Ahoy there me mateys! 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. I received this thriller eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. If ye haven’t read the first book in this series, city of the lost, then ye might want to skip this post and go read the first book. Worth the read. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

this fallen prey (Kelley Armstrong)

Title: this fallen prey

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Macmillian/Minotaur Books - Established in 1999, Minotaur is a premier publisher in the bestselling category of crime fiction.

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

ISBN: 978-1250159892

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 read the first two books of this series and was excited to continue me foray into Rockton.

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 has survived a lot of hard times in her short period in Rockton and yet has transitioned rather well overall. The town has settled down, to the best of its ability, and Casey's content to live in the moment and enjoy her newfound solace. But then the council drops an unannounced problem into town in the form of an accused serial killer, bound and gagged. The council decrees that Casey and Sheriff Dalton must ensure this man's survival for 6 months until other arrangements can be made. That is not a request. His going to prison is not an option. And with this unexpected arrival, Casey's yet again in a world of trouble.

I found this setup to be rather ingenious. There are a lot of known dangers in Rockton and tons of less than stellar inhabitants. I wondered how the author was goin' to up the ante in this installment. Throw a supposed serial killer in the pot, stir, and shake up. I loved that the town is so not prepared to contain an actual known menace. I love the citizens' take on the situation. I loved Casey's ambivalence about their charge. Is this man an actual killer or is someone taking advantage of the council and thus Casey?

The first third of the book was an absolute delight. Then me enjoyment began to wane. This for me was the weakest of the three novels so far. While the setup was fabulous, the execution was a bit silly, to be honest. Too much of the novel was wandering in the forest and making small but seemingly pointless forays back to Rockton.

What action did happen in the forest was a bit too comical. I mean, how many fierce, dangerous (and usually shy) animals can try to kill Casey in a sequence? Too many. How many bullets can fly and magically not kill the strategic characters. Too many. How many awesome residents of Rockton were seemingly brought in to help the situation and then weren't actually utilized? Too many.

I didn't hate the novel and certainly loved certain elements of it. But the first book was great and the second book took elements of the town and flipped them upside down - to great effect. The stories also were concluded satisfactorily even if elements from book one popped into book two. Book three ends on a rather unsatisfying cliffhanger. I did like revisiting Rockton and Casey and there are some new people that I want more information about. I shall still read the next one in the series. I just hope it turns out as well as books one and two did.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Macmillian/Minotaur Books!

Netgalley has this to say about the novel:

Casey Duncan is about to face her toughest job as police detective in Rockton yet.

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.

In the next page-turning entry in Kelley Armstrong’s gripping series, life in Rockton is about to get even more dangerous.

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

Kelley Armstrong - Author

To buy the novel visit:

this fallen prey - Book

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)

city of the lost - book 1 (Off the Charts – Thriller/Crime Novel)

a darkness absolute - book 2 (Off the Charts and on the Horizon – Thriller/Crime Novel Arc)

I want to start off by saying that I really enjoy this series. It’s a unique setting and adds a nice spin on the detective genre. However, this one didn’t quite live up to the first two.

Still enjoyed this, love the characters and the setting. But I think it focused so much on what was lurking in the woods when really what’s lurking in the town is more interesting. I understand there’s only so much you can do, with a limited cast of characters, and that the wild around them is just begging to be used, but I think we maybe edged too far out into the woods here.

It also got a little convoluted with bad guys, even suspected bad guys or dangerous plots. In a continuing serious with so many limitations, it felt like there was too much thrown into this one that could have been spread out.

Honestly, I really just missed being in the town and with the people.

Still looking forward to the next installment though. Even with its shortcomings this was better than most detective novels I’ve read recently.

This most recent adventure with Casey Duncan in the isolated and hidden town of Rockton starts with the Council flying in a serial killer despite the fact the the town isn't at all equipped to keep him securely. Keeping him gagged and isolated polarizes a number of the other people in town who are torn between lynching the threat and letting him go.

Oliver Brady is accused of being a particularly brutal serial killer. When his gag is removed, he insists that he is being framed by his stepfather Gregory Wallace who wants Oliver to die before he gains a trust fund that should be his on his next birthday.

Casey and Eric have no idea who to believe but it really doesn't matter since their only job is to keep Brady under control. However, they are having some trouble keeping him safe. First he's shot at while being taken on a walk in the forest and Eric is hit instead. Then, there is an attempted poisoning. Then a fire is started with pulls attention to fire fighting and allows Brady to escape with a hostage.

Casey and Eric immediately organize a search but things get complicated in a hurry. Brady seems to have an accomplice in the town. Casey tries to figure out who that could be but would an accomplice try to kill his partner?

When Gregory Wallace comes to Rockton full of apologies for dumping his serial killer son on the town. He joins the hunt too. While hunting they encounter settlers who are suspicious of anyone from Rockton and hostiles who have reverted to something like savagery. They are also being hunted by a sniper who is taking random pot shots at them.

This was a fast paced, action packed thriller with more twists and turns than your average roller coaster. It seems like everyone by Casey and Eric have secrets that are impacting the events in this story. No one can be trusted. Everyone is lying. I am so eager for the next book because the ending of this one leaves lots of hanging plot threads.

This is the third book in the series. Casey is a detective in the remote community of misfits running from 'something'. There are some real 'characters' living in the community and off. The community is governed by a council and they have decided to send a serial killer to the remote village for Casey and her boss (romantic interest read previous two books) to 'watch'. The Council is receiving a large sum of money from the stepfather...This community has no phones, tv, they don't even have a real jail. Well as you can imagine things go wrong...very, very wrong. Action packed from the start till the end. Kelley Armstrong puts together a great read. I really think these books would make an exciting TV show. When I read the jacket of the first book, I almost didn't read it. However, I am so glad I did. I have enjoyed all three in the series. I was fortunate to receive this copy from NetGalley.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Kelley Armstrong, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to read an early copy.

When Casey Duncan first arrived at Rockton, the off-the-grid, isolated community built as a haven for people running from their pasts, she had no idea what to expect. There are 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 become the town homicide detective. 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 she never thought that she'd have to be responsible for him.

The longer Oliver Brady stays in town, the more people seem to die around him. When evidence begins piling up that someone inside Rockton is working as his accomplice, Casey races to figure out who exactly Brady is and what crimes he's truly responsible for committing.

THIS FALLEN PREY is the third book in Armstrong's adult mystery/thriller Casey Duncan series. I didn't read the first two before reading this one (Whoops!), and while I didn't have any troubles, I don't recommend following suit. Books are better when read in the order writers intend. With that being said, I really loved this one. Armstrong is a fantastic writer. I've read some of her other books, and I was surprised when I found that she writes adult thrillers. I enjoyed this police procedural and the fantastic setting, characters, twists/turns, etc. I can't wait to go back and read the first two books in the series (Doh!). Must read!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2093609787?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I absolutely LOVE this series by Kelley Armstrong. Eric and Casey are such a good team, professionally as police officers and personally as a couple. All the fascinating inhabitants of Rockton round out the cast and provide a "realness" to a very unreal situation. That being that they are all living off the grid in an almost unfindable small town in the Canadian wilderness.
The first two books in the series, City of the Lost and A Darkness Absolute set the stage and continue the adventures respectively. In This Fallen Prey, Armstrong introduces a suspected murderer to the little hideaway town. His stepfather is trying to buy the criminal's way in and the council allows this for their own greedy purposes. Of course, Eric and Casey must deal with the implication of all this.
I won't give anything else away. This is more Kelley Armstrong goodness; if you liked the first two books, you'll love this one too. If you haven't tried this series yet, go start City of the Lost! Armstrong just gets better and better at each genre she writes in and this mystery/detective series is no different. Enjoy!

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but found this one to be too violent, too graphic, for my taste. I don’t know if it was the book or my own state of mind when reading it, but I could not finish.

If you are looking for your next thrill-ride, this is it. I could not put it down. It's well-written with an intense plot and twists and turns all over the place. This is the first book I've read by the author and I'm honestly wondering if the rest are half as good. If they are, I should kick myself for starting now but I'll definitely be checking out a few more before too long.

I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rockton is a secluded town. There’s one sheriff, one deputy, and one homicide detective in charge of protecting the entire community. A council decides who gets access to this unique town devoid of internet or electricity and there’s only one jail cell, too. Only one person in Rockton has access to the council and communication outside of the town is extremely limited.

So who are some of the residents? Some are criminals with fat bank accounts who fund Rockton’s police department and overall economy. The latest to arrive in Rockton is a suspected serial killer who’s stepfather has paid a million dollars upfront for a six-month stay. Neither Sheriff Dalton nor Detective Butler is happy about the council’s decision to allow this new resident into their sheltered circle and it’s not long before their suspicions of impending disaster become a reality.

◈ This book was not for me.

I tried! Ultimately, it was the writing style that I disliked most. I loved the premise and the opening pages really intrigued me, but the narrator became increasingly boring (after the twenty percent mark) and I got tired of her mentioning that she and Dalton were lovers. She just kept mentioning it over and over and over and over again...

