Watcher in the Words was an extremely solid read with great characters, good character development, and a healthy dose of twists and turns. I would recommend that readers start with the first book of the series and read through until this one - there are many characters to keep track of, with complex backstories. Otherwise, an engaging, good book.

I received an advanced copy of this book. This book is part of the Rockton series. I read it by itself and didn’t realize it was part of a series and still enjoyed it. In this book, the secret town of Rockton is visited by a US Marshal and then he turns up dead! There are a bunch of suspect as the twin is made up of a bunch of criminals! If you like crime books with a little bit of romance, then this is a good one for you.

I make it a point not to read lengthy book blurbs. I pick up a word here and there to see if I might want to read a particular book. I also don't make a habit of starting a series at book four. I felt at a disadvantage when I started reading WATCHER IN THE WOODS, but I have had Kelley Armstrong books on my TBR for a while now so I broke a few of my own rules.

As I was reading, I kept expecting the supernatural on the very next page. It never happened. However, that was not the only thing that kept me turning pages. I am intrigued by this town called Rockton that is home to a revolving population in the already sparsely populated Yukon Territory, in Canada. The overriding theme of this novel is a murder mystery fraught with twists and turns because it happened in Rockton. (I had to cheat a bit here and find a bit of the backstory in order to write this review.

Overall, the writing is pretty solid and the story holds up under scrutiny. I liked it well enough to want to backtrack and read the first three books in the series.

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N.B, since I post all my reviews to as many sites as I can (Goodreads, Amazon, and BookBub being the most common, along with sharing on Facebook), I have to be careful with my NetGalley reviews. Amazon (for obvious reasons) doesn't want to hear that I got a copy of a book from a source other than Amazon. I felt disadvantaged by this when writing my first paragraph. If I could have just come out and said that I started with book four of this series because I got it from NetGalley, it would have been so much easier.

This is the first book I've read in this series but I'm definitely going to go back to the start of the series to see where it all began. It would have helped to have read them in order, but I felt enough information was given to bring me up to speed and be able to follow this book.

Enjoyed the book, did feel that the story was a little drawn out but the ending made up for that! Thanks for letting me review this book.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying that Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite author's and that I've read the majority of her works. I love that she writes about Canada, in particular, places within the province of Ontario because I'm very familiar with them. I love how versatile the author is in that she's able to write amazing series of books based on supernatural but at the same time, she's able to do a complete 180 and write some incredible crime novels/series as well.

The Rockton series had me hooked from the beginning. I adore Casey's character; she's smart and a bit of a badass (but a law abiding one for the most part). This novel picks right up where the last in the series left off. Rockton is facing a series of problems with the upheaval of the council (so to speak), a lack of a doctor to help Kenny, and a serious lack of distrust among the residents. In desperation, Casey calls her sister, who is a surgeon to help with Kenny's situation and she ends up coming to Rockton. This sets off a whole chain of events, the most serious being that of a US Marshal following them back to Rockton, searching for someone. I'll leave it at that because I don't want to give too much away.

So in my opinion, this wasn't her best book and I was actually a bit bored. I did enjoy learning more about the occupant's of the town's backgrounds but other than that, the plot was just ok. I would have given it a 3.5 but I rounded up. I'm hoping the next one in the series has a bit more meat and depth to it in terms of storyline. I am looking forward to reading it.

This book picks up with Casey and Eric leaving the secret town of Rockton to pick up her sister, a doctor, to treat a fellow town member after being shot. Casey is surprised that April agrees to accompany them. Soon after arriving back in town they discover a man hiding in the woods. He claims to be a Marshall searching for a dangerous fugitive living in town Before he can identify the person he is shot. Casey and Eric now are in a race to discover the shooter before the Marshall's absence is noticed as well as figuring out how he found out about their secret town. A great addition to the series.

I should start out by saying that I did not read the first books in this series. Which, typically, I try to not do as a rule. It is hard to jump in and understand the characters, the back story.. that is the reason it is a series after all. But this book started with a decent recap (at least it seemed like it), but in some ways it also hit the ground and ran, hard. In fact, it wasn’t until I was over halfway through the book that I found out it was the 4th book. I had thought all along it was the 2nd. Had I known that, I probably wouldn’t have read this book, so I am glad I didn’t because I enjoyed this read.

This series could make a tv show. The story of the town itself is interesting to say the least. Add in the never ending drama? That is guaranteed to bring in watchers for sure.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Watcher in the Woods is book 4 in a series. I do believe I may have missed out a little here by not being familiar with the first 3 books in the series. The author does a good job of bringing up relevant history with the relevant characters, but even so I felt a little bit on the outs at times.

The storyline follows Casey, a homicide detective who now patrols a remote, not on the map town of Rockton. Rockton is buried deep in the Yukon Territory, and it is a town for ghosts. Most all the residents found their way to Rockton because they are hiding from something. In many cases they are avoiding warrants or prosecution because of crimes committed. They have paid for their stay in Rockton, and Rockton is overseen by an elusive council. The council dictates how the town operates and who is allowed to stay. The day to day operations are overseen by a militia and Dalton, the head sheriff. Dalton and Casey have developed a relationship and are now living together. Dalton and Casey have taken a risk and have come into Vancouver to solicit Casey’s estranged sister into consulting for them on a patient. Kenny, a member of the militia was shot in the back and he needs the bullet removed.

Unexpectedly, April decides to leave her duties in Vancouver to join Casey and Dalton in Rockton so that she can perform the delicate surgery herself. Soon after Casey, April, and Dalton get back to Rockton, a mysterious man shows up on the border of town. He claims to be a US Marshall and he wants to take one of their residents back with him to receive punishment for crimes committed. Before Casey and Dalton can get to the bottom of the mystery Marshall, and who he is hunting, someone shoots the Marshall and kills him. Now Casey must solve the murder of The US Marshall while trying to solve the mystery of how he found the town to begin with. In a town full of people trying to hide, everyone becomes a suspect.

The characters are well developed and the inner monologue of Casey is fun to read. The story is a little slow to peak. Perhaps I will go back and read the first 3 books and I will have some additional insight.

I can't get enough of this series! Casey and Dalton bring Casey.s sister in to help out with a medical emergency, but while she's there a US Marshall shows up. How'd he find them? Who sent him? And who was he there for? When he turns up dead it gets a whole lot harder getting answers. Does her sister have somethings to do with it ? The council? Get comfortable because once you start this book you won't want to put it down!

I really enjoyed this books. Clever storyline describing a place where people pay money to disappear to for a specific timeline. Writing was good though it took me awhile to grasp the concept of what type of place they were hiding in and how the town was run.

I accidentally requested this book not realizing this was fourth in a series, took me a little bit to get every body figured out! Rockton, a place of last resort, hidden deep in the Yukon territory. Such a multifaceted place, filled with people being given a second chance. In this fourth outing, Casey and Eric face another possible crisis, someone in town who is maybe more dangerous than previously thought. But who? And how did someone unexpected find their town? Also brings another newcomer, closely related to Casey.

I love this author and as with anything else she writes, this book did not disappoint. Great story. Pulse pounding plot and characters that breathe. Loved it.

This is the first book I have read in the Rockton series. Even though I never read the other books, I can understand it because it reads like a standalone. Casey is a strong and smart heroine. The mystery is compelling and the setting is very dark and atmospheric. I recommend this for those that love contemporary mysteries.

Minotaur Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Watcher in the Woods. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Watcher in the Woods is the fourth book in the Rockton series, which features smart and capable homicide detective Casey Duncan. There is nothing run-of-the-mill about having a citizen with a bullet wound capable of rendering its victim paralyzed. After enlisting the help of her estranged sister, who just happens to be a doctor, an uninvited visitor turns the town upside down. What danger has been brought into their midst?

The secret town of Rockton, hidden deep within the boundaries of the Yukon, is supposedly a tightly controlled haven for those willing to disconnect from the modern world. I find it hard to believe that a society such as this one, one where its potential citizens had to apply for admission to its community, would have this much trouble brewing. As a self-contained community without a need for the outside world, the absence of a qualified doctor as a resident was puzzling. The desolation and isolation is not adequately conveyed to the reader, which takes away from the success of the novel. The characters felt kind of flat to me, leaving me feeling like I could not connect to them or to the story. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Watcher in the Woods to other readers.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Casey Duncan, a homicide detective, has been successfully living and working in the small town of Rockton. She was accepted into the unique town of criminals and others who really have no place to go. It doesn't come easy as they are completely living off the grid, with no cell phones, mail, the Internet, and the like. Casey is not only working for the town's Sheriff, Eric Dalton, but they are living together as well. The previous book, The Fallen Prey, left readers with yet another cliffhanger. A specialist was needed and Casey could only think of one person, her estranged sister.

Reluctantly, her sister April, a neurosurgeon, agrees to go with Casey and Eric to Rockton to help. This is a real challenge to both sisters. But, right in the midst of things, a US Marshal appears and demands the release of a resident of the town. When the Marshall is killed, the suspect pool is quite small, and Casey has quite a job to do.

As I read this series in very short order in just a few days, all the characters, their stories and their current circumstances were more than familiar. However, to someone new to the Rockton series, simply reading Watcher in the Woods might cause a bit of a miss. Hopefully readers will research a bit to discover that this prolific author, Kelley Armstrong, has done a fantastic job here and will take the time to read the entire series.

As always, danger is par for the course, but the byplay between Casey and Eric is absolutely stellar. While definitely full of intrigue and terrific crime solving, one of my strongest attractions to the entire series to-date is the relationships built, and in this case reestablished. I admit to hesitating at the outset to being drawn to criminals, but the situation is so unique (at least to me), that I practically inhaled each book in the Rockton series in just a matter of days. I cannot wait for whatever the author has next.

The previous three books in the series are City of the Lost, A Darkness Absolute and This Fallen Prey. There is another unnamed and undated book in the series to come.

Many thanks to Kelley Armstrong, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

My friend, Rashika, got me invested in the Rockton books last year. It didn't take much convincing from her as I had previously read and enjoyed a few of Armstrong's YA novels. This series, however, is my absolute favorite. I don't quite know what it says about me, but there's is something so morbidly intriguing about murders in a small town. Rockton is even more fascinating given that it's a secret town that homes a lot of unpleasant characters, as well as victims of crimes. Armstrong is at her finest with these books because every detail is carefully thought out. I was a little wary going into this 4th book of the series. How much longer can the author keep my interest in these books I wondered, but I had nothing to worry about. It's so interesting to me how diverse in personalities the characters in this book are. I continue to love and root for my power couple, Casey and Eric. They are very comfortable around each other now and you would think that it would make it boring for readers, but far from it. It's actually quite nice reading about a couple who are so open and trustworthy of each other. We also get to meet some newer characters here, including Casey's sister and Sebastian, who was quite possibly my newest favorite. Then, there was the actual mystery. For a small secretive town, Rockton sure was full of activity, which includes murder and more secrets than Casey can handle. Armstrong handled it all like a pro, of course, keeping me engaged all throughout. I especially love that she continues to maintain the eerie atmosphere of Rockton so brilliantly. As with the previous books, Watcher in the Woods ends with a bang, wrapping up the main storylines, while also leaving some open for exploration in future books. Watcher in the Woods was another excellent addition to this fantastic spooky series. I want more.

Watcher in the Woods is the fourth book in the Rockton series by Kelley Armstong. I haven’t read the first three in the series, so I struggled to keep up with all of the characters. When you read a stand alone, or the first book in a series, the author goes through more trouble to describe all of the characters a bit more and give them more background. This being the fourth book in a series (and me not realizing that when I requested/downloaded the free review copy), led me to feel a bit confused along the way.

Nevertheless, I still really enjoyed the book. I was getting some major Louise Penny vibes with the setting of this book which I loved! I would love to go back and read the first three in this series because I think I would really enjoy it. The characters all seemed to have a unique story that I would like to know more about. I loved the concept of a small, remote town for those trying to hide because they did something bad, and those hiding because someone wants to do something to them.

The Rockton series is one of my new favorites. The thing that makes it different is the location of the novels and how Rockton's history effects a lot of what happens. Now this is a series that requires you to read them in order. Watcher in the Woods is book four and it starts exactly where book three ends. This is probably my favorite one so far because you learned more about some of the characters you have known for three books that are not the two main ones. There have also been a lot of changes with the cast of characters and the dynamics that make it more suspenseful and interesting. If you want a new series to read that is a little out of the norm definitely give these a try.

Extremely solid read! There were a lot of characters and back stories to keep up with... but I enjoyed the fact I had to pay close attention. Otherwise I sometimes skim over the details!

This is a great read for those who enjoy thrillers and crime stories. I will definitely look for the earlier books set in Rockton.

Thanks to NetGalley for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Usually I pay better attention to whether or not a book is in a series before I request it, but I like this author so I had to snag a copy. This is book four and, while it took me a little bit to figure out the characters and the town itself, I'm glad I stuck with it. I enjoyed this book and plan to find the others in the series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias.