Despite this being the fourth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

Rockton is a very remote town in the Yukon, surrounded by wilderness. Rockton is seen as a safe haven for those seeking to escape. There are no cell phones, or much in the way of modern technology. The town is overseen by a council, that are unknown. The council has the power to interject from time to time; also allowing who comes and goes.

Casey Duncan is the sole detective of Rockton. Casey fled with her friend, and despite attempts to keep contact with her only sister, April, there is a disconnect between them. Casey is also involved with the Eric Dalton, the sheriff in Rockton. With no doctor, and in need of one, Casey swallows her pride and goes to speak to her sister, in the hopes that her sister will lend her expertise. What Casey doesn't expect, is April, stating that she'll actually go to Rockton herself. Eric and Casey sneak April in.

Shortly after April's arrival, an interloper appears claiming they are a U.S. Marshall, and they've come to collect a certain member of the town, who is wanted. The interloper, doesn't give much information and while he is disarmed and sent on his way, he plots his own plans. Everyone in town becomes suspect, and a lot of secrets will be spilled.

I really enjoyed this book, so much that I want to go pick up the rest of the books in the series. My favorite sentence: "We see others through a window fogged with condensation, catching only a warped and shadowed image and presenting the same."

I received an ARC from NetGalley via St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.

This is the fourth book in this series, and it was yet another great installment! The character development was already phenomenal for the MCs, but it only got better in this book. There were some additional characters that were added in, of course, and as always Armstrong did a great job with those characters. If this is your genre, I highly recommend this series!

I had never heard of the Rockton novels before I received this ARC - the premise of a city, cut off from the rest of civilization and housing those who are running and hiding from their pasts was incredibly intriguing to me. I immediately purchased the first three books in the series and read those before reading Watcher in the Woods. For those considering picking up this book: while most of the Rockton books could be read as standalone novels, I think the reader would miss too much backstory if they hadn't read This Fallen Prey (Rockton #3). Also, please be aware that the below review contains spoilers for the first three books.

Watcher in the Woods is the fourth novel of the Casey Duncan/Rockton series. It picks up a few days after the events of This Fallen Prey and Casey and her boyfriend Eric have gone to Vancouver to ask for help from Casey's surgeon sister for gravely injured Kenny. Upon returning with Casey's sister, April, they have a new problem: a man has appeared in their home, holding Diana at gunpoint. He claims he is a U.S. Marshal who has come to bring in a violent, dangerous federal fugitive. In addition to navigating April's stay in Rockton, Casey and Eric must deal with the Marshal, handle the fallout of the events in This Fallen Prey, and find out who the dangerous fugitive in their midst is - or if there is one at all. In Rockton, no one is ever quite what they seem.
With the twists, turns, and blindsides characteristic of the Rockton series, Kelley Armstrong weaves another fascinating tale that is part psychological thriller and part classic police procedural. I would encourage anyone who is a fan of crime fiction to jump into the Rockton series and be prepared to stay up late, immersed in the storyline.

It’s an interesting concept behind the story. I didn’t know this was book 4 in the series which I guess is why I felt like I came in the middle of something.
It kept my interest but at times I had a hard time following the story, maybe too many characters.
For me it was just ok. Thank you for the early copy

Watcher in the Woods is the fourth book in the Rockton/Casey Duncan mystery/thriller series.I love Kelley Armstrong and I absolutely love this series. A secret town in the middle of nowhere for criminals to hide. There are a lot of characters and it does get a little confusing sometime. Overall its a great story. I just wish her books weren't so pricey. I would buy a lot more if the price was more reasonable.

Watcher in the Woods by Kelly Armstrong – 5 Stars
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250159915

Reading this book without reading the previous three in the series will be a disadvantage for you. The fourth novel in the series begins without the required details about the town of Rockton and the background of its inhabitants. You may struggle a bit until you learn that each character displays two profiles: one a new fabricated presented to their neighbors and the other the real past -- good, bad, or ugly. This accentuates interest in every character and continuous entertainment. Although the plot has some fantasy-like events, they are not dressed up to convince you they are real which frees your mind of challenging credibility entirely. It is just fun to read.

Despite each book beginning where the previous book in the series left off, each provides a mystery in itself and completely told -- the crime is set up, investigated, and solved.
This novel presents its mystery with suspense, a psychological element, a love story, and complex characters, even including two dogs. All the elements compliment each other in fast paced plot to yield a very enjoyable novel.

Having already read the first books in the series and now the fourth, I look forward to reading future additions.

