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Rockton/Casey Duncan #1.2
City of the Lost: Part Two
In City of the Lost, a thrilling new eBook in six parts, New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author Kelley Armstrong delivers us to Rockton, a secret little town in the far north where the hunted go to hide. And where a hunter has now come to play.
Casey Butler and her best friend, Diana, have finally escaped their dark pasts and found refuge in Rockton. Although Casey left behind her ex-con lover, Kurt, she has no time for A man’s been murdered—butchered, really—and she’s the new detective in town. As the difficult, brooding sheriff, Eric Dalton, and his handsome, happy-go-lucky deputy, Will Anders, disclose rumours of underground drug rings, corrupt council members, and hostile cannibals, Casey realizes that Rockton may not be the haven she first imagined…
96 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2015
12 people are currently reading
876 people want to read
About the author
Kelley Armstrong
293 books33.6k followersKelley 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.
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 20, 2018
Edit : After my huge disappointment in Part 3, I decided that I won't read the rest.
► Part 1 : ★★★ (click on the stars to read my review)
Plot : After a first part more introductory, we get to the heart of the matter : Welcome to the City of the Lost, police state hidden in the North. Although the plot becomes grittier and darker (which is a good thing, of course), I have to admit that I'm still not completely involved and I keep waiting to learn more about this city and its runaways : who are these people? Victims? Former criminals? Both? Forgot what you know about morality - rules are... different, and as Casey, I kept widening my eyes. Not to mention that some creepy killers wander out there : cannibals? Wild animals? Wicked hoax? Time will tell. Add a corrupt council who accepted psychopaths in the city and what do you get? A fucking mess.
Writing : Probably what I like the most about this series : the writing is short, to the point, making the story sound probably more fast-paced than it really is. Add a smile-inducing banter between the two detectives, Dalton and Anders, and I'm a happy camper. Moreover, with the arrival in Rockton, Kelley Armstrong finally offers us descriptions of the settings, and as far as the world-building is concerned, I really appreciate the way she manages to create a vivid picture without drowning the readers into details.
Characters : Casey, while badass and strong-minded (and occasionally funny), stays too-much one-dimensional for me to love her. Give me complexity dammit! As for Dalton, the sheriff (am I the only one who laughed at this name-job association? Huh?), he is definitely a great addition to the series : cold, frank, his all-business behavior reminded me of Gabriel, Kelley Armstrong's hero from her Cainsville series. Hmmmm. Now that I think about it, I can clearly see a pattern here : impatient, loves giving orders, practical, morally ambiguous, bulky... See, I love Gabriel, really, yet I hope Dalton will be more than a clone. I guess I'll see^^.
Trigger warning : If half-eaten corpses don't bother you, you'll be fine.
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August 25, 2015
Loving it! I'm smelling something in the air between Casey and Eric...On to the next!
October 25, 2017
The following is a review of the entire City of the Lost collection, as I waited for it to be released in its entirety before reading…
Kelley Armstrong is one of those authors to have quickly worked her way onto my favourite authors list, doing so after just a couple of books. As it stands, I’ve been working my way through her Women of the Otherworld books at a snail’s pace. I adore the series, but it is taking me a while. When I saw City of the Lost on sale, I knew it was time for me to jump into something else, something different. Taking a step away from the paranormal romance I knew and loved, I was eager to dive into a Kelley Armstrong thriller.
Thrillers and mysteries are actually some of my favourite books, even if I haven’t read all that many as of late. I’ve been in one of those moods where I’ve been picking up contemporary romance or paranormal romances. There was a time where such a thing would have horrified me, I never imagined I would reach the point where romance was my choice of read, yet such is where I’ve been at recently. However, when I was looking at my bookshelf and trying to decide what I was to pick up next, I knew I would be taking a break from that mood. City of the Lost was calling out to me, begging me to return to my mystery and thriller mindset.
Whilst there is romance within this story, as I’ve come to expect from Kelley Armstrong, it does not take over the entire story. It is there simmering in the background, slowly building, wiggling into your heart at a leisurely pace. You are aware of it, you ship it, you enjoy it, but it does not take over the entire story. There are scenes focusing solely upon the romance factor, but it is not the main element of the story. As I’ve said, this has more of a mystery and thriller kind of vibe.
