4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐🎧

I received an ALC (Advanced Listener Copy) of this audiobook from NetGalley & Macmillan Audio.

Hidden from the rest of the world, Haven's Rock is a place to start over, to hide, if need be, and to create a whole new you. The settlement is made up of all sorts of people. Casey and Eric, the sheriff/police/detective, are part of the founders.
This book is a little different. We have children in Haven's Rock now, and Max sees a bear and tells because it's a threat. Only when they go looking for said bear it's not around.

Max has a fight with his brother and takes off for a walk to cool his head, only to be snatched up. Now, the whole camp is on alert, trying to find the bear. Only was it a bear that took him? Will they find him alive?

I love the original series; this spin-off is good, but I am finding it a little harder to get sucked in with this series. I don't' know whether it's the goldminers or the fact that we don't really get much of the camp character's much, I don't know what it is.

I LOVE the narrator. Therese Plummer is exceptionally talented. She gives everyone a unique voice.

ABSOLUTELY DISAPPOINTED...

That I didn't realize this was the second book to the Haven's Rock series until after finishing this one. I wish I would've been able to learn the backstory for the characters that appeared in this book, but I do believe it worked well as a stand alone. Following the chaos and issues that are faced by the community definitely kept my attention and allowed me to really submerge myself into the area. This was a great book with the problems faced of finding Max and finding peace within the community. Devoured this book in one sitting and would love to read the rest of the series.

Haven’s Rock - a hidden community in the Yukon for those who need to disappear (sort of like off the books WITSEC). But in the middle of the woods, their past isn’t all they find themselves running from.

A boy from the small community sees a “bear-man” - a creature that’s mostly bear, but with human eyes - while during a hike. A few days later, that boy is missing.

You’ll experience a POV from the boy, the panic as he’s taken away from his home, and how he fights his captor to try to survive.

You’ll also get the POV from the town’s version of law enforcement and their crunch for time trying to find the boy, while jumping hurdles thrown into the investigation.

An “edge of your seat” thriller with fantastic narration from Therese Plummer.

**this is the second book of the Havens Rock series, however I read it as a stand-alone without reading the first and don’t feel like I was lost or missing anything where you have to read the first one before this one.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher - Macmillan Audio - for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review.

❄️❄️❄️❄️
Everyone is settling into Rockton 2.0. Better known as Haven’s Rock. A tight-knit, secluded community hidden in the Yukon. It’s especially attractive to those who desire to disappear 😉and remain off the grid. It does however come with its own dangers just beyond the perimeter, from both animals and humans.

One major difference in this budding community is they now allow families, yes that includes children. So far only one family is calling Haven’s Rock home.
A mom and her two young sons. The youngest Max is ten years old. He’s quick to absorb his new environment, learning how to live safely in this remote community.

During one chaperoned outing he spots a bear. A bear with strangely human eyes. An immediate search for this creature ensues….but nothing is found.

When max suddenly vanishes everyone is mystified with who or what could have taken Max. Could it possibly be the strange looking bear Max saw earlier?

What a great addition to the series. I love the ever growing relationship between Eric and Casey, who happen to be the town Sheriff and detective…as well as husband and wife.❣️

Their tracking dog Storm could have played a bigger part in this installment. But maybe that’s just me, the dog lover. I couldn’t get enough of the big Newfoundlander! (Don’t tell my pup please!🤫).

I listened to the audio, and once again Theresa Plummer gave an outstanding performance with all the voices, both male and female. She’s quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators.

Already looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio 🎧

If you enjoy locked room mysteries, give this one based in the woods a go! With a bear that looks suspiciously human on the prowl, this book will have you on the edge of the seats as you keep reading. The audiobook narration had me so hooked! I can't wait to read more by this author.

