Wow!!
What a way to end a series. I’m just gonna say I love this series and I’m sad to see it go but this last story was absolutely amazing.

Eric pretty much took a backseat to Casey most of the book. Lots of crazy suspenseful action going on from beginning to end.

Today is truly going down in the books as our most ridiculous wilderness pursuit ever.

These characters have worked there way into my heart story after story and I’m going to miss them like crazy. I also know that whatever this author comes up with next. I’m So There!!

MAN I dont want to see this series end, and I think we're winding our way there, only to maaaaaaaybe see a spin off? I want more of the stories of our regulars, more of our MC's and just MORE. Love this series!

I've read every book in this series, and all of them were outstanding. It is unlike any series I've read before. For romance lovers, there is romance as well as suspense, an aura of danger, and the menace of the frozen North.

Rockton is a small town that is off the grid, unknown to any authorities. It is located in a remote, sparsely populated part in the Yukon of Canada, where there are no fences between you and a moose or a grizzly bear. It is really easy to get lost there with no landmarks. There are also people other than the town's residents in the area, and some of them are much more dangerous than the wildlife. Sheriff Eric Dalton and Detective Casey Duncan are the law enforcement for the town (and a couple). They appear in every book.

Most of the residents of Rockton are people who are in hiding - some from the law, some from dangerous people, and many are dangerous people. They have been on edge for a while now since rumors have been going around that the founders of Rockton are planning on shutting it down. On top of that, someone is also leaking damaging information about some of the residents, and soon after that begins, people in the town are found dead or close to death in mysterious circumstances.

Eric and Casey are investigating the deaths and trying to trace the origin of the leaks. At the same time, they are making decisions about their plans for life after Rockton.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book. It was my pleasure to read and review it.

Rockton has always been a town of secrets but now those secrets seem to be leaking out. Casey and Eric must find the truth. ARC from NetGalley.

I’ve not read any of the previous six novels in this series and I think it negatively impacted my ability to enjoy this. Even with the explanatory prologue designed to catch new readers up in terms of who’s who and what the town of Rockton is all about, I found the novel confusing and very difficult to get into. There’s very little character development and very little use of the setting of the Yukon, at least throughout the first third of the novel, which is as far as I got before giving up. Consequently, I found it tough to get to know the characters or become invested in or care about them. A number of them seemed clique-y and mean-spirited. I didn't think the crime being investigated was particularly compelling. I had trouble buying into the idea of the town—a hidden safe haven for people with awful skeletons in their closets—and how it actually worked. I have a feeling that those who have read the previous books may well enjoy this one. But as someone brand new to the series, I just felt completely at sea.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

Someone’s spilling secrets in a town that relies on allowing residents to obscure their pasts – and Casey Butler isn’t going to let things slide off the rails on her watch.

Welcome back to Rockton – Kelley Armstrong’s fictional Alaskan off-the-grid escape for anyone needing a quick getaway, home to detective Casey Butler and her partner Sherriff Eric Dalton. Previous events have led to a state of near-crisis even before someone decides to start revealing the secret pasts of other residents; and it’s not long before that decision brings a whole host of matters to a head.

The events of The Deepest of Secrets have been building for a few books now, but never fear – if you’re new to the series, there’s an introduction at the start of the book to catch you up. These books do very well as standalones, but it’s much appreciated that new readers are given that context on previous events; though as a fan of the series, I’d have to recommend going back to read the earlier books as well.

This series is as reliably good as you’d expect from an author as well-established as Kelley Armstrong, and this latest entry takes it all the way to phenomenal. A lot happens in a relatively short space, and yet it never feels rushed – events move at a pace that feels natural, but build the suspense nicely towards the finale. The Alaskan setting isn’t just a pretty backdrop, but actually impacts the story in such an effective way, both with environment and wildlife – it’s certainly not just the people you have to watch out for up there.

The Deepest of Secrets is an exciting thriller, one that remembers to include everyday life in the story, grounding it and making it feel impressively welcoming, for a genre that usually centers on the worst in people. But in Kelley Armstrong’s hands it’s humanity’s flaws that showcase characters rising above and doing better – something that will keep me coming back to her novels again and again.

Kelley Armstrong brings plenty of suspense and action, as well as a unique setting, to the seventh book in the Rockton series. Rockton is a hidden town somewhere in the Yukon wilderness of Canada. The residents have many secrets and they’ve come to the town to disappear. However when secrets start to be publically disclosed by an unknown perpetrator, the town becomes distrustful and divided. Detective Casey Duncan and her common-law husband Sheriff Eric Dalton need to find the offender while protecting those whose secrets have been disclosed.

