Rockton #1
Man, City of the Lost hooked me in the first chapter. I fell head over heels for this book almost immediately. Casey Duncan and her friend Diana escape to Rockton, a tiny settlement in the Yukon that doesn’t officially exist. Once they arrive, Rockton is not at all what they expected.
I’ve read Kelley Armstrong’s historical fantasy series and was really impressed. City of the Lost takes it up another notch. The book reminds me a lot of City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita. It has similar themes of isolation, survival, and a town that’s got its own rules of law. The additional danger that lousy weather adds to a scene creates a profound sense of unease. On the list of ways I really don’t want to die, getting stranded in arctic winter conditions with little hope of rescue has to be high on the list. City of the Lost levels up the rustic living and survivalism, the community is very close to nature.
The logistics of the remote community are well thought out, but the characters are fantastic, too. Casey Duncan seems to be trying to do what’s right and be good at her job while dealing with gnarly trauma. She really compartmentalizes her emotions to focus on the tasks at hand. Not a great coping mechanism, but one that made it easy for me to identify with her! Eric Dalton is a very unusual sheriff, acting unconventionally but in the town’s best interests. The working relationship between Eric Dalton, Will Anders and Casey is very satisfying; they play off each other well. The very subtle love triangle was hilarious, too.
I was upset with Diana. And Casey, to be honest, but that’s shitty of me. I have some friends I’d consider “ride or dies,” if one of them pulled Diana’s BS on me, I wouldn’t handle it with the dignity that Casey does. It snuck up on me, though, and I appreciated Casey’s integrity.
City of the Lost went in directions I didn’t expect. Murder, horseback riding, SPELUNKING!?, and regular supply runs. If the rest of the series keeps improving, I’ll recommend it to everyone I know ad nauseam. The mystery is excellent, the setting is outstanding, and everything fits together smoothly. To be honest, I’ve already started listening to the audiobook for book two. I’ll probably bounce back and forth between the audio and the ebook versions as I go through the series because I greatly enjoy both mediums.
Kelley Armstrong is a Canadian author.
Characters
Casey Duncan – big city detective from somewhere in Ontario. Tragic back story, but stoic and focused on solving the problem in front of her. Black belt in Aikido, flyweight boxing champion.
Diana – Longtime friend of Casey, Diana has an abusive ex-partner stalking her. Accountant as a profession
Eric Daulton – Rockton community Chief of Police. Grew up in Rockton
Will Anders – Police Deputy. Has been in Rockton for a year or two, former US Army Military Police.
Isabel – owner and operator of the Rock bar. Former psychologist
Val – Council “liaison”. Sticks to herself, doesn’t socialize with the rest of the community
Links
thestorygraph
Kelley Armstrong’s website
Kelley Armstrong reviews on sloreads.ca
Book Information
Publisher: Random House of Canada
Imprint: Random House Canada
First Published: January 11 2016
Format: e-book
Source: Library
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Sub Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Rockton
Tropes: rural policing, detective, slow burn, small town
Locations: Ontario, Canada. Rockton, Yukon, Canada.