Essentially, there were a bunch of uninteresting side characters, flat main characters, and a great attempt to harness that small-town atmosphere, but I had trouble buying any of it. The cliffhanger ending only made me feel more frustrated with this story.

I love the premise of these books and they are all good but this was my least favorite of the series. The books take place in a town in the remote wilds of Canada where people flee. Their lives might be in danger or they did something and need to hide. A secretive council runs the town and decides who to let in, usually based on how much they are willing to pay.

A plane brings in a man, Oliver who is said to be a serial killer. He denies it. Casey and her boss and lover Dalton need to figure out how much to tell the other citizens and how to protect Oliver. All this was good up until this point and then it just got too convoluted for me. Trying to keep track of all of the subplots, who was who in the forest and who was telling the truth.

I'll continue reading the series I'm hoping the next book is a little more straight forward.

I just absolutely adore this series. Something about the characters and their relationships just makes me really happy and I'm super invested in all of it. I really, really appreciate that the relationship between Casey and Dalton isn't dramatic - dramatic things happen to them, but not the foundations of their relationship. It's so nice to have a couple who actually talk things through when something is bothering them with open and honest conversation and for the reader to know even if they're going through hard times (I mean, there's a lot of murder in this town, guys), they aren't going to do the whole "break up so there's tension" thing. The mysteries are also super intriguing and twisty and I'm invested in the side characters' stories and their lives. The ending of this one is the first time we've got a bit of a cliffhanger so I'm definitely looking forward to the next one! I highly recommend you pick this up if you like mysteries and really interesting characters.

I really like this series by Kelley Armstrong. I wouldn't want to live in Rockton, nor do I think it is particularly safe there either, but it makes a fascinating backdrop. If someone in the town doesn't hurt you then there is a good change that the environment will. Casey has her own moral compass and she stays true to it for the entire book. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This is book 3 of a series that I, unfortunately, have not read. That is my fault not that of the book. I was not overly impressed with the characters and plot line, HOWEVER, I was impressed enough to go back for books 1 and 2.

My thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur books for this advanced readers copy.

The concept of this series, a town that doesn’t exist, inhabited by people who need new identities and to get away from their lives began as intriguing. The writing made it addicting. Seeing the town develop with the addition, or removal of citizens makes it all the more interesting. No one ever knows who will arrive on the next plane or what life they left behind. Armstrong has outdone herself. Cannot wait for the next installment!

Wow! ok, this is book 3 in the Casey Duncan series, but I haven't read the first two yet (I will now). So I can easily tell you you can jump in here, while you know you'll be missing some background story. This Fallen Prey works as a standalone.

While not edge of your seat suspense, it's a well woven tale that makes you second and third guess yourself all the way through,

This was an exhilarating read! Casey is a detective in Rockton, a small town in the Yukon where people flee to get off the grid and hide from either the law or their enemies. But when Brady Oliver is placed in their care--rumored to be a serial killer--Casey and her boyfriend Sheriff Dalton are leery about how to react; should they protect him from vigilante justice or kill him to prevent more murders? My only problem was keeping the characters straight initially as I have not read the first two books in this series and so I wasn't aware of the characters' relationships with each other or quite how the town functioned. But once I got going, I was intrigued as this is definitely a unique setting and the pace is breakneck speed! Now I will go back and read the first two to catch up!

The setting of the Casey Duncan series is only one element that makes it that much more intriguing than the usual present day detective novel. Instead of an urban background, Casey lives in what could almost be considered a social experiment. Rich investors have created an off-the-grid village hidden deep in the Yukon, a town without electricity, Internet, or cars, for criminals. Felons looking to hide from their past buy into a five year contract where they live in the wild western town of oil lamps and firewood stoves under the complete authority of Sheriff Eric Dalton. The town is not without some amenities though; a butcher, a baker, and a brothel are merely part of the interactive village life.

Another element is the engaging romance between the crotchety but compassionate Dalton and the tough-ass Casey. The sheriff has a total weak spot for Casey. When I read City of the Lost, the first book in the series, I could not stand the man. He was a punitive bastard that was not afraid to tell people exactly how he felt about them. I almost tossed that book so many times. But as he fell for Casey, I fell for him and kept reading.

So far, the mysteries have taken place in the village, Rockton. This one is more of a hunt through the Yukon wilderness. Much to Dalton's fury, the Council has dropped a serial killer into his custody for the next six months. You see, the man's stepfather made a rather large donation to the Council so, of course, the prisoner, a spoiled brat named Brady, loudly swears his innocence. Then, he disappears.