Casey and Eric are well-developed characters with plenty of depth by this seventh book in the series. They have to protect the townspeople while appeasing the council that runs Rockton from afar. Casey has a relentless drive to serve and protect the townspeople and find the wrongdoer. She’s relatable and easy to root for and like. The secondary characters run the gamut from helpful and likeable to obnoxious liars and worse.

Overall, this is well-written and entertaining with complex characters set in an off-the-grid town. A slightly slower start quickly accelerates as the plot develops and Casey’s investigation takes off. While this could be read as a stand-alone, readers will be better served to read the series in order to better understand the full background of the residents and how the town operates. Gossip, lies, murder, spies, trust, secrets, envy, fear, threats, assault, a guilty conscious, personal vendettas, petty revenge, grief, and a sense of entitlement are all threads that are explored during the novel.

It’s unclear if this is the end of the series or if it will go in a new direction in another book. I believe the author originally contracted for 7 books so this may be it. If so, all major threads are closed in this one, but there are threads that could be woven into future novels or a spin-off series.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Kelley Armstrong for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for February 15, 2022.

This book is back to the great character arcs and mystery playing in the background. Or is that great mystery and nice character development in the background. One of the best parts of Kelley Armstrong's book is her amazing characterization.

There is one slight plot loophole/issue in about the middle of the books that reads like a scene might have been moved and some of the dialogue as a result didn't play out quite right--once with Diane and once with Sebastian as if they didn't know something that was brought up at a public meeting just the day before.

I'll forgive that because this book hit me in the feels and I really like... well at this point in the series, most readers probably know what is coming. But I won't spoil it for you just in case you haven't been paying attention ;)

I'm a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong, and this series has been one of my favorites by far. I was so sad to hear this would be the final book in the Rockton series.

This book kicks off with the reveal of one of Rocktons' residents deep dark secrets--something many residents have, and escape to this town in the middle of nowhere to escape. Casey, the main character, her boyfriend/hubby Dalton (the sheriff), and the usual cast of characters have to seek out the truth and figure out who's trying to destroy the town from the inside out. This rounds out the arc that we've seen throughout several books now, the idea of the council trying to come down on, and potentially close the town. But of course, Casey and Dalton don't want that to happen. As sad as I am to see this series close, I will say this was not my favorite book in the series, and I think it's probably for the best the author is wrapping it up. I can't wait to see what she writes next, and definitely think anyone who has enjoyed this series will enjoy this last book.

*Thanks to NetGalley & Minotaur Books/ St. Martin's Publishing Group for providing me with a complimentary proof in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was the latest (and apparently last!) installment in the Rockton series from Kelley Armstrong, and on the whole, I thought it delivered well on what I've come to expect from her work: suspense, unexpected plot twists and insight into the mind of a detective worth her salt. The initial incident that sets off the chain of events that make up the plot of this book is that of a flyer being publicly posted in the town square, outing one of the town's most prominent & beloved citizens with the truth of the circumstances that brought them to Rockton. In a town where everyone is running from someone or something, knowing that someone with a vendetta not only knows the truth about different people but is actively sharing the truth will cause some people to snap and respond in volatile and dangerous ways. It's up to Casey, Dalton, and the rest of the Rockton crew to find out who is at the bottom of these malicious acts before any more people get hurt, or worse!

I was entertained & reasonably engaged throughout the course of reading this book, despite various writing techniques used at times that felt like the author was attempting to bring a level of lightheartedness to some heavy subject material but didn't quite succeed. I thought the narrative was well-handled & thought-out.

I received an ARC of Kelley Armstrong's first book in her Rockton series, City of the Lost, and absolutely loved it. The premise--an off-the-grid, Wild Western town in the Yukon wilderness where people can pay to hide from their former lives, chop wood for heat, use lanterns for light, follow the law of the town or get dunked in the water trough--was novel and exciting, and fun. Homicide Detective Casey Duncan needed to hide from her past and Rockton, despite the sheriff's loud angry protests and testosterone-heavy grunts, needed a new member of their two-person police force. Of course, things got hot and heavy when dead bodies started to pile up, secrets were uncovered, and the sheriff, whom I could not stand for the first half of the book, fell for Casey. I loved it.

