Twists and turns abound in this fourth installment of Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series. Watcher in the Woods continues the story of Detective Casey Butler as she continues her new life in the secret, hidden Yukon town of Rockton. The suspenseful plot interweaves several storylines of dysfunctional and interesting residents of the town, all while trying to solve a murder in their midst. I thoroughly enjoyed the book’s story arc and the characters Armstrong created within it. I sincerely look forward to book five of the series.

Wow, are there really towns like this? That's scary to even think about. I thought the book was interesting with a town full of characters, each with a whole back story that only a few in the town know. April sounds weird and didn't think she added much. The book was good and held my interest. I really like the main characters.

The hidden town of Rockton, a refuge for both criminals and victims fleeing society, has been through some difficult times. And now, it appears that some of the council members are no longer acting in Rockton’s best interests.

But the unexpected arrival of a United States marshal, demanding custody of one of the town’s residents, is a cause for alarm. But before Casey and Sheriff Dalton can get any answers from the man, he’s murdered. And one of the prime suspects is Casey’s sister, April.

Now Casey, the only detective on the three-member police force, must track down a killer. Can she discover the killer’s secret, the one that compelled one of the town’s residents to murder the marshal?

The fourth in the Rockton series, the narrative keeps the tension mounting and the suspense building. All of the expected characters are in place; backstories for several of them give strength to the character development. The uniqueness of a town where people must apply to live and where everyone has secrets translates to a distinctive plot, tightly-woven and filled with unexpected twists. This latest tale is a strong addition to the series but the overuse of coarse language, unnecessary for the storyline, is likely to be off-putting for many readers.

I received an uncorrected digital galley of this book from St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley.
#WatcherInTheWoods #NetGalley

This is the fourth book in the fabulous Rockton series. Casey engages her estranged sister, a neuroscientist to help with Kenny, who's been shot, and secretly brings her to Rockton. Soon after, a US Marshal sneaks into town unsanctioned by the council, looking to nab one of their residents. Casey and Eric track him down but he is uncooperative and won't tell them who he seeking. Suddenly, he is shot dead and once again Casey and Eric must not only discover who the Marshal was after but also solve his murder. They must figure out how he even knows about Rockton and suspect there might be a leak in the council. The council is in flux and there is trouble brewing with the hostiles. It is never easy but Eric and Casey work together as a team to keep everyone in Rockton safe. A lot of back stories are revealed in this book that provide in-depth insight into many of the main characters. There is also more information about Rockton, it's founders and the machinations of the governing council . As usual, not everyone is as they seem. I loved this but I love all the books I've read by Kelley Armstrong and I've read most of her books. I am looking forward to the next book(s) in this series. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rockton is a town in the Canadian Yukon wilderness, hidden, secret; a hideaway for folks to escape from either prosecution or persecution: manhunt or witch hunt. It's a small town; everybody knows everybody, yet no one REALLY knows another, do they?
Rockton is not easily found and impossible to stumble upon, so why would the US Marshall Service try to send an agent here? Is he really an agent? How did he find them? What does he want?

Armstrong is a master storyteller; her characters are vividly alive and delightfully 3 dimensional. I don't even care so much about the mystery, but I want to live in that town. I want to know those people. I loved this book so much, I went looking for others in the series. This is definitely an author I will be on the lookout for.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this arc.

Another roller coaster ride through Rockton (a very secret location somewhere in the vast Yukon Territory... full up of people keeping very dark & deep secrets). Whatever can go wrong? Everything. The "Sheriff's Department" have their hands full in this 4th installment of the Rockton chronicles. There are philosophical fractures developing among the individual members of "the Council" (a super, super secret organization that populates Rockton in exchange for providing financial funding) concerning the "mission statement" of Rockton's purpose. Don't really need a crystal ball to see where that is heading. It's still a compelling read with likeable characters and great entertainment.