Review – Alone in the Wild by Kelley Armstrong

Posted February 4, 2020 by Carole in 2019 New Release Challenge, Book Reviews / 27 Comments

Alone in the Wild by Kelley Armstrong
Series: Rockton #5
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books
Publication Date: February 4, 2020
Date Read: November 22, 2019
Length: 368 pages
Source: NetGalley
★★★★★

In #1 New York Times bestseller Kelley Armstrong’s latest thriller, the hidden town of Rockton is about to face a challenge none of them saw coming: a baby.

Every season in Rockton seems to bring a new challenge. At least that’s what Detective Casey Duncan has felt since she decided to call this place home. Between all the secretive residents, the sometimes-hostile settlers outside, and the surrounding wilderness, there’s always something to worry about.

While on a much needed camping vacation with her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, Casey hears a baby crying in the woods. The sound leads them to a tragic scene: a woman buried under the snow, murdered, a baby still alive in her arms.

A town that doesn’t let anyone in under the age of eighteen, Rockton must take care of its youngest resident yet while solving another murder and finding out where the baby came from – and whether she’s better off where she is.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong again delivers an engaging, tense thriller set in perhaps the most interesting town in all of contemporary crime fiction.

My Review

This was fantastic!  I have been a big fan of Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series for quite some time so I was pretty eager to get my grubby hands on this newest installment.  I went into this book with extremely high expectations and I was not disappointed.  This book grabbed my interest in the first few pages and never let go.  I had an incredibly hard time setting the book down anytime life got in the way.  I enjoyed every moment that I spent reading this book.

This is the fifth book in the Rockton series which I think is best read in order.  Casey and Eric want some time alone together so they take a quick camping trip.  While Eric is off hunting, Casey hears a noise and discovers an infant in the arms of a dead woman buried in the snow.  Casey needs to not only solve the murder of the dead woman but find out if someone is looking for the baby all while trying to care for the infant.

This was a wonderful and complex mystery.  There were so many pieces of the puzzle that needed to be found in order to really see the big picture.  I liked getting the chance to go along with Eric and Casey as they visited some of the other groups that live near Rockton.  There were a lot of twists and turns in this story and I was never quite sure what would happen next.  At times, it almost felt like the more I learned the less I knew as a new piece of information would negate everything I thought I had figured out.

The story was exciting and there were a few times that I was rather worried about how things might turn out.  I love the fact that their dog, Storm, is a constant companion and a rather large part of the story who gets some excitement of her own.  We also get the chance to learn a few things about some of the residents of Rockton and it was entertaining to see how a baby could shake things up.

I would highly recommend this series to others.  This is a very well done and original series with likable yet flawed characters.  I cannot wait to read more of this wonderful series!

I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books via NetGalley.

The Rockton Series
Book #1 – City of the LostMy Review
Book #2 – A Darkness Absolute My Review 
Book #3 – This Fallen Prey – My Review
Book #4 – Watcher in the Woods My Review
Book #5 – Alone in the Wild – Now Available!
About the Author

KELLEY ARMSTRONG graduated with a degree in psychology and then studied computer programming. Now, she is a full-time writer and parent, and she lives with her husband and three children in rural Ontario, Canada.


Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

27 responses to “Review – Alone in the Wild by Kelley Armstrong

  1. I so need to read the book I own by Armstrong because it sounds amazing and like she really knows how to write an exciting and captivating story — just like this one. I am so glad you could love it so much 😀

  2. I can't believe this is book 5 and I haven't read it yet. I've read the entire Women of the Underworld series as well as the Cainsville books but never gave this one a go. I must remedy that!

  3. This sounds like a book with an interesting premise! I've never heard of this series before, but I absolutely love reading mystery stories, and I'm glad that you found it complex enough to be interesting. (And awww, a dog!) I might have to check this one out.

    claire @ clairefy

  4. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything by Armstrong and I’ve yet to start the Rockton series. I love the premise of a town for those who need to escape/hide. Although it doesn’t sound like it’s still a safe haven!

  5. Oh I'm so glad to hear this was good. I've been looking forward to it for a while- the longer this series goes on, the more I love it. I'm looking forward to learning more about some of the mysterious communites around Rockton too.

  6. I loved this one, too, as you know. I'm really anxious to see how the relationship with the Settlers and Hostiles go in future books. I can see Cherise and Owen being a huge problem! Fab review, Carole! 🙂

  7. I am currently reading book 2 in this series. I loved book 1 and then wasn't in the right mood for a while to continue the series, so it's great that now that I am gettign back to it, there are already 5 books out. I look forward to catching up with this series. I am really happy to hear this series continues to be good and that you enjoyed this book so much! Seems that the mystery in this one is awesome too and I like the sound of how Casey and Eric's relationship progresses throughout the series. Great review!

  8. I love the series so much. I have been listening on audio and I love Therese Plummer. I liked how there was a story within a story because Eric and Casey did this investigation together giving them time to develop as a couple too. Excellent review!

    Anne – Books of My Heart