So here we are at Rockton's seventh book and I'm torn. There is a possibility it is the final book of the series (Armstrong is hinting it's not and the ending opens up for a new beginning within the series) but it is probably the messiest book of the whole series. It starts with a sign in the town square that rips open the past of one its residents, consequently dividing Rockton into two different factions: those who want that person kicked out and those who do not. So Casey and Sheriff Dalton spend much of beginning of the story trying to figure out who is responsible for turning Rockton into a political mindset similar to that of present day United States.

As Casey runs around asking the entire population of Rockton if they know anything about the sign, the off-site ruling council drops a bomb we all saw coming two books ago. They blame Casey, they blame Dalton, they blame the mess Rockton has become, especially with this latest blow-up. And it doesn't even involve a dead body...yet. Eventually there is more of a mystery than just a sign in the square and that adds even more fuel to the council's decision. Seriously, how many murderers did they let into that tiny town?

Towards the end of the book, and after much running around chasing leads and different suspects for a multitude of problems, we learn secrets about many of the residents, the reasons why they are hiding in the Yukon wilderness in the first place and some are not as salacious as one would think. We see new beginnings for characters in the books. And we see a possible new beginning for Casey and Dalton if the series were to continue and it's exciting, it's daunting, and I want to read about it.

So, despite the fact Armstrong mentioned names of characters throughout the series and I couldn't remember who they were, despite the pinball sequence of events and mysteries, despite the most bizarre chase scene at the end (tense but seriously WTF over-the-top), and despite how I wouldn't want the series to end this way, I did like the book. I have always liked the characters--except, as I said before, when Dalton was a true a-hole in the first book. I love the premise--hunt and gather or starve, and lack of Internet means you really don't know why your neighbor is hiding in Rockton. And I love that there is actually a bakery, a restaurant, a store, an infirmary with a neurosurgeon, and a brothel in this tiny town.

It's a fun series, I always look forward to the latest, so I hope Armstrong keeps it going.

(Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own)

The conflict between the long-time residents of Rockton and the secretive Council that keeps them supplied - both with new residents and the means to survive in the Yukon wilderness - is finally coming to a head. As the town's residents learn that many of them are wolves in sheep's clothing, a wave of blackmail leads to panic - and death. Casey and her crew are pushed to the limits, trying to survive the townspeople, the wilderness and the other people populating it, and a council more concerned with covering up their mistakes than with helping out.

The Deepest of Secrets
Kelley Armstrong
Publication: February 15, 2022

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I have read many of Kelley Armstrong books and my absolute favorite is her Rockton series. This is book 7…and alas, “The Deepest of Secrets” is to be the last. (Fingers crossed that there will be a carryover of this series!) I highly recommend starting from book one and following through each one to fully appreciate the growth of characters as well as the town of Rockton and those who live beyond its borders.

The series revolves around a secret community, a place off the grid where you can go to escape your previous life for a high price paid to the “Council” who hold all the power. In this installment, it starts with a note claiming someone’s secret which leads to mystery, mayhem, and, of course, death…or what you would call just another day in Rockton!

What is such a big draw to this series is the complexity of each character. Discovering tidbits of previous lives and comparing that person to who he/she is in Rockton makes you become so invested in the overall story. Who would have thought I would be cheering for a serial killer to find a happily ever after…that is good writing!

I especially love the main couple Casey (the detective) and Eric/Dalton (sheriff). Their relationship with each other and the town has been central to the whole series. Their ever-growing romance has made me smile and swoon along the way. However, I was hoping for a big grand gesture or something to shine extra with their love story in this final book. While I enjoyed the plotline and the ending, I really was hoping for something more…

Still a good book I would recommend, but more than that I highly encourage you to READ THE WHOLE SERIES! You won’t be disappointed.

I went into this book with very high expectations number one because I love Kelley Armstrong and everything she has written and number two because this series while different than what I was used to is amazing both in the plot and the characters. So when I found out that there was going to be a new book I just had to check it out, and as expected I was not disappointed. The book brings back our main character Casey who is shocked to find out that a resident of her secret town is spilling residents secrets which is highly against the rules of living there. When these secrets leads to a promising citizen being murdered Casey takes it upon herself to find out who be behind this crime before all the other secrets, (hers included) become revealed to the public. This book started off a little slower because I found the plot to be a little more vague than what I'm used to in this series, however once I got set in the plot couldn't wait to see how they were going to wrap up something so complex. I loved the characters and the longer the series went on the more I loved the dynamic between Casey and Dalton. They had such a loving relationship but it also was very realistic, they weren't always happy with each other they butted heads, but they always worked things out. Great read this is one series that will have even the most cynical mystery fan chomping at the bit to see what happens.

