Book and Audio Review: A Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong

A Stranger in Town
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Narrator: Therese Plummer
Series: Casey Duncan (Book 6)
Publication: Macmillan Audio (Feb. 9, 2021); Minotaur Books; 1st edition (February 9, 2021)

Length: 10 hours and 46 minutes; 359 p.

Description: In the next riveting thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, the paranoia increases – along with the stakes – as the town of Rockton tries to solve the latest mystery at their door.

Detective Casey Duncan has noticed fewer and fewer residents coming in to the hidden town of Rockton, and no extensions being granted. Her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, presumes it’s the natural flux of things, but Casey’s not so sure. It seems like something bigger is happening in the small town they call home.

When an injured hiker stumbles from the woods, someone who seems to have come to the Yukon for a wilderness vacation but instead is now fighting for her life, it’s all hands on deck. What – or who – attacked this woman, and why?

With the woman unconscious, and no leads, Casey and Eric don’t know where the threat is coming from. Plus, the residents of their deeply secretive town are uneasy with this stranger in their midst. Everyone in Rockton wants this mystery solved – and fast.

My Thoughts: This is the sixth Rockton novel starring Casey and Eric Dalton. Problems start when an injured woman wanders into town. She cut and battered and only semi-conscious. Also, she's not speaking English. Luckily, a new resident in town named Jay just happens to speak the Danish the victim is speaking.

It looks like an attack by the hostiles who are causing more and more trouble for the residents of Rockton. The board that manages Rockton isn't taking the danger seriously but the members of the First Settlement are. They are demanding that Casey and Eric do something.

Eric, Casey and Casey's big Newfoundland Storm head out to try to find the site where the woman was attacked and discover body parts which also look like remnants of a hostiles attack. They aren't sure that they have found all the victims of the attack. 

Next, some local traders sell Casey and Eric some bodies they found. These settlers also look like victims of a hostiles attack but April's autopsy discovers that they were actually shot and the wounds disguised to make it look like the hostiles did it. One problem is that they were shot with pistols which are almost unknown in the area. The settlers, traders, and hostiles have rifles if they have any firearms at all. 

Then Emilie who is one of the original founders and currently on the board arrives unexpectedly. She has some information about the hostiles and about the fate of Rockton that answers questions Casey has had since she arrived there. We finally find out how the hostiles were created but the fate of Rockton is left hanging at the end of this book.

I enjoyed the action in this story. I liked Casey's investigation. I also liked seeing her relationship with her sister April. Some of Casey's insecurity about her talents is resolving itself as these books go on 

This was a combination read/listen experience. I thought Therese Plummer did a good job with the narration. The voices were distinct and the pacing was well done. 

Favorite Quote:

Petra egged me on and tossed clues my way. She patted me on the head when I got one right, all the while certain I'd never get the whole thing, but gosh, I was so adorable to watch, wasn't I?

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.