City of the Lost (Casey Duncan Novels #1) by Kelley Armstrong

Publication: May 3, 2016

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Source: Publisher

New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author Kelley Armstrong delivers us to Rockton, a secret little town in the far north where the hunted go to hide. And where a hunter has now come to play. Casey Duncan once killed a man and got away with it. Since then she’s become a talented police detective, tethered only to her job, her best friend, Diana, and the occasional evening with her sexy, no-strings-attached ex-con lover, Kurt. But then Diana's abusive ex finds her again, despite all Casey has done to help her disappear. And Casey’s own dark past begins to catch up with her. The two women need to run—and Diana’s heard of a place where they won’t be found, a town especially for people like them…

Casey Duncan was one of my favorite characters in this book. She is smart and strong, but she feels constant guilt regarding an event in her past. Her friend Diana, who has an abusive ex, convinces Casey to consider moving to Rockton.

But you can’t just decide to move to Rockton. There is an application process and a thorough screening involved. The town is very very isolated, and once the “counsel” approves your application and you arrive, there is no leaving unless they allow it or if the residents break one of the rules. Living under different aliases, the people living in Rockton are all hiding from something, so no one is who or what they seem. Rockton gave off a small town/wild west vibe to me. Food and water are rationed. Everyone has to work to earn their keep. Entertainment is limited, unless you count the town brothel. And the sheriff keeps a tight lid on everything. Or at least he tries to.

Even though Casey’s past is a little shaky, she is a very good detective. Although Dalton (the sheriff) has made it clear that he does not want her in his town. Wanted or not, she is needed. Casey soon finds out about a rash of grisly murders occurring and takes it upon herself to help investigate. Since the town is surrounded by miles and miles of wilderness, could it be dangerous wild predators? Or could something or someone far more sinister be at work here?

I first fell in love with Kelley Armstrong’s writing when I started reading Omens (The Cainsville Series #1). The world building and the characters are usually strong, interesting, and multi-layered.  And that’s especially true with this book.

The City of the Lost is an entertaining story that captured me from the first chapter. It’s filled with complex and gruesome murders and unique quirky characters. I’m always leery of romances thrown into mysteries, but this one was well done IMO. And it didn’t really have a strong presence in the story. Even though there was always something going on, things never felt overwhelming. There were a number of surprises sprinkled throughout the story. The mystery was cleverly done and the culprit was not easy to guess. I am excited to see what direction Kelley Armstrong takes this new series. And even more excited to read book two, A Darkness Absolute, slated for release on February 7, 2017.

RATING: 4 out of 5.

BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon | B&N | Google | Kobo

Books-a-Million | iTunes | Book Depository

Join the Addiction:

My Blog: | Twitter | BlogLovin’ | Facebook

Cover Your Eyes (Morgans of Nashville #1) by Mary Burton

Publication: October 28, 2014

Publisher: Zebra / Kensington Books

Source: Publisher

Don't Look At first, they struggle to escape. Then a torrent of blows rains down upon their bodies until their eyes cloud over in final agony. The killer shows no remorse--just a twisted need to witness each victim's last terrified moments. Don't Speak Public defender Rachel Wainwright is struggling to reopen a decades-old case, convinced that the wrong man is in prison. Homicide detective Deke Morgan doesn't want to agree. But if Rachel's hunch is correct, whoever fatally bludgeoned young, beautiful Annie Dawson thirty years ago could be the source of a new string of brutal slayings. Just Prepare To Die Rachel's investigation is about to reveal answers--but at a price she never thought to pay. Now she's become the target of a rage honed by years of jealousy and madness. And a murderer is ready to show her just how vicious the truth can be. . .

Rachel Wainwright is an up and coming lawyer/public defender. She has made it her mission to help the wrongly convicted.  Her life take an interesting turn when she is given a case from The Innocence Project, a group that attempts to help free innocent people who are in prison. Her potential client was convicted of murder thirty years ago. A murder that everyone is 100% sure he committed. Since DNA wasn’t as developed back then as it is now, she wants a DNA test done on the murder weapon to see if it belongs to her client, Jeb. This opens up a big can of worms. Especially for Deke Morgan, the Detective who gets the request. Turns out Deke’s father, Buddy was the one of the people responsible for Jeb going to prison. He was a great cop and no one wants to doubt that he did anything wrong. But new murders are occurring a

Rachel is very persistent and strong willed. With her parents passed away and her brother dying in prison, Rachel doesn’t have too many people in her life, so she is used to relying on herself. Her social life is limited and she throws herself into her work. Once she has a plan and she knows what she wants, nothing tends to sway her. She is a woman on a mission, attempting to get the DNA results for Jeb.

Two failed marriages and having to work in the shadow of his well respected cop father (who has died), does not make life or work easy for Deke. He is serious, determined, and very protective of his family, especially his little sister. He tries his best to keep all his siblings together, but busy work schedules make things difficult. Deke’s worked hard to make a name for himself at work and he is very good at what he does. Rachel becomes a pain in the butt when her DNA request comes across his desk. He knows his father arrested the right guy. But what happens if he didn’t and the killer is still out there?

Cover Your Eyes was an intriguing murder mystery that pretty much kept me guessing all the way through the story. The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was the romance between Rachel and Deke. It seemed inevitable, them getting together, but ultimately I couldn’t feel the connection between them.  But what was lacking in the romance, the mystery made up for. Some little things I was able to guess, but the big mystery I didn’t figure out until the reveal. There were plenty twists and turns and interesting characters to throw me off and lure me down the wrong alley. This is the first book I have read from Mary Burton and I thought it was a solid mystery. I love it when a story keeps me guessing from beginning to end.

RATING: 3 ½ out of 5.

Buy the Book:

Amazon | B&N | Google

iTunes | Book Depository | Kobo

Books-a-Million

Join the Addiction:

My Blog: | Twitter | BlogLovin’ | Facebook