I read book 1 to prepare for this ARC only to find out there are 7 more books of the previous series I needed to read! I am so glad that I did, I could not love this series more!! I love all the relationships in the series, even the tense ones! I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment and to see what kind of parents they are going to be!

Write fast, Kelley Armstrong! This is my 2nd series from her that I have enjoyed very much, she is now on my always-read list!

The Boy Who Cried Bear is the second book in the Haven's Rock series by Kelley Armstrong. A quick, fast-paced read, it jumps into the action from the start and you never know where it's going to end up.

We're back in Haven's Rock with Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton, where they've created an off-the-grid community. New to their little town is a family of three who are on the run from some bad people. The younger son Max, who is ten, is getting a little obsessed with the wilderness around them, learning everything he can from Dalton. Then he says he sees a Bear while out on a group hike, so Casey and Dalton start to investigate. In their search, they come upon their not-so-friendly neighbors, the miners. One of their men says he was attacked by a wild man in a bearskin hide. Now, it's up to them to figure out if there's a bear in their forest or a man, and when Max goes missing, it's a race against time to find their bear-man.

Bringing you in from the beginning, this was a quick read for me. You don't need to read Murder at Haven's Rock to read this, although I would highly suggest it, the book was great. There was just enough explanation of the background in this book to give a refresher of this isolated town. Well written with interesting and fully fleshed out characters, not everyone likes each other but they know they must work together in this small isolated town.

All in all, another great book from Kelley Armstrong. With a strong female main character, and a marriage that is a complete partnership, this is total girl power. If you enjoy Kelley's other books, then definitely give this series a try. I would recommend for fans of Christina Dodd, Anna Carlisle, or Heather Graham.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @Minotaur_Books for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

A wonderful mystery with a bit of a darker twist. The mining encampment makes you wonder, giving many ideas for continuing the series. And many people dream of being Lilith with faithful Nero. All the characters and details are solid- pulling you into the story seeing it in your minds eye! I eagerly await more in this series!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Boy who Cried Bear is book 2 in this series and it is not recommended to read as a stand alone. It also ties in to Kelley's previous "Rockton" series which is recommended prior to starting this series.

I love this series and the writing style sucks me in every time. This one features a child getting kidnapped and the kidnapper does end up being a pedophile however, no harm comes to the child and he is found safe. I had a hard time because of that so this one took me a bit longer to get into. Still a great series and I will continue to read it but this one was a little harder to finish for me.

**This is book 2 in the Haven’s Rock series. It is a standalone story but there is a connecting story arc so I recommend that you start with book 1, Murder at Haven’s Rock.**

In the wilderness town of Haven’s Rock, Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton find solace in its familiar surroundings, reminiscent of their past in Rockton. As they settle into their roles, they recognize the importance of safety in the wilderness, especially for residents unfamiliar with its dangers. When Max, the town’s youngest member, alerts them to a possible bear threat with human-like eyes, Casey and Eric delve into investigating, wary of the peculiar events unfolding around them, including the discovery of a dead body.

Rating:
1. Plot and Storytelling: 3/5. The plot was well-developed and written, but it didn't quite resonate with me as much as other books in the Rockton/Havens rock series.

2. Characterization: 5/5 I adore Casey, Will, and Sheriff Dalton, and witnessing their growth throughout the series has been captivating. This book particularly marks significant changes for Casey and Dalton, and I'm eager to see how their journeys unfold together.

3. Writing Style: 5/5 Kelley Armstrong's writing style is a delight for me. It's wonderfully paced, engaging, and descriptive, and encompasses everything I look for in a book.

4. Originality: 4/5 The mystery in this book brings a unique twist, and the setting presents intriguing challenges for both the reader and the author. Overall, I found it refreshingly original.

5. Emotional Impact and Resolution: 3/5 While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it didn't evoke strong emotions in me one way or another. However, I appreciated the well-wrapped-up resolution and look forward to seeing how the interpersonal relationships and character journeys unfold in the future.

Overall score: 4/5

If you enjoyed this book, I do recommend that you check out the beginning of the series in Stockton Kelley Armstrong also has a supernatural series, The Otherworld, that exhibits her strong writing and storytelling style.

The Boy Who Cried Bear left me disappointed. Despite the intriguing premise, the execution fell flat. Kelley Armstrong’s attempt to blend the expected mystery with the police procedural didn’t quite hit the mark. The characters lacked depth, the reasoning was out of nowhere, and the reader was left with an unsatisfying conclusion.

I craved more substance, energy, even Mathis’ humor. Unfortunately, the novel failed to deliver on any of the points that have been present in Armstrong’s previous books. Overall, a missed opportunity.

Solid mystery set in the deep forest, hiding a village of citizens not wanting to be found for various reasons. A boy goes missing. Is the family's past catching up with them; neighboring menacing miners; or the crazy bear-man?

