REVIEW: A Darkness Absolute

A Darkness Absolute
Author: Kelley Armstrong

A Darkness Absolute is the second book in the Rockton series. I first came across this series when I requested a review copy of the 4th book, not realizing I was jumping in mid-stream. The premise of a hidden town where people could go to disappear and lay low for awhile was intriguing, so I immediately grabbed book 1 at my local library and started reading. Rockton is a dangerous place. Most residents are just on the run -- abused women, those who crossed dangerous people, white collar criminals and the like. But some....some are very, very dangerous people. The corporation that funds the town keeps the past of residents secret. That means leaders of the town and law enforcement have no idea which residents are dangerous and which are not.

Casey Butler came to Rockton with an abused friend. She's also avoiding fallout from a mistake in judgement.....a big mistake. She never meant to get pulled into law enforcement in the secluded town, but as an experienced homicide detective it was inevitable. Casey and another Rockton deputy discover a woman in the forest who has been held in a pit for more than a year. She disappeared from Rockton 18 months before. Then they find skeletal remains of two women who disappeared from the town years before. Is one of the residents a serial killer? Or is one of the outsiders, living and roaming the Canadian forest surrounding Rockton, the killer?

I enjoy this series because it's different. I read a lot of suspense thrillers and after awhile they can get a bit tropey....the same plots, the same endings....still exciting reads, but nothing new. The concept of a town hidden in the Canadian wilderness is creative and different. It adds a new dimension to criminal investigations. Casey and the other law enforcement officers in Rockton have very little information about the past crimes of residents, unless the people share the truth about themselves. They are pretty much cut off from normal avenues of assistance like the RCMP. And not only are there criminals living in Rockton, but there are dangerous, violent outsiders who live off the grid in the surrounding forest as well. The stories really keep me on the edge of my seat!

I enjoyed A Darkness Absolute. The plot was filled with suspense and interesting investigation from start to finish. Things progressed at a nice speed and there were plenty of twists and turns on the journey.

I have the next book on hold at the library. I'm 3rd in line, so I can tell that others enjoy this series as well. :) While it isn't strictly necessary to read this series in order, there is a lot of character development and past incidents that are referenced, so it really is best to start at the beginning and read through in order. But, a reader could jump in on a later book and still understand the characters and plot. I decided to start at the beginning and read through before reviewing the upcoming 4th book in the series. I'm glad I did....such an intriguing series!