Watcher in the Woods is another great installment in the Casey Duncan series. This one picks up right after the last one, with Kenny needing urgent medical attention and Rockton in a bit of chaos after the events of This Fallen Prey. Casey and Eric need to get medical attention for Kenny ASAP and everything else has to be back burnered until that's done. The solution? Recruit Casey's estranged sister April who is a neurosurgeon. Estranged however may be an understatement- yeah that will go well.
So they get April to town and even as they handle previous issues a new problem arises. A U.S. Marshal shows up, nosing around for a wanted fugitive, and needless to say he does not get off on the right foot with Casey and Eric. To make matters worse they have Phil to deal with, who has been exiled to the town by the council, and the council itself has a new liaison to the town that they need to deal with. About the only thing that does go well is the relationship between our two leads- Eric and Casey are in a good place, as they were last book, and that gives them the stability they require to tackle their tasks.
Things do not go well with the newcomer and they soon have to determine if the Marshal really is who he says or if he's a bounty hunter, or even a hired killer. The central plot revolves around who the Marshal is after, since he doesn't see fit to share that information. April also has an initially bumpy transition, and her relationship (or lack thereof) with her sister is another important plot point. I wasn't super crazy about April at first but by the end she had won me over.
This series could pretty much go on forever at this point and I'd keep reading, but I will say that I'm hoping for a change in focus in the next book. Just like the last book this one focuses on murder investigations and council shenanigans, but one thing missing is the wilderness elements. A hallmark of this series, at least for me, has been the sense of isolation and the idea that there's almost another world out there, populated as it is by settlers and hostiles- the former residents of the town who have reverted to a more savage way of life. We get very little of that here.
Having said that, the hostiles do show up, especially Maryanne who we met last book. This was an excellent subplot but I wanted more. And there is a very tantalizing hint that there's a lot more to discover about the hostiles- including a possible link with the council. That's what I want to see explored in the next book. I figure we've had enough murders in town that need to be investigated- can we move on?
The other thing I'd like to see more of are certain characters. I enjoyed seeing more of Petra and Isabel here, and Sebastian is a fascinating (and creepy addition), but we only get a brief cameo of Tyrone Cypher and I need more of the big guy. He's fun and his relationship with Casey fascinates me. I'd love to see those two out in the woods fighting for their lives. I would throw my money at that book.
In spite of these issues this is an excellent addition to the series and I always enjoy reading about Rockton. I liked the wilderness portions of the last book and there were less of those in this one, but hopefully we'll get back to exploring the surrounding lands next time. I'm still fascinated by this town though and all the secrets and lies concealed within, and as long as Kelley Armstrong keeps writing these I'll keep reading them.
Yeah, ok, I need to give this series a go. The reviews for them *all* thus far have always been so good -- much like this one lol
ReplyDeleteYou really do! :)
DeleteOoh nice! I can't wait to read this one! I love Kelley's books! Glad to hear it was still a good story despite a few hangups! Nice review!
ReplyDeleteYeah she can almost do no wrong with these ha!
DeleteI'll have to try this series at some point, it sounds really good! And I love the idea of the wilderness playing a big part, hope the next book has more of those elements 😊
ReplyDeleteI do too! And I think you'd like these Tammy!
DeleteI love a series that can go on forever...
ReplyDeleteThis one could!
Delete"I would throw my money at that book." LOL Hope you get more of Tyrone in the next book! :)
ReplyDeleteI do too!!!
DeleteI want to give this series a try, it does sound really good and I keep meaning to read something by Armstrong
ReplyDeleteOoh I'd love to see what you think!
DeleteEvery time I see you mention or review a book in this series, I want to kick myself for not starting it yet!
ReplyDeleteYou need to start these!!!
DeleteI only tried book 1 but I need to read more
ReplyDeleteI hope you get a chance. :)
DeleteI have this one on my phone ready to listen to just as soon as I finish my current audiobook. I am looking forward to diving back into this fascinating world. Glad you enjoyed this one even if you did have a few small issues.
ReplyDeleteYeah the issues were pretty minor, and honestly- this one is as good as the others. :)
DeleteI've got to get on the ball and read this series already. Every book in it sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy!!
DeleteI haven't read her in quite some time but this sounds pretty good.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way about April at first, but as soon as the reasons for her behavior became apparent I totally understood. I'm excited for more to come with her and another character in the book. I do feel the same way, how can we have more murders, but at the same time the hostiles freak me out. Not sure I'd like a story with them as the focus. Sebastian is all kinds of creepy, but I like him! Petra, too when we got more of her story. I look forward to whatever KA comes up with next. Great review, Greg! :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I missed the wilderness too, but I'm sure we'll get a lot more in future installments, especially now that their pup will be growing more mature and be ready for some tracking in the wild! I kinda liked that we got to see a little of Dawson City too. And oh my gosh, I love April. I wasn't really feeling her at the beginning, but by the end I was so ecstatic that she decided to stick around!
ReplyDelete~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum
I so have to try these! Everyone is raving about them
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're still enjoying the series! I might have to give it a try!
ReplyDeleteI am with you, Greg I could read this series forever, plus I have so many questions!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited about starting this series. It sounds so good and this is an author I've been really wanting to read. I like that this series doesn't seem quite as supernatural as some of her other books. I need to go find the first book!
ReplyDeleteI like Armstrong's YA books, haven't read any of her adult ones. But I'm sure they're really good, since her YA books are really good. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI would love a book that focused more on the hostiles as well, they seem so savage and interesting and I would love more backstory on them all. So glad this was a good one. I can't wait to dive into it!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so good!!
ReplyDeleteErica | Erica Robyn Reads
It sounds like you were able to enjoy this one even though there were some issues you had with the book and that you wanted to see more of certain things... I have Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong on my shelf and I want to read it soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's great when you find a series you love so much that you'd read any number of books. Sorry it lacked that wilderness element you love though. Hopefully you'll get more of those characters you like in the future books!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to love this one but couldn't quite get there. You mentioned a few things I would have loved to see more of, but I will continue reading anything she writes.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
Sounds like a good book. I will have to check this one out for myself. I haven't read any in this series. Sorry it wasn't the best tho. It happens as you know. Thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeleteMary