This Fallen Prey is the third book in Kelley Armstrong's Casey Duncan series. The series is about a small, remote town where people go to disappear for a while, run by a mysterious council. Casey works for the sheriff and investigates the crimes that inevitably go down. Kelley's writing is strong as always. Her world building is solid. I enjoy this series, though it's not as good as her Cainesville series.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this early copy!

I always find myself coming back to this well-done and intense series! Mainly because I like the main character, Casey. I struggle to keep reading series but with the Rockton series by Armstrong it is always easy to get back into the world. I recommend checking out this series, it was a great and thrilling mystery.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Minataur books..This is the second book in this series that I've read, and luckily they were both back to back books. I love the concept of this story. Heck, Rockton is a place I would love to be. Cut off from everything, in the Yukon and surrounded by woods, wildlife and few people. Sounds great! Sign me up. I'm just one of those strange folk who prefers to be surrounded by quiet. Well, of course I'd still need light to read by and power to blast my 80's hair band's, country and rap! Unfortunately, Rockton has people who may or may not be criminals. Some have just needed to disappear from bad people. Just a quirk with me, I suppose....😂 but I couldn't be comfortable around these residents. Comfort? Jeezum crow, I'd be one highly stressed out individual! Still, somehow people, serial killers, and stupid cops find out about this place. The residents do tend to get a bit riled. Bad stuff happens, the town Sheriff and his Deputy tend to make dumb decisions, and next thing you know I'm spending the whole book hiking through the woods again. Again. Pretty much the same as in the first story I read. I guess my point is that I really want to like these books. I've not been able to though, because while the start and finish is great, there is so much in the middle of the book that keeps going nowhere. Just circles. I need more of a plotline. This is just a mess. Funny thing is that I love Ms. Armstrong's short stories and novellas, but I'm not a fan of these books.

*Review can be found at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ **

Ok, so to me, Kelley can do no wrong. I have yet to encounter a book or series by her that I have not enjoyed or ultimately fan-girled over and this Rockton novel is no different. She has proven herself a master across all genres (well, at least all genres I read) from YA Paranormal, YA mystery, to Urban Fantasy to suspenseful adult Mystery. If you need me to recommend you a book, be aware that it will probably be written by Kelley regardless of what type of read you are looking for. It is a fact.

Keep in mind that this is book 3 in a series that must be read in order. Absolutely nothing will make sense if you have not read books 1 and 2 to get to this point because seriously everything builds. And why wouldn't you want to read books 1 and 2 from Rockton? They are just as fantastic as This Fallen Prey was.

The suspense and the anxiety that I had to live through in this Fallen Prey were so intense! I was so wrapped up in the story and my beloved character's well-being that I could not put the book down. Each tense potentially life altering/shattering moment had me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, with no idea how anything would play out. And yes, these are those kinds of books- where safety, HEA or even survival is not a guarantee for the main characters. Side not - the amount of danger and stress that Storm faced was terrible and I was so worried! Can we please not do this next book? And now I am completely doubting my dog training skills since the 8 month old fictional puppy is way better behaved than my 10 month old real puppy.

Everything is just so freaking realistic (be it the setting, the people, the human nature at it's worst) and detailed as if I was there witnessing it- this was not a book a read, but instead a story I experienced. There is no way I wouldn't have been sucked in.) The best part is how I never know how the mystery will end, who is the villain? Can one person be a villain when everyone is capable of murder? Gaw, the questions about human nature and the twists Kelley throws at the reader are hands down the best. I highly recommend this series and I am counting down the days until I can get the next book- actually any book by Kelley will do.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

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.

*2.5 stars*

I have read the first two books in this series - City of the Lost & A Darkness Absolute - and remember that the first was a bit average but certainly had a few things going for it...the second book was far better and really got me excited about this series.

And then this book came along. It should have knocked it out of the park. Instead it gets a lukewarm "meh, it's okay" from me. Why? A number of reasons:

1) While I still love the premise of Rockton and those who inhabit it, for me it has started to lose its gloss as being inventive. That idea that stood it apart has now become book 3 - and it has lost a little bit of that magic.

2) Lots of things seem to happen for no reason or, worse, lots of things "almost" happen but it is all too perfect. I don't know how many bullets were shot at the main characters in this book but, in all seriousness, you would have to expect at least one of them would have killed somebody. That's what I mean about "too perfect" - lots of action but no realistic resolutions.

3) There was no real plot or character development in this one. It felt like our heroes lurched from one near-death incident to another, without giving the story room to breathe and for the characters to develop. And that is frustrating.

