Review: City of the Lost

Ｔｉｔｌｅ：City of the Lost

Ａｕｔｈｏｒ：Kelley Armstrong

Ｓｅｒｉｅｓ：Book 1

Ｒａｔｉｎｇ：★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Casey Duncan is a homicide detective with a secret: when she was in college, she killed a man. She was never caught, but he was the grandson of a mobster and she knows that someday this crime will catch up to her. Casey’s best friend, Diana, is on the run from a violent, abusive ex-husband. When Diana’s husband finds her, and Casey herself is attacked shortly after, Casey knows it’s time for the two of them to disappear again.

Diana has heard of a town made for people like her, a town that takes in people on the run who want to shed their old lives. You must apply to live in Rockton and if you’re accepted, it means walking away entirely from your old life, and living off the grid in the wilds of Canada: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, no computers, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council’s approval. As a murderer, Casey isn’t a good candidate, but she has something they want: She’s a homicide detective, and Rockton has just had its first real murder. She and Diana are in. However, soon after arriving, Casey realizes that the identity of a murderer isn’t the only secret Rockton is hiding—in fact, she starts to wonder if she and Diana might be in even more danger in Rockton than they were in their old lives.

❝ Sometimes though, taking risks is the only way to feel alive […] ❞

My first experience with a Kelley Armstrong novel was with the “Aftermath” and it blew me away with how well written and it was so I wanted to check out more for work. I’m also a huge fan of crime shows on TV so I thought reading the Rockton series would be a good choice for me and I can happily say I was not disappointed!

City of Lost is the first book in a series about Detective Casey Duncan solving crimes in a remote and hidden town in the Yukon. And while I was expecting the crime-solving angle I was so happy to discover that there was also romance!

But let’s not get ahead–I definitely need to go back and touch on these interesting and complex characters. Casey is a detective with a huge secret; she killed someone. She plays a dangerous game tempting fate by confessing her secret to therapists in the hopes that someone will break confidentiality. When the past finally catches up with her and her best friend, Diana, both the women seek refuge in a place that seems too good to be true.

The fact that Casey was putting herself out there and potentially getting caught for her crime instantly sold me on the story! I wanted to know more about her and see where her character would go in terms of her development. Casey was a complex character that came alive on the page. I connected with her need for independence, love of learning, fierce protectiveness of her friends, and the way she was always trying to be calm and logical.

Dalton was interesting as well; he was a character that I initially wrote off as closed off (and sometimes a jerk), but the more I read the more I understood him and grew to love him. He was dedicated to Rockton and its citizens in a way that made me respect him. He was tough, but only because he knew that the town couldn’t afford a weak leader. I loved that he was willing to question the council and thought for himself.

❝ Comfort and reassurance and a wordless understanding that there is always darkness. In some part of us, there is absolute darkness, as much as we wish otherwise. As much as we pretend otherwise. ❞

I also really enjoyed how the mystery and thriller aspects of the story were well balanced against the character development and romance. I never felt like the story stopped progressing because there were so many angles to develop in the book.

I also liked that Casey wasn’t the only character pursuing answers or contributing. Casey was the one with the experience in solving crimes, but Dalton’s insights about the Rockton residents and nature helped a lot too. He was also more than capable of creating his own theories, even if he didn’t have the technical experience.

The whole concept for the town was interesting as well. It was fun reading about how they sustained themselves, what rules they had, and learning about the other residents (especially the shady ones).

And I can’t finish this review without touching on the ending. Wow! I didn’t see that coming and holy cow things are going to get complicated between some of the characters. I loved all the reveals!

I think this book is great for anyone who wants to try out adult mystery or thrillers because it isn’t too heavy on technical terminology and has so much more than crime-solving to offer. City of Lost was a great introduction to the series and characters, and I can’t wait to see what Casey will face in the next book!