Reviewer: Nancy

This is the 4th book in the Rockton series. I had read and loved the first 3 so I was excited to get the chance to read this early copy of Watcher in the Woods. I wasn't disappointed.
Rockton is a tiny off the grid town hidden away in the Yukon Territory. It's population of 200 are people who are in hiding for one reason or another. Some are criminals so you can expect murder and mayhem. Eric and Casey are the law enforcement presence in Rockton charged with upholding the laws of the town. They also happen to be lovers.
In Watcher in the Woods a Federal Marshal shows up looking for a fugitive but won't say who...not long after he appears in their world he's killed and it's up to Casey and Eric to find his killer. What follows is a twisty intense tale that held my interest until the end.
Kelley Armstrong has created unique, really interesting characters that I have enjoyed getting to know over the series. All her characters, including her secondary characters are well developed. I love the relationship between Eric and Casey...they balance each other out. None of the others are who you think they are so you are kept on your toes.
I heartily recommend these books. I like to read a series in order but I think you can start with this one with no problem.

The Rockton series has become one of my favorite procedurals. The premise should be confining and I’ve been worried that the ideas would start to run out, but each novel ends with enough unfinished business to keep the momentum going.

I love the unique setting and that it has limits, especially to its suspects, and yet the answers are never obvious and the limits are always pushed, and yet never convoluted or unbelievable.

Casey is my favorite kind of narrator. Imperfect but self-aware and capable. She’s the kind of person I’d want to know and learn from in real life.

WATCHER IN THE WOODS is an interesting and different sort of police suspense/procedural story. The setting is an isolated village in the wilds of western Canada where persons guilty of crimes may go and, if accepted by the local council, may live there in isolated freedom rather than go to prison. There is, of course, plenty of law enforcement to ensure that residents comply with the rules but existence there is difficult and sometimes rather unsettled. The story focuses on a killing that occurs when someone from outside comes seeking to take a resident back to civilization supposedy for legal punishment. The story builds from there.

While affording the reader the element of suspense and an unusual approach to this type of story, this reviewer found the story a bit difficult to follow and not particularly realistic, even though such places could and perhaps do exist in reality. Perhaps, other readers will find it more entertaining. It is well written and presented.

The Watcher in the Woods continues the story from This Fallen Prey. In fact, it is only a few days later when Detective Casey Butler and Sheriff Eric Dalton are in Vancouver British Columbia to ask April Butler, Casey’s sister, for help. One of the deputies from Rockton in the Canadian Yukon has been shot in the back and needs immediate surgery to avoid becoming permanently disabled. The problem is that Rockton is “off the grid”, a place where innocent people go to hide from enemies intent on killing them, and not-so-innocent people go to hide from enemies who want the same thing. Rockton has no doctor and since Casey’s sister is a brilliant neuroscientist and a trained neurosurgeon she would appear to be the perfect solution to the problem Fly her in, have her operate, and fly her out before anyone even realizes she has been to Rockton.

Casey is surprised when her estranged sister readily agrees to the plan. But, someone else is very interested in the hidden town and hires a bush pilot to tail the sheriff’s plane back home. When Casey and Dalton find the intruder he claims to be a US marshal trying to arrest a criminal he knows is in Rockton. Unfortunately for Marshal Garcia, he is shot after revealing his identity. Someone in Rockton did not want to meet the marshal and there are any number of suspects.

The discovery of the murderer is a very satisfying plot. However, the real strong point of this novel is the backstory about how Rockton was founded and how so many of the townspeople got there. It seems that for every person seeking asylum from a violent partner there is a genuine murderer who has paid his way to safety. No one really knows who is who, except for the mysterious Council that determines which individual will be granted the two-year respite from the outside world. Soon Casey is uncovering another possible serial killer (there was one in the previous book) and more than one sociopath. Trusted friends are suddenly different people with their own agendas. The Council is having its own problems with members divided on whether go back to the original purpose of shielding good people in danger or expanding the newer policy of taking any runaway who can come up with a hefty fee.

It was good to meet all the Rockton characters. They are like onions with layers and layers of story. And it is good to find out more about Casey and her relationship to her disturbed sister. Plus her romance with the sheriff is just plain fun!

The novel covers a week in the life of Rockton and there are dire hints of what is to come. Who will persevere in the Council war? How many innocents are really guilty? What about the hostiles who are closing in on the town? Will the wolf pup ever become friends with Storm the Newfoundland? All grist for Armstrong’s very talented pen…

This is the first book in this series i've read but reads great as a standalone! Armstrong is already one of my favorite authors and this novel just heightens my love for her writing. Her writing is done with such depth and fluidity. The characters were expertly penned and come to life on the page. Plenty of twists and turns in this riveting novel. I highly recommend Kelly as an author and this s a series I will be sure to start reading more of!

FYI: This book is part of series. It’s best if you read the other books first. I had no idea that this was a series. But it didn’t hamper my reading experience.