At this point the hunt is on and the story takes a lot of twists and turns. Characters begin to doubt themselves. Others make stupid moves. They face threats and betrayal and painful choices. There's a bit of a muddy spot in the middle when the reader is trapped inside Casey's head as she throws a pity party but, overall, everything moves at action-thriller speed. The author tossed enough red herrings into the story to keep me guessing almost to the very end.

I love the series, the setting, the backstory, the balanced and loving relationship between Casey and Dalton, as well as her relationships with other villagers. And I love her dog, Storm. Once Storm gets past her puppy impulsiveness, she will be one fierce companion.

It's a great series to get into but I do recommend starting at the beginning. The author recaps some background stories throughout this book, but you need to read for the full appreciation. That way you will understand why I couldn't stand Dalton but really like him now. And even tho she sometimes gets too jacked, Casey is an intelligent and fearless badass that I really respect.

--I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review--

Kelley Armstrong does it again in this third novel in the Rockton series! "This Fallen Prey" presents a new character, Oliver Brady, a serial killer, who is authorized by the Council to remain in Rockton for a six-month stay. Dalton and Casey do their best to keep him under guard while protecting the residents of Rockton. However, it appears Brady has an accomplice who helps him to escape into the forest. What follows is an action-packed, suspenseful scramble as Dalton, Casey, and other members of the militia try to locate and recapture Brady before he can injure or kill any Rockton residents or any settlers or hostiles. There are plenty of red herrings as well as quite a few unexpected twists in the action, keeping me on the edge of my seat, leaving me unable to put this book down until the ultimate resolution.

<spoiler>However, I was disappointed to find that there are many loose ends that are left unresolved in the last few chapters. This leads to the impression that there will be at least one more book in this series. (I hope!) </spoiler>

Kelley Armstrong’s writing is precise and descriptive and her characters come alive on the page. This is a terrific thriller/mystery with non-stop action. I enjoy the romantic/professional interaction between Eric and Casey as well as how they deal with the residents and the various problems that arise in Rockton. I’m looking forward to many more novels in this exciting series.

Casey Duncan, 30, is a detective in the town of Rockton, a hidden place in the Yukon that takes in people on the run. Twelve years earlier she killed her former boyfriend - not that she went to meet him intending to kill him, and not that he didn’t deserve it, but it happened, and it haunts her. It also made her “eligible” for life in this town, especially because the sheriff there, Eric Dalton, needed a detective. Rockton only has around 200 residents, but they are people, as Casey understands, who have “either done bad shit or have got serious baggage.”

Since the series began, Casey and Eric have entered into a close personal relationship, as well as being partners on the job. This makes them vulnerable in a way, since when danger comes, they are more apt to protect one another than to do what needs to be done.

Moreover, they are now training a young Newfoundland dog, Storm, to be a tracker, and they both feel protective about her as well.

In this “episode,” a plane arrives in Rockton (a rare event), with the pilot delivering a prisoner to them. A note explains that the Town Council in charge of Rockton has agreed to let this prisoner, Oliver Brady, 27, stay in Rockton for six months, for a large fee attractive to the Council.

The Council also tells them this arrangement is being paid for by Brady’s stepfather, Gregory Wallace, who has done this to protect Brady’s mother. Brady’s alleged crime? He’s a “thrill killer,” the note says. He tortures and kills because he enjoys it.

Brady maintains he is being set up by his stepfather, who wants Oliver’s inheritance due to him in a year when he turns 28. Unfortunately, in Rockton, there is no way for Casey and Eric to check the veracity of his story - they have no access to phones, internet, mail, or any way at all to contact anyone but the Council. They can’t even get in or out of Rockton without the Council’s approval. But they also don’t have adequate facilities to serve as a prison for Brady. In a short time, he escapes. Before long, their Council contact Phil shows up with Gregory Wallace, who wants to make sure they are able to recapture Brady.

When Casey, Eric, and the “militia” from the town go out to look for Brady, they run into lethal obstacles. Not only do they find bodies along the way, but a sniper is following them and periodically attacks. They have no idea what is going on: is Brady guilty or is his stepfather lying? Who from Rockton is aiding Brady? And who is the sniper trying to kill them all?

Evaluation: Armstrong had me guessing until the denouement, which followed a tense run-up with everyone in danger, including the dog. The ending made clear that while this particular incident wrapped up, the story isn’t over yet. It’s not my favorite series by Armstrong, but she is one of my favorite authors, and I enjoy all of her work.