Watcher in the Woods: A Rockton Novel (Rockton, #4)

by Kelley Armstrong

In #1 New York Times–bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's latest thriller, the town of Rockton—and her fans—are in for another hair-raising adventure.

When you can't trust the people you're supposed to trust most, what do you do?

The secret town of Rockton has seen some tough times lately; understandable considering its mix of criminals and victims fleeing society for refuge within its Yukon borders.

Casey Duncan, the town's only detective on a police force of three, has already faced murder, arson and falling in love in the several months she's lived there. Yet even she didn't think it would be possible for an outsider to find the town and cause trouble in the place she's come to call home.

When a US marshal shows up demanding the release of one of the residents—but won't say who—Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are skeptical. Then, hours later, the marshal is shot dead and the only visible suspects are the townspeople and Casey's estranged sister, smuggled into town to help with a medical emergency. It's up to Casey to figure out who murdered the marshal, and why they would kill to keep him quiet—before the killer strikes again.

• ISBN10: 1250236703
• ISBN13: 9781250236708
• Publish Date: 12 November 2019 (first published 5 February 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Minotaur Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[mitabird]

4.5 stars

[Chelsea]

Not as good as the previous books but I can tell this was a set up for the next book.

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

4.75★⎮I effing love the Casey Duncan series so much. It will go down in history as one of my favorite series of all time, along with Harry Potter and ASOIAF. There, I said it. And yes, I did move heaven and earth (credit-wise) to get this audiobook when I could've waited two more weeks to access it through my Scribd account. But it was a give it to me now or I will implode type of thing and I regret nothing.

I ravenously tore through the first three books in the series last year. It was one of my most enjoyable binge sessions of 2018. Watcher in the Woods was on track to be just as good as its predecessors until the last 5% of the book. It ended more with a fizzle than a bang, but honestly, it didn't matter that much to me. The first 95% was so incredible that Armstrong really would've had to have sh*t the bed to upset me at that point. I should probably lower my rating to 4.5 stars to account for that, but this is such a solid series that I really don't feel like nitpicking it.

Objectively-speaking, this wasn't the strongest installment in the series. In retrospect, the plot formula was rather similar to previous installments, but I didn't notice that at the time (probably because I was too busy freaking out over puppy playdates and Casey's sister and how much I was enjoying it all of it). But I mean, if it's a good formula, why change it?

My obsession with the series kind of baffles me because I haven't connected with anything else written by Kelley Armstrong. I've tried several of her other series and nothing clicked with me. But Casey Duncan is life to me. She's one of my favorite characters of all-time and a serious badass. I didn't even try to pace myself with Watcher in the Woods. It would have been a futile effort and I knew it. I also knew that I was going to have one hell of a book hangover when I finished it. One which I'll be reeling from for days to come.

But, oh my God, it was so enjoyable. Once again, Armstrong blindsided me with the mystery. I love it when that happens. Watcher in the Woods did feel more like a set up installment (aka a "bridge" book), which could account for the weak ending and somewhat formulaic plot. A lot was set up in Watcher in the Woods that won't fully develop until the next installment or beyond. I'm totally fine with that. I'll sit right here, on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next installment.

Narration review: This series always reminds me of how much I enjoy Therese Plummer's narration. Narration had a lot to do with my underwhelming experiences with Armstrong's other work, which makes me even more grateful to have Plummer narrating this series. Her characterization for Casey is spot on and she also did a great job of voicing April (an individual with ASD). She gives subtle accents to certain characters, which goes a long way toward, not only distinguishing their speech, but providing added depth to the characters as well. ♣︎

[Melanie]

4.5 stars

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

I love Rockton. It’s a town in the Yukon that people can go (if they know about it or know someone who knows about it). Casey Duncan was a detective before she and her friend came to Rockton. She’s still a detective in Rockton. She’s also dating and living with the sheriff. She’s also training a Newfoundland to a police dog.

So, there’s always something going on in the small off the grid town of Rockton. A lot more than there should be for a small town, but then without a lot going on, we wouldn’t be getting stories, would we?

Well, this time, someone has found Rockton. He acts like a cop, and claims he’s a US Marshall looking for a fugitive that he knows is in Rockton. The question is who? There are a lot of reasons that people come to Rockton. Some are white collar criminals who were able to buy their way in. Some saw something they shouldn’t have. Some are running from an abusive relationship. The sheriff is the only one who knows the real story, and sometimes he doesn’t always know the whole truth. The council, the governing body who is also a pain in the ass and manages the funding for Rockton, doesn’t always share everything (which is something we learned in previous books).

I love the characters who live in Rockton. Casey, Sheriff Dalton and their dog make a great team. I also love Mathias. He’s a former criminal psychiatrist. He’s got his own dog, a half wolf and half dog. I also love Isabelle, who was a psychologist in her former life. Now she runs the bars, brothel and makes the beer (and I think the liquor too, but I can’t remember).

In this book, we also get to meet Casey’s sister. She’s a genesis neurosurgeon. And there’s someone in Rockton who needs a neurosurgeon and Rockton doesn’t even have a real medical doctor. So, Dalton and Duncan sneak her in without telling the council.

The mystery in this one (and the previous books too), was good. I love watching Casey work through police procedure with limited resources. There is also something going on with the council which has been going on since the beginning. I’m interested to learn more as the series progresses. We learn some interesting details in this book. If you like mysteries and police procedure stories, this is a fun series.

Narration
**I like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Casey Duncan went into hiding with her friend and found a place to call home. She works as a detective with her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton. With limited resources, and the mysterious Council failing to provide basic medical care, Eric and Casey reach out to her estranged sister. It shocks Casey when she agrees to return with them.

Things get tense when a man claiming to be a US Marshal arrives. Rockton may be a small remote town but things are hopping in the suspense department and Casey has her hands full analyzing citizens and hunting a killer. When her estranged sister is viewed as a viable suspect, Casey needs to work even harder.

The town surrounded by woods and things that go bump in the night has an atmospheric environment that lends itself to nail-biting mysteries. The remote town has limited resources and all of its residence have secrets. They need the doctor to help a resident who was injured in the previous book. I love the unique characters, like our friendly butcher. He sees so much, I'd love to have a drink with him even if he scares the bejesus out of me.

Armstrong fully developed the tale and dropped red herrings and clues that kept me guessing. I loved the uncertainty of whom to trust and figuring out their motives. We see growth, learn more about residences and the council.  I slipped in and before I knew it hours had passed. Every time I finish a book in this series I am left satisfied but eager for the next release.  This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer