haven’s Rock series:

Rockton, #7.5, Dead Letter Days

Interested in this series? Check out my reviews of the previous books:
City of the Lost (Rockton, #1)
A Darkness Absolute (Rockton, #2)
This Fallen Prey (Rockton, #3)
Watcher in the Woods (Rockton, #4)
Alone in the Wild (Rockton, #5)
A Stranger in Town (Rockton, #6)

16Nov2025

Book Review: A Stranger in Town (Rockton, #6) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: A Stranger in Town
Series: Rockton, #6
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: February 2, 2021
Length: 359 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Purchased
Rating:

In the next riveting thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, the paranoia increases – along with the stakes – as the town of Rockton tries to solve the latest mystery at their door.

Detective Casey Duncan has noticed fewer and fewer residents coming in to the hidden town of Rockton, and no extensions being granted. Her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, presumes it’s the natural flux of things, but Casey’s not so sure. It seems like something bigger is happening in the small town they call home.

When an injured hiker stumbles from the woods, someone who seems to have come to the Yukon for a wilderness vacation but instead is now fighting for her life, it’s all hands on deck. What – or who – attacked this woman, and why?

With the woman unconscious, and no leads, Casey and Eric don’t know where the threat is coming from. Plus, the residents of their deeply secretive town are uneasy with this stranger in their midst. Everyone in Rockton wants this mystery solved – and fast.

The Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong has been excellent since the very first book, and it’s a thrill to see the connecting story threads weave together here in the 6th book, leading toward an end point still to come in the 7th and final book in the series. A Stranger in Town builds on everything that’s come before it, provides a mystery of its own to solve, and answers questions that have been percolating since the very beginning.

Once again, a quick recap of the series premise:

A Stranger in Town starts with a frightening discovery. In the forest surrounding Rockton, Casey and Eric stumble across a severely injured hiker. She appears to be a well-provisioned but inexperienced tourist, one of the many who pay to be dropped in the Yukon for a wilderness adventure — and like many before her, finds herself in over her head. But as Casey and Eric quickly discover, this hiker wasn’t injured in a fall or animal attack — she appears to have been gravely wounded by hostiles, the pack of “wild” people, seemingly feral or deranged, who live in the forest and pose a continual threat to Rockton and other settlements. What’s more, the hiker was one of a group of four; her companions’ bodies are found nearby.

The attack highlights yet again how dangerous the hostiles are, to the point where the council — the wealthy advisory board that controls and funds Rockton from afar — are ready to shut everything down and dismantle the town, much to Casey and Eric’s dismay. But Casey has had her suspicions about the hostiles from the very beginning of her time in Rockton, and these new murders, and the council’s reaction, give her even more incentive to finally find the long-hidden answers.

If it sounds like I’m being vague… well, that’s intentional! The plot and mystery and clues are all so intricate that to talk about any in detail would mean spoiling the fun of discovering them for yourselves. What I loved about A Stranger in Town, as with the rest of the series, is seeing how the characters interact in each new situation, how much the relationships among the town residents have evolved, and how astutely Casey sees into the truth of the issues and incidents that complicate their lives.

On top of the excellent mystery and the strength of the depiction of the town’s residents, the relationship between Eric and Casey continues to be a delight. They are two strong, intelligent, complicated people. Their personal baggage can cause difficulty when it comes to their feelings and communications, yet their commitment to one another allows them to view situations, and one another, with honesty and fairness. It’s fascinating to see them work through their inner qualms and self-doubt, and to allow themselves to trust in the strength of their love even in moments of serious danger or conflict.

The plot of A Stranger in Town is terrific, and the book is impossible to put down. The mystery at hand is resolved, and there are startling revelations that go way back into Rockton’s history and explain the present challenges the town faces. This book sets up what’s sure to be a dynamite series finale, and I can’t wait to get to it!

The Rockton series ends with book #7. After that, I plan to dive into the spin-off Haven’s Rock series. Next up for me:

Book #7, The Deepest of Secrets

6Oct2025

Top Ten Tuesday: Satisfying Book Series

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Satisfying Book Series, with the prompt: Maybe all the books were amazing or there wasn’t any second book syndrome or the final book wrapped everything up soooo perfectly

The prompt seems to put the focus on series that are already completed, but there are at least a few I can think of that really satisfy me even though they’re not done! Here are some favorites:

Series: A Stitch in Time
Author: Kelley Armstrong
# of books: 4 (plus novellas)
Completed? Yes

Amazing timeslip romances with threads to link the stories together, great lead characters, and real emotion!

Series: Folk of the Air
Author: Holly Black
# of books: 3 (plus stories and a related duology)
Completed? Yes

The original trilogy is practically perfect!

Series: Well Met
Author: Jen DeLuca
# of books: 4
Completed? Yes

This Ren Faire-centered series has great characters, interesting plot complications, and a fabulous setting!

Series: The Expanse
Author: James S. A. Corey
# of books: 9 (plus stories)
Completed? Yes

I absolutely did not want to see this series come to an end! But it comes to such a perfect ending that it’s hard to complain. Love the characters, the complex universe… really, just everything about this series.

Series: October Daye
Author: Seanan McGuire
# of books: 19 and counting!
Completed? No

I honestly hope we never reach the end of this series! I love it to pieces, and there’s not a weak book in the bunch.

Series: Lady Astronaut
Author: Mary Robinette Kowal
# of books: 4
Completed? Unclear

The Calculating Stars blew me away, and is a fabulous read. The following three books are all good, but none have quite the emotional impact of the first. Still, it’s a great series! And while I thought the 4th book was supposed to be the last one, it now seems that there may be more to come in this world.

Series: The Glamourist Histories
Author: Mary Robinette Kowal
# of books: 5
Completed? Yes

“Jane Austen with magic” is the short-hand description for this series, but it’s so much more! These five books feature terrific characters, an intricately crafted system of magic, compelling relationships, and high stakes. Completely satisfying from start to finish!

Series: The Interdependency
Author: John Scalzi
# of books: 3
Completed? Yes

Such an interesting sci-fi world! And yes, it’s funny, even while being more along the lines of “hard” science fiction. I feel like this trilogy is much less well known than the Old Man’s War series (also amazing!), and I think these books deserve more attention! Terrific storytelling.

Series: The Parasol Protectorate
Author: Gail Carriger
# of books: 4 (plus other related series and many stories)
Completed? Yes

I love everything about the Parasol-verse, and this four-book series started it all! The Finishing School and Custard Protocol series are both terrific too!

Series: Gunnie Rose
Author: Charlaine Harris
# of books: 6
Completed? Yes

Some books in this series are stronger than others, but overall, it’s a terrific alternate world, and I ended up loving the main characters. The series wraps up well… the only unsatisfying thing about it is that I wish the story would continue!

Do we have any series in common? What series do you consider most satisfying?

If you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!

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