4) Finally - Storm. Yeah, I said it. What an absolute waste of my time that dog was. There is one scene, indicative of how I feel about this, in which we spend who-knows how long reading about Casey chasing after her dog...and going on about how she may not have trained the dog properly, whether or not she will catch up, whether or not it will be okay if she doesn't, blah blah blah...and to make matters worse, they pair of them just took up to much page time with cuddles and all kinds of uninteresting stuff. Felt more like a cozy mystery than a thriller...

Would I recommend this book? Hard to say - I do recommend the first two. Maybe this will be okay for some.


Paul
ARH

Kelley Armstrong has been one of my favorite authors for now decades and I have read most of her series. The Rockton series is the only one I haven't engaged in. This is a departure from the stories I love from her involving the supernatural and it is still engaging even if its not what I am accustomed to personally. This series proves she can write for many audiences and still maintain her fan base adding more along the way. While Rockton is not my favorite series from her it is superbly written and well worth the time invested. This Fallen Prey may in fact be the gateway to get other people to recognize her abilities. There are primitive off grid settings, a murderer, danger and suspects everywhere making this one of those books you can get gritty with and hunker down for a few hours to finish.

I really enjoyed this third novel in the Rockton series! I love reading about the characters and their ability to work together in order to keep Rockton in proper order.

Casey and Dalton have such great chemistry not only personally but professionally as well. They are able to put their personal relationship aside for their job.

This novel kept me reading and wanting more. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

This Fallen Prey is the third in the Casey Duncan series revolving around the remote town of Rockton. I highly encourage you to read the first two books in the series before beginning this one as it is not a stand alone novel, by any means.

Kelley Armstrong is a masterful storyteller and with her background in psychology is able to weave together characters that are fully fleshed out including all of the good and bad, rights and wrongs and ambiguities. In This Fallen Prey, Armstrong sets up a plot that allows the reader to fully examine those ambiguities of the characters within the town itself and reflect them back onto the real world's black and white ideas of right and wrong.
There is a lot of activity in this series segment and, at times, it almost feels as though there is too much - too much plot, too many characters, too much psycho-babble and far too much dog! Despite that, it still is a very engaging book and one that I could not put down.
If you have read the first two books in the series then you definitely will not want to miss this one. It delves deeper into the Rockton character's past than the previous two and gives a better picture of those who live outside of Rockton's walls than we've had previously. If you have not read Armstrong's books before - start at the beginning of the series. It's a suspenseful, thrilling set that is different from most in the genre.

This is such a fantastic series! And each book just gets better and better!

Very good read, looking forward to more from this author I highly recommend.

3*
This is book 3 in the Casey Duncan series from Kelley Armstrong. While good by itself, I would still suggest starting at the beginning with City of the Lost to get the complete picture and absorb the most from this series.

Rockton, a small community off the grid in Northern Canada. Where clients can go (for the right price) to disappear for a brief time. People come here for all sorts of reasons – some more innocent than others! When Oliver Brady is dropped off as the newest addition of Rockton, the orders are to keep him under lock and key for six months. Hmmm…that doesn’t sound good! Is he truly guilty of the crimes they are accusing him of? Or is there an ulterior motive to his confinement.

Well, now that we have come this far in the series I was hoping for something different. The premise for the series is great, though the progression of the storyline is lacking a bit. I’m hopeful that with book four (in the works?) it will spur this series in a new direction!

A traveling sister read with Brenda, Susanne , Marialyce and Nikki🤗

Thank you to NetGalley St Martin’s Press and Kelley Armstrong for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

3 Stars.

You remember Casey Duncan right? She’s the Detective who decided to live off the grid in Rockton, the town in the Canadian mountains where people go to hide from something and live new lives. Where there is no electricity, no internet and no cellphones. Sounds kind of perfect right? Except for Casey and her Sheriff boyfriend Eric Dalton, Rockton is far from perfect. Crime happens, even in the most perfect of places.

This time, the council has decided that Rockton is the perfect place to “hide” a serial killer. Yeah, you heard that right. The council and the town, are being paid a lot of money to take in Oliver Brady. The council is sure that no one will get hurt and that Casey, Eric and Will can keep him secure. What a laugh riot. Of course they can’t! Things slowly go from bad to bat sh&t for Casey and Dalton and Oliver escapes leaving people dead in his wake. Now its up to Casey and Dalton to find him before all hell breaks loose. This time they encounter Hostiles and people from the First Settlement and their chances of survival well, they get even worse.

“This Fallen Prey” is the 3rd book in the Casey Duncan series by Kelley Armstrong and though I found the storyline to be stalling a little this time around, I truly enjoyed the idea of a town like Rockton (minus all of the crime of course!).

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Kelley Armstrong for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 3.11.18.

Casey Duncan, a police detective in what just might be one of the more unusual settings for a mystery series, discovers how important it is to treat those she loves as capable adults in this third in the series. Rockton is a town on the edge of civilization in the Yukon, not just isolated but actually actively hidden. Its residents, who have either chosen or been chosen to live there, value their off-the-grid existence and the chance for new lives that it offers. While the town provides a new start to those who were cast out, often violently so, in traditional society, it also provides a dumping ground for those willing to spend big money to make their own pariahs disappear. Rockton exists as a somewhat civilized oasis in the midst of a hugely dangerous forest that is populated by ferocious wild animals and equally ferocious humans.

As the book opens, a plane carrying a bound and gagged prisoner pierces the net of security surrounding Rockton, and Casey and sheriff Dalton discover that they must keep both the prisoner, Oliver Brady, and the townspeople safe for the six months that Brady has been dropped into their midst. Brady tells a story of being framed for multiple murders, while the step-father who is financing his disappearance in the far north tells a story of Brady's depravity. When Brady inevitably escapes into the wilderness, his obscenely rich step-father arrives to help in the search and capture. Throughout the search, which involves multiple near-death experiences for Casey, Dalton, and the other searchers, Casey vacillates between believing Brady and believing his step-father. She also learns that she cannot continue to accept responsibility for everything and everyone, but must learn to rely upon the skills and perspectives of others within her small community. In the end, a significant amount of blood is shed as the truth comes to light and the guilty meet their justice.

Rockton has been the beloved center of all three books in the series, but by the end of this book both Casey and Dalton are straining at the restrictions placed upon them by the town's managers' willingness to place its inhabitants in danger for financial gain. It seems possible that Armstrong is preparing to send Casey and Dalton into the wilderness for a life more under their own control. It will be interesting to see how the author decides to deal with Casey's discontent with the town just as she has truly begun to value the sense of community it provides.

Kelley Armstrong continues the City of the Lost with This Fallen Prey. Imagine a city in the Canadian northern wilderness that does not exist according to any records and that shelters criminals and others wanting to escape.
A perfect setting for crime, especially as their crimes are hidden from the other townspeople. Into this town a serial killer is dropped; he is supposed to be jailed there. He escapes and mayhem results. Who can be trusted? How many deaths will occur? Chilling noir thriller.

Four and a half stars: Another brilliant installment in an addictive series. Prepared for suspense some stunning twists and turns!

The town of Rockton is in for a big, dangerous surprise. An unexpected delivery drops off a serial killer . The town council is demanding that Rockton take in this killer for six months, all for a hefty payoff that will line the pockets of the council. Casey and Dalton do their best to make arrangements to house the offender, but of course, things quickly go from bad to worse. Once Brady escapes, the bodies start to pile up. Brady swears he isn’t the maniacal killer he is painted to be, and he will do anything to escape. The worse thing is that someone in Rockton is helping Brady, but who? Casey and Dalton are soon in a dangerous cat and mouse game. Who is the real killer?

What I Liked:
*If you haven’t checked out Ms. Armstrong’s brilliant Rockton series, what are you waiting for? I love that this series delivers suspense, danger and so many unexpected surprises. This latest installment, This Fallen Prey, is no exception. This book is outstanding. If you want jaw dropping twists and turns, look no further!
*The setting remains one of the highlights of the series. Rockton is a hidden town in the middle of the Alaskan Yukon. Life is rudimentary and hard, but plenty of people who are running from their pasts, pay big bucks to live in Rockton. The inhabitants are almost all guilty of some major crimes, and no one can be trusted. The town and the people of Rockton add layers and layers of suspense that I find addictive.
*There is rarely a dull moment in this book. The action is almost non stop. I loved the danger, the suspense and all of the twists. I promise, you won’t figure this one out. You may get some things right, but there are so many unexpected developments, that will catch you off guard. Loved it!
*The mystery is outstanding. There are plenty of suspects, a few red herrings and then when the cards are revealed, many many surprises. I liked that nothing was easily explained, and that there were several unexpected answers. This book kept me guessing right up until the end. Even when all is revealed, not everything is cut and dried. Leaving me wondering....
*I am continuing to watch the relationship between Casey and Dalton evolve. It is more than just a romance. The two are developing deep layers of trust, and they are learning to count on one another and support each other through everything. It is intense.
*The end was a shocker. Just when everything is revealed, there is one final stunning revelation laid down that left me gasping. I need the next book now!
And The Not So Much:
*The book ends with a cliffhanger, and I hated that. I don’t want to wait a whole year to find out what happens next. Argh!
*I am a huge fan of Mathias, and it appeared early on that he was going to play a large, Hannibal Lector type role in this one, but alas, he doesn’t. I need more of Mathias, he is fascinating.
*This is a personal issue, but I got tired of all the chasing around in the woods, especially running around after Storm, the dog, like crazy people. It got old.
If you are faint of heart, this series isn’t for you. It is rather dark, and there is lots of violence.

This Fallen Prey is another thrilling book in a terrific series. If you like dark mysteries, lots of suspense, heaps of danger and action, and some messed up characters, look no further, this is a must read series. I can’t get enough. Watch out for the cliffhanger, it is a long wait to the next book!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

The #3 in Armstrong’s Casey Duncan series, I was excited to pick up and read, thinking it was along the lines as her other stories. Set in a small off the grid town that people can pay to live in for up to three years. Mostly used for those who need to disappear for a while. When a supposed criminal is brought to the town for safekeeping, we learn that everyone has a motive and no one is truly ever off the grid. This is a solid police procedural thriller, and while I enjoy the occasion mystery/suspense, I found this incredibly dry and verbose. I think you really need to read the first two in order to understand the underlying dynamics, backgrounds, and the various character relationships and have a healthy addiction for police procedurals.
Grade: DNF

Another excellent addition to the Casey Duncan series.



This book was sometimes a frustrating read -unfortunately I can not tell you why it was frustrating because it would give too much of the plot away.



If you have read the first two books then you know the basics behind this one -Casey has left behind all she knew as a cop and come to this "town" with a friend who is running. This compound (an off the grid hidden place -and I mean REALLY off the grid) if for people who need to disappear; both criminal and the innocent.



In this book, the town is forced into taking someone who is being accused of multiple murders. His step-father is paying to have him 'incarcerated' here instead of put to the death penalty.



Let's just say that things don't go smoothly; but did we really expect them to?



Action, kick a$$ing, searches galore, a loss of some residents and a ton of shooting of both the innocent ( someone we liked) and the evil. Unfortunately this book kind of ends on what I would consider a cliffhanger. We are never really sure what happens to one of the 'bad-guys...unless there is going to be a follow-up.



The town does gain a new resident though - and if you have read the first two books you are going to either applaud or groan with who it is!



*ARC supplied by the publisher.

This Fallen Prey continues the exciting story of a remote, off the grid town filled with people looking to disappear, or those who are looking for redemption for past crimes. In this installment, the stakes are incredibly high as Rockton receives a new resident and one that could jeopardize not only the residents of the town, but the town itself - a possible serial killer. Rockton has had its fair share of residents who’ve committed heinous crimes, but never a serial killer, and Casey, Eric, and Anders have to not only figure out a way to keep everyone in the town safe from this new resident, but also figure out a way to keep his crimes a secret from everyone else. Having a killer with a high body count among the residents is bad enough, having them know what he’s done is certain to induce panic and put everyone at risk.

I absolutely adored the first two installments in this series and loved watching relationships develop and characters finally find their place in this odd town. This Fallen Prey, while still containing the elements that made me love this series, fell quite a bit short for me. A serial killer in a town with no escape should have been exciting and pulse-pounding, but much of it felt flat. Instead, we have Casey and her dog taking up an incredible amount of page time and while I am a dog lover down to my marrow, it was too much. I wanted excitement and danger and possible murders, but I got dog training and dog cuddling and worst of all, dog kicking and hitting. Why anyone thought that abusing an animal would be a swell thing to incorporate is beyond me, but it all became too much in the end. There’s still a fair bit of danger, but like Iike I mentioned, the dog overshadowed pretty much everything. Every series has at least one book that doesn’t work, even for the most hardcore of fans, and this one is mine for this series.

Bottom line — there were many aspects of this book that I enjoyed, but much of it fell flat compared to the previous two. I still recommend the heck out of this series, as the premise and the characters and the whole concept of a wilderness town for criminals and people seeking safety is just so incredibly unique and dangerous. I’m certainly looking forward to the next book and hoping against hope that Casey’s dog takes a backseat to the action next time around.

This Fallen Frey is the third installment in author Kelley Armstrong's Casey Duncan series. Welcome back to Rockton. A small village in the middle of the Yukon. It is a place that has no cell phone service, no Wi-Fi, and no electricity. It is a place where rich people pay serious cash to pretend to disappear for a short time. Most of these people have been granted sanctuary for a price and get to stay up for a short time. It is the place where we find Detective Casey Duncan Butler and Sheriff Eric Dalton who are the only real law and order in the entire town besides Will Anders.

Over the past several books, it has become apparent that the Council can't be trusted. There are way too many secrets. There are those who live in Rockton that are more dangerous than anything that lives in the wild. It is a place that is about ready to be rocked to its very foundation with the surprising arrival of one Oliver Brady thanks to the Council. To say that Casey and Dalton are anything but happy, would be to say that living in the middle of nowhere is a piece of cake. The council in its infinite wisdom, has no decided that taking blood money is absolutely no problem.

Bad enough that Casey and Dalton have to deal with the criminal element living in Rockton. Bad enough that there are hostiles and those called First Settlers who are getting ready to make their play against Rockton. But, now Casey and Dalton are expected to be a detention facility for 6 months for someone who may be a thrill killer. As an incentive, the Council makes several attempts at bribery, giving Casey and Dalton things they really need and have asked for in the past.

For those who have read the first two books, let me just say that a large majority of this story takes place in the woods surrounding Rockton. This means that you get a hole lot of Casey's 80 pound Newfoundland puppy named Storm who ends up taking up a whole lot of storylines. The bottom line of this story is this. Should Casey and Dalton protect Brady from the others? Or, should they perp walk him into the forest and let the animals or hostiles have at him? One could say the moral dilemma of what to do hangs over this story like an itchy scab that refuses to heal.

I wouldn't necessarily say that the author leaves readers with a cliffhanger, but I will say that there is so much more that was left unanswered. Plus, how many times can you torture, abuse, and cause near fatal harm to your characters before enough is enough? Just curious. I also think it's time to let Casey's past go. It happened. Nobody came and arrested her. She didn't spend any time in prison but she did go on to become a Canadian Police Detective. I doubt very seriously if the author intends to let her return to her old live and her old job. Speaking of which. Dalton knows that things in Rockton are wrong. He's tried to tell Casey of his investigation and thoughts but keeps hitting the wall thanks to the council. I dare hope that he gets to the bottom of what the council is really doing soon before anyone else ends up dead.

This was such a good book! I really enjoyed the first two book in this series and was very eager to get started with this newest installment. I went into this book expecting really good things and I was not disappointed. This story was almost impossible to set aside and I ended up reading most of the book in a single day. This was a really thought provoking story filled with a whole lot of excitement. I had a lot of fun reading this book.

This is the third book in the Rockton series which works best if read in order. This story starts off with a bang right from the start. Casey, Eric, and the rest of the town are given a task that I would have never seen coming. They must keep a suspected serial killer in their town for the next 6 months. They don't even get any time to prepare for this event since he is dropped into their town with little more than a note as warning. Casey, Eric, and Will have to figure out how to safely contain the prisoner which proves to be a very difficult task.

I think that I like the characters from Rockton just a little bit more with each book. Everyone in the town is flawed or they wouldn't be there. We see things from Casey's point of view and I really enjoy seeing how she puzzles through certain situations. Eric takes on so many responsibilities and he takes them all very seriously. It is nice to see how much Casey and Eric respect and care about each other both personally and professionally. Storm, their puppy, also played a huge role in this book which I loved. Storm is a great dog and we really learn a lot about other characters in the book from the way that some of them chose to interact with her.

I loved the way the story was told. The mystery was very well done. There was just enough doubt given from time to time that I found myself in a constant state of wonder. There were times that I wondered what Casey was piecing together while other revelations hit me totally by surprise. I thought that it was great that a lot of this book takes place in the Wilderness outside of Rockton. It was interesting to see things play out with other groups in the region. I thought that the pacing was very well done with some really action packed moments offset by others that added a piece to the overall puzzle.

I would highly recommend this series to others. I think that this book was incredibly exciting with a mystery that kept me guessing right up until the very end. The characters and the whole concept of the town of Rockton are all very well done. This book did leave a few threads that I am sure we will see picked up in the next installment. I can't wait to read more of this wonderful series!

I received an advance reader edition of this book from St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books via NetGalley.