At first, the story is a bit slow. It takes a few chapters before you’re completely pulled in. At the start, I believe people will fall into one of two categories. They will either be extremely intrigued, or they will be bored of waiting for the story to start. Whatever category you fall into, hold on. It does take a while for things to get moving, but once the story is moving we have quite a few different elements going on. Each time you think you’ve reached the bottom of the secrets to be uncovered, something more is added. There are some predictable elements and some surprising elements, and all work to bring the story together in a wonderful way.
As my first introduction to Kelley Armstrong’s thrillers, it was a wonderful read. I’m so glad there are more Casey Duncan books to come, as I’m going to be grabbing them up. I fell in love with the characters, the story, and the town. Without a doubt, I’ll be returning for more.
The Women of the Otherworld books were enough to cement Kelley Armstrong as a favourite author, but City of the Lost has shown she has more up her sleeve than I’d initially thought.
Kelley Armstrong is one of those authors to have quickly worked her way onto my favourite authors list, doing so after just a couple of books. As it stands, I’ve been working my way through her Women of the Otherworld books at a snail’s pace. I adore the series, but it is taking me a while. When I saw City of the Lost on sale, I knew it was time for me to jump into something else, something different. Taking a step away from the paranormal romance I knew and loved, I was eager to dive into a Kelley Armstrong thriller.
Thrillers and mysteries are actually some of my favourite books, even if I haven’t read all that many as of late. I’ve been in one of those moods where I’ve been picking up contemporary romance or paranormal romances. There was a time where such a thing would have horrified me, I never imagined I would reach the point where romance was my choice of read, yet such is where I’ve been at recently. However, when I was looking at my bookshelf and trying to decide what I was to pick up next, I knew I would be taking a break from that mood. City of the Lost was calling out to me, begging me to return to my mystery and thriller mindset.
Whilst there is romance within this story, as I’ve come to expect from Kelley Armstrong, it does not take over the entire story. It is there simmering in the background, slowly building, wiggling into your heart at a leisurely pace. You are aware of it, you ship it, you enjoy it, but it does not take over the entire story. There are scenes focusing solely upon the romance factor, but it is not the main element of the story. As I’ve said, this has more of a mystery and thriller kind of vibe.
At first, the story is a bit slow. It takes a few chapters before you’re completely pulled in. At the start, I believe people will fall into one of two categories. They will either be extremely intrigued, or they will be bored of waiting for the story to start. Whatever category you fall into, hold on. It does take a while for things to get moving, but once the story is moving we have quite a few different elements going on. Each time you think you’ve reached the bottom of the secrets to be uncovered, something more is added. There are some predictable elements and some surprising elements, and all work to bring the story together in a wonderful way.
As my first introduction to Kelley Armstrong’s thrillers, it was a wonderful read. I’m so glad there are more Casey Duncan books to come, as I’m going to be grabbing them up. I fell in love with the characters, the story, and the town. Without a doubt, I’ll be returning for more.
The Women of the Otherworld books were enough to cement Kelley Armstrong as a favourite author, but City of the Lost has shown she has more up her sleeve than I’d initially thought.
August 3, 2015
I am not usually a serial book fan. I like the whole book, and don't enjoy waiting for the next installment to be available. That said, Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite authors, and her writing is so good, I was willing to go for the serial.
This is a departure from what I normally get from Armstrong, but I am enjoying it. The sections are short, fast easy reads, and the story being told is a page-turner. I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends, but each section keeps me glued to the reader. The characters, the plot, the suspense - all the great read I can depend on from Kelley Armstrong, even if it is a new direction from what I'm used to.
This is a departure from what I normally get from Armstrong, but I am enjoying it. The sections are short, fast easy reads, and the story being told is a page-turner. I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends, but each section keeps me glued to the reader. The characters, the plot, the suspense - all the great read I can depend on from Kelley Armstrong, even if it is a new direction from what I'm used to.
February 19, 2016
Quick Thoughts
1. Ouuu the mystery town!
2. The mystery town is extra creepy. What is even happening!
3. This book is going to get really intense really fast.
4. I'm loving the direction the plot is going in so far. There's so much the author can do!
5. The characters are great! The cranky detective is my favourite so far. He's going to have some surprises I can tell.
1. Ouuu the mystery town!
2. The mystery town is extra creepy. What is even happening!
3. This book is going to get really intense really fast.
4. I'm loving the direction the plot is going in so far. There's so much the author can do!
5. The characters are great! The cranky detective is my favourite so far. He's going to have some surprises I can tell.
May 3, 2016
At this rate, I could finish this entire series in one sitting and be super sad when it's over.