The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong
Haven’s Rock series #2. Spinoff of the Rockton/Casey Duncan series. Thriller police mystery.
Detective Casey Duncan and husband Sheriff Eric Dalton are the founders and enforcement of the remote and isolated small community of Haven’s Rock. Max is the youngest of the town residents and he, like everyone else, is taught to be mindful of the wilderness and not to go into the woods on their own. On a hike, Max feels their group is being followed. He catches a glimpse of something brown between the trees and voices a warning. He swears it had human eyes though no one is sure what that means. When a dead body is found and Max goes missing, it’s lockdown for the community while Casey and Eric search for clues and tracks in the woods.

Pulse pounding suspense as they figure out what’s going on even as Casey is sick. She’s still out tracking with Eric and their search dog doing their best to find Max before it’s too late.

🎧 I alternated between an ecopy and an audiobook copy. The narration is done by Therese Plummer who does a fantastic job of keeping the reader on the edge of the seat. Emotions are clear, with separate voices for Eric and Casey and several secondary characters. The same narrator does both this series and the Rockton series so the minute you start listening, you are already visualizing the woods, the remote and roughly built cabins, and the big loving dog. You can feel the cold because we’ve already been here and know what to expect.
The continuity is a great aid to throw you into the setting and the performance will keep you engaged.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.

The Boy Who Cried Bear was a captivating read which had Casey and Dalton dealing with several issues. I enjoyed being back in the Yukon with them and the community members who I was introduced to in the first book in the series. They are an interesting, and for the most part, likeable bunch. Plus, those dastardly miners always seem to pop up.

The central mystery in this book is what happened to Max. Where could he be? Has someone taken him? Did he get lost in the woods? As the search goes into high gear, rumors swirl in the community of Haven's Rock. Fingers will be pointed, suspicions will be made, and some residents will show their true colors.

I also appreciated how Armstrong dealt with trauma in this book. Many characters deal with trauma, loss, PTSD, guilt, and relationship issues in this book. They are all handled with care.

I love Kelley Armstrong's books, and this was no exception.

The Boy Who Cried Bear is full of mystery and suspense. The founders of Haven's Rock are still getting used to the dynamic of their new home. They have added the first family in their town and things seem to be going well until their youngest resident, Max, goes missing after seeing what he described as a bear with human eyes while hiking with a group of residents. Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton must quickly determine what happened to Max while helping the miners on the other side of their property find a possible wild man that attacked one of their residents. Are the two possibly related?

Although The Boy Who Cried Bear is the second book in the Haven's Rock series, you can definitely read this as a standalone. The book does a great job in relaying past events and discussing how the residents ended up in Haven's Rock. I enjoyed the investigation in finding Max in the forest and finding the "human bear" that Max had described in the beginning of the book. I did feel that the ending was rushed, and I still had many questions about the investigation and the conclusion but hope that some questions will be answered in the next book if there is one.

I highly suggest the audiobook for this series. The narrators were fantastic and will probably order the audiobook for any sequels in this series.

The Boy Who Cried Bear is out on February 20th.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review The Boy Who Cried Bear. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Reading challenge category - 2023 Booklist Queen: animal on the cover ("bear")

Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC.

Haven's Rock is a small town in the Yukon forest that basically functions like an off the books witness protection program. (You'd think they'd make it further than 10 miles from the local mining civilization, but *shrug*). One of the first two kids to be in town, Max, thinks he sees a bear-man and then goes missing. Casey, the town detective, and her husband Eric, the town sheriff, investigate his disappearance and find unexpected things along the way.

This was a very slow start, even though I had just finished the first book. It really feels like a series for people who read the Rockton series. I am not invested in these characters, so the personal storyline throughout felt unnecessary and hollow. It was an okay read, but I don't think I'll continue the series if she writes more. 3/5 stars.

The narrator for this audiobook had a nice voice and was pleasant to listen to.
It is a mystery set in Canada. Haven's Rock is a town that is hidden for people who need to hide or start over a new life. It is surrounded by a forest and people are asked to not go into the forest or at least not go alone.
10 year old Max said he saw a bear but then said it was a bear with a man's eyes. Then he goes missing. While on the hunt to look for him we find out things about Max's family and why they came to Haven''s Rock. I didn't read the first book and I don't feel like I missed to much except for maybe character development.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmiillan Audio for the chance to review.

Do you like reading long series? This is my 9th Casey Duncan book - while it’s the second in the Haven’s Rock series, it’s a spin-off from the Rockton books. What I love about staying with a long series is the comfort of catching up with characters that feel like old friends. Instead of spending the first few chapters trying to orient yourself to a new location and all new characters, you can just slip back in and see how everyone’s doing!

That said - this wasn’t my favorite in the series. I felt the actual case was just so-so but I loved catching up on Casey and Dalton and seeing the changes in their relationship. I also want to mention these books are excellent on audio! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ebook and audiobook to review.

“The only reason people like that let you live is if you have something they want. If you saw something, they want you dead. The dead don’t talk.”

A young boy, while trekking through the woods, sees what he initially thinks is a bear. He soon realizes that is actually seems to be a man 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 a bear suit.

This is a solid murder mystery focused on a remote town deep in the Yukon Territory designed to be invisible and protect those that don’t wish to be found. When I started this book I didn’t realize it is book 2 in the Haven’s Rock series. Although fine as a stand alone I did have some questions initially that I feel may have been answered if I had read the first book (Murder At Haven’s Rock). It definitely felt like I was missing something.

Detective Casey Duncan is such a bad ass and I loved her character! I loved her dynamic with her husband Eric Dalton, who never tries to extinguish her fire. My favorite type of man!

The audiobook was done well and I enjoyed listening to it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Just for those who didn’t know like myself Havens Rock is a settlement for those needing privacy and discretion it’s like a supped up version of witness protection, but it’s in the Yukon in the middle of the woods. The only children there or Corbin and his brother Max they live there with their mom Dana after watching their dad get murdered by guys he testified against. Max while on a day hike he sees what he believes is a bear and since the last time he said he saw a bear The group found nothing. This is why his brother blows him off and tells him not to cause problems thankfully gunner takes him serious and even helps him look for the bear and they find it. When Sheriff Dalton and his wife detective Casey tries to search for the bear after telling the people in Havens Rock not to go into the woods they seem to keep running in to residence in the woods. They also run into the Gold minors next-door who tell them they also saw something in the woods but it was a wild Mountain man he was wearing a baer suit and tried to attack one of their workers with a homemade knife. This really worries the couple especially when they don’t fine their other neighbor at her house and then Max goes missing. Dana is beside herself with grief especially after already losing her husband and things just get worse when people in the community start getting strange letters. Things get worse for Dalton and Casey especially when shadow find a dead body. Will they ever find Max and who’s sending these strange notes? I love Kelly Armstrong‘s books even when they’re steeped in reality there’s a bit of whimsy to them that I love the book is mainly told from Casey’s point of you but we also get Maxis POV mainly before he goes missing. I truly enjoyed this book and although I didn’t like Casey at first like all of the authors characters that I dislike in the beginning it turned out I loved her at the end. I do want to know however why don’t they use walkie-talkies? I mean I get it there in the woods and cell phones aren’t an option, but walkie-talkies work anywhere. I listen to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a brilliant job she was so good at character distinction I just thought it was awesome I especially love the voice she did for the photographer she sounded so regal then again she sounded great doing everyone’s voice. This book was great and it could be read as a standalone but I think listening to the first book gives you a fuller picture because there’s a lot to recap and they do it in this book but there still some things I didn’t get having not read the first one. I will definitely be looking for the third book in this Siri‘s. I cannot get enough of her time travel mysteries in this book just reinforces why I love Kelley Armstrong books. I want to thank McMillan audio and net galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
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I jumped right on into the second after finishing Murder At Haven’s Rock and I have to say, I’m really enjoying this series. It’s a solid police procedural type of mystery series with plenty of drama.
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The Boy Who Cried Bear is told in a dual POV through Casey and a young boy named Max. Max, you guessed it, cried bear, and no one believes him, goes missing and it’s up to Casey and the gang to find him. I enjoyed the having Max’s POV as he tries to get back home all everything in between.
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In my earlier review of Murder At Haven’s Rock I let you all know that this series is actually a spin off of Armstrong’s Rockton series. I felt a little left out and in the dark about what happened in that series, but The Boy Who Cried Bear gave even more insights to the ongoings of Rockton and just what that place was about. That was a huge plus for me. This is a fast paced read with the perfect amount twists. I was surprised with where it was going and I finished this one with some serious curiosities about some of the characters and just what their plans are. I definitely think and hope we will be getting a third in the series.
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I listened to this one via audiobook and it was narrated by Thérèse Plummer and I think she did a phenomenal job! I was so excited for her to continue with the narration!
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If your looking for a new series, highly recommending Haven’s Rock, its really very good!! The Boy Who Cried Bear will be releasing on 2/20! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong and MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a thrilling book by Kelley Armstrong is one of survival and wilderness experiences!

I’ve always loved the mountains and being outdoors, and this book took me right back to that environment! I loved the descriptions and the information about tracking and survival skills! I feel like a lot of time and research was included in the writing of this book, and I also really loved the connection between characters and the support they show each other!

This book is the second in the Haven’s Rock series. Unfortunately I didn’t realize that until I was almost finished with the book. I was able to understand and enjoy most of this book just fine, but I feel like I would have been much better off if I had read Murder as Haven’s Rock first.

If you want a captivating mystery with a wilderness flare I high recommend this book, available February 20th!

I just reviewed The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong. #NetGalley

The second book in @kelleyarmstrongauthor’s Haven’s Rock series is The Boy Who Cried Bear. It picks up a short time after the first book in this series and continues to follow the hidden town in the Yukon set up by Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton. This time a new family finds their son missing from the town after sightings of a bear in the area. On top of this, weird things begin to occur in the wilderness surrounding the town.

Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator, Therese Plummer, did a wonderful job bringing the characters of this series alive. I would recommend reading the Haven’s Rock series in order; however, you can read this series even if you have not read the Rockton series.

I recommend this audiobook to readers who enjoy crime novels and mysteries from a unique perspective and a wilderness setting.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

I would likely have enjoyed this more if it had not been the first book I read in this series. I also did not read the Rockton series, of which this is a spin off. Narrator and actress Therese Plummer made the characters, especially Max, come to life.

Casey Duncan and her husband Eric Dalton have built a refuge in the forest of the Yukon where people who need to disappear can find refuge. The first two children admitted to the protection program are there, sons of a woman whose husband was murdered after the two of them witnessed a brutal murder. There is a mining company nearby, and the groups are not friendly with one another. When Dana's ten year old son goes missing after seeing a bear-like creature in the woods, no one is quite sure what to think. Suspects abound and Casey and Dalton are trying to sort out stories from both their residents and people from the mining company. To further complicate matters, a dead miner is found in the forest.

On top of everything else, Casey is not feeling well and worried about what is at the bottom of that.

Recommended for fans of Armstrong's other books, but don't make this one the first read in the series.

Note: I received an audio galley from Netflix of this book.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was wonderful, Terese Plummer is one of my favorites! After requesting this book, I realized it was the second in a series that is a spin-off of another series. I listened to all of them and loved every single book. They are all incredibly well written and while each could be read as a stand-alone, the series is so good it’s worth the time to read them all. Each book is full of suspense and interesting characters. Loved it and highly recommend!

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley

I love the Haven’s Rock books. There’s a small semi-idyllic town in the Yukon on Canada’s side that houses a town full of runaways, people who need protection and who need to be away from mainstream life. They are often people that witness protection wouldn’t protect or failed to protect. There are many residents that stay there year round to help make the town sustainable and protected.

The town is the brainchild of Casey and Eric - the sheriff/police chief/detective team that makes Haven’s Rock a haven.

This book centers around a mystery - is there a bear that walks on two feet? Is it a man-bear hybrid? Is it a man dressed as a bear? Whatever it is - it is close to town and unafraid of people which makes it a threat.

What I love about these books is the intensity, the loyalty, and the mystery. I always love a good detective story, but these are even better because the setting is do different from other books.

This series and the series proceeding it are my current favorite series. They are incredibly amazing.

Therese Plummer narrates and she is worthy of all the trophies, she’s simply spectacular.

Kelley Armstrong has been an author I go back to again and again and again. Some people just have an amazing capacity to tell stories that capture the reader - Kelley is one of those storytellers. She’s fantastic.

I highly recommend this series!!!!

When witness protection fails 10 year old Max and his family the only hope for the surviving members is Haven’s Rock, the hidden town designed and built in the remote wilderness of Canada’s Yukon Territory. Haven’s Rock was established to protect those who are virtually impossible to protect and are looking for a place to start over with anonymity. However, when the residents know next to nothing about the mostly criminally involved past of one another, seeds of doubt & resentment are sewed quickly. When Max encounters a bear-like entity in the woods on a community hike and in short order disappears, suddenly no one is safe from accusations. Casey, Haven’s Rock’s detective, and her husband are quick to pursue whatever clues they have to find their youngest resident. After a failed attempt at another protective community, they have a lot to lose professionally and personally. For the residents, banding together and searching the woods is complicated when the members of the community are trying to remain hidden from the public. Yet, even in the remote Yukon it’s impossible to stay hidden for long. A local mining operation threatens to expose the community and interfere with finding young Max. The Boy Who Cried Bear is the second in the Haven’s Rock series which builds upon Armstrong’s Rockton Thriller series.

Overall, this book was not exactly what I expected, but not in a bad way! I was expecting more of what I’m used to when it comes to thrillers that are standalone, fast-paced, lots of twists, and maybe over exaggerated and stereotypical characters. This premise, while indeed a bit far fetched felt more like the investment of a world you’re being transported to. Armstrong spends a good amount of time world building while weaving the plot through nicely. And while the idea of a remote, isolated town in the Yukon seems inaccessible, the characters are not. Armstrong’s characters are flawed people, even without the questionable backgrounds, they all mostly come across as everyday people. Because of this I enjoyed the family dynamics of Max’s family, Casey’s relationships, and the interactions that played out among both the residents and side characters. The flaws in the characters also has me questioning the motives and backgrounds of everyone. Indeed, no one in this series is lovable, save for Max. My favorite part was seeing how Armstrong sews lots of what I assume will be clues and red herrings to look back on in subsequent novels in the series. Diversity is well done in this book. Over half the characters are People of Color and while some elements of how race impacts perceptions and stereotypes, it wasn’t the main focus. The diversity felt authentic and not forced.

I consumed this book on audio and I have to commend the voice actor Thérèse Plummer. She was excellent at switching between a preteen boy, a worried mother, an exhausted police woman, gruff mountain inhabitants, and everyone in between. This audiobook was easily one of the most enjoyable listens because of Plummer. Her cadence, inflection and voice acting were perfection. I highly recommend listening to this book. I think it helped to move the plot along and set the general tone for the book.

Overall, this novel is for those who love police procedurals (I often felt like I was right along side the characters from Law and Order) and are looking to invest in the world Armstrong is building. If you’re looking to dip your toe either in or out of fantasy novels, I see a lot of potential to enjoy the world building. However, if you’re looking for a clean resolution you won’t fully get it. While there’s a bit of a cliff hanger there’s also some nicely tied up ends. The main conflict is resolved and you can easily stick with this one novel as a standalone. I haven’t read the first one yet! It’s enough that makes me want to read the next one & of course I think it will be a while until we get the next one. Bravo, Kelley Armstrong, I’m hooked! I want to know what happens next in the remote Yukon village of Haven’s Rock.

Thank you to the author, Kelley Armstrong, St. Martin Press, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.