A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong

A Darkness Absolute (Rockton, #2)

by Kelley Armstrong

"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"--

Reviewed by justine_manzano on

5 of 5 stars

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A Darkness Absolute is book 2 in Kelley Armstrong's Casey Duncan Mystery series. Now, I'm not even going to pretend that I'm not a total fangirl for Ms. Armstrong, and I generally love most things she writes. A Darkness Absolute hits it right out of the ballpark again.

This book follows the continued story of Casey Duncan, now Casey Butler, a detective on the run from the mob, after she finds herself in Rockton, a city that exists completely off the grid for the express purpose of hiding people like her. The town has put her detective skills to good use, adding her to the small police force including Sheriff Eric Dalton and Deputy Will Anders. The three ban together to solve crimes in a community that sits on the edge of the wilderness.

A Darkness Absolute refers to the perpetrator of Casey's latest assignment, who has kept a woman in a cave for over a year. When Casey discovers her, and then the bodies of two other women, she and her team are thrust into a disturbing mystery with twists and turns that leads to a perfectly chilling conclusion.

Casey and her team are great characters, and the town of Rockton provides a perfect backdrop for ongoing drama between the people who live within the town, and those that are settled deep in the Yukon wilderness. Entangled in the lives of all of the residents of her new home, Casey must navigate friendships and romantic relationships while struggling to find a killer that could literally be anywhere in the depths of the wild. The potential for mystery and conflict is rife in this series, and Armstrong takes full advantage.

The last two lines of the book left me with a shiver. If you're a fan of mysteries and thrillers, you'll love this novel.

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  • Started reading
  • 9 February, 2017: Finished reading
  • 9 February, 2017: Reviewed