I know of author Kelley Armstrong through her YA and adult paranormal books of which I am a fan. So I was excited to see this book since it's a mainstream mystery and I hadn't read any of her works in this genre. It's a fantastic read, very atmospheric and with characters who are struggling against a unique set of circumstances. You have a couple of mysteries here as well as a man vs. nature element running through this book. This book has me reminiscing about reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding. A Darkness Absolute is an engaging mystery and I found it thoroughly satisfying.

I liked this much better than the first one. I think it is because I was better acclimated to the characters and I knew what to expect. Casey and Dalton are continuing to find threats coming from the forest. As they search for missing people, they also discovered a lot about each other. I liked the romance in this book, but I am constantly threatened and suspicious of the folks in Rockton. I am ready to see if Casey and Dalton head south to escape the dangers that the past, the forest, and the north hold for them.

This second book in the Casey Duncan series, set in a remote invitation-only town in the Yukon, is just as pedal-to-the-metal fastpaced as the first book, "City of the Lost." The book starts with the most beautiful description of a storm front moving in that I've ever read, and characteristic of this series, the storm front brings along with it a major menace. The dark tone of the book, which includes a kidnapping, hostages, search and rescue in extremely dangerous conditions, and much more, is balanced by a lighter tone set by Casey's adoption of a puppy and by Casey's relationship with the Sheriff.

Armstrong is able to bring alive the way that isolation and extreme conditions can twist the psyche. The nature of Rockton, hidden from the rest of the world and entered only through petition or a major financial payment, virtually ensures that there is a backstory of psychological instability to each of its residents. The true genius of Armstrong is her ability to make these characters seem as real as your next door neighbor. That, and her ability to transport the reader to the vast and frigid north.

Given all of the strangeness of her setting, Armstrong will be able to mine the premise for what will hopefully be a long series. I'm looking forward to book 3!

A genuinely creepy book! Casey finds a woman missing for a year, dumped into a hole in a cave.

Apparently there is a book 1. I felt the lack of knowledge impacting my ability to enjoy the story. There was no set up from the author- she just plunged right into the story. A little background would have been welcome. Despite that, this was a great bookz

I enjoyed this one a lot. It started with a bang and maintained a high level of excitement throughout the story. This is the second book in the Casey Duncan series and I do recommend reading them in order since the events of the first book do play a role in this installment. This book really kept me guessing right up until the very end. I had a lot of fun reading this story and found that I never wanted to put it down.

I love the setting of this story because it is so different than the average mystery. Rockton is such an interesting little town. The residents of Rockton are such interesting characters and each one really adds something to the story. I like the fact that everyone has their own story and it is usually different that what you would expect. The little group of misfits that call Rockton home have really come together to form a community and it adds a nice tone to the story.

Casey and Will find a woman being held captive in a hole inside a cave as they take shelter during a snowstorm. They are able to save the woman but the identity of her abductor remains a mystery. Saving the woman is just the start of a very involved case that will put Casey and others in danger before everything is over.

The characters in this book were great. Casey is very smart and has really committed herself to the town. She is really starting to believe that she belongs and wants to keep everyone safe. Dalton is dealing with his feelings towards Casey in addition to keeping the town's residents secure. Being in a relationship is rather new for Dalton and he is still trying to figure things out. I really like Casey and Dalton as as couple and I do appreciate the fact that their relationship does not overpower the mystery element of the story.

I would recommend this book to fans of mystery thrillers. This story contains a complex mystery that had me turning pages as fast as I could. There are quite a few twists and turns to keep things really interesting. I can't wait to read more of this exciting series.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books via NetGalley.

"I have that darkness inside. Absolute darkness. Yet its not a caged lion, waiting for the gate to be left unlatched. It's just there in case I need it."Detective Casey Duncan
Readers were introduced to the secret town of Rockton, in the Canadian Yukon, a safe haven for people with enough money to runaway from their past lives in Kelley Armstrong's novel, CITY OF THE LOST (St. Martin's) last month, the first in her Detective Casey Duncan series. This month, Armstrong's out with the second installment in the series, A DARKNESS ABSOLUTE. It really doesn't matter which order you read them, you're going to be tearing through the pages to follow the compelling creepy plot, either way.
In Rockton, Armstrong has created a stand alone character in itself. The town is completely off-the-grid, really cold, has minimal sunlight, and it's prone to blizzards. There's very little electricity, no phones or Internet, no mail or way of getting in or out-of-town without the unseen-shadow town council's approval. The rule of law is "innocent until proven suspicious." And residents definitely don't want to wander into the forest that surrounds Rockton. That's a huge no-no - that could possibly get you killed.
In A DARKNESS ABSOLUTE, Casey and fellow Rockton sheriff's deputy, Will go into the forest looking for a missing resident. They get caught in a blizzard and seek shelter in a cave. Inside the cave, they discover a different resident, a woman who has been held captive in a deep hole for over a year. Then they discover two more women's bodies. They must find the killer  ... and learn if he or she is a resident, outsider or something worse.
If you want to be thrilled, prepare to be thrilled and chilled. Kelley Armstrong delivers the goods from page one until the end in A DARKNESS ABSOLUTE.

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. She spins tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling  WOMEN OF THE OTHERWORLD - paranormal suspense series and DARK POWERS - young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
For more information about Kelley,  check out her  website  www.kelleyarmstrong.com

Thanks at NetGalley for providing a copy for an honest review.

Kelly Armstrong’s A DARKNESS ABSOLUTE is a mystery thriller set in the small town of Rockton in the Yukon Territory. Residency in Rockton needs the approval of the town council. Armstrong creates a mystery thriller with an intriguing storyline dealing with life in a town with an interesting set of rules. The town’s population has no connection to the outside world without the approval of the town council. The protagonist Casey Duncan, an experienced homicide detective who is on the run from her past changes her name to Casey Butler and settles in Rockton.

Armstrong provides enough details of Casey’s backstory to set the stage of her role working with the protagonist, Sherriff Eric Dalton to enforce Rockton’s rules and laws. Readers who feel the need to know more about Casey will want to read Armstrong’s first book, CITY OF THE LOST. The gripping storyline begins when Casey seeks cover from a blizzard in a cave. She discovers a woman trapped in a hole in the cave. Casey learns she has been held captive for more than fifteen months. Armstrong places readers next to Casey following her investigation into the woman’s kidnapping uncovering the remains of two other women who went missing from Rockton over the last two years.

The author creates several support characters giving readers their history as the characters enter the storyline. She provides additional details as needed to keep the forward momentum of the plot. The action continues to increase at the turn of each page. Armstrong adds intriguing subplots changing the direction of the main story. She adds several twists and turns to keep the readers on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next. She creates an intriguing plot and well-developed characters gripping readers from page one until the end. Armstrong sets readers on Casey’s shoulders helping them feel and experience Casey’s developing romantic relationship with Eric. In addition to the main characters, A DARKNESS ABSOLUTE is a breathtaking story of trust, betrayal, romance, and mystery. Armstrong grabs her readers’ attention keeping them in the dark leading to her dramatic ending.

Is it wrong when you start telling a book to “get on with it already”? It was not that this book was unbearably dragging, but I really wanted to get to the meatier parts. The parts that would tell me who the kidnapper was and how they were doing it and not dwell in the emotional turmoil that Casey Butler and Eric Dalton are constantly going through. While on that point, let’s stop with Eric constantly growling – that was getting a bit redundant.

This is definitely a series that you have to begin with the first book, “City of the Lost”, to understand Rockton and how the inhabitants were chosen. A town so off the grid that an airplane flying over this part of the Yukon would not see it. A town created by a counsel to house residents that need to step away from the prior lives if they want to keep living. This is not a place for everyone, and those here, have secrets of their own.

What begins with Detective Casey Butler and Deputy Will Anders trying to track down a runaway resident turns into a harrowing ordeal when they are hit with a sudden blizzard and seek shelter in a cave. Once there, they hear a voice calling for help and stumble onto a hole holding a woman that is barely alive. Turns out Nicki, who was also thought to be a runaway, but that was a year ago, has been kept here. Now the question is - who has been holding her captive and where are they now?

As the team of Butler, Dalton and Anders try to piece the kidnapping story together, they come up with many scenarios that need to be tracked down. Could this be one of their own behind the kidnapping or even a hoax that Nicki was part of? Then the bodies of two more women turn up and the town is on edge. Who is behind this and can they figure it out before more residents go missing.

Kelley Armstrong is a genius when it comes to complicating a story, just when you think that you have it narrowed down, she throw in yet another plausible snag and the reader is chasing down that right along with everything else that is going on. This is definitely a book that needs to be read in large chunks or you will lose the momentum and suspense that is being built. Be warned, this book is on the dark side and if you are skittish just read it with the lights on, but by all means, read this series. The characters, dialogue, and psychological insight will stay with you for a long time.

I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong so ofcourse I couldn't wait to read this book.

I liked this series very much and I loved this book.

I do highly recommend

When experienced homicide detective Casey Duncan first moved to the secret town of Rockton, she expected a safe haven for people like her, people running from their past misdeeds and past lives. She knew living in Rockton meant living off-the-grid completely: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council’s approval. What she didn’t expect is that Rockton comes with its own set of secrets and dangers.

Now, in A Darkness Absolute, Casey and her fellow Rockton sheriff’s deputy Will chase a cabin-fevered resident into the woods, where they are stranded in a blizzard. Taking shelter in a cave, they discover a former resident who’s been held captive for over a year. When the bodies of two other women turn up, Casey and her colleagues must find out if it’s an outsider behind the killings or if the answer is more complicated than that...before another victim goes missing.

Casey Duncan returns in another heart-racing thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Review:

I LOVED this story! I LOVE Kelley Armstrong, so it is not a big stretch that I would love a book of hers.

This book is dark, intense and you are not sure who is telling the truth or who can be trusted. I was so engaged in this that I did not set it down and finished it in one day. I love the whole premise of this series too. A town where you can buy your way in and escape from those out to hurt you or crimes you committed. In the middle of nowhere and off-the-grid, the people are isolated and in the middle of winter are susceptible to others. It is very
atmospheric in feel, with the isolation and snow storms. It felt sort of like The Shining, with way more people, if that makes any sense to anyone but me. Heck, I did not know who could be the killer/kidnapper in this one a Rockton resident, a settler, a hostile...there was twists after twists to keep you guessing. Another thing I love is Casey, she is wicked smart and kicks butt. Ms. Armstrong know how to make strong, great female characters.

I loved this installment and cannot wait for more of Casey and Rockton!!!!

5Stars

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

First, a warning - this is the second book in a series and although you can read and enjoy it on its own, you’ll definitely get more out of it if you read City of the Lost first.

Rockton is a remote refuge in the middle of the Canadian wilderness for people who need to disappear. If you pass the admittance process, the mysterious powers-that-be grant you a 2 year term to hide out in Rockton. Think witness protection, but with a twist – if you have enough money you can also buy your way in. Everyone is expected to pull their own weight and there is no contact with the outside world. People keep their secrets close and not everyone is who they seem.

Casey Duncan is four months into her Rockton term and is settling in. With her experience as a city detective she has been drafted to work for the Rockton police force. A resident with cabin fever runs off into the dangerous wilderness surrounding the town and during her search for him she stumbles upon a kidnapping victim who was presumed dead. Soon more gruesome discoveries are made and the hunt is on for the guilty party.

This is a straight up thriller with a town full of suspects, a well-developed plot that keeps you guessing, interesting characters and fantastic groundwork for future books in the series. Can't wait for the next book!

Since I loved the first book in this series I was anxiously waiting for the second. This did not disappoint! This was a truly fantastic read. If you loved the first book you absolutely must read the second. That said, you really need to read City of the Lost before reading A Darkness Absolute. But hey, you get to have two fantastic books to read.

