In #1 New York Times bestseller Kelley Armstrong’s latest thriller, the hidden town of Rockton is about to face a challenge none of them saw coming: a baby. Every season in Rockton seems to bring a new challenge. At least that’s what Detective Casey Duncan has felt since she decided to call this place home. Between all the secretive residents, the sometimes-hostile settlers outside, and the … settlers outside, and the surrounding wilderness, there’s always something to worry about.
While on a much needed camping vacation with her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, Casey hears a baby crying in the woods. The sound leads them to a tragic scene: a woman buried under the snow, murdered, a baby still alive in her arms.
A town that doesn’t let anyone in under the age of eighteen, Rockton must take care of its youngest resident yet while solving another murder and finding out where the baby came from – and whether she’s better off where she is.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong again delivers an engaging, tense thriller set in perhaps the most interesting town in all of contemporary crime fiction.
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Casey and Eric are taking a few days to themselves and even though it’s winter a camping vacation seems the best getaway. When she wakes up one morning she realizes she has slept in and Eric has already started the day. When she comes out the fire has died down and Casey knows she needs to find some dry branches to get the fire going again. While searching for branches she heard a cry that she soon realizes is that of an infant. The two pack up and rush back to town, they need to get the baby out of the weather. They know that keeping the child safe is the most important thing along with figuring out who killed the woman carrying him. Can they find the child’s family or is the baby better off staying with them? That is just one of the many questions they need to find the answer to. This was a great read that is a mix of the wild West and today’s living.
Alone in the Wild is the fifth book in Kelley Armstrong’s thriller series Rockton. I didn’t realize it was book five when I requested it; I hadn’t read the others. But I jumped right in anyway. Was I lost and confused? Heck, yes. I needed to read the others first to really understand Rockton and the dynamics of its citizens. However, it was really such a gripping story that I didn’t care if I was confused. It grabbed hold and held on to me until the end. Side note: When I finished the book, I found out I already owned the first three! No problem…I’ll get book 4 and have me a Rockton Marathon!
Detective Casey Duncan and her boyfriend Sheriff Eric Dalton reside in the remote Yukon town of Rockton, a mysterious place with quite the collection of, well, unusual residents. While camping with their dog Storm, a lovable and huge Newfoundland puppy, Casey discovers the body of a murdered woman under the snow; clutched in her arms is a tiny baby girl who amazingly is still alive. Casey and Eric go on the hunt to find the parents of the baby and to track down the killer of the woman who saved her.
As I stated earlier, I would have been better served had I read the previous books. However, I was still drawn deeply into the mystery and it was almost impossible to put it down. Both Casey and Eric were fantastic characters. I loved their interactions and the deep love they have for each other. Both have horrid pasts they are still dealing with, and they are extremely supportive of one another. They were intensely drawn to the baby and had to deal with those emotions; I couldn’t help but cry about that situation. It was the thrilling mystery, however, that kept me glued to the pages. I can’t wait until I have the opportunity to see what I missed about these engaging characters and the strange town of Rockton. It’s sure to be a thrill ride!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
I absolutely love this series. This book was not as good as the last ones, but I still enjoyed it.
Alone in the Wild started off with a bang. The author did a fantastic job of keeping the story focused on Casey, Eric and their search for the baby’s mother. And what a story it was!!
The author did a fantastic job of keeping who killed the woman and why until the end of the book. There were several red herrings thrown out but the reason in the end stunned me. I was also stunned about why she was killed.
Unique, mysterious, and incredibly atmospheric!
In this latest novel by Armstrong, Alone in the Wild, she transports us back to Rockton, Yukon, a small community of fugitives and victims who suddenly find themselves discombobulated by the sudden presence of a newborn baby discovered outside their village in the arms of a murdered stranger.
The writing is descriptive and tight. The plot is tense, action-packed and full of exploration, community, surprises, suspects, hostility, savagery, deduction, desperation, parenthood, and a little romance. And the characters are damaged, multi-layered, and quirky, with the setting being a character itself with its barren remoteness and isolation.
Overall, Alone in the Wild is the creative, intriguing, suspenseful fifth novel in the Rockton series and even though it can be enjoyed as a standalone story, I highly recommend reading the first four novels in the series to truly appreciate the ingenuity of the storyline.
This was fantastic! I have been a big fan of Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series for quite some time so I was pretty eager to get my grubby hands on this newest installment. I went into this book with extremely high expectations and I was not disappointed. This book grabbed my interest in the first few pages and never let go. I had an incredibly hard time setting the book down anytime life got in the way. I enjoyed every moment that I spent reading this book.
This is the fifth book in the Rockton series which I think is best read in order. Casey and Eric want some time alone together so they take a quick camping trip. While Eric is off hunting, Casey hears a noise and discovers an infant in the arms of a dead woman buried in the snow. Casey needs to not only solve the murder of the dead woman but find out if someone is looking for the baby all while trying to care for the infant.
This was a wonderful and complex mystery. There were so many pieces of the puzzle that needed to be found in order to really see the big picture. I liked getting the chance to go along with Eric and Casey as they visited some of the other groups that live near Rockton. There were a lot of twists and turns in this story and I was never quite sure what would happen next. At times, it almost felt like the more I learned the less I knew as a new piece of information would negate everything I thought I had figured out.
The story was exciting and there were a few times that I was rather worried about how things might turn out. I love the fact that their dog, Storm, is a constant companion and a rather large part of the story who gets some excitement of her own. We also get the chance to learn a few things about some of the residents of Rockton and it was entertaining to see how a baby could shake things up.
I would highly recommend this series to others. This is a very well done and original series with likable yet flawed characters. I cannot wait to read more of this wonderful series!
I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books via NetGalley.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I believe I read the first book in this series and was not very impressed but I’m glad I tried again. This book draws you into the “wilderness” and really shows you how you must live to survive against the elements and the people and what do you do with an orphaned baby when there is no one under 18 in your “community” and no one knows who the baby belongs to? ! Enjoy this great read on a windy, snowy night to add to the ambience.
I LOVE THIS SERIES! In this installment Casey finds a dead woman and a live baby and thus begins our story. Not only do Eric and Casey have to find the babies family and who killed the woman but Casey has to deal with her inability to bear children and how that might affect her relationship with Eric. This story takes us out of Rockton and we discover more about the settlements and the hostiles. This is a fantastic addition to the series.
This is the 5th book in this series and brings us the great characters of Dalton and Casey as they have to solve another mystery to do with the town of Rockton where people pay a lot of money to stay off the grid and live a quiet life away from the world. I found this to be a fast read as it kept my attention and I found myself staying up until I finished it! Hoping there will be more of this series to come.
Great follow up on the fourth book in the series “Watcher in the Woods”
“Alone in the Wild” can be read as a stand alone but if you haven’t read “Watcher in the Woods” you might consider reading that first. It will give you a better understanding of the various characters and the role the council is playing.
We get to know a bit more about the two settlements and the hostiles in the wilderness.
Casey’s sister has settled in her role as the only doctor in town and the townspeople seem to have accepted her mostly the way she is. Sometimes with a little persuasion of Sheriff Dalton.
You get to enjoy the ongoing development of Casey’s and Eric’s relationship. Finding the baby in the woods not only brings up a lot of questions but also opens old wounds . Both Eric and Casey have a lot of baggage in their past that makes it hard for them to be completely honest when they talk to each other. Lots of things are unsaid afraid to hurt the other person feelings. Luckily they start to slowly deal with their emotions.
Looking forward to reading book six when it becomes available.
I was lucky enough to get an early copy of this book. I love this series–the concept is cool, and with each book you learn a little more about the history of the town. The characters are cool and interesting, the stories are interesting and twisted. Alone in the Wild does a great job continuing the series. If you like dark thrillers, or mysteries with an edge to them, I highly recommend the Rockton books.
Alone in the Wild is the 5th book in the Casey Duncan series. Casey and Eric are on a camping vacation when she hears the cry’s of a baby. What she finds is a woman’s body buried in the snow, the baby still alive. Casey is determined to find the parents but did they abandon there child to die. Eric is having a hard time dealing with the circumstances of how he came to be in Rockton. Casey is coming to terms with things in her life as well. Eric and Casey’s relationship is so strong and solid. There love story is the backbone of this whole series. I love this series it’s so different. Rockton is such a unique place with a lot of complex characters. I really like Tyrone Cypher the ex sheriff he’s gruff and like everyone here there is something dark in there past.This installment takes us more on the outskirts than in. Everyone is being close mouthed about the parents.. Another great adventure.
This is the 5th book in the Rockton series. I tried out this series because I enjoyed Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series. It is very different- in content and characters- but I have really enjoyed it. The premise of refuge for people becoming corporate (in a way) is interesting. The dynamics between the characters really paint the picture of life in this village. Casey and Dalton are one of my favorite book couples. They are true partners and work really well together. That’s refreshing when so many suspense/thriller type books usually have such alpha characters.
After five books in the series, I think I can see how the story might wrap up. I will just have to see what happens in the next one!
The best one yet! Casey and Dalton finally take a few days off to relax when Casey encounters a dead woman with a live baby.As they set off to find the baby’s family , they encounter the Hostile and the second development.I like that the reader learns more of these two groups and we see some more personality from April and Jen .Love this series !
Casey and Dalton are on a much needed vacation, two days of camping, when she hears a baby crying in the woods. When she gets to the scene, Casey discovers a woman buried in the snow who had been murdered with a young baby still wrapped in her jacket. Now Casey has a killer to find and parents to locate. And, if she finds the baby’s parents, she must determine if the baby would be safe with them or not.
I love this series and I think this is the best book yet. I didn’t want to put it down. This book puts Casey and Dalton on a path where they must face their past and come to terms with it. Full of action and intrigue with lots of twists and turns, this book grabbed me from the beginning and kept me hooked until the end. It’s well-written with well-rounded characters, some of whom you’ll like and others you won’t. I am very eager for the next book to come out. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.
A Yukon camping getaway in December with a Newfoundland dog and a wolf-dog tells you how much Casey and Eric need a break alone together. Eric Dalton is the Sheriff of Rockton, a Yukon town of two hundred rebellious refugees and Casey Duncan is the detective. There is one more law officer in this town, Sheriff Will Anders, who’s holding down the fort while his friends escape for two days. Literally. Rockton is a fort in the wilderness, complete with walls and gates. People have to apply to live in Rockton and everyone accepted is there escaping something life-threatening, be they perpetrator or victim or both.
Casey and Eric met in book one, cohabited in book two, and now, in book five, they’ve settled into a marriage. So, as couples do at this stage in their relationship, they’re contemplating what comes next. Children. However, Casey was beaten so badly by a gang of men when she was a teenager, she isn’t sure she can conceive or carry a baby to term. This obsession with parenthood and babies is a theme that gets triggered in the first scene and carries through to the end.
Eric has gone hunting with the wolf-dog and Casey wakes up alone in the woods. Well, alone except for Storm, her bouncy one-hundred-and-forty pound Newfoundland dog who is now sixteen months old and learning to track. Casey and Storm go to collect wood for the fire, and Casey hears something. A baby crying. Except there’s nothing anywhere but a heap of snow in the middle of the clearing. A trained homicide detective, Casey is immediately suspicious, then she begins to dig. What she uncovers is bizarre and heartbreaking: a murdered woman with an infant beneath her jacket clutched to her chest. The rest of the book is a chase to discover murderer and motive.
The baby is tiny, a month old at best—a winter baby—born in a time of hardship. She’s healthy though, despite being buried alive in the snow, freezing and dehydrated. Someone’s been nursing her, though not the dead woman, who Casey quickly discovers is a wildling with tattoos.
This story delves into life in the various communities outside Rockton, each with its own morals, rules, and cultures. Besides the folks who live in the First and Second Settlements, there are traders and tribes of hostiles roaming the woods. And as Casey pursues the killer, we meet representatives from all these communities.
Would you ever contemplate living alone in the woods? Some people do. Maryanne, a professor who was once Rockton’s biologist, left the town of two hundred to live with another woman and their partners in the woods: a doctor, a wilderness guide, an eco-builder, and a biologist. They had plans and hopes and wilderness experience until the hostiles attacked, killed the men, and took the women.
Maryanne, who Casey meets and brings back to Rockton, explains that the hostiles also have rules. Sex must be consensual and women choose partners as necessary protectors. Women are not allowed to bear children, so if they get pregnant, it’s terminated. Rape is forbidden. The female shaman conducts rituals and makes the teas: two types … one that creates a state of “tranquil unreality” and another for special occasions that ramps everyone up into a “wild, primal frenzy.”
A complexity of this story is that Eric and his brother Jacob were born to settlers. When his parents left him alone to go trading, Sheriff Dalton and his wife took him to Rockton and “adopted” him without his parents’ consent. Eric’s background naturally affects the way he lives. He was too young to remember but still wonders about his real parents.
Much crime fiction is plot-driven—follow the clues, solve the murder—but in this book more than in her other four novels, Armstrong balances plot and character development. Casey grows with every encounter and reveals more of her hidden personality. Throughout the book, we are privy to several different types of relationships. People come to the Yukon to escape the south but bring their problems and prejudices with them.
As usual, Kelley Armstrong delivers a xadtense, suspenseful mystery, with her characteristically clean, tight prose. With so many eccentric suspects, Casey is kept guessing and second-guessing right until the big reveal. In the end, Casey and Eric get their quiet moment alone, and it’s time to contemplate love and families and what they want next. This series could go on forever. Let’s hope it does.
As reviewed in The Ottawa of Books, April 2020
I am a huge fan of the entire Rockton series. I would like to think that the depiction of living in such a remote area, away from the comforts and technology that we have, is realistic. Additionally, I am fascinated with the way some people can’t handle the changes to the new way of living and devolve. Very interesting!
I waited a long time for this book to become available from the library. I read it in a day, so I hope the next person on the hold list appreciates me. I loved this series and the two main characters. Previous books are blended in a nice brief way with the new story line. I enjoyed the several mysteries that were solved. Great series!
I think Kelley Armstrong has continued her Rockton series with another huge success in this book. The characters remain true and authentic. The crises are real and present huge obstacles. It’s a fast-paced book that is easy-to-read and immensely enjoyable. I was sad to reach the end and have to leave “Rockton” behind — until next time!
This is the fifth book in the Rockton series. You can read them as stand- alone’s but the whole set up grows with each book so if possible read in order.
The characters, Casey and Eric, have expanded too. This book details the outside area around Rockton in more detail. More background about the town and inhabitants old and new, the hostiles, the other settlements are revealed, plus murder, an abandoned baby…
I’ve read Kelley Armstrong for years…she doesn’t disappoint!