Book review: City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong (Rockton #1)

It took me a while to realize that one of my favorite urban fantasy novelists has also crime mystery books. Once someone gently nudged me on Goodreads with a book recommendation, I quickly picked up City of the Lost to see what it is all about.

And wow! I couldn’t put the book down once I’ve started reading.

The author’s engaging writing style shines through, and you really get sucked in the plot and the strange atmosphere.

Imagine a hidden town where the usual rules in the country don’t apply. The town is so hidden that nobody really knows of its existence beyond of those who actually need to know. It is so hidden that the population is into the lower hundreds. And there are no kids in town.

Casey Duncan has a past that haunts her even today. When old enemies have found her, she has no choice but to flee. Her friend, Diana, who is also fleeing from an abusive husband, has heard of a very remote location where nobody will ever find them. The town is literally off the grid.

Casey is a police officer and a darn good one too. And, as it happens, the small town of Rockton needs a good police officer to keep the town folk in check. Afterall, in a town with no internet, no TV, radio or any other modern form of entertainment, there is not all that much to do, so crime is on the rise.

And this is the environment Casey enters to be the town detective working for the local sheriff, Eric Dalton who is a weird guy who keeps to himself. Some might call him wild…just like the deep forest surrounding and hiding Rockton from the rest of the world.

I have so far read the first two books in the series, and Eric often strongly reminded me of the author’s other alpha male, Clay Danvers (from Bitten, aka Otherworld). I found them eerily similar in traits and personality. Except Eric is 100% human and Clay is not. Now, that’s not a bad thing, because for the longest time I had a crush on Clay, so these books brought all that back with a punch.

I liked Casey’s personality as well. She is half Asian, short, and she can fight anyone and everyone. So she can definitely stand on her own in this town of creeps and criminals (after all, besides those running from the bad guys, criminals are those that most need shelter from the authorities – or other gangs). So for Casey, there are lots to do in Rockton.

The story is action-packed and you don’t get lots of chill-out moments. Casey is always on the job, which proves to be plenty for her, Eric, and his deputy, William, who has his own past that haunts him as well

I started the book expecting the best from one of my favorite authors, and I ended the book grabbing for the second one right away (good thing I bought both on Kindle, knowing that book #3 is just one short week from releasing as well). My expectations have been met and surpassed. I had a grand time reading City of the Lost. In fact, I stayed up till 2 am to finish the first book in the series because I couldn’t put it down.

City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong
Series: Rockton #1
Published by Phere
Published 2016
Genres: Crime mystery
Source: Purchased
Also by this author: A Darkness Absolute, This Fallen Prey