The Boy Who Cried Bear is the next installation in Casey’s story. This installation faces new challenges and dynamics that keeps the storyline fresh and evolving from the Rockton series. As always, I enjoyed exploring the Yukon wilderness through the vivid descriptions. The cast of characters, features old and new faces who are hilarious, beloved, and frustrating in complicated ways. The mystery is solid with the continued growth of Dalton and Casey’s relationship. Looking forward to the next chapter.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review The Boy Who Cried Bear on NetGalley.

Published: 02/20/24

Stars: 2.5

This is book two in the Haven's Rock Series and my last. The story is simple and several times it was so familiar I thought I had read it. Alas, it was the first book in the series that I read. The outcome for both is the same. Armstrong and I are not a good combination.

The town is made up of a family that appears to be in witness protection, and with some other shady characters who she may be setting up for WP as well. Everyone has a story and there are a lot of secrets. This town is in the Yukon and there are gold miners to be dealt with too.

The subject matters are too deep for the writing.

There are patches of foul language.

First off, I really like the title. It's evocative and gives a hint of what the book is about. In the new hidden Yukon town of Haven's Rock (#2 in the Rockton spin-off series), the founders have expanded the singles-only requirement of the previous series to allow families and children. This is meant to both broaden the social environment and to serve a population that wouldn't have been provided with a haven in Rockton. Along with the positive aspects of the change in policy, however, come new challenges. These challenges are suddenly quite obvious when a 10-year-old boy, Max, goes missing after claiming to see a bear with a man's eyes.

Max is a combination of a naïve boy and a budding outdoorsman, so as Casey and Eric search for him there is actually hope that he is alive. A number of theories as to his disappearance emerge, ranging from an actual bear attack, to someone following his family up to Haven's Rock to exact revenge, to involvement by the mining organization located not too far off, to someone from Haven's Rock hiding secrets. Aspects of the search turn up clues that could fit many of these theories, and there are many twists and turns.

Armstrong transports the reader to the remote setting, and particularly to the forest surrounding Haven's Rock. The writing about the location is, as always in this series and the previous Rockton series, evocative. The characters are developing as the new series begins, and Armstrong provides enough background and detail to many of them to bring them alive. It would not be difficult nor disorienting to begin the series with this book. There is a kindness and sense of the underlying good of people that permeates Casey's musings throughout the series, in spite of the harshness of the setting and the fact that the books always involve pain, danger, and evil. The plotting is complex and engaging, and the pace picks up to a blistering speed at the end.

In addition to the search for Max, this book deals with a personal issue for Casey and Dalton. While that issue has an impact on the search, it primarily helps define the characters of the detective and sheriff. It also sets up a plot line for future books in the series. In fact, although the disappearance of Max is brought to a resolution in this book, the town's relationships with the miners and others in the forest outside of the town are left open enough to provide future fodder for the author. I am definitely looking forward to seeing where she goes with it in the third book of the series.

I really like this book. When I received the advanced copy, I didn’t realize it was part of a series. I read it anyway. It’s about a missing boy. Very intricate story. Very exciting too. I am going to read the rest. Available in the series. Thank you NetGalley, and publisher for providing this to me

The Boy Who Cried Bear is the second in the Haven's Rock series, which is a spinoff of the Rockton series following Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton.

Rockton was a town hidden in the Alaskan wilderness providing a refuge to people who needed to be able to get away from society for a few years and Haven's Rock has carried on the tradition of Rockton - this time under Casey, Eric, and their group's terms.

As the first set of residents are settling in, a group of them goes on a hike into the surrounding wilderness and Max, the town's youngest resident, sees a creature he describes the creature as a bear with human eyes stalking the hiking group in the woods. The alarm is raised and Casey and Eric investigate, turning up strange tracks. When Max goes missing and dead bodies begin to turn up around Haven's Rock, Casey and Eric become concerned that the location of their new town may not be a well-hidden and unoccupied as they had originally believed.

The Rockton series, and now the Haven's Rock series, are compelling and entertaining stories, layered on a fascinating premise. I highly recommend The Boy Who Cried Bear for fans of the Rockton/Haven's Rock series. While it could be read as a standalone novel, it works best as part of the series.

A unusual story about a hidden town that offers sanctuary to those that need to disappear.
Main characters, Detective Casey and her husband Sheriff Eric, are in charge of the town.
Though the mystery is very twisted, it didn’t pull me in as much as I had hoped it would.
Overall, I liked this second book in the series more than the first book. So thats a plus right?
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I read this 2nd installment in the Haven's Rock series without having read the first book in the series, (although I am familiar with the author's previous novels).

I found this book to be well-written, exciting, captivating, and refreshingly imaginative.

In this novel, Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, find themselves ensnared in a web of intrigue when a 10 year-old boy named Max is reported missing. Prior to his disappearance, Max reported seeing a "bear with human eyes" in the woods.