This is not your typical murder mystery as it is set in Rockton, a town so off the grid, it is a claustrophobic setting (which makes everything so much more intense). The mystery surrounds a woman found trapped in a cave and 2 decomposed bodies. Of course Casey and Eric - the detective and sheriff of Rockton are on the case.

Everything that was set up in the first book is more developed in this book. Eric and Casey's relationship continues to grow in their adorable clumsy manner, and the residents of Rockton are becoming more known to the reader.

This series is so fresh and new, I can not wait to read the next one.

*****I am saddened to say that I will not be writing a review for this title, A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong. This book is not for me. I did not read the first book in the series and after reading about halfway through, I was not connecting with the story. I absolutely adore and love Kelley Armstrong's works so I am sad that I did not connect with book. I do think it is written well and I do enjoy the dark theme/tones but I do not think I can write a detailed review that would promote this work in the way it should be. I do plan to keep reading Kelley's future works. Thank you, Kelly.*******

Armstrong ups the ante in this intense and suspenseful thriller. Casey and Anders are hunting a missing resident when they take refuge in a cave system - and find a missing woman held captive inside. This sends them on a hunt to find the man who took her - and exposes the rot at the heart of Rockton.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I REALLY liked it.

Book 2. I hadn't read the first book, and I knew I was missing some backstory, but it was still a completely satisfying read.

This book was a lot more thriller/mystery than I usually read, but I love Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series, so I thought I would give it a try.

It sucked me in! From the moment Casey got stranded in a freak snowstorm, I was hooked. Every little bit that unfurled after that just made me NEED to know more, RIGHT NOW! So I kept reading and stayed up far too late to finish it.

A Darkness Absolute is creepy, enthralling and fast paced. Unlike Ms. Armstrong's Otherworld series, there's no supernatural element to this book, but everyone in Rockton is still somewhat "other" in that they all have secrets, some of which are downright dangerous. And yet the main characters at least are very likeable, flawed, humans trying to make a life off the grid.

As a result of reading this book, I immediately read The Lost City as well, just to fill in the background (It was excellent as well!). Now I will wait, rather impatiently, for the next book in the series!

Kelley Armstrong is not one to disappoint and A Darkness Absolute was no exception. It's different from a lot of other books she writes because usually they're focus on paranormal. I think it's great that she can write books like this one that involve lots of mystery with her usual hint of romance.

I love the whole concept of Rockton in A Darkness Absolute (and the previous book of course). It's a secret town that's run by everyone in it and (lucky us) we get to see more of how it works in A Darkness Absolute. Everyone has to work to support the community or they get kicked out. Generally, it all goes smoothly. That wouldn't make for a good book though so, in this case, a woman is found half starving in a hole hidden in a cave. She says that someone kidnapped her years ago and that she's been there ever since. It's quite sad actually so this book is about Casey solving the mystery of which town member could it be, similar to how the first went. As I was reading, I assumed the plot was going to go in the typical route. I don't know why I always think this because Kelley's books never go in the direction you think they are. I thought I had this one figure out only to be proven wrong, as per usual.

One of the reasons why I can't get enough of Kelley Armstrong is that I love how she writes her characters. Everything we learn about them is relevant at the time and there's no boring parts you skim over. She writes to the point while still giving you lots of the details you need. In this case, I loved learning about Casey's new relationship. They're still getting to know each other but they understand one another. There's no point where the trust is broken because the main character is insecure or the moment where something is misunderstood because the characters are incapable of communication or any of the usual tropes. These characters have always felt realistic to me, like they could be living in our world right now, and that's why I always get sucked into Kelley's books.

I think A Darkness Absolute was a lot of fun because there's a ton of twists and turns. Just when you think you've got it figured out, something else happens and you're proven wrong. If you liked the first book in this series (City of the Lost) then chances are you'll love this one just as much.

Nothing disappointing about this sequel. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat just as well as the first did.

The Casey Duncan series isn't your average murder-mystery-suspense series. Simply put, it can't be because everything about this series - from the strange town of Rockton to the characters who inhabit said town are all so well-crafted and certainly many, many steps above average.

What sets this series apart right from the start is the premise of the off-the-grid town known as Rockton. Set somewhere in the heart of the Canadian wilderness, Rockton is a refuge for people with secrets. And money, because getting into the town comes with a steep price tag. Rockton is home to those on the run, those with lives best left behind, those with enemies and the location is a perfect place for both the innocent and the guilty to lay low. This time around, Casey, Anders, and Eric are trying to solve the case of Nicole - a woman who went missing quite a while ago. While investigating, they stumble across several more bodies that have the same look as the crime involving Nicole. In Rockton, it's always a possibility that one of theirs is responsible for the crime, as the down does harbor its fair share of criminals. But - there's also the savages and the settlers in the woods, and it's up to Casey and her crew to try and solve the case.

City of the Lost hooked me with such an incentive and super interesting storyline about the strange little hidden town in the woods, and A Darkness Absolute continues to build on the creativity and the inventiveness of that premise. I love the fact that because the town is off the grid, everything technological is useless and unavailable to the residents. Casey has to rely on instincts rather than all of the resources she had at her disposal when she was with the police, which often presents its fair share of difficulties. Another point that makes crime solving harder than normal is the amount of people and 'things' working against them. In the forest surrounding the town, there are two types of people living in the woods - settlers and hostiles. While both present a fair amount of danger to the otherwise civilized folks of Rockton, one of those groups is fond of dismemberment and cannibalism, and the other group just wants to be left alone and will fight for it. Add to that, the elements and the forest and the rough terrain, and any investigation that takes Casey outside of the town is immediately fraught with danger and plenty of obstacles.

Bottom line - A Darkness Absolute was a strong second installment in Armstrong's new Casey Duncan series, and I have definitely found a new series that will most likely make it to my favorites shelf. Very excited for the next installment and if the ending is anything to go by, it looks like Armstrong will finally explore the hostiles storyline a bit more which I am am definitely looking forward to.

3.5 of 5 stars

Well, I still enjoyed this one, but it was nowhere near as good as the first book.

A Darkness Absolute is the follow-up to the brilliant City of the Lost, continuing Kelley Armstrong’s new mystery suspense series starring an ex-homicide detective named Casey Duncan. Months have passed since Casey first came to Rockton, a secret community nestled in the remote wilds of the Yukon. People come to this town to escape their past lives, expecting a safe haven, but the reality is much more sinister. As we saw in the previous book, not everyone in Rockton is who they say they are.

Now our heroine is on the case again, partnered with her new boyfriend, Rockton’s Sheriff Eric Dalton. Winter has arrived with a vengeance, driving some of the townspeople stir-crazy with cabin fever. One night while Dalton is away on a supply run, one of these listless residents decide to do a runner in the middle of a snow storm, leaving Casey and Deputy Will Anders with no choice but to follow in an attempt at search and rescue. While taking shelter in a nearby cave system, they are shocked when they discover a terrified and malnourished woman trapped in a hole. They are even more horrified when they find out her identity—a former Rockton resident named Nicole, who has been missing for more than a year. This whole time she had been held captive in these caves by an unknown assailant, being subjected to unspeakable acts of abuse.

The mystery deepens further when Casey returns to the cave system to look for clues about the perpetrator, but instead finds the remains of two other women. Rockton’s worst fears are confirmed: there’s another killer on the loose. It’s not clear yet whether the one they’re hunting for is a resident or an outsider, but now that Nicole has been rescued, Casey and Dalton must solve the case before the killer can target another victim.

City of the Lost was my first book by Kelley Armstrong, and I fell instantly in love—with the story, the characters, the setting…with ALL OF IT. It made me excited for the sequel, hoping for the same kind of magic, but unfortunately it just wasn’t there. Don’t get me wrong, because A Darkness Absolute still ended up being a good read, but compared to the first book, something definitely felt lacking.