The lead is a detective on small police force. She has easy access to things because of her boyfriend the sheriff. Somehow that doesn’t always make it easy. She asks her sister to come to town to help with a patient that needs special attention. From there the melee ensues.

I’ve read other Kelley Armstrong books and this one wasn’t any different. She has a great writing style and it’s not hard to get through. This is my first thriller from her and I was pleasantly surprised.

4 out of 5 stars. And a big thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley.

This is not a compelling read in the least. The plot seems intriguing at first but I soon discovered that the interesting plot line was overshadowed by other issues.

Watcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong is the fourth book in the Rockton Series. Detective Casey has not had a chance to rest after solving the last crime in Rockton. She is back in Vancouver to convince her sister, an experienced doctor, to come back with her to help remove a bullet from the back of one of the inhabitants. Rockton is not a common town. Located in the Yukon wilderness, it is a refuge for people who are at risk; a bit like a witness protection program, but not for witnesses. If you have the means and the money, you can hide in Rockton. Rockton does not have a doctor and performing a complex surgery such as removing a bullet requires an expert. April accepts too quickly, but Casey does not have the time to consider why her sister is so eager to come to with her.

A US Marshal finds his way to Rockton and claims that he is on the hunt for a wanted criminal. Casey and her hunky-dory boyfriend, Sheriff Dalton, do not like that he so easily located the secret town. This is a threat to the safety of its population. While taking the Marshal in custody to decide what needs to be done with him, someone decides to end the Marshal’s life; most likely the person he was after. Casey is confronted with another murder in her town. Solving a crime in Rockton is not an easy task when most of its inhabitants are capable to commit the crime.

A big thank you to St. Martin's Press for giving me an advanced copy of this awesome book. If you have not started the Rockton Series, I invite you to do so. Kelley Armstrong is a fabulous Canadian author and her books are outstanding. Watcher in the Woods (Rockton #4) will be available at your favourite bookstore on February 5th, 2019.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

As the fourth book in the Rockton series, the characters have already been introduced and their backgrounds given, in the series’ previous books. If this book is read out of order, the reader could experience some confusion about what is going on. It is not really a ‘stand alone’ book, but instead it is part of a unique series.

Casey and Dalton, detective and sheriff, have a murder to solve. In the town of Rockton, not everyone is honest about who they are and why they are seeking refuge there. When a US Marshall suddenly and unexpectantly shows up and is killed, there are a lot of suspects. Things get complicated when Casey’s sister, a physician, is recruited to help with a patient in Rockton. Then, she makes a request to stay in this town, secluded in the Yukon. The murder is solved but the story continues.

Kelley Armstrong is one of the few authors who can move through differing genres and kept the reader spellbound. I've read her Otherworld books, her Cainsville series and her Nadia Stafford books along with the Rockton series, I'm always waiting for the next one as soon as I read her current releases.
This is the 4th book based in Rockton, the town where people disappear, on purpose. If you live in Rockton, you are running from someone, Casey Duncan came to Rockton with her friend. Both were running from their past. Casey is now the detective on the 3 man law enforcement team. Working and living with Sheriff Eric Dalton allows her access to the backgrounds of the Rockton townspeople and makes her job both harder and easier.
This book finds Casey asking her sister, a neuroscientist with surgical experience, to come to Rockton to help a militia member injured at the end of book 3. The sisters were never close and their communications since their parents died have been short and sporadic so Casey is surprised when April says yes, she'll come. The scene is now set for the rest of the adventures that come. Kelley Armstrong has developed the characters in her series to the point where you feel as if you know them and would recognize them. Her stories flow seamlessly, you'll read for hours and never know the time has flown by. I have recommended her books to all of my fellow readers and several of them have received her books as gifts/ loaners. If you have not read her books, pick any series and start. You won't be sorry.

I love this author! I was so happy when she wrote a new series. This is a really well done mystery/suspense story, with great characters.

Thx to Minatour books, Kelley Armstrong, and Netgalley for this ARC. I’ve read all this Cainsville series up to this date and think this is the best book of that series. This one held my attention right up to the ending. I had a hard time putting it down, but life gets in the way... the characters in this book became more interesting and have more “character”. My favorite series though is still the Otherworld. I think nothing can compare to that one, but this might be close .

A big thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is book 2 in a series, I have not read the first. I was a little lost, since I didn't have the needed history about the town. Even lacking the information, I still found the story riveting. It was unique and different. A nice change of pace for me. I rate this a 4.

This is the fourth book in the Rockton series, I have not read any of the previous books but I did not feel lost in this one.
This is an interesting mystery full of well developed characters and rich back stories on them all. There are plenty of twists and turns through out to keep you guessing. If you enjoy character driven murder mysteries I highly recommend this book!
I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC for my honest review.