Secrets Must Be Kept

WATCHER IN THE WOODS
A Rockton Novel #4
Kelley Armstrong
Minotaur Books
February 5, 2019


Watcher in the Woods begins almost immediately after the events of This Fallen Prey. A resident of this strange little town in the Canadian Yukon, a refuge for both the innocent and the guilty, Kenny, was paralyzed by a gunshot wound. The Sheriff, Eric Dalton, and his deputy and partner, Casey Duncan are well aware that the basic medical services in the town aren't sufficient to help him. Luckily, Casey knows that her physician sister, April, is just the person to help him recover. Unluckily, the two sisters are opposites and have been estranged for years. Eric and Casey also know that the "council" who control the Rockton finances and who comes and goes will never agree to bring her in. It will be up to the pair to persuade April to consent and to smuggle her in and out. Surprisingly April agrees but having her in Rockton for even a short time will be a challenge. On the heels of April's arrival, Eric and Casey discover a man watching the town from the surrounding woods. As they pursue him, it becomes clear that he has not just happened to find Rockton. He is there for a purpose and must be found and questioned. The watcher will throw Rockton into chaos once again. The closely held secrets of the town cannot be exposed, for everyone's safety. 

Watcher in the Woods is another high energy thriller from Kelley Armstrong. This series has quickly become a favorite. The premise of the books is fascinating, and I never see who to trust. Everybody has a story and most of them aren't the real truth. No matter what happens Eric and Casey know that they can trust each other, however. I did find the numerous characters a little difficult to keep sorted this time. Some were not as well characterized as I would like and I had to keep thinking back to previous books to remember their places in the town. Watcher in the Woods could be read as a standalone, but I don't recommend it.

I am looking forward to the next one though. Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING- 4 Stars