The Rockton novels are fine blends of story, character, and setting. The town of Rockton is not merely window dressing, and its characters aren’t superficially drawn. In fact, the two elements feed off one another, with the vividness of the place adding depth to the people who inhabit it.
Fuses small-town mystery with high-concept thriller ... Casey’s present-tense narration heightens tension, while colorful characters with checkered pasts add humor, intrigue, and heart. New readers and longtime fans will enjoy Armstrong’s adrenaline-fueled plot, which cleverly capitalizes upon her inventive series premise.
Building on the hidden world she’s built, Armstrong focuses less on the moody atmosphere earlier installments have favored than on the politics and interpersonal dynamics of her metaphorical lions and lambs—though it seems like everyone here is a bit of a lion.