For those not familiar with the series, Haven's Rock is basically a closed community, to protect those who have found reasons to leave traditional society, for safety or other reasons.

If you delight in untraditional mysteries with compellingly unique (and generally delightful) characters, you will find this novel (and this talented author in general) a refreshing change from standard fare.

Don't get me wrong, this book has tons of thrills, and unravelling the plot is like attempting to untie a Gordian knot, it is an exciting series, I am looking forward to the next installment.

<b>3.7 Stars </b>

<i>One Liner: Nice mystery </i>

Haven’s Rock is a well-hidden town for anyone who wants to disappear. Detective Casey and her husband, Sheriff Eric, are happy with their new town. They set strict rules to prevent accidents in the forest. No one should wander off alone into the woods.

One day, Max, the town’s youngest resident, fears that a bear with human eyes is stalking their hiking party. Naturally, Casey and Eric are taking it seriously. However, too many odd occurrences cause confusion, and soon there’s a dead body. The couple has to sort out the issue and keep the residents safe.

The story comes in Casey’s first-person POV.

<b>My Thoughts: </b>

Haven’s Rock is fully functional and has residents. Unlike Rockton, they decide to take in kids too, so Dana is here with her sons Carson (teenager) and Max (ten yo). It is an interesting place and has small-town vibes (which it is). I like how the idealistic thought behind the town clashes with the judgmental attitude of its citizens. It creates a nice contrast to show that ‘victims’ aren’t always empathetic to other victims’ pain.

Max gets a few chapters in the third-person POV, and I liked his voice much more than Cassie’s. His character arc comes out so well in his chapters. (Rounded the rating to 4 stars only for Max)

Unfortunately, I’m still struggling to connect with Casey and Eric. They are good people – smart, competent, capable, determined, and kind-hearted. Yet, I don’t feel the pull. Moreover, there’s a development I’m not ready for.

That aside, I think my issue is with the repetition. We are told many times that April is not rude and loves her sister. Makes sense to say it once or twice per book since readers need to know the backstory. We don’t need a reminder each time Casey and April interact. Who is Casey assuring? Us or herself?

The mystery is twisted and good. There’s repetition here, too, and a lot of back-and-forth dialogue (some of which can be edited). Still, the suspense sustains well. I’m not too happy with the reveal, but since there’s a huge lead for book #3, I’ll wait and see where it goes.

Lilith and Nero make an appearance again, which makes me happy. I wouldn’t mind if they got extra page space. They are more interesting than some other characters. The mining neighbors have a bigger role, though.

The forest setting is yet again my favorite. Storm is a darling dog, and his almost constant presence makes the story more interesting. I sure wouldn’t mind if we got his POV. Heck, I’d love that!

To summarize, The Boy Who Cried Bear gives me the same vibes as the book one in the series, which means it is a decent read but nothing great. I might read book #3 as it could have answers to some questions in this one.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin (Minotaur Books), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This book was so dang twisty. I love the concept of being in the Yukon because it’s safer than witness protection. The whole off grid community was so interesting, even if they might not be the most savory people. This one kept me guessing until the very end

Reading "The Boy Who Cried Bear" sometimes felt like fighting my way through a thick forest. Not unenjoyable, just tiring. New characters weren't as engaging as the originals, and the plot took a long time to develop. That said, I value this series a lot and am riveted by the personal development for Casey and Eric.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

This is the 2nd in this follow on series from Kelley Armstrong's Rockton mysteries. After the Council dismantled Rockton, detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, built a new Yukon refuge for people running from their pasts.

This time the spotlight is on ten-year old Max, who came to the town from witness protection with his Mom, Dana, and older brother Carson. When Max spies a bear with human eyes in the forest, Bigfoot jokes abound. Then he goes missing.

Casey and Eric investigate, gaining new insights into the operations of the shady mining company nearby - all fodder for the next in the series.

'The Boy Who Cried Bear' is the.second book in the Haven's Rock Series by Kelley Armstrong. Casey and Eric are one of my favorite detective and sheriff duo. They have left Rockton and started a new hidden town in the Yukon called Haven's Rock.

There are a lot of things different between Haven's Rock and Rockton. One being that, in Haven's Rock, they allow children. We meet two of the children, Carson and Max, in this installment. They are brothers that moved with their mom when their dad was murdered. One day on a hike, Max notices a bear. This starts the next case for Casey and Eric. While they have the town locked down, Max goes missing.

Armstrong continues to develop all the main characters in this series. Casey, Eric and the others have grown so much from the start of the Rockton series. She finds a way to keep this series interesting. Armstrong always leaves me wanting this next book, but alas I must wait. She combined suspense, mystery and everyday life into a satisfying read.

If you haven't read the Haven's Rock Series yet, you need to, especially if you read the Rockton series and enjoyed it.

Published February 20, 2024

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Prees, Minotaur Books, and Armstrong for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 😊

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