Last Resort at Haven's Rock: A Haven's Rock Novel

Haven's Rock #5

by Kelley Armstrong

The final book in New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's Haven's Rock series follows Casey Duncan as she investigates a murder just outside of town.

With a toddler and a town to watch out for, Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, have their hands full. The only blessing is that everything has been quiet for years. That peace is broken when a hunter's campsite is found a mile outside of Haven's Rock. It's too close for comfort, and they immediately investigate, only to find a Haven's Rock resident dead, face down in the lake.

Items are missing from Jamie's fishing tackle box, and his half-submerged body makes it difficult to gather any evidence. Deciding the hunter is the most likely suspect, Casey and Eric set out on a hunt of their own. Instead of a trespassing stranger, Casey discovers a former resident, long believed dead―someone Casey really hopes isn’t the murderer. As they try to find who killed Jamie, Casey and Eric begin to wonder if their town can ever be truly safe for the people they shelter.


This last installment in one of the most uniquely crafted and satisfying crime series of the last decade will thrill fans until the very end.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Canada, Crime

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 16, 2027

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Debra]

It is always hard to say goodbye. Last Resort at Haven's Rock is the gripping and final book in the wonderful Haven's Rock Series by Kelley Armstrong! I have loved all of the books in this series and had to dive in to see not only how the author would choose to end this series but to read the newest case that Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, would have to solve in this book. It was nice to be back in Haven's Rock one last time. Casey and Eric are parents to a busy toddler while keeping the peace in their town in the Yukon. As with the previous books in this riveting series, Last Resort at Haven's Rock was wonderfully written, well thought out, gripping, full of tension, twists, reveals, and was hard to put down.

A resident of Haven's Rock has been found murdered, and Casey and Eric are on the case! While searching for clues, they come across a former resident who was believed to be dead! They have a lot on their plate and emotions are swirling as they look for a killer while trying to keep everyone safe!

I enjoyed the mystery in this book as well as the emotion punch of this being the last book in a series which I love. I love this series for the characters, the remote setting, the chilling vibe, the mysterious cases, the sense of community, and the relationships of the characters. Kelley Armstrong brings some storylines full circle while leaving readers with a nice conclusion. While I still wish there were more books in this series, I was happy with how things ended and look forward to reading more of Kelley Armstrong's books in the future.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Tara“on a grief break”]

Full RTC….PRE-READ

I’m not ready for this to end!😭

A huge thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the digital ARC of Last Resort at Haven's Rock. I'm incredibly grateful to have this early copy! Diving into the final book of the series fills me with a mix of sadness and excitement. Casey Duncan and Eric Dalton have captured my heart as my favourite fictional couple. It's been a joy to witness their journey throughout the series from partners to spouses, and now as they embrace parenthood with their daughter, Rory. Armstrong's Haven's Rock series delivers a captivating, character-driven narrative brimming with suspense and mystery that has kept me thoroughly engaged. In Book Four (First Sign of Danger), ended with some intriguing puzzle pieces left to uncover. I’m excited to discover what lies ahead for the community in the final book and whether the residents can ever attain the total isolation they once enjoyed in Rockton.
It is going to be so hard to say goodbye to Casey, Dalton, Storm, and all the residents. This spinoff has been such a fantastic, gritty, survival-based, crime-solving ride. While I already know it’s going to be a bittersweet finale, I am thrilled to see how Kelley Armstrong wraps it all up.

I can’t wait to dive into the rugged wilderness to see what kind of trouble is brewing. Here we go! 🌲🪓👀

[Natalie Nizio]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Well… I’m not emotionally prepared for this series to be over. 😭

I’ve been following Casey and Eric since Rockton, and saying goodbye to them feels like saying goodbye to old friends. This book had what I've loved about every part of their journey. The guessing, the twists, the danger, the relationships, now their little Rory, the little moments in between… ALL OF IT.

And honestly, I think that’s what makes this series so special to me. Yes, I’m here for the mystery, but I’m even more invested in these characters and their lives.

I loved it. ❤️

I’m sad it’s over, but what a ride it’s been. Rockton → Haven’s Rock will always be one of those series I’m so glad I found.

Now I just need Kelley Armstrong to magically decide that Casey and Eric have at least a few more adventures left in them. 👀

4.5 ⭐️

[Monica Hills]

I am so sad that this is the last book in this series. This book was a wonderful addition and I am going to miss these characters. This is a wonderful mystery series!

In "Last Resort at Haven's Rock" one of their residents, Jamie, has been found dead while he was fishing. It is soon discovered that he was murdered. There was a stranger who had been camping nearby and he becomes the primary suspect. However once the stranger is located it turns out that there is so much more to this story than what they originally thought.

An absolutely outstanding mystery. There was some excellent twists and turns. Lots of drama, secrets, and emtions to unpack. I loved the addition of their toddler daughter to the story. She added another dimension and anyone who has ever had a toddler can completely relate.

Kelley Armstrong is a fantastic writer and I truly love everything she writes. This book and this entire series is proof of how talented she is.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Paige Wuerdemann]

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Kelley Armstrong and NetGalley for the ARC of Last Resort at Haven's Rock.

Diving into what is the last book of Haven's Rock has me filled with sadness knowing I won't get more of Casey and Eric. It's been a wild ride with their relationship from the beginning of the Rockton series until now. We've seen them grow as a couple and as a family.

We know they haven't had the easiest ride, especially with everything that happened a few years ago in Haven's Rock and we can see the strain it's put on their mental health. Especially with them now having to worry about their rambunctious three year old Rory who is an absolute wild ride.

Unfortunately nothing stays calm in Haven's Rock for long, and when one of the residents turns up dead, Casey and Eric are on the hunt to find the killer. Many twists and turns happen all while they try to balance their work and their responsibility as parents.

While it is bittersweet to say goodbye, I am excited to see what comes next from Kelley Armstrong.

[Marty Tool]

I've read every book since Rockton started on to Haven's Rock, so it is a sad goodbye to my book friends. Hopefully we may have a novella or short story every once in a while? Satisfying ending to this series and a very welcome tie up of many family connections, and friends. The mystery was well plotted, with new characters as well as old being suspects. Casey and Daltons daughter is now 3, rambunctious doesn't begin to describe this child, she's a tornado, and everyone in town wants to help take care of her. New relationships as well as steady older ones are building. As the last pages turn, our book family are getting their happily ever after. As I stated, a very satisfying ending. Appreciation to NetGalley for an early read.

[Julie Gibson]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

We rejoin Casey and Haven's Rock a couple years after the last installment. In the start of this book, things have been quite for a couple of years. However, nothing in the Yukon stays quiet forever. While ensuring that a random camper has left the area, Casey and Eric discover the dead body of resident Jamie, someone who no one seems to have an issue with. Could it be the mysterious camper, or is the killer closer to home?

I'm so incredibly sad that this series is over. I've been here since the beginning and I could've kept reading about Casey's adventures forever. That aside, I loved this book. I just wish we had a slightly longer book to wrap up the end of this series. Especially because I feel like this book felt a little too fast-paced. I feel like there wasn't enough time spent with the characters. That being said, loved this book, it only lost a star because the ending felt abrupt to me. But I still highly recommend.

[Lynn]

I have really enjoyed Kelley Armstrong's Rockton series and then the spin off Haven's Rock of which this book is the last. Both series are sort of a cozy mystery with a dash of police work and a pinch of suspense. The result has been reliable comfort stories that I can lose myself in and forget the world as we follow along with Casey and the gang as they deal with their own issues and problems. I have grown attached to the characters as I read the series and, as this is the last book, will miss them terribly. But they do deserve their happy ending. Be advised that while you technically could read this as a stand alone you would miss a lot of what makes the series special. So for maximum enjoyment I recommend starting with book one of the Rockton series and going from there. The books just get better as you go along.

The storyline for this particular book is standard for the series. A murder occurs and Casey and her husband Eric must figure out who did it and how to keep their community safe. It's further complicated by the fact that they now have a very active 3 year old, who is a bit of a handful, and must figure out how to be parents, members of this unusual community as well as fill all the myriad responsibilities and roles that come with it all. Many of the side characters that regular readers have grown to care about along the way have brief featured moments but this book is especially Casey and Eric centered (as it should be). The ending gives us an idea of the future of everyone in a way that we can imagine going forward and I felt like it was a good way to end the series.


I received a free Netgalley copy in exchange for an honest review

[Sarai Mulvey]

I’m so sad to say goodbye to Casey, Eric, and the Haven’s Rock crew! I’ve been following this series since Rockton, so reaching the end really does feel like saying goodbye to old friends.

After a couple of relatively quiet years in Haven’s Rock, Casey and Eric find themselves pulled into another investigation when a resident is found dead. What follows has everything I’ve come to love about this series—the mystery, danger, twists, relationships, and those quieter moments with the characters that have kept me invested for so many books.

I really enjoyed the mystery, but for me, the characters have always been the heart of this series. I loved getting more of Casey and Eric and seeing their life with little Rory. I could honestly keep reading about their lives and adventures forever.

My only complaint is that I wanted more. The story moved a little too quickly for a final installment, and I wish we’d gotten more time with the characters and a longer wrap-up. The ending felt somewhat abrupt considering this is the conclusion to such a long journey, and that’s ultimately what kept this from being a five-star read for me.

Still, I loved being back in this world one last time. Rockton and Haven’s Rock has been such a fun ride, and I’m genuinely sad to see it end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Bailey Lamar]

* Thank you NetGalley & Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review *

As everyone already knows, I am a huge Kelley Armstrong fan, and an even bigger Casey Butler/Rockton fan. This series ending is very hard for me, but I am so happy to have gotten the chance to read the final book. And, as far as books go, it's another amazing mystery that kept me interested the entire time. If you've read Armstrong or this series before, it's another great addition that won't disappoint.

If I had ANY complaints............ I'd say that 1) I wish there was a bit more of past characters is it crazy to say I wished Diana was in Havens Rock???? She was, of course, a complicated lady, but I kind of liked having someone around who wasn't a die hard Eric lover. and I liked the nuance she brought to interactions. And I wish there had been more Jen/Cypher/Second Settlement. A lot of older character action happened off page, and as much as i liked all the new Havens Rock people, I really missed our core Rockton people. and 2) I wish there was more of an ending. It felt a bit abrupt, and I was so confident there would be some long, beautiful epilogue showing us Havens Rock 10-20 years in the future. And yet.... I'll comfort myself by thinking this means there is potential for another book or a short story/epilogue down the road. Right, Kelley? RIGHT????

[Mary]

Last Resort at Haven's Rock is the 5th and final book in Kelley Armstrong's Haven's Rock series. Casey Duncan and Eric Dalton are the law enforcement duo of a off-the-grid community called Haven's Rock (an offshoot community of the original off-grid town of Rockton) located in the Yukon Territory. Haven's Rock is what it sounds like, a haven. A haven for people running from trouble - usually not of their own making. Running from gangs, the Mob or an abusive spouse are just some of the reasons the 100 residents have ended up far from civilization. But sometimes civilization finds them whether they want it or not.
That is the question that Casey and Dalton have to ask themselves when they find resident Jamie dead at a fishing hole. There is no question that he died by someone else's hand as the garrotte marks around his throat are clearly visible. Was his death the result of an unwanted hunter or is the murderer closer to home? As Casey and Dalton set out to solve the murder, old secrets and wounds are reopened.
This was another great mystery from Armstrong and I am a little sad that this series has come to an end.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ashley]

5 stars!

I loved this book and I am really sad that this series is over. It was always a treat going to Haven's Rock and see what Casey and her crew were up too. I was definitely not ready to say goodbye to this awesome cast of characters, but, I loved how everything was wrapped up nicely and intertwined. This book, like the others, kept me on the edge of my seat from page 1 all the way until the end. I thought I knew who the killer was, but ended up being wrong multiple times. There was enough backstory mixed in where this could be read as a standalone book but to understand all thats happened here, I would recommend starting at the beginning.

I am so glad I found this series and will greatly miss Haven's Rock and all the characters. Overall, this is an excellent book and series that I would highly recommend reading.

In Last Resort at Haven's Rock, the residents have had a quiet couple of years until a resident is murdered while he is fishing. Casey and crew need to figure out if it was someone from outside of Haven's Rock or could it be one of their own residents?

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this ARC.

[Jeff]

Two series in, author Kelley Armstrong is bringing our adventures with detective Casey Duncan to a close with this 5th book in the Haven’s Rock series.

The author helps new readers with a summary explaining the existence and purpose of the Haven’s Rock community. So don’t skip out if you have fallen in love with her other works and see this. You will be just fine joining in on this one. Or do like I did and go and check out the first 4 books in the Haven’s Rock series to know what is going on. Either way, you are in for a really good book.

Even though this is the end of the series doesn’t mean that Armstrong calls it in. Nope. This one manages to feel even more personal than the previous entries. And that says a lot.

The mystery side is good. There are some emotional moments. Most importantly, the stress level gets ramped up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.

[Melissa Elsie]

Read: September 20th - 22nd, 2026
Reviewed: September 27th, 2026

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review:

A really good end to the series.