So, what went wrong? It was likely a bunch of little issues compounded together, but if I had to point my finger at one thing, it was the story’s predictability. I guessed the perp even before the halfway point, and so the rest was watching Casey, Dalton, and Will run around in circles following leads that I knew would go nowhere. Turns out, reading a book like this can feel really tedious. Worse, when looking at the plot from this point of view, the repeated failures only made Casey and her team seem more incompetent. I also thought the mystery lacked imagination, at least when compared to City of the Lost. Sure, Armstrong threw out some red herrings and a few other distractions to try and complicate things, but I was able to sniff them out from a mile away.

Obviously, your experience with this book may differ. After all, I probably stumbled upon the answers by pure chance, especially when I’m usually terrible at figuring out who the killer is in all these other whodunits. Taking out the mystery, there’s still a lot to like about this novel, not least of which are the characters and the exquisite atmosphere of the Yukon. A town like Rockton is the perfect setting for a psychological suspense mystery like this, where the isolation only heightens the tensions and the sense of foreboding. Add to that, every resident in town is an unknown factor, since no one likes to share anything about their past. There’s also no fancy forensic equipment or technology in Rockton, so Casey and Dalton have to do their jobs the old-fashioned way. And speaking of them, I continue to enjoy their relationship. The author has dialed back on the romance big time, or at least struck a better balance so that the drama was spread out and not dumped on us all at once like in the first book.

A Darkness Absolute is also…well, dark. It can be difficult to read these books. People find themselves in Rockton for many reasons, but a lot of them end up there because they are the survivors of violence or abuse, and disappearing into the northern woods is their only chance of escape. We are exposed to a lot of their stories, many of which are troubling or unhappy. It only gets worse with a deranged killer on the loose, and many of the descriptions of what happened to Nicole and the other women can be downright disturbing and chilling.

Bottom line, A Darkness Absolute was a good, if sometimes frustrating, read. I personally found the story way too predictable for the book to be a satisfying mystery, but I still love the series’ world and characters. I’m not about to give up on Casey Duncan, and I look forward to the next installment.

I loved this book. I know it was the second in the series. It did refer to the first book in the series which did not keep me from reading this one. However, I still don't know some of the friction or other events that the second one referred to. So that just makes me want to read the first one.

This book dealt with a out of the way town that no one knows about. You have to be invited to live in this town (Rockton). It's a town where abused women, witness protection people, white color crime people, or people that pay a lot that have people looking for them come to live. There is one sheriff and two deputies. There are no doctors. However there is a person trained as an army medic, one trained in EMT services, a psychiatrist and a person trained to look at criminal behavior.

There is also a bar owner/madam and a butcher. Everyone has a job. There is no need for money as everyone is paid and uses credits or rations.

Out of town, there is like 2000 acres of wilderness. There are several settlements, but they are not sanctioned. The people who live there are people who did not like living with rules in Rockton and left the town to start out on their own. There are also people who don't live in a settlement who are on their own.

In this book, the two deputies go looking for a man who has left town without permission. During their search, a huge winter storm comes upon them all of a sudden and they have to look for a place to ride it out. They find a cave and while there, they discover a woman who they thought died over a year ago. She is deep in a hole in the cave where she has been held hostage the whole time. That means someone out there or someone in town has captured her and done this to her.

I really got into this book. I loved the characters and how they all looked out for each other, well most of them. There is one character who is a royal beatch who has nothing but insults for everyone. She doesn't discriminate. But for the most part, people are nice. It's amazing how they have to live. They have no electricity, no fancy gadgets and hardly no outside intervention. It's kind of like an apocalypse book as they are almost the only people around.

I can't wait for the next book in this series. And this book isn't even out yet. Ugh!!

Huge thanks to St. Martin's Press for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Book two of the Casey Duncan series. I was able to get my hands on an ARC copy (release date is February 7) and I am so happy!! I really enjoyed the first book which follows Casey as she moves with a friend to a hidden community in Canada that was created for people to disappear. She is a homicide detective so her skills will be highly useful as they discover the secrets that the Council is hiding from them. This story picks up shortly after the first one, and it has a little bit of everything: action, adventure, drama, romance, sex, and plot twists. It kept me hooked all the way to the end making fall in love with it which earns it 5/5 stars.