REVIEW: The Boy Who Cried Bear

 The Boy Who Cried Bear
Author: Kelley Armstrong

This spin-off series from the Rockton books by Kelley Armstrong keeps getting better and better! I loved the Rockton series. The concept of a town hidden in remote Canada where people can go to disappear for awhile just really intrigued me. I read every single book, and every plot kept my attention from start to finish. 

Some residents of Rockton were criminals, some people were running from danger, and others just wanted to disappear for reasons of their own. Nobody knew their stories except for Sheriff Eric Dalton and his deputy, Casey Duncan. Rockton fell apart as more and more dangerous people came into town, and ulterior motives for the existence of the town were revealed. So, Eric and Casey plus several residents of Rockton, set out to form a new town, Haven's Rock. 

But it seems trouble has followed them. 

I'm loving this new series just as much as I enjoyed the Rockton books! Eric and Casey are now in charge, but they are finding that the basic premise of a very remote town for people who need to disappear is just a dangerous situation.The location is dangerous -- residents of Haven's Rock are told firmly that nobody is to wander into the forest alone. The forest isn't safe. And, people are dangerous. Those who need to disappear and live totally off the grid often have dark secrets, dark pasts or even darker intentions.

In this second book in the series, a young boy reports a seeing a strange man-bear thing while on a group hike in the woods. Then soon after, a dead body is discovered and the boy goes missing. 

This story can be read as a stand-alone book, but I really recommend reading the Rockton series before delving into the Haven's Rock books to fully understand the characters and background. 

As usual I got totally sucked into this story from the start and it kept my attention to the very last word. There is a lot going on! The suspense is awesome! 

I actually read an ebook copy of this story while listening to the audio book. I love to do that especially with horror or suspense novels. I don't miss a word....and there's just something about having a suspenseful story read out loud! The audio book is a bit over 10 hours long and is narrated by Therese Plummer. Plummer did a great job of voice acting as usual! She reads at a steady pace, does a great job of voicing each character, and brings out the suspense of the story in her performance. 

Another great book in this series! I can't wait for the next one! Kelley Armstrong states on her website that she is editing Book 3 while writing Book 4 in this series. Yay!!  I can't wait to find out what happens in Haven's Rock next!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martin's Press and listened to the audio book from Macmillan Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**