I really like this sort of mystery where the evidence points to multiple different people and fits. Which makes the story not so predictable. Like you're playing a game of Clue, which makes it fun. These series from Rockton to Haven's Rock was getting long. I am glad the series isn't going to go on forever, because I was afraid I would get board of it. However, still sad to have to "put it back on the shelf" so to speak. There was a lot of characters thought-out. Sometimes hard to keep track off, but was able to get invested in a lot of them. I am very happy with how everything turned out. A very bittersweet ending.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Kelley Armstrong and Netgalley for the Advance Readers ebook.

[Emily Ashman]

Kelley Armstrong’s writing always feels like a warm hug, and this book was everything I could have wanted as a conclusion to Casey and Dalton’s story.

It’s been a journey over 12 books, and somehow their story never felt stale. There’s been a small time jump, with things in Haven’s Rock having been relatively calm for the past few years, and I loved getting to see Casey and Dalton in this new stage of their lives—especially seeing them as parents to a toddler. But, of course, that calm isn’t going to last. 😉

I loved seeing where their story has taken them and watching their family grow. The ending felt incredibly satisfying and like a true conclusion to their journey.

I’m going to miss Casey and Dalton, but I’m so happy with where their story ended. I’ll definitely be looking forward to whatever Kelley writes next. ❤️

[Sarah]

I would like to thank edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have been a fan of both Rockton and Haven's Rock series since the beginning. I was happy and sad that this book was coming out due to the fact that this is the end for the series. Once again Casey and Dalton are on the track trying to catch a murderer at the same time as managing the town and their toddler. When a person shows up who was considered dead for decades gets thrown into the mix, what will Casey and Dalton do? An interesting read and end to the series.

[Rebecca Goss]

This final book in the Haven’s Rock series will keep you guessing. I was wrong in guessing the killer in this small community multiple times. The characters in this series are so multifaceted that readers will find themselves intrigued. Casey and Eric have made a nice life for themselves and their families and I have enjoyed getting to know them through the series. I’m a big fan of the author’s and have never been disappointed. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters or the series but look forward to anything she writes.

[Kimberley Weaver]

4.5 stars
I am so sad that our time with Rockton/Haven’s Rock has come to an end. I’ve enjoyed every book chronicling Casey and Eric’s journey! I even traveled into the Yukon recently to see some of their surroundings. It seems impossible for a small community of 150 to survive in what is basically the wilderness but that’s the vicarious nature of this series that was so compelling! As ever, there is a murder for Casey and Eric to solve before the end but we’re riveted to the end to follow along with our favorite characters one last time. I’m thankful Kelley kept writing this series as long as she did and I’m excited for what’s next!
*Thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the free copy

[Becky Abbott]

Last Resort at Haven's Rock by Kelley Armstrong is the last in the Haven's Rock books. As usual there is a mystery or two for Casey and Dalton to solve while trying to raise their three year old daughter in the Canadian woods. While there is a stranger running around in the woods and a murder takes place at the same time there are multiple threads for Casey to solve. As usual there are a lot of the same characters and some new ones to worry about. I am sorry to see the series end, but this is a fitting end.

[Stacy]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I am so sad that this book ended the series. I love Casey and Dalton and their crew. I am sure I will eagerly await whatever series Kelley Armstrong comes up with next.

A resident of Haven’s Rock is found murdered and Casey is on the hunt for the killer.

[Heather]

I received this ARC courtesy of NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

I have loved the Haven's Rock and the Rockton series. I think that was a good way to end the series and say good-bye to characters I've been reading for years. This last installment had another mystery to solve, with a twist, but was a good send-off.... even if part of the twist and the events really pissed me off. That's how you know you care about characters though... when you're angry on their behalf. ;)

I look forward to seeing what Kelley Armstrong has in store next, and have really enjoyed these books. Good-bye Casey and Eric. I wish you a peaceful life.

[Willa]

This is the last novel in the Haven’s Rock series by Kelley Armstrong. It’s a strong entry in the series, and I enjoyed reading it. It ends the series in a good place, with Casey and Eric’s little family safe and happy. A nice ending.

[Eileen]

Thanks for the advance copy from netgalley. I had read all the books in this series. I enjoyed the way this book had its case to solve and at the same time brought back characters so you knew what happened to them and how they were doing so far.

[Rosemary]

Sad the series has come to an end, but a great book. Really enjoyed.

[Kathy]

Great book. This series should not end. Keep it going.

[Katherine]

RTC

[CynnieRose]

I will miss everyone in this series. They feel like my friends and family.

I am sadly waving my handkerchief goodbye as they recede. Goodbye to this amazing town and its people, a town I would be able to survive in for a month, tops.