Cold as Hell

Kelley Armstrong’s Haven’s Rock series is full of mystery, suspense, and atmosphere. The third book in the series proves this storyline keeps getting better and better. This is a spin-off continuation series after the Rockton series ended after seven books. The unique setting adds another layer to the tone of the book. Haven’s Rock is a hidden town built somewhere in the Yukon wilderness of Canada.

It’s a place for people to disappear and a sanctuary for those that need a refuge. Individuals are carefully researched before being allowed to become a resident of the community.

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton met in the original town of Rockton and are feeling at home in their new town. While they know how to navigate the woods, many of their town’s residents don’t. Casey and Dalton are starting a family and with Casey a month away from having her baby, they’re hoping for calm until after the baby is born.

However, one of the town’s residents is drugged and dragged into the nearby woods. She’s saved when someone hears her screams. As Casey and Dalton investigate the assault a snowstorm hits. When a frozen body is found and conflicting accounts are given of the woman’s last movements, the two wonder who they can trust in their supposedly safe haven.

Casey and Eric are well-developed characters with plenty of depth. Casey is driven, a great investigator, and frequently finds dead bodies. She’s a good listener, independent, empathetic, and understanding. Eric is a fantastic tracker, needs alone time in the woods occasionally, is truthful and intelligent, and asserts himself when needed. He also gets short-tempered and blunt with annoying or bothersome people at times, and isn’t good at small talk. He’s also extremely protective of Casey as the baby gets nearer. As always, it’s great to renew our friendship with Deputy Will Andrews, Casey’s sister April – a neurosurgeon functioning as the town’s doctor – and many other characters.

As always, complex characters, one or more mysteries, and excellent world-building are the backdrop for this well-written and entertaining novel set in an off-the-grid sanctuary town. The prologue immediately captures reader’s attention and pulls them into the storyline. As the story progresses, Casey and Dalton realize that they’ve become somewhat complacent and need to relook at procedures to ensure everyone’s safety. It will be interesting to see the direction these changes take in future books. Weather and isolation continue to play a role in each novel. The author does a great job of equalizing the relationships and the mysteries to make each novel more impactful. The one thing I wasn’t entirely satisfied with is a discussion Casey has at the end of the story with one of the residents.

Overall, this is an intriguing and suspenseful thriller that’s full of murder, trust, secrets, lies, and deceptions. While this can be read as a stand-alone, readers will gain a better understanding of the key characters and their backgrounds if they read the Rockton series first as well as the earlier two books in this series.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Kelley Armstrong for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for February 18, 2025.