Tag Archives: Kelley Armstrong

Murder at Haven’s Rock by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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Murder at Haven’s Rock by Kelley Armstrong-a review

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 21, 2023

Haven’s Rock, Yukon. Population: 0

Deep in the Yukon wilderness, a town is being built. A place for people to disappear, a fresh start from a life on the run. Haven’s Rock isn’t the first town of this kind, something detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, know first-hand. They met in the original town of Rockton. But greed and deception led the couple to financing a new refuge for those in need. This time around, they get to decide which applicants are approved for residency.

There’s only one rule in Haven’s Rock: stay out of the forest. When two of the town’s construction crew members break it and go missing, Casey and Eric are called in ahead of schedule to track them down. When a body is discovered, well-hidden with evidence of foul play, Casey and Eric must find out what happened to the dead woman, and locate those still missing. The longer Casey and Eric don’t know what happened, the more danger everyone is in.

•••••

REVIEW:MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK is the first instalment in Kelley Armstrong’s contemporary, adult HAVEN’S ROCK murder/mystery suspense series focusing on the fictional village of Haven’s Rock, Yukon-a spin off from the author’s ROCKTON series.

SOME BACKGROUND: Rockton Yukon did not exist on any map, and the residents all have a questionable past, fake names and false histories. Most were once considered to be white collar crimes but with increasing regularity, hardened criminals have somehow paid their way into Rockton, seeking sanctuary against future prosecution, a safe place for two years before seeking asylum somewhere else. A serial killer destroyed the people and ultimately the town of Rockton Yukon, and with the help of some of their former friends and a big influx of cash, Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton, begin the task of building a new town, known as Haven’s Rock, a town that will expose our couple to more murders and questionable inhabitants.

Told from first person perspective (Casey Duncan) MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK follows Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton as they embark on a new venture, building and settling into Haven’s Rock but from the outset, everything goes wrong when the architect and engineer go missing; the body of a stranger is found hidden in a pit, and the contractor has a questionable alibi for the night in question. As Casey and Eric begin an investigation into the missing and the dead, everyone becomes suspect including the construction crew, the locals, and a prospector whose story makes sense until it doesn’t. The arrival of Casey’s sister, neurosurgeon April gives Casey pause as to the medical explanations but the who and why will become clearer when Haven’s Rock reveals a colorful secret buried beneath the frozen ground.

MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK has a familiar backdrop, ambiance and quality, similar in style, characters and story as the author’s ROCKTON series but then again, Haven’s Rock is a spin off using many of the original series characters and history. If you were/are a fan of the Rockton Series, you will definitely enjoy the continuation of Casey and Eric’s story.

MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK is a story of greed, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control. The dramatic premise is intriguing and intense; the characters are colorful, spirited and charismatic, as well as familiar as several cross over from the original series.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Goodreads / Website/ Twitter/ Facebook/ Amazon Author Page/

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong-Review and Giveaway

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A Rip Through Time (A Rip Through Time 1) by Kelley Armstrong-Review and Giveaway

 

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 31, 2022

In this series debut from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, a modern-day homicide detective finds herself in Victorian Scotland—in an unfamiliar body—with a killer on the loose.

May 20, 2019: Homicide detective Mallory is in Edinburgh to be with her dying grandmother. While out on a jog one evening, Mallory hears a woman in distress. She’s drawn to an alley, where she is attacked and loses consciousness.

May 20, 1869: Housemaid Catriona Mitchell had been enjoying a half-day off, only to be discovered that night in a lane, where she’d been strangled and left for dead . . . exactly one-hundred-and-fifty years before Mallory was strangled in the same spot.

When Mallory wakes up in Catriona’s body in 1869, she must put aside her shock and adjust quickly to the reality: life as a housemaid to an undertaker in Victorian Scotland. She soon discovers that her boss, Dr. Gray, also moonlights as a medical examiner and has just taken on an intriguing case, the strangulation of a young man, similar to the attack on herself. Her only hope is that catching the murderer can lead her back to her modern life . . . before it’s too late.

Outlander meets The Alienist in Kelley Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time, the first book in this utterly compelling series, mixing romance, mystery, and fantasy with thrilling results.

••••••

REVIEW:A RIP THROUGH TIME is the first instalment in Kelley Armstrong’s adult A RIP THROUGH TIME time travel, mystery series focusing on thirty year old, Vancouver, Canada Police Detective Mallory Atkinson, and undertaker/investigator Dr. Duncan Gray.

Told from first person perspective (Mallory) A RIP THROUGH TIME follows Detective Mallory Atkinson on a journey through time. In the spring of 2019 while visiting her ailing grandmother in Edinburgh Scotland, thirty year old, Vancouver British Columbia, Canada police detective Mallory Atkinson is attacked in an alley only to wake up as a nineteen year old housemaid in the year 1869, a housemaid who was also attacked and left for dead in the same alley where Mallory was found. Not only has our heroine time travelled back one-hundred and fifty years but she is no longer physically the same woman she was just minutes before. Working as a housemaid for Dr. Duncan Gray and his sister Isla, realizing life as she knew it was no longer under her control, Mallory must assume the position of nineteen year old Catriona Mitchell, a young woman whose history is questionable and dark. A serial killer has set his sights on Edinburgh Scotland, and ‘Catriona/Mallory’ has been targeted for sins of the past but more importantly, targeted for sins of the future. As the investigation begins to unfold, Catriona’s knowledge of investigative procedures stirs the interest of Isla and Duncan, an interest such that Mallory is going to have to explain the circumstances surrounding Catriona’s new insights and change in personality.

We are introduced to Dr. Gray’s sister Isla, their housekeeper Mrs. Wallace, stable hand Simon, housemaid Alice, as well as Inspector Hugh McCreadie and Constable Findlay.

A RIP THROUGH TIME is a fascinating story of mystery and suspense with a little bit of paranormal, time travel added to the mix. Having worked most of her adult life in the Vancouver police department, Mallory aka Catriona is the perfect foil for Dr. Gray, an undertaker and amateur investigator, who with the help of our heroine, begins to break down the clues and mystery surrounding a potential serial killer. The premise is intriguing and captivating; the characters are dynamic; the romance is virtually non-existent. My only complaint, is the easy and immediate acceptance, by the main characters, of time-travel and physical possession of some one else’s body but such is the nature of the paranormal/time travel story line.

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Goodreads / Website/ Twitter/ Facebook/ Amazon Author Page/

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Kelley Armstrong’s publisher ST. MARTIN’S PRESS is graciously offering a paper copy of A RIP THROUGH TIME to ONE (1) commenter at The Reading Cafe

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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9. Giveaway is open to USA and CANADA only

10. Giveaway runs from May 31-June 4, 2022

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The Deepest of Secrets (Rockton 7) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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The Deepest of Secrets (Rockton 7) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 15, 2022

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.

•••••

REVIEW:THE DEEPEST OF SECRETS is the seventh and final (?) instalment in Kelley Armstrong’s contemporary, adult ROCKTON mystery, thriller, suspense series focusing on the fictional town of Rockton, in the Yukon.

SOME BACKGROUND: Rockton Yukon does not exist on any map, and the residents all have a questionable past, fake names and false histories. Most were once considered to be white collar crimes but with increasing regularity, hardened criminals have somehow paid their way into Rockton, seeking sanctuary against future prosecution, a safe place for two years before seeking asylum somewhere else. Built in the 1950s, Rockton is a refuge for people in trouble but a refuge run by a ‘council’ with the ultimate control, moving Rockton from a commune into a for-profit institution. Entirely off-grid, with no modern amenities, Rockton’s secrets are about to be exposed.

NOTE: If you are new to the series, the author offers up an introductory chapter focusing on the history of Rockton, and the key residents who have made a name for themselves throughout the series including Detective Casey Butler and her partner Eric Dalton..

Told from first person perspective (Detective Casey Duncan Butler) THE DEEPEST OF SECRETS focuses on the search for a killer who is targeting the residents of Rockton, Yukon, taking aim at the people in charge. Someone has uncovered the truth, the backgrounds and crimes, about several residents of Rockton, and in this, the remaining people have taken it upon themselves to ferret out the person responsible, targeting the ‘guilty’ before any chance at redemption. The once tepid relationships between the residents is threatened when betrayal reveals a murderer among them, someone who they believe has not paid for their crime but as a number of residents find themselves the victim of a potential killer, the council steps in to shut down a town that doesn’t exist. As Casey, and her partner/ common-law husband Sheriff Erin Dalton begin an investigation, people begin disappearing, and the number of suspects grows with every clue.

THE DEEPEST OF SECRETS is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, murder and obsession, distrust and uncertainty, innocence and guilt. Kelley Armstrong pulls the reader into an intriguing, twisted and haunting tale of what if? Or how? A thought provoking series wherein if you were able to disappear without a trace, would you? Could you? Without any thoughts about who or what you left behind. The premise is detailed, intense, dramatic and original; the characters are spirited, edgy and often tragic. THE DEEPEST OF SECRETS is open ended, the main characters are considering their next step, outside of Rockton Yukon.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong – a Review

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Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong – a Review

 

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Description:
Three years after losing her brother Luka in a school shooting, Skye Gilchrist is moving home. But there’s no sympathy for Skye and her family because Luka wasn’t a victim; he was a shooter.

Jesse Mandal knows all too well that the scars of the past don’t heal easily. The shooting cost Jesse his brother and his best friend–Skye.

Ripped apart by tragedy, Jesse and Skye can’t resist reopening the mysteries of their past. But old wounds hide darker secrets. And the closer Skye and Jesse get to the truth of what happened that day, the closer they get to a new killer.

 

Review:

Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong is a standalone YA thriller.  Aftermath focuses on the fallout after a shooting at the local high school, and the affect it has on those closely related to the tragedy. 

Skye Gilchrist, our heroine, is 13 years old when we meet her.  She is at school, having a conversation with her friend (maybe soon to be boyfriend), Jesse.  They are called to the principal’s office, and hear news that will change both of their lives; a school shooting with both of their family members tragically killed.  Jesse’s brother was shot and killed, but Skye’s brother was one of the shooters, killed by the cops.

Jesse Mandal, our hero, and Skye’s friend tried to talk to Skye to tell her that he does not blame her, but she was grieving for her brother Luka, and never allowed Jesse to talk to her.  Skye and her family left town shortly thereafter, and with her mother ill, she returns three years later to stay with her aunt.  She dreads going back to school, rightfully so as everyone treats her like a pariah; and when she sees Jesse, she is surprised that he too would not acknowledge her.

Soon Skye will get threatening notes, videos sent to her phone, and horrible treatment from the students.  Jesse never blamed Skye, as she was not at fault, and regretted how he ignored her the first day; since he was hurt that she never called or wrote to him. Jesse keeps his distance early on, but quietly follows her, as he sees her being harassed, and when she is stuck in a room at school which is set on fire, Jesse will begin to help Skye to find out who is threatening her.  Their friendship and eventually romance (background only) will bring them together again. 

What follows is a very tense last half of the book, as the stakes rise when Skye finds herself in dangerous harmful situations a few times.  Everyone at school, including the officials blame all the threats, notes, fire  as Skye being behind them, trying to get attention.  Jesse and Skye try to find the clues as to who wants to harm her, and why.  This was a wonderful intense mystery, and as we get closer to the end, becomes a real thriller.

I really liked both Skye and Jesse, as they were very good together.  I found it a bit heart wrenching to see her being treated that way by almost everyone, especially since she had nothing to do with the shooting.  I also loved Jesse’s mom who was a respected Doctor, and stood up for Skye.  Armstrong touches a number of issues along the way, such as grief, anger, bullying.

The tension became even creepier as we raced to the exciting climax, with Armstrong throwing us so many curves and surprises.  The mystery was so good, I was surprised to discover who and why.  Aftermath was a great read, with a subject very much real in today’s world, but Armstrong made this into an exciting intense thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat.  I suggest you read Aftermath, which was so well written by Kelley Armstrong.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Lost Souls (A Cainsville Novella) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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LOST SOULS (Cainsville) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

Lost Souls

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Ebook release: December 16, 2016
Paper Release Date March 31, 2017

The disappearing hitchhiker is one of the hoariest urban legends, and no one knows that better than Gabriel Walsh, a lawyer who grew up on folklore and myth. When author of books on the supernatural Patrick brings Gabriel a case of a hitchhiking woman in white who vanished on a country road after accepting a ride from a businessman, Gabriel knows the Cainsville elder is just trying to wheedle into his good graces. But Gabriel is a man in need of a mystery, one that will get him back into someone else’s good graces. His investigator, Olivia Taylor-Jones, has blown town supposedly on a simple vacation. But when she left there was a rift between them and…he misses her.

Gabriel is well aware the only thing Olivia loves more than a good mystery is a weird one, and this hitchhiker case more than fits the bill. As Gabriel digs into the story, he’s forced to face ghosts of his own and admit that the woman in white isn’t the only one who has lost her way.

With Lost Souls, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong weaves an unmissable novella-length tale connected to her fan-favorite Cainsville series.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: LOST SOULS by Kelley Armstrong is a companion novella in the author’s contemporary adult, paranormal Cainsville mystery/suspense series. The time frame happens somewhere between the events of DECEPTIONS (Cainsville 3) and BETRAYALS (Cainsville #4) but can be read as a stand alone without too much difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion and backstory especially the ongoing mythical dynamics between Gabriel, Olivia and Ricky. LOST SOULS is not a necessary installment to the series but does reveal some background about Patrick’s connection to Gabriel.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Gabriel and Patrick) LOST SOULS focuses on the urban legend of the ‘vanishing hitchhiker and the lady in white’ – in the case of CAINSVILLE everything happens for a reason, and an explanation is exactly what attorney Gabriel Walsh is hoping to explore. Whether a hoax or a happenstance, Gabriel is out to prove, one way or another, that the vanishing hitchhiker is more than an urban legend.

LOST SOULS follows Gabriel as he reluctantly teams up with Patrick –a man whose true identity to Gabriel is kept secret-but a man who has kept watch over our leading hero for most of his life. Patrick is trying help keep Gabriel occupied during his PA’s absence-Olivia Taylor-Jones-an absence Gabriel feels down to his bones. What ensues is the search for the truth, and the revelation of mystical and magical creatures that are up to no good.

LOST SOULS is a ‘spirited’ story line with witty banter, rapid back and forth conversations, and a time-honored mystery that appears to recycle every few years. The relationship between Olivia and Gabriel continues to be tested, not only with Olivia’s love for Ricky but by ongoing, repetition of history and fabled lore. The premise is entertaining and imaginative; the characters are animated, revealing and energetic. The final resolution and reveal was a little abrupt but it is a novella so long winded explanations are not usually forthcoming.

Previous Reviews
Omens
Visions
Led Astray -anthology
Deceptions
Lost Souls
Betrayals

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Betrayals (Cainsville #4) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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BETRAYALS (Cainsville #4) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

Betrayals

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 9, 2016

When Olivia’s life exploded–after she found out she was not the adopted child of a privileged Chicago family but of a notorious pair of convicted serial killers–she found a refuge in the secluded but oddly welcoming town of Cainsville, Illinois. Working with Gabriel Walsh, a fiendishly successful criminal lawyer with links to the town, she discovered the truth about her parents’ crimes in an investigation that also revealed the darker forces at work in the place that had offered her a haven. As if that wasn’t enough, she also found out that she, Gabriel and her biker boyfriend Ricky were not caught in an ordinary sort of love triangle, but were hereditary actors in an ancient drama in which the elders of Cainsville and the mysterious Huntsmen who opposed them had a huge stake.

Now someone is killing street kids in the city, and the police have tied Ricky to the crimes. Setting out with Gabriel’s help to clear Ricky’s name, Olivia once again finds her own life at risk. Soon the three are tangled in a web of betrayals that threatens their uneasy equilibrium and is pushing them toward a hard choice: either they fulfill their destinies by trusting each other and staying true to their real bonds, or they succumb to the extraordinary forces trying to win an eternal war by tearing them apart.

••••••••••

REVIEW: BETRAYALS is the fourth installment in Kelley Armstrong’s contemporary, CAINSVILLE paranormal/fantasy series. BETRAYALS should not be read as a stand alone as each consecutive installment builds upon the events of the previous books. BETRAYALS advances the series approximately four months.

SOME BACKGROUND: Olivia Taylor-Jones aka Eden Larsen is a twenty four year old woman whose biological parents-Todd and Pamela Larsen- were accused of multiple murders and they currently sit in prison awaiting retrial. Discovering she was adopted and not knowing the truth behind her early years, Olivia finds refuge in the small town of Cainsville where mysterious omens, visions and portents of doom focus their power and intensity at Olivia Taylor-Jones. The people of Cainsville are just as perplexing with their secrets, double speak and touch of magic-everyone in Cainsville is connected and everything happens for a reason.

Told from first person point of view (Olivia) and dual third person perspectives (Ricky and Gabriel) BETRAYALS is a story line steeped in Celtic lore where the Fae rule the town of Cainsville, and Olivia’s portents and visions reveal the past, the present and the possible future. When several young women go missing, and are presumed dead the finger of guilt is pointed at Olivia’s boyfriend Ricky. The connection to Olivia brings our heroine front and center, along with Gabriel, her boss and lawyer, into a paranormal investigation that pulls our trio between the past and present; where specieism and the supernatural powers pit themselves against one another; where revenge and betrayal are at the heart of so much death and destruction.

Cainsville is a town of magical folk whose glamor hides the truth about the people who live there; where dreams and nightmares are controlled; where visions blend the past and the present betraying a possible future that is likely to unfold. Omens, visions, and harbingers of doom become an every day occurrence as our heroine must read the signs for directions and clues.

The Celtic lore and mythology focuses on a love triangle that is represented by our present day trio: Olivia (aka Matilda), Gabriel (Gwynn) and Rickey (Arawn) wherein the past Matilda had to choose between Gwynn or Arawn. The love triangle continues in present day whereby our heroine is in love with both men, and both men are in love with Olivia. History continues to repeat itself, with each successive generation; Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky each have a role to play and fulfill; the possible future is foretold and Olivia is struggling with her emotions and feelings. There is plenty of personal growth for each of the three leading characters-some is resignation and acceptance, while most is a willingness to go forward and explore. The people of Cainsville have chosen their ‘victor’ and continue to push Olivia in the direction they choose.

BETRAYALS is a wonderful and enchanting story line where the past becomes the present, and history continues to replay and repeat. The premise is dramatic, intriguing and suspenseful; the characters are energetic, passionate and fascinating; the mythology and lore are entertaining and inventive. As with all of Kelley Armstrong’s books and series, the romance is secondary to the main story line but the potential for heartbreak makes the reader vulnerable to sorrow-one way or another.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Omens
Visions
Deceptions
Betayals

Reviewed by Sandy

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Driven (Otherworld Series 13.6) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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DRIVEN (Otherworld Series 13.6) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

Driven

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Hard Cover Release Date January 31, 2016

Cains are known for being big, brutish and not-too-bright. The mutt clan embodies all the supernatural world’s worst stereotypes about werewolves. But not even the Cains deserve to be hunted down and skinned like animals.

When young Davis Cain comes to the Pack for help, Alpha Elena Michaels can’t refuse him. It isn’t about morality or justice. It’s about not letting anyone think they can do this to werewolves and get away with it.

But Elena is also dealing with the Pack’s homegrown monster—Malcolm Danvers, onetime enforcer, full-time psycho. Malcolm is now under Elena’s control, as part of the most difficult decision she’s had to make as leader. But if she has to let Malcolm in, she’s going to make full use of him…and the best person to catch monsters is one who knows exactly how they think.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: DRIVEN is the latest installment (and longer novella) in Kelley Armstrong’s paranormal OTHERWORLD series focusing on the Stonehaven Wolf Pack of New York. For followers of the series Kelley brings together the baddest of the bad-Malcolm Danvers- as the newest and most unwelcome member of Elena’s Pack. Malcolm has been in hiding on the other side of the world, and the psychotic killer wants to rejoin the Pack.

Told from Elena’s first person point of view, DRIVEN focuses on the ritualistic and very personal murders of the Cain family-another familiar name to fans of the series. This time, the Cains are targeted by an unknown source, as their numbers begin to deteriorate very rapidly, and Elena and Clay are called in to investigate. Malcolm will be offered his first official duty with the New York Pack as more bodies begin to pile up. What ensues is the hunt for the people (and wolf) responsible for terrorizing the Cain family, and the reasons for the sadistic killings. Be forewarned, there are numerous graphic scenes focusing on the aftermath of the killings.

DRIVEN reveals the growth and development of some of our favorite wolves. Love, maturity, family and children have altered Clay’s view of the world including his tolerance for Malcolm’s return but that is not to say the Malcolm can ever be trusted. Clay is now the Pack enforcer, and he doesn’t take any crap from the aging wolf. Malcolm, on the other hand, is an old wolf set in his ways, and has a difficult time adjusting to a new leadership, and the Pack’s new way of handling the mutts.

A number of our favorite wolves are front and center including Elena, Clay, Jeremy and Nick as well as Reese and Noah, and Reese’s friend Madison (the daughter of another wolf). Elena and Clay’s children-nine year old Kate and Logan-let Malcolm know they aren’t afraid of the man who has terrorized the Pack. Again, for fans of the series, if you have read most of the recent novellas, we were previously introduced to a half –demon name Vanessa-Nick’s current girlfriend- and the woman he is hoping to claim as his mate. Karl, Hope, Jamie, Antonio and Paige are present byway of mention-only.

DRIVEN is a suspenseful, disturbing and welcome addition to Kelley Armstrong’s OTHERWORD SERIES. The characters are familiar, impassioned and sometimes controversial. With the return of Malcolm in THIRTEEN confusion reigned and Kelley could not let this particular return go without some sort of response. DRIVEN reveals Malcolm’s intent and the reasons for his return to the Pack; I somehow think he may get what he wants.

Kelley has released a number of novellas, short stories and anthologies since the ‘final’ Otherworld installment of THIRTEEN, focusing on the Wolf Pack, and with it comes numerous looks at Elena and the Wolves. If fans have not kept up with the smaller releases, there is quite a bit of story line and history missing-the smaller stories are revealing plenty of information and growth for the Pack-new members, growing families, potential happily ever afters.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Led Astray Anthology by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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LED ASTRAY Anthology: The Best of Kelley Armstrong-a review

Led Astray 1

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 17, 2015

Two brand new tales anchor this wide-ranging collection from one of urban fantasy’s most successful authors. Here is the first time that best-selling fantasy, YA, and crime author Kelley Armstrong has had her stories collected from Otherworld and beyond. With her signature twists and turns, Armstrong gives a fresh spin on city-dwelling vampires, werewolves, and zombies, while also traveling further afield, to a post-apocalyptic fortress, a superstitious village, a supernatural brothel, and even to feudal Japan.

With tales that range from humorous to heart-stopping, these are the stories that showcase Kelley Armstrong at her versatile best.

– Rakshashi (standalone)
– Kat (Darkest Powers universe, non-series narrator)
– A Haunted House of Her Own (standalone)
– Learning Curve (Otherworld universe, Zoe)
– The Screams of Dragons (Cainsville universe, non-series narrator)
– The Kitsune’s Nine Tales (Age of Legends universe, non-series narrator)
– Last Stand (standalone)
– Bamboozled (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator)
– Branded (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator)
– The List (Otherworld universe, Zoe)
– Young Bloods (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator)
– The Door (standalone, original to this collection)
– Dead Flowers by a Roadside (standalone)
– Suffer the Children (standalone)
– The Collector (standalone)
– Gabriel’s Gargoyles (Cainsville universe, Gabriel)
– Harbinger (standalone)
– V Plates (Otherworld universe, Nick)
– Life Sentence (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator)
– Plan B (standalone)
– The Hunt (Cainsville universe, non-series narrator)
– Dead to Me (standalone)
– Devil May Care (Cainsville universe, Patrick, original to this collection)

•••••••••

REVIEW: LED ASTRAY is a collection of short stories, novellas, glimpses, and chapters from author Kelley Armstrong. Because there are twenty three (23) entries in the anthology, I am not going to review each one individually but review the collection as a whole.

For followers of Kelley’s CAINSVILLE series we get four short stories and/or chapters that reveal some of the back story and history behind the residents of Cainsville including two installments that look at Gabriel Walsh and his inception; his connection to the current series; and a little bit about his life as a young child.

For fans of Kelley’s OTHERWORLD series most of the short stories or chapters do not connect directly to the original series except for V Plates-a short story with Nick and Noah; and The List-another short story featuring the female vampire Zoe who slips in a quick mention about a hunky blonde werewolf male.

All of the entries in the anthology are paranormal or fantasy in origin: zombies, vampires, demons, fae, werewolves, ghosts and Kitsune. The anthology can be read by all ages; there is one entry from each of Kelley’s YA Darkest Powers and Age of Legends series while the majority of the other short stories are stand alone without any direct connection to her previously released adult series. I had previously read several of these short stories in other anthologies or collections.

LED ASTRAY is a great introduction for readers who have yet to climb onto the Kelley Armstrong train. You do not have to have read any of the established series to understand the premise behind the short stories; every entry can be read as a stand alone that will tease your paranormal pallet leaving you wanting a little bit more.

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

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