ARC Review: The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong

The Deepest of Secrets
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Casey Duncan Novels (Book 7)
Publication: Minotaur Books (February 15, 2022)

Description: It’s not always easy to live in the hidden town of Rockton, something Detective Casey Duncan knows firsthand. Tucked away in the Yukon wilderness, the community survives―and thrives―because the residents' many secrets stay just that―secret.

But what happens when these secrets start to come out? Overnight, no one is safe. It’s not a question of if your secret will come out―but when.

Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, need to find the culprit while protecting those who have been thrust into the spotlight. For a place built on privacy and new beginnings, Rockton isn’t handling these revelations very well. People are turning on one another, and when one of the loudest complainers turns up barely alive, it's clear that their trickster is actually a murderer.

The threat of exposure is reaching its breaking point, and no one knows what’s going to happen next.

My Thoughts: This is the seventh book in the Rockton series. Casey Duncan and her boyfriend Sheriff Eric Dalton are the law in this secret town that is supposed to be a refuge for those who need to disappear. However, things are changing. The Board of Directors have taken to sending them violent criminals instead of victims and white-collar criminals. The residents' pasts are supposed to be secret. They come in with a cover story.

When one of the new arrivals named Conrad ferrets out the secret of Deputy Will Anders and publicizes it, tensions rise, and trust is fractured. This isn't a good time for that to happen because the Board of Directors is looking for any excuse to shut down Rockton.

Then the shutdown order comes, and shutdown is quickly approaching. But that doesn't stop the crime. When Conrad is attacked and buried alive, but rescued before he dies, Casey needs to investigate to learn who is willing to kill to keep their secret. Then a second resident is buried alive and dies. And a third is also attacked. 

There was a mix between tension and humor in this story since some of the criminals were far from being rocket scientists. There was also the uncertainty about the future for Casey and Eric and a small core of residents who want to start their own Rockton and return to the original principles and purposes.

This was an engaging and entertaining story that feels like the conclusion to the series. 

Favorite Quote:

"All right. We also know you tried to kill Conrad. We have your fingerprints."

"On the shovel?" A note of satisfaction. "Now I know you're lying, I wore gloves."

Dalton and I look at each other. He shakes his head. 

"Brandon?" I call down. "You do realize you just incriminated yourself, right?"

A long, long pause. "Fuck."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.