Thursday, March 9, 2017

A Darkness Absolute

A Darkness Absolute (Casey Duncan, #2)

I was looking forward to this one after discovering Kelley Armstrong last year in City of the Lost. And it didn't disappoint. If anything I liked this one more. I mean the premise is established, the town is set up, all the cast are in place, and Armstrong can just tear into her story. And man does she ever. This is a dark and chilling read that kept me guessing right up to the end.

Just to recap the premise. Casey is a detective who has come to Rockton to escape the mob and she's settled in after the events of the first book. She's in a relationship with Dalton, the sheriff, and the two of them are the law in the town, along with Anders the deputy. Rockton is a town off the grid- it's a place up in the Yukon with no connection to the outside world, a place where people can go to hide- if they can afford to get in. White collar criminals have to pay to get in and Casey was accepted because they needed someone with her skills.

The first book was all about Casey solving several murders as she acclimated to life in Rockton, and at the same time she and Dalton built a relationship. As I mentioned above that's all in place and the story here takes off. And I liked that. The story opens with Dalton off on a supply run, and Casey and Anders are out looking for a resident who took off. What they find though is a girl being held in a cave with no way to escape- someone has kept her there as a prisoner for over a year.Casey gets her back to town but not before running into the kidnapper- and a cat and mouse game begins as Casey and Dalton have to find out who did it.

The perpetrator is still out there and he seems able to get into town whenever he wants- is he a resident or one of the outsiders? The outsiders consist of both settlers, those who have chosen to live in the wilderness, and hostiles- those who have basically reverted back to savagery. There's a lot of tension as Casey finds herself in some very precarious situations- like I said this is a chilling read. Armstrong evokes the snowy forest and the remote atmosphere so well- people step from behind trees and hooded figures attack in the snow- I was on the edge of my seat a few times. Add to that the suspicion that no one can really be trusted, and you have a top notch suspense read.

There are secrets in Rockton too- the shadowy council that runs the place doesn't tell Dalton everything, and there are those within the town who may report back to the council. Who can Casey really trust? There are several suspects and I thought the ambiguity was perfect- several times I thought maybe I knew who the perp was but there are some surprises. The romance element is also well done- Casey and Dalton have a relationship that is free of all the stops and starts from the first one. They're mature and they have a grown up relationship, they talk to each other and that was so refreshing.

As I said we learn more about settlers and hostiles here, and the differences between them. Dalton has a history with the settlers, and we get more of his brother Jacob as well as a new addition to the cast- Tyrone Cypher, who is a larger than life loner who lives in the wilderness. He's charismatic- his banter with Casey was one of my favorite parts- but again I went through this book not knowing if he could be trusted. If anyone could. I've thought since the first book that we might get a paranormal element with the hostiles, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

This was a fun read and I like where Casey and Dalton are at, I love the location and I never really felt like Casey was safe. I think Armstrong did a fabulous job ratcheting up the tension and establishing an eerie vibe.  

25 comments:

  1. The romance element would put me off too much in this series I think. Glad you're still enjoying it though!

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  2. Yasss! I love this series and I can't wait to read more from the people of Rockton. Armstrong knows how write suspense featuring unconventional characters and kick-ass heroines. So glad you loved this installment, Greg!

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  3. I've never read Kelley Armstrong but I can see she's a strong writer. Great review!

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  4. Armstrong has written a non paranormal series? I am so hopelessly behind :(

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  5. Glad you enjoyed the book! I see this author around a lot but haven't read one yet.

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  6. I enjoyed this. If I only I hadn't guessed who the killer was 25% in I think I would have liked it ever more :D

    ~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

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  7. I usually love what she writes but I haven't tried this series. It looks great though and I would love to try

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  8. I still need to start this series but I love practically everything she writes. You really should give the Cainsville series a go. I think you'd like it. I'm glad to hear this book is just as good, if not better, than the last.

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  9. I agree, this had a lot of tension! And yay for a romance well done with no ridiculous drama! I love the idea of this setting, off the grid, self-sufficient mountain community, and with a town full of shady characters we're guaranteed mysteries to come. I hope we get more Jacob in the next one. Excellent review, Greg!

    Thrilled to hear you finished the first Mercy Thompson! I think every book is special, and you get to see the evolution of Adam and Mercy's relationship. I just looked up the second book, Blood Bound, and you're in for a terrific story! Makes me want to re-read the series all over. :)

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    1. Yes the romance was so refreshing without all the usual drama. I liked how they were grown up, mature about things- so nice. And Rockton is such a neat idea- she makes it appealing even though with no amenities it probably wouldn't be very appealing in real life! And I agree about Jacob! Lots of potential there...

      I am looking forward to finding out more about Mercy too... :)

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  10. That's what I love about sequels, how you can just jump right into the story.

    It's great when authors use the setting well to create lots of atmosphere! And this does sound like a gripping, suspenseful read. That definitely sounds like a place I would not want to live though lol. Glad you're enjoying the series!

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    1. Very true of this one. The story just started off with a bang.

      And this series oozes atmosphere lol. With a hidden city in the deep north and lots of secrets, she has a lot to work with. Yeah I'm not sure I'd go there though. :)

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  11. I have heard so many amazing things about Kelley Armstrong, and I really need to give this series a shot- especially if the sequel is even better than the original (because seriously, that is a rare and wonderful thing). And I love that the author did a great job creating an eerie atmosphere- so important in a book like this! Great review!

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    1. I had heard so much too, and I finally tried her! I would love to see what you think of these books!

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  12. Great review. I read this book Sunday and finished Monday and you're review is spot on. I had a few gripes about the mystery of this one being a lot more all over the place. I couldn't follow it as well as the first, but I was still utterly invested and I loved learning more about the surrounding area of Rockton so that made up for it for me. I do feel like Armstrong is building up to a more serious reveal about this council and the reason behind the hostiles but I will wait for the reveal when she's ready for it. And I loved how Casey and Dalton are in this totally mature relationship that isn't rife with miscommunication as the pair don't talk instead they discuss things. I do think Eric's holding a few things back and there's more to come with the his being taken from his family but I don't see it being an obstacle in the relationship which I like.

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    1. You know, I think you're right about it being all over the place. It kinda was, now that I think about it. And I agree- I loved getting out of rockton and exploring the surrounding area, especially that creepy First settlement lol. I would love to have more on the hostiles and part of me hopes she'll introduce a paranormal element, although maybe that wouldn't work?

      I do like that they communicate. And the council- yeah there's something fishy :)

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  13. The only Kelley Armstrong book I've read is the first one in her YA Darkest Powers series, and it had some seriously chilling moments in it! So I can totally see her building up lots of suspense here. Will have to check this series out!

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    1. I have a feeling she writes some pretty chilling stuff. This series so far has eschewed the paranormal but I hold out hope she'll introduce some!

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  14. Great review, Greg:). I read City of the Lost last year and really enjoyed it so I'll see if I can get hold of this one. That woman is a machine! I've just finished reading The Drafter, with the sequel sitting by my bedside ready to read, too.

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  15. I have never read Armstrong before - I don't read much paranormal - but I am tempted by this new series. Great review.

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    1. I tried her after hearing a lot- this series doesn't have any paranormal elements- and it is good! Thanks for stopping by!

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  16. YES, I'm so glad you're loving this series too! Casey is such an absolute badass, I'm really glad that she's finally got something good in her life with her job and her relationships. Her and Dalton are too stinkin' cute. I loved getting more info on Jacob too, and I'm hoping that his crush on Nicole will mean that he spends a bit more time around Rockton...even if Nicole's not exactly in a place to be reciprocating.

    I can't decide if you'd like Amrstrong's Cainsville books or not...but they definitely deliver on the paranormal element!

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    1. Casey is a badass, I agree! Love her! And Anders has grown on me too. I would love to see Jacob and Nicole maybe have a go at it- if she's up to it at some point, after everything she went through. And what about Jen? Yeah she's a bitch but I kinda like her- is that bad? I keep thinking she's gonna play a role...

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  17. I've never been able to get into Armstrong's non-urban fantasy series. Though to be more accurate, her first one didn't impress me enough to keep going with. As good as you've made this sound, I do miss her urban fantasy series :(

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  18. I've read a lot of books by Armstrong and they're always fantastic! I need to pick these up. Great review.

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