..is that it? Is it over?

I’m assuming this is the end of the series, which makes me sad. I was constantly surprised by how such a remote location could continue to yield such interesting stories.

I think the mystery aspect was less than 5 stars. It was fine but I think what is happening to the town as a whole was more interesting. I think that part of the story bumped it up a bit.

I’ll be sad to see it go, if this is the end, and not a jumping off point for something else. It seems pretty clearly to be the end. But I’m glad for how it ended. Wrapped up nicely without any what ifs looming.

The Rockton Series is one of my favourite series of all time by one of my favourite authors so knowing this was the final book in the series made it a hard book to read. I didn’t want it to end.

Once again we have a series of crimes and mysteries that Casey and Eric need to solve but this time we have the count down of the threat of the town closing adding more pressure. I can’t explain how much I love Casey and Eric and how their love for one another will be one I’ll be measuring all future book romances against. But while I’m always happy to have more of them together this book felt a little rushed and the mystery in it was not as convincing as the previous books in the series. This series is filled with unique characters that will make you feel a variety of powerful emotions. The out of the box setting, amazing characters and exciting plot and the things will always remember about this series. I am so sad to see it all end I’m not ready to say good bye to Rockton.

I still recommend this series to everyone and anyone and I will always love it. Still hoping we will get some novellas or bonus content 🤞🏽

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for this ARC

I have never been more conflicted when reading a book as I was reading The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong. It comes out on my birthday and I was very much looking forward to that being my birthday present. Then it came out on #Netgalley and I got the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I was thrilled. I debated rereading the series first, but I just wanted to read it. I didn't realize it was the last in the series until I was halfway through, not paying attention. Once I learned that I tried so hard to make it last. I love this series and have become attached to the residents, Casey, Eric, Will, Isabel, Matthias and more recently April and Sebastian. I have started noticing the dry sense of humor April has and the need to be normal Sebastian has. All the characters are so well fleshed out that I didn't want my visit to end. I'm really sad writing this review because I love these books and now it's done. This is why I was conflicted, wanting to gobble up a the words and story and yet wanting to make it last. Kelley Armstrong did a great job with the conclusion and gave me hope there might be some short stories about the future of the residents of Rockton. Thank you for being one of my favorite authors, I will read anything you write.

2.5 round up
This is #7 in the Casey Duncan/Rockton series. Okay I was clued in that although this is a series with some returning characters the cases are separate and one can read as a standalone.
Then author Kelly Armstrong did a great Introduction for readers like me.
Casey is a thirty-three year old detective in the small, wilderness, off the grid, secret town of Rockton (yes secret is a good word as everyone seems to have secrets).

Yikes this is the end of the series and I found myself babbling .wait a minute… what if…
Okay not a good idea to start at seven unless you are a speed reader and can read six novels before starting number seven!
It seemed to be a good/okay read but not a wow read!
I felt I was to blame since I didn’t read the earlier ones.

I do want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~ Minotaur Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 15, 2022

This book winds up the 7 book Rockton series. I hope Armstrong writes more books with these characters.

You do not need to have read the first 6 books to enjoy this one.

To be frank, this is not the best book in the series. The mystery was kind of windingy-staggery and not very interesting. This may be because it was overshadowed by the overarching plot. Everything Else was wound up hurriedly at the end - in an okay way. I wasn't angry at it or anything. I will be rereading this book at some point because the over arching story and characters are so enjoyable.

I am being a little unfair as I apply a very high standard to Kelley Armstrong. A less-good Kelley Armstrong book is still better than most others. I am still left wanting more.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for an ARC.

I love this series and am so sad it is ending. I was so excited to get an ARC. I read this in 3 days probably would have read it quicker if I didn’t have work. I really liked the story line but felt it seemed it felt like 2 books in one. With everything felt rushed. The ending was the most rushed. I wish more detail was added and more time was taken to let it play out. With a lot of series I feel like it’s hard to wrap it up after hinting/telling the reader how it’s going to end. It’s like once it’s to that point it’s hard to write it out. The reader already knows what’s going to happen so how do you give them a satisfying ending when they already know what it is. What I loved most about this book is it still holds the feeling of the the other books in the series. I find a lot of the time with last books in the series they lose the feeling the rest of the series gives me.

I’d still highly recommend anyone to read this series. It will always be one of my favorites.