January 16, 2021
Casey has arrived at the City of the Lost. It almost lost me with a stereotypical description of how people respond to living in isolation and what it's like to live in this place - and then things suddenly get interesting. Good situational and character development. On to the next part.
January 27, 2018
I am enjoying the buildup of this story, but I am not sure why it needed to be broken into so many different parts.
June 6, 2019
This is a great sequel. Can't wait for the others!
November 2, 2019
The mystery deepens as Casey settles into Rockton.
June 9, 2021
Settling in - I admit I am intrigued.
September 30, 2022
This series is getting better and better 👏
March 19, 2023
Not bad. I'm familiar with the characters and the plot is engaging.
September 11, 2023
I didn't realize the original first book had been broken up into 6 books. Now I do
Read
January 23, 2020It's called on the Canadian Cover A Rockton novel in small letters
"THIS FALLEN PREY" And it is awesome as the first book City og the Lost.
Don't want to spoiler since it's a ser but check my list of read and you'll see I'm a huge Kelly
Armstrong fan and not because I'm Canadtan lol
"THIS FALLEN PREY" And it is awesome as the first book City og the Lost.
Don't want to spoiler since it's a ser but check my list of read and you'll see I'm a huge Kelly
Armstrong fan and not because I'm Canadtan lol
July 12, 2015
This series is getting better and better! I love that there is a new part released every week, gives me something to look forward to reading without breaking the bank. I know if this book had been released as one novel, I would read the whole thing in a day or two. This way the anticipation is part of the fun of reading the novel. In Part 2, Casey arrives in Rockton, a town filled with criminals and people who want or need to disappear from the mainstream. She is given a job as a police officer and the sheriff is introduced, as well as a few residents of the town. Casey arrives in town and immediately is investigating a murder. I can't wait for next week and Part 3.
May 25, 2016
This series, I think I should have read as a single entity. I'm not enjoying it as a series. So in part 2 the ladies are now in the "city", a city with 200 people, no electricity and barely any infrastructure doesn't really qualify as a city. Apparently they are loving it so far, um really? It sounded like every person's dream home. And now the new "city" has rampant crime that requires a detective. Apparently it's difficult to solve crime in a town of 200 people. This installment revolves around settling in the new town and also a murder just happened to take place so I assume the rest will be solving this crime and the mystery surrounding this town.
July 8, 2015
Things are picking up quickly and big events are already happening. Along with meeting a lot of new characters you really get a feel for the story and how it may shape out in this installment. What really shines through already is how very talented Ms Armstrong is; this isn't some half baked idea or money grabbing scheme, this is beautiful story telling with pacing so perfect it hurts. I can't wait for the next installment.
July 7, 2015
So far, I am in love with this dark, secretive world. Part one was a great introduction to Casey. Now in part two we find the mysterious town of people who have "disappeared" and the sheriff who may be holding more secrets than the town. And I can't wait to find out more! Bring on the next part.
July 8, 2015
Loved this new instalment, I wish Kurt could have gone with them but understand why he wasn't invited. I'm already really curious about the city and what's going on there. Can't wait for the next instalment!
July 24, 2015
Good read and an interesting story. There are some minor wording issues which were a bit distracting such as calling a gelding "she" and using the phrase bottling for canning jam. In such a short book these discrepancies are noticable. Good story and an engaging read.
August 21, 2015
Completely immersed in this little town off the grid called Rockton. Casey seems right at home, but I know something incredible is about to go down. Reading this series on my commute to and from work every day - it makes time fly by and it's an easy, enjoyable read so far!
July 29, 2015
I liked that this one was longer than the first one and I like where it is going. Great characters and great world building. Only a couple of days and the next one is released. Yay.
August 16, 2015
Loving this book!!
August 17, 2015
City of the Lost 2
Very good but too short. The main character is realistic and very interesting with lots of back story. I am hooked.
Very good but too short. The main character is realistic and very interesting with lots of back story. I am hooked.
October 25, 2015
can't put it down
July 24, 2016
Loving the series and wishing I had read them sooner. Getting so sucked in! Onto Part 3! :D
January 7, 2016
Getting gripping!!!
Getting gripping! I kinda love Eric Dalton, tho I know I probably shouldn't. There's more going on in the pub then shots
Getting gripping! I kinda love Eric Dalton, tho I know I probably shouldn't. There's more going on in the pub then shots
March 30, 2018
Same as first book don't understand why 6 books are needed for this story unless the purposes is to waste money One book would suffice
September 16, 2016
I loved it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews